Limerick can bridge gap to elite by escaping purgatory of second tier, insists Kirby
WHEN Gary Kirby is asked what is at stake for Limerick hurling in this afternoon’s Division 1B promotion decider against All-Ireland champions Galway, he has a simple answer: ‘A lot.’ The county has remained stuck in a kind of hurling purgatory that is the second tier of the Allianz League since being relegated from the top flight in 2010.
That’s eight seasons and counting now. For someone like Kirby who has been at the coalface of Limerick hurling for so long, it has been hard to watch.
Such a well-regarded player, who won almost everything bar that elusive All-Ireland medal, he has remained immersed in the game. When Limerick last reached an All-Ireland final in 2007 under Richie Bennis, he was part of the backroom team. When University of Limerick won the Fitzgibbon Cup a fortnight ago, beating DCU in the final, he wore the bainisteoir’s bib with the victors.
Kirby’s own career taught him the value of playing against the best on a regular basis. ‘They would certainly improve being up in Division 1A. I know Galway won the All-Ireland last year from the second division but, no disrespect to the teams they’ve played so far, they really haven’t played much. They’ve had some good wins but it would be nice to see them being tested in a higher environment.’
Limerick’s failure to gain promotion when the likes of Waterford, Clare and Galway have used the division as a springboard to winning the competition outright this past three seasons – Galway going one step further by landing the Liam MacCarthy Cup last September – has fuelled Limerick’s sense of frustration. Last year, it was Wexford who gatecrashed the party and stole the one promotion spot on offer.
‘Every year it has boiled down to one match and every year we seem to just lose out on that,’ says Kirby. ‘We’re not too far behind the top teams – it would be nice to see us get the chance to compete against them regularly.
‘They also need to get the breaks, like every team. I honestly feel that Galway are a fraction ahead of everyone at the moment. I think Tipp are next to them. After that, anyone can win any given match – I don’t think there’s much between the teams.’
Na Piarsaigh became the first club team from Limerick to win a senior title in 2016 and are back in the final again on St Patrick’s Day. The county’s All-Ireland barren run dates back to 1973, but Kirby sees plenty of promise in the green shoots that are sprouting in other competitions.
UL’s Fitzgibbon Cup success represented that growth. ‘Thrilled. We had a good squad of players there so delighted we did something with it. The players themselves drove it and really wanted to win it. The attitude they showed was so important.’
The final highlighted the current scheduling chaos though. Jason Forde, arguably the country’s in-form attacker, hit 1-10 but his involvement meant that Tipperary had to do without him the following day as they lost to Kilkenny in the League. The same went for his attacking partner John McGrath, the pair linking up in such devastating fashion for UL.
While there has been talk of moving the colleges competition, Kirby feels it would devalue its status. ‘I think the only time to play the Fitzgibbon is in January, February. There are suggestions going around about playing in November but to me, that’s the time you have a lot more serious matches in terms of the club competition. You’d have a lot more players missing because of their involvement with their clubs.
‘I’ve seen how much the players really enjoy it, how seriously they approached it. ‘We don’t train the team that much because they are all training away with their counties. But they really value it. It would be an awful shame if it lost its status.’ The county’s strike rate at Under 21 level has also fuelled expectations, Limerick winning two of the last three All-Irelands. And yet the mystery of how a hattrick of U21 All-Irelands in 200002 never carried through to senior remains just that. Kirby though, senses something different with the current crop with talented young players like Kyle Hayes and Aaron Gillane having already stepped up to senior level. ‘There definitely seems to be a different culture there now. These guys seem to be a different breed. The future does look promising – how to make that step up is the big question. But it does look good. ‘There’s definitely no baggage there. It’s transferring that to senior level is the thing. There’s a huge difference between U21 and senior level, but I do think these lads have the ability to do that.’ The live TG4 cameras will be there this afternoon to record Limerick’s fate. ‘Let’s be straight: it’s going to be a huge test. There is a buzz about the place and a good spirit amongst the camp. We’re hoping for a big performance. ‘It will be a huge boost to the county if they do it.’