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Irish Daily Mirror
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'You'd love another crack at it' Limerick's Cian Lynch penalties v replay debate
Cian Lynch had no idea that last Saturday's Munster final would go to penalties and admitted that he would have welcomed a replay instead. Limerick relinquished their grip on the Mick Mackey Cup that they had held since 2019 as they lost a shootout 3-2 after they and Cork couldn't be separated after extra time. Albeit two Ulster football finals have been decided in this fashion, the concept of penalties to decide major inter-county games is a relatively new one in the GAA, and it was only after Darragh Fitzgibbon's late, late 65 levelled the game yet again at the end of extra time that Lynch realised that the tie would be decided in his fashion. It was the first time that it had happened in a top tier Championship game in hurling. The Limerick captain said: 'I suppose in my own head initially, you think there's going to be an extra five minutes each half. Because that's the way it was before, wasn't it? 'But I suppose when it's said it's penalties, you just accept that and that's obviously the way it is.' Still, if the prospect of a replay rather than penalties was put to Lynch at the end of the 90-plus minutes, he would have gladly taken it. 'Yeah, of course you would. Sure you love playing the sport. I suppose the pros and cons to either. 'I suppose it's not for me to make a point or make a comment on what's the right thing to do but you'd love to have another crack at it. Any team would. 'But for us, it's just about accepting that that's in the past now. We unfortunately didn't win and Cork did.' Lynch was gone off the field before the full-time and so he wasn't eligible to take part in the shootout - not that it's something he would have put his hand up for anyway. 'If you were asked to take one, I'm sure 100% you'd do anything you can to help the team, but I wouldn't be someone that's known to stand over a free or a penalty, to be honest with you. 'The five guys, obviously our guys, the five Limerick lads, the same as Cork obviously and Nickie, to step up, that takes some courage. After playing 70 to 90 minutes of hurling, to have it based on standing over a penalty, that is tough. That is some responsibility. 'But great credit to the guys, great credit to Nickie [Quaid] and so on. Just the way it is.' Limerick now go on to play either Dublin or Kildare in the All-Ireland quarter-final the weekend after next, and Lynch said they won't be looking for an out in the fact that they didn't lose the Munster final in regulation or extra time. 'No, it's still a defeat,' he insisted. 'Obviously, you look at the time played and so on, neither team won and it went to penalties and that's just the way it was. 'You obviously are disappointed. You see an opposition collecting a trophy and celebrating with their fans and stuff. That's tough to take. 'You just have to dust yourself off, regroup, process that feeling and try to drive on again.'
Irish Examiner
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Cork's All-Ireland SHC semi-final set for early Saturday evening throw-in
Cork's All-Ireland SHC semi-final in Croke Park is expected to have a 5pm throw-in on Saturday, July 5. Broadcasters RTÉ have the Munster winners's game slotted in for an early evening start at the beginning of next month with the second semi-final involving Kilkenny the following afternoon expected to begin at 4pm. Matching their provincial final day, Cork will return to action 28 days after they lifted the Mick Mackey Cup in TUS Gaelic Grounds on Saturday after beating Limerick on a penalty shoot-out. It will be preceded by an All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-final at GAA HQ. Another camogie quarter-final clash will be the curtain-raiser to the Cats's semi-final fixture. As per championship regulations, Cork can't meet Limerick in a semi-final so their potential opponents are Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Laois or Tipperary just as Kilkenny can't duel with Galway at that stage, so they will face one of Dublin, Kildare, Limerick or Tipperary. After provincial finals, repeat pairings in early provincial fixtures are avoided where feasible in the last four.
