2024 Munster Senior Hurling Championship – Limerick 3-15 Clare 1-18

Limerick defeated Clare by 3-15 to 1-18 in Round 1 of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship on Sunday April 21st at Cusack Park Ennis.

Match Highlights

FULL-TIME HIGHLIGHTS

Limerick get off to a winning start in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship at Cusack Park. @LimerickCLG – 3-15 (24) @GaaClare – 1-18 (21) #GAANOW brings you the best of the action. pic.twitter.com/EccETlxeKP

— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 21, 2024

REPORT: Three goals in seven minutes saw @LimerickCLG come from nine points down to defeat @GaaClare in a dramatic Munster SHC clash at Cusack Park. #GAABelong

— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 21, 2024

Munster SHC: Limerick comeback floors Clare

LIMERICK 3-15 CLARE1-18

Report By Eoin Brennan at Cusack Park for GAA.ie

It was a comeback of champions’ proportions as Limerick produced an almost incredulous twelve point turnaround to floor hosts Clare and pick up two valuable opening points in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.

A packed Cusack Park attendance of 20,055 looked to be treated to a rousing home victory when powering nine points clear by the turn of the final quarter. However, despite the inspirational introduction of captain Tony Kelly, Clare would be sucker-punched by a resurgent Limerick who raided for three devastating goals in a seven minute blitz to sink their hosts.

Six down nearing the final ten minutes, an innocuous Diarmaid Byrnes free from 65 metres managed to nestle in the top left corner of Eibhear Quilligan’s net to spark a complete role reversal before Gearoid Hegarty teed up further goals for substitute Donnacha Ó Dalaigh and Aaron Gillane to garner an unlikely but rousing opening round triumph.

Clare will rue the manner of all three goals along with how they collectively faltered in the scorching son. Limerick started with intent as Aaron Gillane could have easily grabbed a brace of goals in the first three minutes alone on their way to a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.

Mark Rodgers also had a shot saved at the other end by Nickie Quaid as the Banner finally settled, mainly thanks to a clinical display of freetaking from Aidan McCarthy whose seven placed balls turned the tide before also being on the end of a Shane O’Donnell centre to finish the half with a home goal at 1-10 to 0-08.

Limerick uncharacteristically hit ten wides in that first half and it didn’t improve much on the restart either as the holders only had a solitary Aaron Gillane free to show for their third quarter efforts.

Instead, the Banner stretched the gap to nine, with Mark Rodgers (2), David Fitzgerald, McCarthy and substitute Seadna Morey on target to soar 1-15 to 0-09 in front by the 52nd minute.

Game over? Not with a five-in-a-row All-Ireland chasing Limerick involved as they clawed their way back into contention before pulling the trigger with those three hammerblow goals to secure a first Cusack Park championship victory in 34 years.

Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane (1-5, 5f); Donnacha Ó Dalaigh (1-1); Gearoid Hegarty (0-3); Diarmaid Byrnes (1-0f); Cathal O’Neill, David Reidy (0-2 each); Kyle Hayes, Cian Lynch (0-1 each)

Scorers for Clare: Aidan McCarthy (1-10, 8f); David Fitzgerald, Mark Rodgers, Tony Kelly (f) (0-2 each); Shane O’Donnell, Seadna Morey (0-1 each)

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Mike Casey, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes: William O’Donoghue, Cian Lynch; Gearoid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey, Cathal O’Neill; Seamus Flanagan, Aaron Gillane, David Reidy
Subs: Sean Finn for Casey (5, inj), Donnacha Ó Dalaigh for Flanagan (45), Conor Boylan for T. Morrissey (48), Adam English for O’Donoghue (59), Aidan O’Connor for Gillane (67)

CLARE: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Rory Hayes; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney; Darragh Lohan, Cathal Malone; David Fitzgerald, David Reidy, Peter Duggan; Aidan McCarthy, Shane O’Donnell, Mark Rodgers
Subs: Seadna Morey for Lohan (HT), Tony Kelly for Reidy (54), Paul Flanagan for Hayes (58), Shane Meehan for Rodgers (62), Aron Shanagher for Fitzgerald (69)

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)

Fixture Details

Sunday April 21st
2024 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 1
Clare v Limerick
Venue: Cusack Park Ennis @ 2pm
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
Live on RTE

Ticket Information

Tickets for this game are now sold out.

Supporters attending the Clare v Limerick game in Cusack Park Ennis on Sunday are encouraged to download your ticket in advance of travelling to avoid delays.

Match Preview

Team News

The Clare Senior Hurling side that welcome Limerick to Cusack Park for the first round of the Munster SHC this Sunday . @MunsterGAA pic.twitter.com/QO4LCuoQam

— Clare Gaa (@GaaClare) April 19, 2024

Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, Cian Galvin; David Fitzgerald, Darragh Lohan; Cathal Malone, Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Aidan McCarthy, Ian Galvin, David Reidy.
Subs: Cian Broderick, Rory Hayes, Paul Flanagan, Seadna Morey, David McInerney, Paddy Donnellan, Shane O’Donnell, Aron Shanagher, Shane Meehan, Robin Mounsey, Tony Kelly.

John Kiely released his team and match panel for our opening Munster Senior Hurling Championship game against Clare this Sunday, we would like to wish the very best to all involved with the Limerick senior hurling team pic.twitter.com/3NnR8GcPsr

— Limerick GAA (@LimerickCLG) April 19, 2024

Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Mike Casey, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes; Will O’Donoghue, Cathal O’Neill; Gearóid Hegarty, David Reidy, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Séamus Flanagan, Cian Lynch.
Subs: David McCarthy, Conor Boylan, Colin Coughlan, Adam English, Seán Finn, Graeme Mulcahy, Barry Murphy, Aidan O’Connor, Fergal O’Connor, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Mark Quinlan.