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Extra.ie
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Ferocious Rebels figured out how to neutralise Treaty
In keeping with the martial tone of the evening's action, and with the treatment of the Munster Championship generally as an immortal battle between two great forces, Pat Ryan deployed the language of combat in the Gaelic Grounds. In this instance it was fitting, because Cork came to Limerick with a clear idea of how to win on Saturday night. The mortification of losing by 16 points to the champions earlier in the provincial campaign may have been a motivation, but no matter what had gone before, the way to defeat Limerick hadn't changed. Facing down their ferocious physical power was the challenge. Cork did that, aided by extraordinary refereeing that turned the first half into a free-for-all, but the determination not to take a backward step was the key plank in their approach. Cork's Shane Barrett and Brian Hayes celebrates. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie 'We didn't fight the last time we came up here and the lads worked really hard, we fought really, really hard,' said Ryan. 'It was vital that we represented the jersey properly and we did. 'From the throw-in, we were engaged. You have to put really, really good teams under pressure and you take your chances, whether you win or not.' Describing Cork as engaged was an eloquent use of words by Ryan. In truth, they were ferocious, turning every contest into the type of grappling tussle that Limerick have made their own. The Cork captain Shane Barrett leads his players behind the St Patrick's Pipe Band, from Tulla, during the parade before the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final match between Limerick and Cork at LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile In the 2000s, Brian Cody's vision for hurling was so forcefully implemented by his all-conquering team that it changed not only how the game was played, but how it was officiated, too. Limerick have taken that Cody template and supersized it over the past decade. Their halfback and half-forward lines are now manned by players who are fusions of power and skill. For most opponents, on most days, it's been an irresistible combination. It might have galled Ryan that in the round-robin meeting between the teams, Cork didn't even get to the point of making Limerick work. They were blown away from the first Limerick goal two minutes in that day, and any designs they had on turning the game into a physical showdown never got off the whiteboard. But it's certain that their tactics that day had physicality at their core. The difference on Saturday was that they never let Limerick build up a head of steam. Shane Barrett of Cork celebrates after his side's victory in the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final match between Limerick and Cork at LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile From the start, John Kiely's army were met on the front foot. It rattled them on the field but also on the sideline. Eyewitness accounts spoke of crackling tension, with the Limerick sideline in particular in a state of heightened animation. The stresses burst to the surface at half time as the Cork manager sought out Thomas Walsh, the match referee, only to find Kiely in his way. 'The game is so fast,' Ryan said afterwards. 'Thomas is a fantastic referee. We're fighting for calls. John Kiely's fighting for calls. That's just the nature of it. 'In fairness to the referees that are there at the moment, they're all doing their best. 'They're all trying to do it in a honourable and straight way. 'There were a couple of calls that went against us but I heard John shouting for plenty of scores that didn't go his way. That's just the game.' Cork celebrate winning in the dressing room. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie Equanimity is easily maintained when your team has won, but in the longer term, it's surely unsustainable to have marquee hurling matches become effectively ungoverned collisions between two teams. It's not the fault of any one official, either, but rather the inevitable end-product of a culture that has allowed physical power to become an unchecked factor in contests. That's not a concern for Pat Ryan or his players this morning. They have a month's wait for their All-Ireland semifinal, with Limerick obliged to play a quarter-final that will hardly long detain them. For Ryan and his players, meanwhile, there is one certainty: if they meet Limerick again this summer, which is more than a remote chance, they will know what's coming. And it will be fearsome.
