For years Cork v Wexford 1970 (an 80 minute final) held the record for total points scored (64).
Limerick v Cork last year beat that at 66.
This year again had 66 total points but set a new record for total number of scores at 60, an average of a score every 69 seconds, or in practical terms every 76 seconds if you say the match lasted 77 minutes including injury time.
That was unreal lads. I said beforehand that we hadn’t hurled anywhere near 2021 levels this year, and that we were all hoping for that performance to come, and I think it did. Maybe we didn’t blow Kilkenny away but that was by far our must fluid performance of the season. Things that didn’t go right in Munster & against Galway came off yesterday. Credit to Kilkenny though, even though I thought we were doing a lot of the hurling, we just couldn’t kill them off.
You can point at various things that teams did right or wrong, bad misses, soft frees, etc. But what I have always said is the best thing about this Limerick team is how they react to adversity. Kilkenny get goals, Kilkenny draw level, Limerick push on again. Someone stands up and wins the next ball, works a score. That happened every single time. The Reidy hawkeye point being ruled out, followed by Richie Hogan of all people levelling the game would have been a massive momentum shifter normally. Kilkenny fans were on their feet, they let out some roar.
A few minutes earlier Tom had won a puckout on the wing and had taken a shot on with men free outside him. Kyle was very very unhappy about that and let Tom know. Richie’s point goes over and Nickie pucks the ball down that wing, and Tom wins it again. This time he pops it back to Kyle, who steps through and puts it over the bar. Learn from the mistakes, make the right decision, respond to adversity and we’re back in front. Tom was then immediately taken off and Cathal scores with his first touch (an absolutely beautiful step off his left leg to leave the defender for dead before splitting the posts).
Wally caused us problems when introduced, TJ did throughout, they set up the goals but we responded every time. And more than anything else that’s why they won the game.
Hegarty was phenomenal, one of the great All-Ireland displays, probably even better than his 2020 display. But the two boys alongside him were unbelievable aswell- Tom & Kyle are both men for the big occasion. Kyle’s work rate is so so good- he tracks runners back the field, he gets tackles, he runs support off the shoulders, he wins aerial ball, he wins dirty ball. Tom similarly, works his socks off, and pops up with big scores when needed.
The full-forward line never really got going, Gillane was heavily strapped and didn’t look quite right but Huw Lawlor was unbelievable (the little cameo in the corner when he had no hurley was a little embarrassing from a Limerick perspective but class from Lawlor).
And generally, our backs were absolutely superb. Byrnes has been a rock all year, his striking is impeccable and you’re just so confident in him under a high ball. Nash classy again in the way he reads the game and picks passes out of defence. Seanie Finn was brilliant again, might have pushed himself back ahead of Butler for an All Star. He just glides along, makes it look so easy, hurley in, little flick, get the ball away. Dan Morrissey had his best performance of the season, gobbled up ball in the final ten minutes.
And what can you say about Dec Hannon? 4 All-Irelands as captain, and again delivering in the big moments in the big games. How many breaks did he get onto, sweeping along and the class to get the ball into his hand first time under pressure and then just get us moving back up the pitch. A brilliant player, the best centre-back in the country at this moment in time for sure.
We’ve had a few blips on puckouts this year, we’ve struggled to get numbers to the breaks but yesterday was a masterclass. Nickie puts the ball exactly where it’s supposed to go. The half-forwards were just so clever in the way they used their bodies just as the ball arrived to give themselves the advantage- all three of Hego, Kyle & Tom were totally dominant I felt. Kilkenny probably would have been better switching to a zonal defence on puckouts, defending outside our men, rather than leaving one-on-one battles with space outside. In the heat, they struggled to get men back to support on the breaks so Limerick forwards were even able to break it to themselves. But Nickie showed his worth once again, still the single most important cog in this team. Lynch might be our best player but we showed this year, it was possible to win without him - Nickie is the one irreplaceable player at this moment in time.
The celebrations were great last night, and I’m looking forward to tonight also. The last two victories were disrupted so we have three years worth to look forward to tonight. And then back to the clubs at the weekend, unreal.
Hayes’s best position and I’d reckon his favourite position is Centre Forward but it probably does improve the team to have his ability to run forward from Wing Back. I didn’t think DOD was great this year so maybe Lynch could go back to midfield again ahead of him but he was so good at CF previously it’s unlikely.
Will you enjoy the fine weather and occasion for fuck sake and not be wasting your time trying to sow it into fellas’ 
But two of them are football die hards and were hoping Hego would win a munster title with the footballers
Kilkenny didn’t have the forwards to win it. The starting 6 Limerick forwards scored 1-18 from play between them, Kilkenny’s starting 6 scored 2-7. Against Galway in the Leinster Final, starting 6 Kilkenny forwards scored 0-3 from play and in the loss to Wexford 1-4.
TJ scored a combined total of 0-1 from play across those 3 games. He’s still the main man upfront in terms of winning possession and orchestrating the play, but whatever about the hand, the legs aren’t quite what they were and opposition teams are shutting him down as a scoring threat from play. The other Kilkenny forwards are not stepping up to the plate consistently.
You need a lot of scoring power to get the measure of that Limerick team as they get scores from everywhere and are not reliant on May one or two individuals.
I am working mate, self employed!! The lads are big boys, I am having lunch out the back with a beer and will be on the blitz later.
It was hurling porn.
I would counter that kilkenny did not have the players from 5-9 to win it. Kilkenny forwards got brutal supply compared to Limerick forwards.
No puck put strategy seriously hindered them.
They got four momentum killing wides too. Two early enough in the second half after the first goal were poor efforts.
The performance from Kyle was at another level seeing he was struggling just into the second half, he was carrying his leg. Tom was massive, Hegs unreal, Hannon and Byrnes though. When the fat was in the fire Hannon went to another level, he came out with everything when under huge pressure. The points from O’Neill and Boylan were just massive.
There was a great moment late on where I think Hannon lost the hurley and was under savage pressure only to give a lovely little hand pass out the side and open up the play again. I must look back for it again on the recording.
I think I’ll go for a pint
This is it, winning a close contest is way more satisfying than destroying teams like we did in 2020/21
Kilkenny had 4 or 5 bad second half wides, which sucked the life out of them a bit. I’d suspect Limerick had an extra gear if they needed it though and Kilkenny had got a few scores there. I don’t know how Kilkenny went in only 4 down at half time. A tribute to their resilience and culture. Limerick looked on the verge of burying Kilkenny in the first half a few times when they stretched it to 6. That Limerick side doesn’t generally get too many goals or go looking for goals to kill it off the way Cody’s great side in their pomp did so they can let sides stay in it.
Nothing worse than looking forward to a big steak only gor the server to tell you its off the menu
“Lost the hurley”
