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2023 Electric Ireland Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship Semi-Final – Clare 2-21 Limerick 2-15

May 2, 2023 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Clare defeated Limerick by 2-21 to 2-15 in the Electric Ireland Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship Semi-Final on Tuesday May 2nd at Cusack Park Ennis.

Cork to meet Clare as Banner reach back-to-back Munster deciders

Munster Minor Hurling Championship Semi-Final

Clare 2-21 Limerick 2-15

Report by Eoin Brennan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

The tide on Shannonside continued to turn as three days on from blowing the Munster Senior Championship wide open, a buoyant Clare also lowered their neighbours to reach a second successive provincial minor decider.

In front of 1,804 in Cusack Park Ennis, a typical seesaw derby saw the hosts recover from a slow start to remarkably carve out an eleven-point cushion by the 36th minute. Marc O’Brien goals on either side of the half-time recess powered the Banner into a seemingly unassailable position, only to have it slashed by a persistent Limerick to just a puck of the ball with minutes remaining at 2-17 to 2-14.

Spinal forwards Michael Collins and O’Brien were central to Clare’s revenge mission, combining for 2-9 to make amends for their only group stage reverse to the same opponents five weeks earlier. Captain Eoghan Gunning and James Hegarty were others to shine for the home side who produced an eleven-point first-half turnaround to seize control of this penultimate stage contest.

Limerick were much slicker in that original Shannonside bout in the TUS Gaelic Grounds and began in a similar determined manner in the rematch as despite facing into the conditions, four Darren Collopy points helped the visitors to a 0-5 to 0-1 advantage by the eleventh minute.

Amazingly, within three minutes the sides were level for the first time after the half-forward unit of Ronan Kilroy, Collins (2) and Sean Arthur blitzed their stunned opponents. That stalemate would remain until Clare found another gear approaching the break as points from O’Brien, James Hegarty, Michael Power and Collins were bolstered by an unlikely goal with the final puck of the half.

Eoin Oige Fanning’s perseverance forced a defensive error for Michael Power to shoot on goal and when goalkeeper Joe Fitzgerald saved it, Marc O’Brien was on hand to bundle it over the line for a 1-12 to 0-8 interval lead.

Less than a minute into the new half, the Cratloe Under 16 doubled his bounty when slaloming in from the left corner and somehow flicking the ball over a crowded goal-line to catapult Clare ten clear.

It would actually be eleven nearing the two-thirds mark before a Limerick backlash stopped the bleeding after half-time substitute Patrick Kearney excellently fielded and billowed the net at 2-15 to 1-10 in the 38th minute.

Further scores from Hugh Flanagan, Robert O’Farrell and replacement Sean Duff incrementally lowered the arrears to six entering the final ten minutes. However, Limerick’s chance at redemption appeared to have disappeared when Flanagan’s snap-shot – following good work from Dara Ferland – drifted agonisingly outside the left post with the goal at his mercy.

Undeterred, the pair reversed roles to redress the balance two minutes later, with Ferland’s sumptuous lob over advancing goalkeeper Mark Sheedy teeing up a grandstand finish at 2-17 to 2-14 by the 57th minute.

Crucially however, Clare responded with the next two scores in the space of 40 seconds as fresh legs from the bench ensured that Eoin Begley and Fred Hegarty eased the pressure valve approaching the hour mark.

A Darragh Gleeson free was all Limerick could muster in the final eight minutes as replacement Hegarty added a further brace to seal Clare’s return to the Munster Minor Final, this time against Cork next Tuesday.

Scorers for Clare: Marc O’Brien (2-3, 0-1 free); Michael Collins (0-6); Fred Hegarty (0-3); James Hegarty (0-2 free), Michael Power (0-2 each); Ronan Kilroy, Jack Mescall, Sean Arthur, Emmet Mulcahy, Eoin Begley (0-1 each).

Scorers for Limerick: Darren Collopy (0-4, 0-2 frees); Patrick Kearney (1-1); Darragh Gleeson (0-3, 0-2 frees, 1’65) Dara Ferland (1-0); Tadgh Boddy, Hugh Flanagan, Robert O’Farrell (0-2 each); Sean Duff (0-1).

Clare: M Sheedy (Sixmilebridge); E Gunning (Broadford), R Keane (Killanena), C Rynne (Inagh-Kilnamona); J Moylan (Cratloe), J Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), M O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge); J Mescall (Inagh-Kilnamona), E Mulcahy (Tulla); S Arthur (Newmarket-on-Fergus), M Collins (Clon-lara), R Kilroy (Banner); E Ogie Fanning (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), M O’Brien (Cratloe), M Power (Newmarket-on-Fergus).
Subs: E Price (Clarecastle) for Mulcahy (43 mins, inj), F Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Arthur (45 mins), H Doherty (Clarecastle) for Fanning (48 mins), E Begley (Clonlara) for Kilroy (52 mins), D Neville (Cratloe) for Power (64 mins).

Limerick: J Fitzgerald (Kildimo/Pallaskenry); S Morrissey (Dromin-Athlacca), C Bickford (Ahane), J O’Keeffe (Na Piarsaigh); J Cosgrove (Ahane), S Casey (Bruff), D Gleeson (Adare); D Lyons (Newscastle West), M Leo (Knockainey); R O’Farrell (Kildimo/Pallaskenry), D Ferland (Monaleen), M Fitzgerald (Monaleen); H Flanagan (Garryspillane), T Boddy (Bruff), D Collopy (Murroe/Boher).
Subs: P Kearney (Adare) for Leo (HT), S Duff (Mungret St Paul’s) for Collopy (48), D Heavey (Garryspillane) for O’Keeffe (53).

Referee: N Barry (Waterford).

Ticket Information

Adults – €10
Students / OAPs – €5
Under 16s – Free

Click here to buy tickets

Alternatively, purchase tickets from participating Centra and Supervalu outlets

Team News

LIMERICK: Joe Fitzgerald (Kildimo-Pallaskenry); John O’Keeffe (Na Piarsaigh), Conor Bickford (Ahane), Sean Morrissey (Dromin-Athlaca); Jack Cosgrove (Ahane), Sean Casey (Bruff), Darragh Gleeson (Adare); Diarmuid Lyons (Newcastle West), Matthew Fitzgerald (Monaleen); Robert O Farrell (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Dara Ferland (Monaleen), Tádgh Boddy (Bruff); Hugh Flanagan (Garryspillane), Michael Leo (Knockainey), Darren Collopy (Murroe-Boher).
Subs: Conor Crowley (Mungret St Pauls), Declan Heavey (Garryspillane), Cian Scully (Monaleen), Eoin Brosnan (Na Piarsaigh), Seán Duff (Mungret St Pauls), Jack Fitzgerald (Bruff), Cian Barrett (Kilmallock), James Coughlan (Ballybrown), Patrick Kearney (Adare)

Match Coverage

This game will be live streamed Youtube Sport TG4

Details

Date:
May 2, 2023
Time:
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Venue

Cusack Park Ennis

GAA Units

Clare GAA
Cork GAA
Kerry GAA
Limerick GAA
Tipperary GAA
Waterford GAA
US GAA