Irish Times
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Nicky English: Weary-looking Limerick's errors allowed Cork confidence to flourish
The key phase in Saturday's scrappy but thrilling Munster final was the 10 minutes before half-time when Cork recovered from a one-point deficit to outscore Limerick by 1-5 to 0-3. This gave Cork all the belief they needed; they had taken the champions' best shots and were still afloat. That 1-14 to 1-10 lead gave them something to work with and reflected a change in fortunes. It was always possible that Limerick's comprehensive victory in the clash between the sides three weeks ago might take the edge off John Kiely's team and drive Cork on, but the Rebels couldn't go into the game expecting that to be the case. Limerick settled themselves swiftly. In the first 20 minutes, Cian Lynch and Kyle Hayes were hitting the levels of the round-robin match. But Darragh Fitzgibbon began to impose his game at midfield and Shane Barrett ended the half with 1-3 from play. Cork now had something to work with . READ MORE It was uncharacteristic stuff from Limerick, or at least stuff we're not used to seeing. Their established KPI (key performance indicator) – the 30-point mark – wasn't reached, but that has been a feature of their season. Only in the first match against Cork did they achieve that tally. At the weekend, they again fell short. There always appeared to be something holding them back. I made a note in the 50th minute that Limerick were in control after the second goal by Shane O'Brien, but they went on to shoot some terrible wides. Instead of stretching away, they let Cork stay in it. Damien Cahalane was an example of Cork's resilience. He hasn't been first-choice for a while, but he battled away and even got up the pitch for a score. He'd have been in trouble if Aaron Gillane's free at the end of extra-time won it for Limerick, but overall it was a brave performance. Nothing highlighted Limerick's problems more than the usually ultra-reliable Nickie Quaid fumbling a ball over the endline for the equalising 65. That and the six wides in extra-time killed them. Kilkenny will likely face Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final, which will be a serious test of their mettle It all ended with a succession of very ordinary penalties that I had to watch back on video because my train was due to leave before they were finished. This just underlined how crazy the scheduling is. You could have filled Croke Park for the replay, so it represents a serious loss of income for the Munster Council. There has to be a structure that allows matches like this to be played out and not have spectators running from venues into the dusk to catch trains. Kilkenny's TJ Reid scores a goal in the Leinster SHC final against Galway at Croke Park. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Many people had also left Croke Park on Sunday before Galway showed any signs of life. The late revival came out of nowhere. By the time Cathal Mannion had engineered a goal for Brian Concannon and added a point, the Tribesmen had scored 1-6 without reply and the margin was down to four. It merely served to wake Kilkenny up. TJ Reid, still defying age and gravity, caught a fantastic ball and gave it back to Adrian Mullen, who scored a good point. For the next high ball towards the Kilkenny goal, Huw Lawlor reached into the skies and caught it before going on a gallop and providing a scoring pass for Billy Ryan. The match was a pale imitation of the Munster final, but it was claustrophobic and intense and crucially, exciting. Hurling has largely lacked excitement this year. I'd revalue the goal to four points to try to inject some adrenalin into matches. Kilkenny didn't convince me that they're contenders. They did what they had to do and Derek Lyng deserves credit for getting consistent performances out of them, but that's a Leinster six-in-a-row and they're no closer to an All-Ireland. Kilkenny will likely face Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final, which will be a serious test of their mettle. A mention of the refereeing. I get the idea about letting the game flow, but rules are there for a reason. Fouls are fouls. From the throw-in on Saturday, referee Thomas Walsh appeared to be fighting a losing battle. He even had to jump out of the way of some hitting to get the match started. Like a schoolteacher, he needed to crack down on that sort of stuff at the start. He could then loosen the reins a little bit later in the game, if he so wished, but only if he had control. Rules weren't applied and I don't think it helped the match because it made the players anxious on both sides. The management teams were up in arms, as was the crowd. Clear fouls went unpunished and I don't think it helped anyone. I would also implement some of the new football rules, primarily the clock and hooter, and take timekeeping from referees. Regardless of Limerick's complaints from Saturday, the innovation has worked well in football and needs to be introduced. The same goes for disciplinary measures on dissent and gamesmanship, which has had a radical impact on misbehaviour.
Irish Examiner
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Cork find their way through the Munster final madhouse
Let's get crazy. Red blood rising. After a mixed Munster championship lacking in the usual quality, the f inal elected to veer into full-blown bedlam. Rollercoasters look like gentle teacups in comparison. 102 shots, almost half of them missed. A truly astonishing 95 turnovers. 24 different scores combined. Rough around the edges, which only served to magnify the madness. The theme continued into the shootout. Five successful penalties and four futile. Declan Hannon, one of the greatest captains the game has known, surrounded by comforting team-mates while a Rebels tidal wave swept the Cork players away. The stadium announcer forced to repeatedly plead for Shane Barrett to come to the stand and claim Mick Mackey Cup. Eventually, he emerged from the sea to make his speech. At that stage the joyous supporters had split between two podiums. Half flocked to the trophy presentation, the other screaming at the sky in front of the RTÉ studio as Dónal Óg Cusack roared back with a proud fist aloft. You thought Cork were coming. You really haven't seen anything like this. Somehow, 'Freed From Desire' found another level. After going through the sporting wringer, an emotional outpouring was inevitable. The Cork captain signalled it with his touching tribute. 