The Irish Sun
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Cork goalkeeper Patrick Collins reveals laid-back penalty shootout preparations for Munster final vs Limerick
THEY say a pat on the back is six inches away from a kick in the ass — and Cork received both at the TUS Gaelic Grounds in the space of three weeks. In Saturday night's epic encounter with Limerick, which saw the Rebels 2 Patrick Collins made a heroic penalty save in the shoot-out 2 Robert Downey and Ciarán Joyce with the Mick Mackey Cup The pitch became a sea of red as the visiting supporters gathered to witness Rob Downey raising the Mick Mackey Cup aloft. The scenes were a far cry from the aftermath of the previous meeting of the teams at the same venue on May 18, when Cork fans were left despondent by After claiming his first Munster SHC medal, Cork centre-back Ciarán Joyce said: 'The last three weeks in training was phenomenal. It was a real kick up the ass, to be honest with you. 'I'm lost for words. It's some feeling. In their own backyard as well, it adds to it. You can see how starved for success the Cork crowd are too.' Read more on GAA According to Joyce, the only way for Cork to respond to their 16-point trimming was to do their talking on the pitch. And that began with addressing the effort levels that dropped way below the required standard during a defeat described as 'embarrassing' by boss Pat Ryan. Joyce explained: 'There were no harsh words, but our work rate was questioned in that game and any time your work rate is questioned, it does get to you because you put so much into it. 'You could see that we fought tooth and nail for every ball and it's an unreal feeling when everyone in the 15 is fighting like that.' Most read in GAA Hurling The extra-time agony of last summer's But they showed their mettle to prevail through an additional period this time, before finishing the job on penalties. RTE GAA pundits argue over who started halftime row as Cork eventually topple Limerick in Munster epic final Joyce added: 'There's savage character in this group. Last year when we got to extra-time in the All-Ireland final, we learned a lot from that. "We stuck to our game plan and we didn't in the final last year.' Conor Lehane, Shane Kingston and Alan Connolly all beat Nickie Quaid to steer Cork to victory in the shootout. Patrick Collins also played a huge part by keeping out Tom Morrissey's effort. Reflecting on the vital contribution he made in his first-ever penalty shootout, Rebels goalkeeper Collins said: 'I suppose if you could get even one or two, that puts the pressure back on them and takes a bit of the pressure off our lads striking them. "I suppose you're hoping for a bit of luck then. It's not something we practise too often, penalty shootouts — the odd time really. "I don't know how many of them I'll be involved in now but to come out on top in that one was unreal. 'I suppose at the end of training we'd do a few penalties just for the craic, myself and the forwards. That's it really. "It's probably more so for their practice rather than me thinking that you'd go to a penalty shootout or whatnot. 'It's a bit of a laugh after training and we do it every so often. But to think you'd have a game going into penalties, I suppose that the chances are slim enough.' Cork aced three penalties in a row after Nickie Quaid kept out their first from Darragh Fitzgibbon. As well as the Collins save to deny Morrissey, Limerick were undone by strikes from Barry Murphy and Declan Hannon that missed the target. ENOUGH TO DO Asked if he considered being one of Cork's penalty-takers, Collins said: 'There was talks of it but I had enough of a job to be saving them, never mind taking them. I said I'd concentrate on the other end. "There are plenty of forwards who can take penalties. My job is to save them.' Collins is now a three-time Munster winner. But after being Anthony Nash's reserve in 2017 and 2018, the third time was the charm for the man from Ballinhassig. It has been a taxing season already for Cork, who now have two pieces of silverware on the board having also won their first National League title since 1998. With an All-Ireland semi-final to come on July 5, attention will soon shift to their ambitions to end another long wait. Twenty years have passed since Liam MacCarthy was adorned with red and white ribbons. Collins remarked: 'It's class. It's just building blocks really. I suppose we went after a performance and that's what we got. The result took care of itself. 'But we're under no illusion that in four weeks' time we're going to face a big challenge again. 'It's just about knuckling down for the next four weeks, work really hard, get everyone back in for competition and drive training on, no different to how we have in the last few weeks. 'I suppose it gives the few lads with injuries just a chance to sort out their niggles and stuff like that but it's time to go hard now again for the next four weeks.'
