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The fixture has been dominated by John Kiely’s Limerick side recently, as they have won four of the last five Championship meetings.
Limerick welcome Cork to the TUS Gaelic Grounds this Sunday, as they face the Rebels in a must win game in the final round of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.
The fixture has been dominated by John Kiely’s Limerick side recently, as they have won four of the last five Championship meetings. The Rebels have not gotten the better of Limerick since 2019, when they were seven point winners in TUS Gaelic Grounds, their most recent meeting on the Ennis Road.
They teams come into the contest with identical records thus far, beating Waterford, drawing with Tipperary and falling by a point to Clare.
With the Banner already into the Munster final and Tipp needing a win against pointless Waterford to join them, both sides know how high the stakes are, with a victory imperative for each team’s survival.
Ahead of the mouthwatering encounter this Sunday, relive the last five championship contests including a couple of Croke Park classics dating back to 2018.
Limerick 3-32 : 2-31 Cork AET (All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final)
29 July 2018 in Croke Park
Limerick booked their place in the All-Ireland final with a thrilling win after extra-time against Cork in Croke Park in a fixture that has since been dubbed one of the best games of hurling ever played in Croke Park, breaking all sorts of scoring records.
Cork were still holding a grudge towards their defeat to Waterford at the same fixture the previous year while Limerick were seeking their first All-Ireland final berth since 2007.
The contest was restless as Limerick finished the half with a slender 1-12 to 0-14 lead, this was until Cork’s Conor Lehane found the limerick net to put Cork five ahead with the Rebels holding a six point lead with as many minutes remaining.
The unfazed Limerick replied with seven unanswered scores and the sides were brought the sides level, meaning the winner would be discerned in extra time.
Two goals in extra-time from Shane Dowling and Pat Ryan proved crucial for John Kiely’s men as the four point lead would seal their place in the final.
A highlight package wont do it justice, watch the game in full here.
Limerick 1-19 : 1-26 Cork (Munster Senior Hurling Championship)
19 May 2019 in the LIT Gaelic Grounds
Cork were eager to avenge the previous years semi-final loss as they defeated the reigning All-Ireland and League champions Limerick in the opening round of the 2019 Munster Championship.
In Limerick’s first game since their All-Ireland triumph, they remained dominant in the first half as Graeme Mulcahy’s goal put Limerick safely in the lead as the half time whistle sounded.
However, Cork slowly began to gather control in the second half with Pat Horgan putting Cork into the lead ten minutes into the second half.
His goal five minutes later pushed the Cork lead out to 1-18 to 1-14, the Rebels kept their foot on the gas as they eased to a seven point victory.
Limerick 2-22 : 1-17 Cork (Munster Senior Hurling Championship Semi Final)
3 July 2021 in Semple Stadium
John Kiely’s men got revenge over Cork for the 2019 loss, as they booked their place in the 2021 Munster Final with a comfortable win in Thurles.
The Rebels came into the game with hopes of beating Limerick in back to back Championship games for the first time in over a decade but were overpowered by the defending champions.
Cork started bright and could have went clear early on only for the expertise of Nickie Quaid who saved from a Patrick Horgan penalty.
At the other end, Limerick’s response was emphatic with Darragh O’Donovan and Kyle Hayes slotting superb goals prior to half time to send Limerick in at the break with a six point lead.
The result never seemed in doubt, with the Treaty holding a healthy advantage for majority of the second half. Limerick eventually built on their lead and finished the game with an eight point advantage over the Leesiders.
Limerick 3-32 : 1-22 Cork (All-Ireland Final)
22 August 2021 in Croke Park
The two sides would meet again in 2021, as Limerick claimed their third All-Ireland in four years with arguably the most dominant final display of all time.
It was an incredible display as the Shannonsiders totalled the highest winning score ever achieved in an All-Ireland final, surpassing a record set by Kilkenny in 2008 in their dismantling of Waterford.
With Croke Park restored to half capacity, the Limerick faithful were treated to a near flawless opening half from the Shannonsiders as they plundered 3-18 on a starstruck Cork.
The first half was full of goals, with both sides netting in the opening minutes, Gearoid Hegarty first netting before Shane Kingston got his customary goal against Limerick. Aaron Gillane got a second goal for the champions before Hegarty shot to the bottom corner for his second, and his team’s third. That had the Treaty well in command at half-time, holding a thirteen point lead.
They managed to fend off any Cork threat in the second half, and add another fourteen points of their own as they went on to retain the Liam McCarthy cup for the first time in their history.
Limerick 2-25 : 1-17 Cork (Munster Senior Hurling Championship)
17 April 2022 in Pairc Ui Chaoimh
Limerick headed down to Pairc Ui Chaoimh to face the Rebels for the first time since 2014, as they ran out eleven point winners over the hosts in the first round of the Munster Championship.
The game exploded into life as Shane Kingston hit the back of the net after just fifteen seconds. The Douglas man finished calmly after being played in by Conor Cahalane with Limerick immediately on the back foot after a below par league.
Cork added to their early goal, as they managed to keep Limerick scoreless for the opening seven minutes.
But Kiely’s side would begin to find their rhythm, and in the fifteenth minute Kyle Hayes scored a wonderful goal to give his team a one point lead.
Both teams exchanged scores for the remainder of the first half, and were locked level until the 34th minute, when Aaron Gillane fired into the bottom corner for Limerick’s second goal of the day, exploiting a mix up in the Rebel defence as they took a four-point advantage into the interval.
Limerick managed to keep Cork at bay in the second half as they extended their lead to eleven points for a finish, securing a 10th successive championship victory as they would wind up champions in the province for the fourth year on the bounce.
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