skip to main content

Limerick crush Cork to put one foot in Munster final

Updated / Friday, 6 Jun 2025 12:29

This was it. The big one. Limerick welcomed Cork into the cauldron, and it didn't disappoint.

It didn’t disappoint those in Limerick that is – as the Treaty made sure to get revenge for their defeat by the Rebels in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final and banish the demons of the derailment their drive for five.

They did so in emphatic fashion, laying down a marker for rest of the championship with Sunday's showdown seen as potentially the first of three possible encounters between these two fierce rivals.

Cork travelled in big numbers, but in truth, even the more optimistic of those in red in the 42,477 full house in a sun-drenched TUS Gaelic Grounds could have argued that this game wasn’t over by half-time.

Putting in an epic performance to match that of the All-Ireland final against the same opponents in 2021, Limerick were an emphatic 15 points ahead, 2-18 to 0-09, after a frantic first-half saw the hosts restricting Cork to just five points from play.

The second-half saw an improved performance by Cork, but also from Limerick who extended their winning margin to 16 to put one foot into their seventh Munster final in-a-row and at least secure a place in this year’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.

In fact, Limerick's winning margin matches that of their dominant win over Cork in that 2021 All-Ireland showdown in Croke Park.

As expected, the game got off to a flying start and Limerick scored 1-02 without reply inside the opening three minutes.

With just three minutes on the clock, Aaron Gillane scored Limerick’s third goal of the Championship after he turned Niall O’Leary to find himself in acres of space to blast home from a tight angle to put five between the sides.

Cork quickly responded with three points of their own with Patrick Horgan (free), Darragh Fitzgibbon, and Rob Downey lifting Rebel spirits, but Limerick scored the eight of the next nine points to really set the tone of the rest of the evening.

During that period, Cork survived another goal chance but Mark Coleman blocked on the line after Tom Morrissey was quickest to react to Shane O’Brien’s saved effort on goal.

Four without response had Limerick nine points up, 1-10 to 0-04, by the 20-minute mark with the Treaty men restricting Cork to just three points from play at this stage.

Cork should have raised a green flag of their own two minutes later, but Nickie Quaid superbly saved to deny Patrick Horgan.

With 26 minutes on the clock, it was Limerick’s game to lose, Cian Lynch becoming playmaker for Adam English, the two-time Hurler of the Year producing a brilliant flick for English to run through and put a resounding 12 between the sides.

From here, efforts from Lynch, David Reidy, Gillane, Hegarty, Tom Morrissey and Diarmaid Byrnes, either side of two Patrick Horgan frees, extended Limerick’s lead to 15 – 2-18 to 0-9 by the break.

Limerick were unchanged from the side that defeated Waterford, while Shane Barrett returned from suspension in place of Shane Kingston for the Leesiders.

Cork made just one change to the side that stunned Limerick to end the Shannonsiders drive for five 10 months ago with Ethan Twomey coming in for Séamus Harnedy.

For Limerick, 12 of the 15 that started last year’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat survived with Séamus Flanagan, Declan Hannon, and Cathal O’Neill making the bench instead as Barry Nash, Shane O’Brien, and Adam English started from the get-go on Sunday.

After the restart, Cork, boosted by two half-time substitutes, were a much better side in the early stages but Limerick slowly began to take a stranglehold on the game yet again.

Credit to Cork, Pat Ryan’s side never gave up and kept the scoreboard ticking over with Horgan impressive from the dead ball.

Horgan was rewarded for his efforts with a goal of his own from a 20-metre free to give Cork something to shout for, but it was too little too late for the Rebels who were trailing by 10 with 10 minutes to go.

With just seven minutes on the clock, Cork full back Eoghan Downey was booked for a foul on Gillane. The Patrickswell man slotted home the resulting penalty to make it a 13-point game.

The last three points all came from Limerick substitutes as Peter Casey (two), and Cathal O’Neill made the scoreboard more than comfortable reading for the Munster champions.

Such was Limerick's impressive defensive display, boosted by a man of the match performance by Kyle Hayes, Cork finished with just seven points from play.

Unless there is a miraculous turnaround in Limerick's score difference when they face now eliminated Clare next Sunday, John Kiely's will be looking forward to their seventh Munster final in-a-row, while a win for Cork against Waterford on Leeside next Sunday would still put the Rebels into their first provincial final since 2018.

Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey (0-01); Diarmuid Byrnes (0-01), Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash; Adam English (1-02), William O'Donoghue; Gearoid Hegarty (0-03), Cian Lynch (capt.) (0-01), Tom Morrissey (0-05); Aaron Gillane (2-07, 6f, 1p), Shane O'Brien (0-01), David Reidy (0-01)

Subs: Darragh O’Donovan for Will Donoghue (temporary 37 minutes – 40), Cathal O’Neill (0-02) for Morrissey, Séamus Flanagan for O’Brien (both 51), Peter Casey (0-02) for Reidy (59), Colin Coughlan for Mike Casey (67), Aidan O’Connor for Byrnes (68), Barry Murphy for Dan Morrissey (72)

Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary, Eoghan Downey, Seán O’Donoghue; Ciarán Joyce, Robert Downey (capt.) (0-01), Mark Coleman; Tim O’Mahony, Ethan Twomey; Declan Dalton, Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-01), Shane Barrett; Patrick Horgan (1-10, 1-9f), Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes (0-01)

Subs: Brian Roche (0-01) for Dalton (eight minutes, injured), Cormac O’Brien for Robert Downey, Séamus Harnedy (0-02) for Twomey (both half time), Damien Cahalane for O’Leary (55, injured), Robbie O’Flynn for Connolly (56)

Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway)

More stories on

Read Next