So there you have it. Many expected it, there was some doubt earlier in the year, but as soon as Limerick got to Croke Park, there was a collective feeling as to what was going to happen. However, the style in which All-Ireland glory was achieved by the Treaty County was something else.
As I sat in Level 7 of the Hogan Stand, I was in awe, feeling total respect and amazement at the level of performance from the men in green.
Perhaps the greatest half of hurling I have witnessed and to do all that in an All-Ireland final, when the pressure is at its highest with the prize so massive, it's the stuff of dreams for players and management alike.
Credit to Kilkenny, they gave all they had for as long as they could but they never had Limerick on the ropes or in real bother, and when Limerick sensed blood, they went for the kill.
There are lots of stats floating around, but here's one that emphasises Limerick’s dominance in the second half. After Paddy Deegan’s goal, the next five scores were recorded by Limerick, followed by one Kilkenny point, then the next six scores were from Limerick, then a Kilkenny point, and the next five scores came from Limerick.
Man of the match Peter Casey had one point scored by the 59th minute and four points scored by the 63rd minute.
Complete dominance from a complete group, who will only be stronger next year, with players returning from injury and competition shooting up with the younger guys gaining a world of experience this year and wanting to be on that field of play next year. It's scary for the rest of us. Well done Limerick – we look on with envy but also huge respect and scratch our heads as to finding a way to beat you.
I was trying to think of a way to wrap up the year that was, so I’m going to give my highlights – and lowlights – from 2023.
Highlights
The Munster Championship
It's the greatest thing the GAA has – no apologies for that here. Maybe the best Munster Championship ever – draws, last-minute winners, wonder scores, wonder saves, full houses, unreal atmospheres and Freed From Desire blaring out of the speakers after games. It was just magic each and every day and it was a pleasure to be at these games as a fan and on radio.
To say the champions ended up with a score difference of just +2 really indicates the closeness of all these battles.
The best game for me – Tipperary v Limerick in Thurles, ran close by Clare v Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds. The former had the best atmosphere I have seen in Semple Stadium for a Tipp game for some time, hairs on the back of the neck for the anthem, the hits, the intensity, it was a humdinger and I was emotionally drained afterwards, so I could only imagine how the players and management felt. In Limerick’s case, they went out and did it all again the following week, not so much for Tipp against Waterford, but progress has been made none the less for the Premier County.
The Rebels are also on the up and will be better again next year. Munster Championship 2024 – I’ll have the same again please.
Westmeath giving hope
On the same day as Tipp and Limerick served up a classic, Westmeath were writing their own piece of hurling historyby coming from 15 points down to defeat Wexford in the Leinster Championship.
A victory for the ages for all the counties trying to make that breakthrough and perhaps giving more than hope to the likes of Carlow or Antrim for next year that not only can this be done, but now it has been done and the rest of us need to start believing we can do it too. But belief alone won’t get them there, as was seen in the following game for Westmeath against Antrim. There needs to be a consistency in performance and this will only come from training like the top teams, being set up like the top teams and being physically able to match them and this will require a lot of one thing to achieve this, namely money.
Investment in these groups by a sponsor or a supporters' club will be crucial for them to push on and real success will be when one of these teams, like Carlow or Antrim, are making the top three in Leinster. That will really show the hurling world that progress has been made because moral victories are no good when asking for people to back you, real results will lead to real backing.
Lowlights
Too much too soon
I think the inter-county championship needs to get pushed out by a few weeks and this will not affect the club championships being run off in lots of time. No more April starts for championship, please. My understanding is with the preliminary quarter-finals being done away with in 2024, that should open up a bit of time for this to become a reality.
Get rid of the league semi-finals and maybe even the league final and let the winner be whoever finishes top of the group. That will also free up more championship prep time for teams and allow them to go at it a bit harder in the league because we can’t be expecting them to go at it in the league and then have a two-week window to get ready for provincial bloodbaths like we had this year.
Dillon Quirke jersey controversy
I know this point was raised by Joe Canning on The Sunday Game, but I also want to highlight the issue of the Dillon Quirke Foundation jerseys not being allowed to be worn by Tipp and Limerick in the Munster Championship game.
Ironically, they probably sold an even greater number of jerseys and raised more money for the foundation as a result, but this was a matter of principle.
Massive kudos to both groups for trying to find a way around this with their bibs sporting the Dillon Quirke Foundation symbol.
I understand the GAA’s reasoning behind their decision as I am sure they are inundated with requests from charities to be allowed promote their cause on jerseys, but where this one differs is the unique set of circumstances. It involved a player who played in that fixture last year, who lost his life on that field and gave so much for his club and county and the GAA in his far too short time with us. This is something which we hope and pray will never happen again and with the help of the foundation, the risk of that should be reduced.
I love the GAA and all the great work it does and when the need is most it is the GAA people we turn to in our communities and parishes. But the GAA got this one wrong. I hope the lessons are learned and sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say as much, sometimes exceptions just have to be made, especially when the circumstances are as extraordinary as this one.
I have no doubt that all the other organisations seeking this type of promotion would have understood this and rather than saying, "well, ye did it for them, why can’t ye do it for us", the response would have been, "fair enough that is totally understandable".
***
This is my final column for this year and I hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have putting them together.
I have received some lovely messages online and well wishes from people in person who have enjoyed them – and some not so nice ones, too – but I think that’s a sign that they are sparking some debate and not to be taken too seriously as this is, after all, just sport.
However, it means so much to so many, and it means the world to me, and I hope you have sensed that from the articles.
Until the next cartoon, I wish you all well. I hope your club has a great year and create memories of a lifetime and that we all get back next year with a new hope and dream that this year will finally be our county’s year.
As Andy Dufresne said, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies". I wait like you. I hope like you. Slán go fóill, a chairde. Thanks for reading.
