2024 Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League – Limerick 2-21 Clare 1-19

Limerick defeated Clare by 2-21 to 1-19 in Round 2 of the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League on Wednesday January 10th at Clarecastle GAA Astro Pitch.

Limerick return to action with comfortable victory over Clare

Clare 1-19 Limerick 2-21

Report by Maurice Brosnan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

A dry run. In Clarecastle the All-Ireland champions returned to action for the first time in 2024 and overcame rivals Clare by five points in their Munster Hurling League clash.

John Kiely was a content figure post-match having watched all six of his starting front eight score, Patrick O’Donovan leading the way with seven points from nine shots.

“Decent performance overall,” said the Limerick manager boss.

“Plenty of errors in there but at the same time our intent was good. We used the ball well. We worked hard. A lot of fresh faces out there, great to get them on the pitch and get game time into them and have a look at them. All told, a good workout.”

Clare vs Limerick means a sell-out regardless of the season. It means an uncompromising and competitive contest with the odd collision crossing the line, Shane Meehan picking up a yellow card for a high hurley tackle on Micheal Houlihan in the opening half and David Reidy receiving similar after catching goalkeeper Jamie Power, a late change for David McCarthy who was not in the matchday panel.

Nickie Quaid backed up on the bench.

It means classic Limerick shooting, peppering the posts and racking up six wides before Clare hit one. It means some sublime short exchanges, a rapid move setting Cathal O’Neil away for the opening goal just before half-time.

Ronan Connolly flicked a breaking puckout into the path of Adam English who handpassed on to the driving O’Neill on the 45-metre line. He smashed into the ground and the sliotar bounced up into the net to make it 1-10 to 0-10 at the turnaround.

All that said it is January, a first day out on an artificial field with a rack of debutants on each side.

Shane O’Brien mustered one point from six first-half shots, five wides and one short as well as a handful of blocked attempts but in classic Limerick fashion he kept swinging and finished with a healthy four points overall. His rifled effort five minutes before the final whistle forced an outstanding low save from Eamonn Foudy and Luke Flynn tapped home the rebound.

For Clare, there was also plenty of inaccuracy early on. In all, they had 18 wides and seven dropped short according to management. There were signs of encouragement too.

Darragh Lohan was superb in defence, forcing several turnovers early on and blocking down an O’Brien goal shot from the edge of the square.

That passage ended with a beautiful over-the-shoulder strike by David Reidy, who was lively throughout. St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield man David Conroy impressed as well at centre forward.

As the clock ticked to 70 minutes, a booming Foudy free from range dropped in the goalmouth and substitute Peter Duggan appeared to clip it out of Jamie Power’s eye line.

“An awful lot of mistakes which would be expected at this time of the year,” declared Brian Lohan. “Some good performances there and loads to work on.

“We are carrying a big panel at the moment and we are looking at guys who can step up and get to another level. They are working really hard; the whole group is working hard and they have been since we got back.”

Up and running. Limerick are back out against Cork in Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale next Wednesday.

Clare face Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday.

Scorers for Clare: David Conroy 0-4 (1 free), Mark Rodgers 0-4 (3 free), Keith Smyth 0-3 (1 free), Peter Duggan 1-0, David Reidy 0-3 (1 65), Shane Meehan 0-2, Diarmuid Cahill 0-1, Keelan Hartigan 0-1, Paddy Donnellan 0-1.

Scorers for Limerick: Cathal O’Neill 1-1, Patrick O’Donovan 0-7 (4 free), Shane O’Brien 0-4, Luke Flynn 1-0, Adam English 0-2, Colin Coughlan 0-2, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh 0-2, Michael Houlihan 0-1, Barry Murphy 0-1, Mark Quinlan 0-1.

Clare: E Foudy; J Conneally, C Leen, P Flanagan; C Galvin, C Smyth, D Lohan; S Meehan, D Ryan; C O’Meara, D Conroy, K Smyth; D Reidy, M Rodgers, D Cahill.
Subs: R Hayes for Leen (17 – inj), G Sheedy for C O’Meara, S Conway for Cahill, P Duggan for Rodgers (half-time), K Hartigan for Meehan (48), P Donnellan for C Smyth (50), J Kirwan for Reidy (55), D Tuohy for Flanagan (57), D McMahon for Lohan (63).

Limerick: J Power; E McEvoy, D Morrissey, F O’Connor; M Quinlan, E Hurley, C Barry; B Murphy, C Coughlan; M Houlihan, P O’Donovan, C O’Neill; D Ó Dálaigh, S O’Brien, A English.
Subs: J Fitzgerald for Murphy, A Costello for O’Connor, D Fitzgerald for Quinlan (half-time), L Flynn for English (50), L Lynch for O’Neill (55), O O’Reilly for Ó Dálaigh (57), M Keane for McEvoy, D Langan for Barry (62).

Referee: A Tierney (Tipperary)

Ticket Information

Tickets for this game are now sold out. There will be no tickets available on match day and all supporters wishing to attend (including Under 16s) will not be admitted without a ticket.

Team News

The Clare Senior Hurling team and bench to open the 2024 season vs Limerick in the @MunsterGAA @CoOpSuperstores Hurling League . This sold out game throws in at Clarecastle at 7pm and is available to purchase as a live stream at https://t.co/Osj6Jy6HTj pic.twitter.com/qKUfdx7U2b

— Clare Gaa (@GaaClare) January 9, 2024

Clare (Munster SHL v Limerick): E Foudy; J Conneally, C Leen, P Flanagan; D Lohan, C Smyth, C Galvin; D Conroy, D Ryan; C O’Meara, D Reidy, S Meehan; K Smyth, M Rodgers, D Cahill

John Kiely has released his starting fifteen and match panel for this evenings sold out clash with Clare in the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League in Clarecastle at 7pm pic.twitter.com/syF7fXwQYW

— Limerick GAA (@LimerickCLG) January 10, 2024

LIMERICK: D McCarthy (Glenroe); E McEvoy (Na Piarsaigh), D Morrissey (Ahane, Capt), F O’Connor (Effin); M Quinlan (Garryspillane), R Connolly (Adare), C Barry (Ahane); B Murphy (Doon), C Coughlan (Ballybrown); M Houlihan (Kilmallock), P O’Donovan (Effin), C O’Neill (Crecora-Manister); D Ó Dálaigh (Monaleen), S O’Brien (Kilmallock), A English (Doon)
Subs: J Power (Monaleen), A Costello (Kilmallock), J Fitzgerald (Monaleen), D Fitzgerald (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), L Flynn (Granagh-Ballingarry), E Hurley (Newcastle West), M Keane (Adare), D Langan (Monaleen), L Lynch (Mungret St Paul’s), T Morrissey (Ahane) O O’Reilly (Kilmallock)