For half an hour, Galway teased the 59,739 in attendance that Limerick's grip on power was waning.
But Aaron Gillane finished with 2-06 as the champions kept their fight for four-in-a-row alive with an ultimately comfortable win in the All-Ireland SHC semi-final.
Gillane and Cathal Mannion had both found the net in a tense first half the Tribesmen only edged by a point, 1-13 to 1-12, despite having been six up at one stage.
It looked set up then for a Croke Park classic but Limerick dominated from the restart and the Patrickswell man’s second green flag put them firmly in control.
Henry Shefflin’s side were chasing green shadows from a long way out and were held to just five points in the second half as they fell to Limerick at the semi-final stage for the third time in four seasons.
The Treaty will face the winners of Kilkenny v Clare in the final in two weeks' time, aiming to secure a fifth All-Ireland title in six seasons and become just the third team to win four successive crowns, after Kilkenny in 2006-09 and Cork in 1941-44.
Limerick had rocked Galway with a goal just five minutes in, Tom Morrissey playing a clever short ball in to Gillane, who got out in front of Dáithí Burke, turned and lashed the ball past Éanna Murphy.
But Galway responded impressively, with the next four scores, one from the in-form Conor Whelan and three frees from Evan Niland.
When Peter Casey opted to take his point after emerging with the ball from a ruck the sides were level, 1-03 to 0-06, but Galway quickly struck for their own major.
Kevin Cooney claimed the ball and picked out the run of Cathal Mannion - not used as a sweeper this time - with a perfect hopped pass. The Ahascragh-Fohenagh man still had a lot to do though, hammering superbly across Nickie Quaid from the tightest of angles.
Gearóid Hegarty - playing wing-forward rather than the advertised wing-back as Will O'Donoghue deputised at 6 for Declan Hannon - Tom Morrissey and Kyle Hayes all got on the scoresheet but Limerick were conceding too many frees and Niland was punishing them flawlessly, converting all six after 22 minutes.
Galway survived a goal chance, Padraic Mannion brilliantly hooking Seamus Flanagan after Gillane got free but then missed their own opportunity, Kevin Cooney laying it off for Brian Concannon, whose half-volley hit Mike Casey’s outstretched hurl.
Concannon was on fire though and hit three first-half scores. Whelan got two as the lead stretched to six - 1-12 to 1-06 - but both were guilty of wides from ambitious angles as Limerick readjusted and took control again, following some timely attention for keeper Nickie Quaid.
Diarmaid Byrnes’ free in the 29th minute was the Munster champions’ first point since the 20th but they hit five of the final six: man of the match Darragh O’Donovan, the returning Cian Lynch, Gillane, Flanagan and another Byrnes free making it a one-point game at the interval.
Limerick were level within 20 seconds of the restart, Gillane flicking it down for Flanagan for his second. Whelan responded almost immediately with his third but, criminally for Galway, he barely touched the ball again.
Frees from Byrnes and Gillane edged Limerick ahead and it was clear they had lifted the intensity to a level Galway were struggling with - Tom Morrissey fired a peach from the sideline after Flanagan outfought three maroon defenders to win the ball.
Kevin Cooney cut the gap to one but Galway’s deliveries were becoming aimless in the face of relentless physical pressure and the hammer blow wasn’t long arriving.
In the 46th minute, Lynch found David Reidy over his shoulder and he popped a handpass up for Gillane. The corner-forward's batted effort came back off the crossbar but Padraic Mannion’s attempted clearance only provided the Limerick man with a second chance from the ground. He made no mistake: 2-16 to 1-15.
There was still almost half an hour to play and just a goal between them after Niland’s eighth free but Galway and everyone watching on Jones' Road seemed to sense the inevitable conclusion.
Passes to nobody were sent back over the bar by Hayes, finishing a trademark solo run, and Reidy, while Niland finally missed one and Galway lost puckout after puckout as the Green Machine hit top gear. Casey took his tally to three as only a run of wides (14 in all) stopped Limerick streaking clear.
The gap was six by the hour mark though and with Galway unable to win possession up the pitch, John Kiely had the luxury of giving the bench a handy run. Substitutes Cathal O’Neill and Graeme Mulcahy both scored to finish the job.
A desperately disappointing second half for Galway and an ominous sign for Limerick's final opponents: after struggling through Munster, the champions look back to their best.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Mike Casey, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes (0-3f), William O'Donoghue, Kyle Hayes (0-02); Darragh O'Donovan (0-01) Cian Lynch (0-01); Gearóid Hegarty (0-02), David Reidy (0-01), Tom Morrissey (0-02); Aaron Gillane (2-06 5f), Séamus Flanagan (0-02), Peter Casey (0-03).
Subs: Cathal O'Neill (0-01) for T Morrissey (55 mins), Conor Boylan for Hegarty (67), Graeme Mulcahy (0-01) for Lynch (67), Adam English for O’Donovan (72), Oisín O'Reilly for Flanagan (72).
Galway: Éanna Murphy; Jack Grealish, Daithí Burke, Darren Morrissey; Pádraic Mannion, Gearóid McInerney, Joseph Cooney; Seán Linnane, Cathal Mannion (1-01); Ronan Glennon, Cianan Fahy, Kevin Cooney; Conor Whelan (0-03), Brian Concannon (0-03), Evan Niland (0-09f).
Subs: Tom Monaghan (0-01) for Glennon (50), Conor Cooney for Linnane (53), Liam Collins for Concannon (63), Fintan Burke for Fahy (67).
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
