NA PIARSAIGH PRESENT UNITED FRONT

SHANE DOWLING says the notion that Na Piarsaigh are a super-club who’ve had it easy in a big city is well off the mark.

The Caherdavin outfit are located a kilometre from the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick and are on the verge of a remarkable fifth Munster title in eight seasons.

But the reality is that they only reached their first Limerick final in 2009 and didn’t actually win one until 2011, when they claimed a maiden Munster title.

Attacker Dowling (right) said: “People have this perception that Na Piarsaigh is a huge club, huge numbers, a massive city club. If you look at all the starting players, a two to three-mile radius covers all those players, 14 of the players that start grew up in Na Piarsaigh. The lads that are running it are born and bred there. All of us are involved with underage teams in Na Piarsaigh, we’re just a very, very united club.

“That’s the long and the short of it, no-one is above anyone, everyone is doing what they can for the best interest of the club, and we’re very proud to be from where we are.”

Dowling is adamant that the glory era won’t last forever and has called on his colleagues to keep pushing for the big prizes.

“We know we’ve a team good enough to win things. You’ll be on a bar-stool long enough, you’re only playing for that short window of time and you have to do whatever you can do to win while that window is open,” he said.