Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final – Limerick 1-23 Tipperary 2-13

Limerick defeated Tipperary by 1-23 to 2-13 in the Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final on Sunday June 21st at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick.

Willie Griffin leads Limerick into Munster decider with Cork

By Jackie Cahill for the Irish Examiner

Limerick 1-23 Tipperary 2-13: Don Flynn’s Limerick made it through to a first Munster intermediate hurling final since 2011 with a comfortable seven-point victory over Tipperary in yesterday’s semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds.

The Shannonsiders had a 1-11 haul from their lethal inside line as they set up a July 8 provincial decider against Cork. Tipp have contested the last three Munster finals in this grade but were outclassed by their opponents as captain Willie Griffin led by example once again for Limerick. Griffin bagged 2-6 in the quarter-final victory over Waterford and hit 0-5 yesterday.

Full-forward Tom Morrissey collected 1-3 and in the other corner, Mike Fitzgibbon helped himself to 0-3. Limerick had nine different scorers on a day when Tipp were over-reliant on Adrian Ryan and Liam McGrath for attacking inspiration. McGrath, Tipperary’s 2011 All-Ireland minor winning football captain, finished with a haul of 1-5, including a late consolation goal. Ryan scored four points, split evenly between both halves, but Tipp didn’t help themselves with a haul of 13 wides.

And it was Limerick, despite playing against the breeze from the start, who roared into a 0-6 to 0-0 lead within 10 minutes. McGrath finally opened Tipp’s account with a 10th minute free but Limerick led by 1-10 to 0-7 at half-time, as Morrissey pounced for a 30th minute goal after Griffin’s initial effort was saved. Tipp were 11 points down on three occasions in the second half but did manage goals from Kieran Morris and McGrath to make the final scoreline more respectable.

Limerick had class running through every line of their starting 15, starting with the presence of 2007 All-Star Brian Murray between the sticks. At centre-back, U21 star Diarmuid Byrnes stood out and the Patrickswell man banged over four trademark scores from long-range placed balls.

“We never got to the pace of it at all today,” Tipperary boss John Carroll admitted, while Limerick boss Don Flynn reflected: “Tipp beat us by a point last year and we wanted to turn them over today. We were well up for it.”

Scorers for Limerick: T Morrissey (1-3), W Griffin (0-5, 2 frees), D Byrnes (0-4, 3 frees, 1 65), M Carmody, and M Fitzgibbon (0-3 each), A Brennan (0-2), R O’Donnell, T Quaid and M Fitzgerald (0-1 each.)

Scorers for Tipperary: L McGrath 1-5 (0-4f), K Morris 1-1 (0-1f), A Ryan 0-4, D Butler, D Flynn & J Cahill 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: B Murray; S Finn, B O’Connell, M Reidy; D Moloney, D Byrnes, B Lynch; R O’Donnell, A Brennan; D O’Donovan, K O’Brien, M Carmody; W Griffin, T Morrissey, M Fitzgibbon.
Subs for Limerick: M Fitzgerald for O’Donovan (45), J Mulcahy for O’Brien (50), T Quaid for Griffin (55), R English for Reidy (57).

TIPPERARY: D Mooney; S O’Brien, M Butler, T Treacy; B Stapleton, J Coghlan, W Ryan; L Ryan, D Quinn; P O’Dwyer, K Morris, D Butler; D Flynn, A Ryan, L McGrath.
Subs for Tipperary: J Cahill for Quinn (19), A Maloney for Flynn (42), K Fox for Ryan (42), J Carroll for O’Dwyer (51).

Referee: T Walsh (Waterford)

Team News

Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final – Tipperary v Limerick – Tipperary team announced – http://t.co/M76c1eAlNF

— Tipperary GAA (@TipperaryGAA) June 18, 2015

The Tipperary team to play Limerick in the Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final at 2pm in the Gaelic Grounds next Sunday, June 21st, has been announced.

Manager John Carroll and his management team of Sean O’Meara, John Ryan and Anthony O’Neill have selected an experienced side to take on Limerick, a side they defeated after extra-time in last year’s corresponding fixture.

Brian Stapleton and Daire Quinn are the sole survivors from last year’s Munster Final starting 15, while Darragh Mooney, Kieran Morris and Adrian Ryan all start having been on the bench in that same final.

The team lines out as follows;

Darragh Mooney (Éire Óg Annacarty Donohill), Sean O’Brien (Newport), Michéal Butler (Drom & Inch), Tom Tracey (Cappawhite), Brian Stapleton (Templederry Kenyons), John Coghlan Capt. (Moyne Templetuohy), Willie Ryan (Clonakenny), Liam Ryan (Drom & Inch), Daire Quinn (Nenagh Éire Óg), Paudie O’Dwyer (Éire Óg Annacarty Donohill), Kieran Morris (Moycarkey-Borris), David Butler (Drom & Inch), Davin Flynn (Roscrea), Adrian Ryan (Templederry Kenyons), Liam McGrath (Loughmore Castleiney)

Limerick Intermediate hurling starting fifteen Announced: http://t.co/uavtn6GvYT

— Limerick GAA (@LimerickCLG) June 17, 2015

Limerick Intermediate hurling starting team against Tipperary next Sunday at 2pm is announced. Manager Don Flynn and his selectors John Lacey (Coach), Ray Ryan, Maurice Neligan and Declan O’Grady has announced their side to face Tipperary in the Munster Intermediate hurling championship semi final in the Gaelic Grounds the team is as follows –

1. Brian Murray (Patrickswell), 2 .Seán Finn (Bruff), 3. Barry O’Connell (Kildimo Pallaskenry), 4. Mike Reidy (Dromin Athlacca), 5. Denis Moloney (Doon), 6. Diarmuid Byrnes (Patrickswell), 7. Barry Lynch
(Feohanagh/Castlemahon), 8. Robert O’Donnell (Pallasgreen), 9. Andrew Brennan (Caherline),
10. Darragh O’Donovan (Doon), 11. Kevin O’Brien (Patrickswell), 12. Mark Carmody (Patrickswell), 13. Willie Griffin (Adare)(Captain), 14. Tom Morrissey (Ahane) & 15. Mike Fitzgibbon (Feohanagh/Castlemahon).