Limerick supremo John Kiely lauds team’s ‘phenomenal second half’ against Kilkenny

Barry Nash is trying to make sense of it all. This journey, this green wave, this level of hurling dominance which is meant to be the preserve of the likes of Kilkenny and Cork. But now it also belongs to Limerick.

“It’s a sweet feeling, I suppose it hasn’t really fully sunk in yet,” says the Limerick defender. “When we look back on our careers, once we finish up, I think that’s when you can really look back and you’re up there with one of the greatest teams that’s ever played the game, in that Kilkenny team.”

Given the number of key players who have suffered season-ending injuries in recent years, Limerick’s ability to absorb the blows and continue winning proves this is no one-man team. When one player falls, another stands up. That has been the Limerick way under John Kiely.

Still, there must be a special mention for Cian Lynch’s leadership in this final — especially at a stage when Kilkenny had the momentum.

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“I think he’s going to go down as one of the greatest hurlers that ever played the game. If not already,” adds Nash. “They don’t call him ‘the magician’ for nothing. He’s a phenomenal leader for our group. When Declan went down with the injury, Ciano really stood up. He’s an incredible man and I can’t say enough about him.”

Declan Hannon has been Limerick’s captain during this era of unprecedented success, but he was unable to feature because of a knee injury. Lynch replaced him as captain, but both lifted the Liam MacCarthy afterwards. It was a repeat of what happened last year, only with Hannon and Lynch swapping roles.

“To fill Declan Hannon’s shoes is no mean feat,” says Kiely. “Cian has been a really great vice-captain, the two of them work extremely well together off the pitch and on the pitch. “If you need to find out what’s going on in the group, they’re the two boys that you will get the information from. Cian just stepped up. Even on the train this morning coming up, the way he was getting around to all the tables on the train and meeting all the lads, he just led it and he was very comfortable leading it. I was so thrilled to see him lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup. He’s a really phenomenal player, he’s a great leader, and I was so thrilled to see him up there and see Declan up there with him as well.”

Limerick suffered two more injuries in the days leading up to the final, with Kiely confirming both Richie English and Jimmy Quilty were struck down.

This game will largely be remembered for Limerick’s incredible display after the break.

“It was a phenomenal second half, there’s no two ways about it,” says Kiely. “We dominated, apart from the goal, the goal was probably against the run of play. But the response was good. We had a really strong third quarter and as I’ve said all season it’s amazing the way you take confidence from that.”

Limerick celebrated at the final whistle with the gusto of a team making a breakthrough for a first title, not claiming a fifth in six years.

“I would hope our body language at the end would tell you how much we were thrilled with the result, we really do put a lot of effort into trying to live in the here and now,” says Kiely. “If you don’t in sport you’ll take your eye off the ball.”

With the strains of Dolores O’Riordan still lingering in the skies around Croke Park, Kiely is quizzed about the possibility of achieving hurling’s holy grail — winning five on the bounce.

“Come on, will you, for god’s sake, enjoy this one,” he smiles.

Still, right now, they are showing little sign of decline. The future looks as green as the recent past.

Limerick … impossible to ignore.

Four in a row and counting.

Dreams, not even in their wildest ones.