Treaty have talent to go all the way
KYLE READY TO MAKE HAYES AS U21 STARS STEP UP TO MARK
LIMERICK attacker Kyle Hayes says their young team is eyeing an All-ireland breakthrough – possibly as early as this year.
Limerick haven’t won the Liam Maccarthy Cup since 1973 but their two All-ireland U21 wins in three seasons have raised expectations.
Last year’s U21 manager, Pat Donnelly, said they should be pushing hard for a senior All-ireland by 2020 with all of that emerging talent.
Limerick lost both of their senior Championship games in 2017 but have started 2018 well and will face Clare in the Munster Hurling League final this Sunday.
Hayes, part of last year’s All-ireland U21 winning side, started each of the senior Championship games too and admitted everyone expects them to push on now at the very top level.
The versatile attacker (inset) said: “You win two U21 All-irelands in three years and people are going to expect Liam Maccarthy. We know ourselves that we have the talent there now. And we have experience.
“From the 2015 U21 team, Gearoid Hegarty, Diarmuid Byrnes, Cian Lynch, they are all in there with the seniors. It’s their third or fourth year at senior at this stage so they’re experienced guys. Hopefully we’ll get over the line this year.
“A bit of luck and hopefully we’ll get it. We don’t think too much about what’s outside the camp, in terms of expectation. It’s what’s inside, our own mentality. We all believe we can do it this year. Hopefully we can.”
John Kiely claimed that a group of fans were ‘extremely abusive’ towards the Limerick players after losing a pre-season game to Cork and asked them to stay away in future.
Hayes accepts there’s a ravenous appetite for success in the county.
Hayes said: “We try to block it out as much as we can. They want the Liam Maccarthy now, they haven’t much patience. They’re sick of not having won it since ‘73.”
Limerick are ranked bottom of the five teams in Munster at the moment though arguably their toughest Championship games, against Tipperary and Waterford, will be at home, giving them a fighting chance.
The top three teams are guaranteed at least one more game but for the bottom two teams their seasons will be over in mid-june.
Hayes said: “That’s what you want, that edge going into the competition. Last year, we were nearly finished by mid-june anyway. We only had two games. This year we’ll have at least double that amount of games.”