Extra.ie
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Kilkenny boss claims Munster final conclusion was unfair
Kilkenny's reward for a sixth Leinster hurling title in a row is a likely semi-final with Limerick – but Derek Lyng felt sympathy for the vanquished Munster giants after what he felt was an unfair end to the game. Lyng's team overcame Galway in Croke Park on Sunday, winning by eight points in front of 37,503 spectators. A largely subdued affair was in complete contrast to the drama that played out in Limerick the night before, when Cork won on penalties after extra time. Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng reacts during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Kilkenny and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile The net result is a place in the quarter-finals for Limerick, and they will be unbackable favourites to win that, against one of Dublin and Kildare. That would set them against Lyng's men in the last four. And the victorious Kilkenny manager suggested that a fairer way of deciding the match would have been a replay. 'I think it's hard on players,' he said of the penalty shoot-out. 'I know we have a new system in place and we're kind of caught for time but I just think we're a bit too caught at the minute. 'It made for a great spectacle, but I think to be fair to players, the replay would have been more fair to them.' 7 June 2025; Cork captain Robert Downey lifts the Mick Mackey Cup after his side' victory in the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final match between Limerick and Cork at LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Limerick will be expected to put aside that disappointment and prevail not only against the winners of Dublin and Kildare, but also Kilkenny in a semi-final. And the tepid nature of much of yesterday's Leinster decider in contrast to the pyrotechnics in the Gaelic Grounds will do nothing to temper that belief. Lyng, though, was adamant that his players have been tested properly ahead of the expected challenge to come. 'I think it's probably taken for granted that we're going to go win these games, but a huge amount of work goes into it, particularly from the players,' he said. Walter Walsh in action for Kilkenny. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile 'We lost to Wexford, and against Dublin we would have been disappointed with a spell in that game as well, and likewise today, so, regardless of who we were playing, we know we're going to have to find another gear or two for the next day, and that's the reality of it.' Galway, meanwhile, look certain to face Tipperary in a last-eight tie with the Premier County facing Laois in a preliminary quarter-final before then. Micheál Donoghue denied that the job facing him on his return to Galway is bigger than anticipated after a desperately flat display in which his side went 36 minutes without a score from play. 19 August 2018; Galway manager Micheál Donoghue and Joe Canning of Galway following the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Galway and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Donoghue feels they are not as far behind the leading teams as many believe. 'No, I wouldn't say it's a bigger job,' he said. 'Obviously, the disappointment of today and I suppose the narrative will be that it's probably similar to previous years and previous teams. 'But look, we know what we have in the squad and we'll try and take the positives out of it as we move forward.'
Irish Examiner
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'We're all fighting tooth and nail for the calls' - Ryan on half-time management clash with Walsh
Munster SHC final: Limerick 2-27 Cork 1-30 (AET, Cork win 3-2 on penalties) Whatever of grotesque, this was unbelievable. Bizarre. And unprecedented. And Cork won't care a whit. Never in elite championship hurling has the margin between winners and losers of a final been so slender. It's a fact that can't be stressed too often. Limerick's six-year domination of Munster and remarkable run of 16 victorious finals was ended by the indignity of penalties. And yet that took nothing from Cork's accomplishment. Twenty days previous, they had been handed their asses by Limerick to the tune of 16 points. To come back to the Gaelic Grounds like that without the full complement of players that the home side boasted took some doing. Cork's 55th Munster title and first capture of the Mick Mackey Cup were achieved on a Saturday evening too. The first provincial decider on the last day of the week in 15 years but that was a replay and while it also went to extra-time Cork were on the right side of the result this time. Level on 18 occasions, ultimately, Declan Hannon's wide in the penalty shoot out confirmed Cork as champions but Patrick Collins had also been equal to Tom Morrissey's strike after Barry Murphy had sent his wide and Darragh Fitzgibbon's effort was kept out by Nickie Quaid. As for the converters, there were Conor Lehane, Shane Kingston (just about) and Alan Connolly for Cork and the Patrickswell pair of Diarmaid Byrnes and Aaron Gillane finding the target into the Cork-dominated Ennis Road end of the 43,580-packed ground. On the back of their wily if often maligned replacements, Shane Kingston