There was no sweet revenge for Kilkenny over Limerick as John Kiely's team won the 2023 Allianz Hurling League Division One final 2-20 to 0-15 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork on Sunday afternoon.
While it took Limerick 15 minutes to score from open play, once Seamus Flanagan raised a white flag, it was nothing but green as his team went on to lift the first national piece of silverware of the season.
The Treaty County even restricted Kilkenny to just five points in the second half, while they put over 1-7 after the break. This was the exact tally that Aaron Gillane left the pitch with in Cork, and he now adds another medal to glistening collection back in his home parish of Patrickswell.
At the start, it almost looked like it would be Kilkenny’s day as they went into an early three point lead with Adrian Mullen, Richie Reid, and Billy Drennan all putting over scores.
Limerick had to bide their time, especially with their first three points coming from frees.
Gillane put over all of these and tied things up, and Kiely’s team remained patient as they raised white flags at the City End in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Once Flanagn scored in the 15th minute, that was the start of a run that would accumulate in the trophy going to Shannonside.
Things truly swung their way when Barry Nash squeezed the sliotar underneath Eoin Murphy and that put Limerick into the lead for the first time.
Then Gillane got his first from open play and Diarmaid Byrnes put over back to back frees. Suddenly they were into a two point lead and all the momentum was with them.
Kilkenny only scored twice against this tide, with Eoin Cody only getting on the scoresheet in the 35th minute. Almost everything they tried was immediately responded to by Limerick, with Darragh O’Donovan quickly cancelling out that point with a score from open play.
This ended with Limerick holding a six-point lead at the break, a hold over Kilkenny that they never once looked like relinquishing.
Kilkenny started the second half with Mullen putting the ball over and any talk of a comeback was quickly silence by Gillane, who converted a free.
They kept going after this, with a relentless drive that is best summed up by Flanagan squaring to Gillane and he knocked in Limerick’s second goal.
Kilkenny’s attempts to get something out of this were stopped by a determined Nickie Quaid. The goalkeeper made a string of excellent saves at the City End that all put psychologically won the tie for Limerick.
A free from Cody ended things, and seconds later Limerick were crowned National Hurling League champions for the first time since 2020.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash (1-01); Diarmaid Byrnes (0-05, 3f), Mike Casey, Colin Coughlan (0-01), Darragh O'Donovan (0-02), Barry Murphy; Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Cathal O'Neill (0-1); Aaron Gillane (1-07, 5f), Seamus Flanagan (0-03), Peter Casey.
Subs: Tom Morrissey for Murphy (HT), Mike Casey for English (47), Conor Boylan for Lynch (58), Donnacha Ó Dálaigh for Flanagan (62), Shane O'Brien for Casey (66), Mark Quinlan for Byrnes (70).
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Tommy Walsh, Padraig Walsh, Richie Reid (0-02), Huw Lawlor (0-01), David Blanchfield, Conor Fogarty, Paddy Deegan (0-02), John Donnolly, Adrian Mullen (0-3), Billy Ryan, Billy Drennan (0-05, 5f), Martin Keoghan, Eoin Cody (0-02).
Subs: Cian Kenny for Donnolly (41), Paddy Mullen for Fogarty (47), Timmy Clifford for Adrian Mullen (52), Alan Murphy for Ryan (55), Geaoird Dunne for Drennan (57),
Referee: Paud O Dwyer (Carlow)