'To our leader and our manager, Pat Ryan,' he declared. 'I don't think Pat realises how much this group actually love him but I am going to tell him here today.' There's something about the sulphurous scent of Clare end flares and the sound of ironic jeers that greeted Patrick Horgan's missed free and the sight, the pure swagger, of Gearoid Hegarty slowing strutting past the open stand having plucked a puckout and rifled it over the bar that just gets the pulse racing. It is a senseless sensation. It makes 43,580 crowd in the Gaelic Grounds and the 50-odd characters at the centre of it do daft things. The Catalina Wine Mixer on a triple shot of chaos. Members of both management teams should know the huffing and puffing that went on at half-time as the raced to referee Thomas Walsh was a bit embarrassing. The referee himself should know about the importance of sufficiently applying the sport's rulebook. Munster GAA should know that a pre-game musical set is unlikely to appeal to the final masses. They do it anyway and it is hard to blame them. In this madhouse on wheels, everyone is just trying to find their way. Scoreboards will malfunction, the cramp-stricken referee will go down and be replaced, there will be noticeable alarm in the stand when they learn at the end of normal time that this decider could go to penalties. Seán O'Donoghue will show what it takes to actually get booked in this lawless realm by taking Aaron Gillane's hurl and firing it over the sideline. In the search for some sort of cohort explanation for what unfolded on this frantic Saturday evening, it is worth remembering this simple reality: There was carnage all over the field. It impacted players in profound ways. One of the all-time great Munster final goals can be denied by a terrific last stand by Eoin Downey. As a move, it was magnificent. Kyle Hayes long to Gillane, Tom Morrissey with a perfect floated handpass to Adam English who has an immense ability to peel into that space behind half-backs and boom. Downey to stand tall with a textbook denial. One minute later, he is turned inside out by Aidan O'Connor for the first green flag of the contest. This game was not just chaotic, it was cruel too. All you can do is keep trying. Keep swinging. Keep driving. A long Patrick Collins restart dropped on top of Brian Hayes. A green mass descended and thrashed, like a swarm of hornets stirred from their nest. In normal circumstances it may have been a foul but these ae not normal circumstances. Patrick Horgan was bottled up too. Shane Barrett realised the chances of carrying through the home outfit's defence were slim, so he went old-school and pulled his way past instead. Consider this. Cork headed back to the dressing room at the end of normal time after a string of disheartening wides. Horgan missed a free and was blocked down by Hayes. Robbie O'Flynn snapped too far right. Ciaran Joyce had an opportunity to clinch the winner but hooked it. Some teams would be haunted by that sort of inaccuracy. The game was there for them. They let it slip. What should stand out above all else is how they responded. Seven shots from play in extra-time. Six points. Shane Kingston with yet another super sub salvo. Conor Lehane with an outrageous flick around Cathal O'Neill to score. Darragh Fitzgibbon with a clutch 65 to ensure there was no separating them. Then he cramped up and missed the first penalty. Of course he did. Expect the unexpected. Don't try and resist the whirlwind. This isn't a hurling match. It's a twisted wonderland. Both sides were spent at the death. Players lay flat on their backs as they watched the penalties unfold. Despite a sold-out stadium around them, nine men made what looked like the loneliest walk in the world. Limerick's devastation in defeat was obvious. What is comfort for them is cause for celebration for everyone else. This was an extraordinary and taxing and dramatic day. There is more to come.
BreakingNews.ie
07-06-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Live: Munster hurling final goes to penalties after stunning Cork v Limerick clash
The Munster Hurling Final has gone to penalties following a stunning clash between Cork and Limerick. Six-in-a-row champions Limerick fought back from four-points down at half-time to level the game after 70 minutes at Limerick 2-19 Cork 1-22. Shane Barrett scored Cork's goal in the first-half with Limerick raising green flags through Shane O'Brien and Aidan O'Connor. Advertisement
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Barrett to captain Cork as Ryan makes four changes for Waterford clash
Shane Barrett captains Cork in injured Rob Downey's stead as Pat Ryan makes four changes to the side that lost to Limerick for Sunday's final round clash with Waterford. Niall O'Leary and Declan Dalton, who miss out after suffering setbacks in the Limerick game, are also not included in the matchday panel in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, while Ethan Twomey drops to the bench. In their place come Cormac O'Brien at wing-back and Brian Roche in midfield, Ger Millerick at corner-back and Seamus Harnedy at half-forward. Roche was Dalton's replacement in the eighth minute of the game in TUS Gaelic Grounds. O'Brien and Harnedy came off the bench at half-time for Downey and Twomey. From the team that started last year's opening round loss to Waterford in Walsh Park, there are 10 survivors – Patrick Collins, Millerick, Seán O'Donoghue, Ciaran Joyce, Mark Coleman, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Harnedy, Barrett, Alan Connolly and Patrick Horgan. CORK (SHC v Waterford): P. Collins; G. Millerick, E. Downey, S. O'Donoghue; C. O'Brien, C. Joyce, M. Coleman; T. O'Mahony, B. Roche; S. Barrett (c), D. Fitzgibbon, S. Harnedy; P. Horgan, A. Connolly, B. Hayes. Subs: B. Saunderson, D. Cahalane, E. Roche, T. O'Connell, E. Twomey, L. Meade, C. Lehane, D. Healy, J. O'Connor, R. O'Flynn, S. Kingston.