and Conor Lehane, not to mention another industrious substitute in Tommy O'Connell, Cork stood their ground at the end of normal time and into extra-time. However, their toil seemed to be in vain when Damien Cahalane committed a tired foul on Shane O'Brien. Aaron Gillane capitalised yet that was not the end. Nickie Quaid touched a long Darragh Fitzgibbon free out for a 65 and the Charleville man arrowed the placed ball between the sticks to force the unprecedented. By that stage, James Owens was the man in the middle after starting referee Thomas Walsh was forced to retire in the first half of extra-time with cramp. Both sides, but particularly Cork in the first half of normal time, found fault with Walsh's laissez-faire approach to the game, prompting a half time clash between mentors. Pat Ryan said he had approached Walsh at the break 'just to say he was doing a great job," but later he admitted: 'We're all fighting tooth and nail for the calls. The game is so fast. Thomas is a fantastic referee. We're fighting for calls. John Kiely's fighting for calls. That's just the nature of it. 'The referees are all doing their best. They're all trying to do it in an honourable and straight way. There were a couple of calls that we went against but I heard John shouting for plenty of scores that didn't go his way. That's just the game.' In Walsh's time on the pitch, Limerick had two good shouts for penalties turned down by Walsh. However, it was in Owen's time that John Kiely bemoaned the amount of minutes (over three) at the end of the second half of extra-time in which Fitzgibbon's 65 sent the affair to penalties. 'Ultimately, it came down to efficiency,' he said of his team's shortcomings. 'Just a couple of small pieces. We have to go back and see exactly what the major turning points were but there is no doubt that Thomas Walsh getting injured had a big impact on the game.' Winning the toss like they did last month but opting to play with the wind, Cork should have been further than four points, 1-14 to 1-10, ahead at half-time. More frees should have gone their way but their wide count was nine too. Aidan O'Connor batted an ugly goal for Limerick in the 20th minute. Eoin Downey could have done a lot better in preventing him though and Collins's attempt to block was poor. Brian Hayes had a goal attempt kept out in the 24th minute but he made amends less than three minutes later when he had the wherewithal to absorb a foul while passing out to Shane Barrett who found the net and Cork were back in front, two ahead. In the absence of a blistering start in normal time, a typical power quarter by Limerick was expected after the break as they trailed by four points. However, it wasn't until the introduction of Shane O'Brien that they drew level in the 47th minute. Cork were caught sleeping with a Gearóid Hegarty free finding Gillane who controlled the ball and flicked to O'Brien to finish emphatically. Limerick were unable to build on it, though. Five times Cork went ahead and each time Limerick cancelled out the lead. Darragh Fitzgibbon was the ringmaster in helping to keep Cork's noses in front but another Limerick alternation, Darragh O'Donovan, broke that pattern in the 69th minute. When Kyle Hayes blocked down Patrick Horgan's shot, it seemed the initiative was with Limerick only for Cork's Hayes, Brian, to push the ball out to Horgan for the equaliser in the second minute of additional time. There was time for Gillane to fling a free wide, Ciarán Joyce to do the same after Adam English had gifted him the ball and O'Donovan mishit an effort at the posts before the teams returned to dressing rooms to prepare for another 20-plus minutes. Anybody for another 70 next month? Penalty conversions for Limerick: D. Byrnes, A. Gillane. For Cork: C. Lehane, S. Kingston, A. Connolly. Scorers for Limerick: A. Gillane (0-9, 7 frees); S. O'Brien (1-2); A. O'Connor (1-1); D. Reidy, A. English (0-3 each); T. Morrissey, G. Hegarty (0-2 each); D. Byrnes (free), D. O'Donovan, D. Hannon, P. Casey (0-1 each). Scorers for Cork: P. Horgan (0-7, 4 frees); S. Barrett (1-3); D. Fitzgibbon (0-4, 1 free, 1 65); D. Healy, S. Kingston (0-3 each); S. Harnedy, C. Lehane (0-2 each); D. Cahalane, T. O'Mahony, A. Connolly, B. Hayes, E. Downey, T. O'Connell (0-1 each). LIMERICK: N. Quaid; S. Finn, D. Morrissey, M. Casey; D. Byrnes, K. Hayes, B. Nash; A. English, W. O'Donoghue; G. Hegarty, C. Lynch (c), T. Morrissey; A. Gillane, A. O'Connor, D. Reidy. Subs: S. O'Brien for A. O'Connor (42); P. Casey for D. Reidy, C. O'Neill for T. Morrissey (both 55); D. O'Donovan for W. O'Donoghue (65); D. Hannon for D. Byrnes, B. Murphy for M. Casey (both e-t); T. Morrissey for G. Hegarty (79); S. Flanagan for C. Lynch (temp 90+1 to 90+3); D. Byrnes for C. Lynch (80+4). CORK: P. Collins; D. Cahalane, E. Downey, S. O'Donoghue; M. Coleman, C. Joyce, C. O'Brien; T. O'Mahony, D. Fitzgibbon; D. Healy, S. Barrett (c), S. Harnedy; P. Horgan, B. Hayes, A. Connolly. Subs: R. Downey for C. O'Brien (54); T. O'Connell for T. O'Mahony (59); S. Kingston for A. Connolly (65); R. O'Flynn for S. Harnedy (68); C. Lehane for P. Horgan (70+3); N. O'Leary for S. O'Donoghue (72); B. Roche for D. Healy (e-t h-t); A. Connolly for M. Coleman (inj 84). Referees: T. Walsh (Waterford), J. Owens (Wexford).
