A season like no other in hurling history
A successful integration of new-look provincial championships, a string of draws and very tight games. In the end, it all came down to the closing seconds of the final with Limerick holding on to end an agonising 45-year wait for glory
JOHN KIELY diagnosed the problem as an energy deficit, possibly caused by playing three games in 15 days.
Standing outside the Cusack Park dressing-rooms shortly after Clare had beaten Limerick by 11 points in Round 4 of the Munster ‘round robin’ in mid-June, he was giving his summation of a game that left him and his squad facing a different type of mental test to anything they had encountered up to that point.
It was only their second loss in 14 games across all competitions in a year of rapid progress.
“You saw how quickly the team ran out of energy. That was the biggest problem we had in the second half,” said Kiely.
Indeed. Limerick didn’t score for the final 15 minutes, during which Clare added seven points.
Exactly nine weeks later, he was trying to explain what it felt like to have led Limerick to their first All-Ireland title for 45 years.
“It’s surreal. I really do feel like somebody is just going to shake me and wake me. That all this has just been a crazy dream.”
He need not have worried. The Liam MacCarthy Cup was ready for its trip to Limerick at the end of a hurling championship like no other, one where so much happened that it’s difficult to make sense of it all.
What worked and what didn’t? Was it really the best championship of all time or merely the one with the most games? Did the overall competitiveness mask a slip in standards? And does it really matter, once the entertainment levels remain so incredibly high?
The sheer drama of the final, topped by Limerick ending such a long wait for their eighth title, made it a special occasion but it certainly won’t be remembered for being of the highest standard. There were almost as many wides (36) as scores (39) and four of the five goals came as a result of defensive errors so basic that they would embarrass junior ‘Cs’. BARREN
Galway’s performance between the 16th and 56th minute, during which they were out-scored by 2-10 to 0-6, underlined yet again the extent of their long-standing fade-out flaw, which has dogged them for at least six years.
Crucially this time, they hadn’t built up a big lead prior to entering the barren zone, unlike in the earlier games against Kilkenny (Leinster final replay) and Clare (twice).
Limerick exploited Galway’s weak spot with ruthless efficiency, but almost spoiled it all with their stoppage time jitters. But then it was that sort of summer, one where margins – both in individual games and in an overall sense – were so tight that several different scenarios could easily have emerged.
Sixteen of the 31 games were either drawn or won by margins of 1-3 points, which goes some way to explaining why it will be recalled as such a thrilling campaign.
That, combined with the increase in the number of games, gave hurling a massive promotional lift, albeit one that has ended earlier than seems wise, due to the decision to squeeze the championship into a tighter timeframe, culminating in an earlier final.
The round robin system employed in the Munster and Leinster championships proved very successful, although the need to extend both campaigns by at least a week to avoid any county having to play four games in 28 days needs to be addressed.
Unfortunately, there is a disparity between the provinces too. Offaly lost their four Leinster games by an average of 16 points, effectively leaving Galway, Kilkenny, Wexford and Dublin to battle it out for three qualification places, whereas all five in Munster are pretty even.
Limerick didn’t even reach the final, yet went on to take the All-Ireland title.
Cork and Galway are respective Munster and Leinster champions, yet neither will derive much longterm satisfaction from the successes because of what happened subsequently.
Limerick’s achievement in progressing from third in Munster to All-Ireland victory will leave all the other contenders reflecting on what might have been, which is another considerable legacy.
In their quieter moments – and they won’t have many for several months – Limerick will recall the moments which turned the season towards the great day that last Sunday became.
For instance, if it weren’t for Nickie Quaid’s superb block against Séamus Harnedy late on in the semi-final against Cork, Limerick’s race would probably have been run, despite having wiped out a six-point lead over the previous eight minutes.
The response epitomised everything that was different about them this year. They blitzed Cork in extra-time before repeating it against Galway for long periods last Sunday.
They are worthy champions, having done something never previously achieved by All-Ireland winners.
In addition to dethroning the defending champions in Galway, they also beat Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary; the three most success- ful counties in championship history. For, for good measure, they also beat Waterford, last year’s beaten finalists.
Galway can have no complaints about the manner in which their bid for successive titles faltered. Signs that they hadn’t retained the consistency that led them to League and Championship glory last year were evident throughout the season, before eventually mutating into utterly destructive agents last Sunday.
Yes, they came close to snatching a draw, but in terms of the overall game, it would have been a travesty if they got a second chance, let alone win the game, which was possible when Joe Canning’s last minute free dropped inside the danger zone.
Galway accepted that Limerick were deserving winners, putting the loss of their title down to Sunday being ‘just one of those days’, as selector Francis Forde described it.
Elsewhere, the rest of the teams bidding for glory looked on and wondered how different it might have been for them in a season of such tiny margins.
With the exception of Offaly, they all experienced particular moments or circumstances, which had a dramatic impact on their All-Ireland ambitions, convincing them that if the gods had smiled a little more favourably on them anything was possible. CLARE The width of a post probably cost them a place in the final. Sub Aron Shanagher seemed certain to score a goal in the 68th minute of the semi-final replay against Galway, which would have given them a twopoint lead. Instead, the ball thudded back off the post and Galway won by a point. Having beaten Limerick easily in the Munster championship, Clare would have loved another shot at them in the All-Ireland final. CORK Six points up against Limerick in the 62nd minute of the semi-final, they conceded seven-in-a-row to trail by one before Patrick Horgan sent the game into extra-time. Quaid’s block on Harnedy when it was level two minutes into stoppage time was a pivotal moment for both counties. KILKENNY Leading by a point in the 66th minute of the quarter-final, sub John Donnelly appeared to have been fouled deep in Limerick territory, but referee James McGrath waved play on and a quick counter-attack yielded a point. So instead of being two points ahead (it’s safe to assume TJ Reid would have slotted the free), Kilkenny were back level and Limerick went on to win by two points. Did the Donnelly decision contribute to McGrath being overlooked for the final, which led to his very public resignation? It certainly hit Kilkenny chances of staying in the championship. TIPPERARY If the width of a post possibly robbed Clare against Galway, it saved them against Tipperary in the Munster round robin. A Tipperary win would have kept them in the All-Ireland race and eliminated Clare and they seemed on target when sub Jake Morris let fly for goal in the 64th minute. Four points clear at the time, a seven-point advantage looked certain for Tipp, but instead the ball cannoned off the upright, Clare broke quickly and scored a goal which set them on their way to a two-point win. If Tipperary had won, they would have finished third in Munster, with Limerick playing Cork in the final. WEXFORD Their big regret goes back to what was effectively a Leinster semi-final in the final series of round-robin games in the province. Wexford led Kilkenny by nine points early in the second half, but were reeled in pointby-point, eventually losing by one. Psychologically, it was a massive hit, which left them vulnerable going into the All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Clare. WATERORD Where to start? Ravaged by injuries, it was always going to be very difficult to finish in Munster’s top three, a challenge that was made even harder by the inefficiencies of officialdom when Tipperary were awarded a goal despite the ball not crossing the line in Waterford’s second game. Tipp snatched a draw, leaving Waterford to curse their luck in a year when everything went against them. DUBLIN Tipped to come fourth in Leinster, that’s exactly what they did. However, there was more to their journey than finishing as predicted. Never behind against Kilkenny until the 75 th minute in the first round when they were hit for a goal which probably should not have been allowed, they led Wexford late on next time out before being overtaken. Small margin, big impacts.