Shane Kingston gets reward for semi-final heroics with Cork starting spot

Cork have restored Shane Kingston to the starting line-up for Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final. His seven-point exhibition off the bench against Kilkenny swung the semi-final, which went to extra-time, and earned him the man-of-the-match award.

His inclusion for Shane Barrett is one of two changes made to the team by manager Kieran Kingston, who chooses veteran Eoin Cadogan at left wing back to replace the injured Ger Millerick, who Cadogan also came in for early in the second half of the semi-final.

[ Read Nicky English’s player-by-player guide to the Cork line-up ]

All-Ireland champions Limerick are unchanged from the side that comfortably beat Waterford in the other semi-final. The only injury concern was wing back Diarmaid Byrnes but he has recovered from the knock picked up late in the semi-final.

[ Read Jackie Tyrrell’s player-by-player guide to the Limerick line-up ]

Sunday is the first ever All-Ireland final between the counties and will be attended by the biggest crowd to watch a sports event in Ireland since the pandemic hit nearly 18 months ago.

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All-Ireland hurling final: Nicky English’s Cork pen pics

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All-Ireland hurling final: Jackie Tyrrell’s Limerick pen pics

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Limerick are hoping to become the first team from the county to achieve back-to-back All-Ireland wins, whereas Cork are looking to prevent the longest ever gap between titles in their history, which stands at 16 years (1903-19) – the same interval since their last Liam MacCarthy in 2005.

LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, B Nash; D Byrnes, D Hannon (capt), K Hayes; W O'Donoghue, D O'Donovan; G Hegarty, C Lynch, T Morrissey; P Casey, S Flanagan, A Gillane.

Subs: B Hennessy, C Boylan, A Costello, C Coughlan, R English, R Hanley, G Mulcahy, B Murphy, C O'Neill, D Reidy, P Ryan.

CORK: P Collins; N O'Leary, R Downey, S O'Donoghue; T O'Mahony, M Coleman, E Cadogan; D Fitzgibbon, L Meade; C Cahalane, S Harnedy, R O'Flynn,; J O'Connor, P Horgan (capt), S Kingston.

Subs: G Collins, S O'Leary-Hayes, C Spillane, D Cahalane, N Cashman, B Hennessy, A Cadogan, S Barrett, A Connolly, D Dalton, S Twomey.