GAA
Limerick picked up their first league victory of the year with a comfortable six-point win over Clare in the Gaelic Grounds.
If anything, the final result of Limerick’s league win over Clare masked the overall consensus of the contest where the hosts dominated the opening hour and a bit.
The Shannonsiders were 13 clear with five to play before a Clare purple patch ensured some respectability on the final scoreline in the second round of the league.
Both were without frontline players but following three successive draws between League and championship in 2022, it was a non-contest for large portions with Kiely’s men better in every department.
Nonetheless, it was a worthy run out for those in green with a couple certainly staking their claim for selection in bigger tests to come. Others returned to aplomb after spells away but the manager remained cautious in his praise of the side.
With the dust settled on the contest, we look at some of the talking points to arise from the Gaelic Grounds.
Houlihan and English stick up their hand for Championship selection
Much has been written about the performance of Micheal Houlihan as the Kilmallock native sent out a statement of intent in his full competitive debut. The game was only 15 seconds old when “Iron Mike’s” son found the target and he finished with a grand total of 0-12, moving onto the free taking duties when David Reidy was forced off. Houlihan was wayward with a couple of placed balls but he grew into the role in a devastating overall performance.
However, one of his finest moments came in the final five minutes and with his scoring finished for the evening, he set Adam English free with an audacious flick over the shoulder. English sprinted the length of the field with sliotar on hurl before unleashing Donnacha O’Dalaigh with a superb pass. That capped a superb individual performance from English who came on for Reidy, slotting into midfield. Just two evening’s previously, he was at corner forward for UL, chipping in with 0-5 from play in their win over UCD.
His ability to move into midfield and adding a scoring threat, he finished with 0-2 from play to his name, will have been pleasing for Kiely given his immense options up front.
The displays of English and Houlihan may be breakout ones for the nation but for those who have seen the Limerick SHC in recent years. it is more of the same from two of the championships best. And for now, the starting jersey rests on their shoulder.

Both face immense pressure with All-Stars in every line of the pitch to compete with. But with Limerick always ready to freshen things, Houlihan and English have put their hand up.
Kyle Hayes moves back to #7
With Limerick largely opting for an experimental line up in the Munster Hurling League, the Shannonsiders had a more familiar look in the league opener with Cork. Saturday’s team continued that trend with seasonal debuts for Nickie Quaid, Kyle Hayes and Peter Casey. Cian Lynch was also named from the start for the first time since last April. For Casey, it was a return to the #15 jersey after rupturing his ACL in the All-Ireland final win in 2021. The Na Piarsaigh man hit a double in a solid display while Quaid was equally solid at the other end of the field.
Lynch was his usual self at centre-forward and doesn’t seem to be showing any ill effects of the double injury suffered last season. Yet, it was the performance of Kyle Hayes at wing-back that was most noteworthy as the Kildimo Pallaskenry man reacquainted himself with the position after an All-Star year in Lynch’s absence. His club campaign with KP, where he was deployed in the forwards seems to have borne some fruit for Limerick and Hayes as he hit over three long range efforts, two coming immediately after the restart.
His power running games is well known by now as shown by his 2021 Munster final goal but adding a long-distance shooting edge is just another string in his ever-growing bow.
There is no guarantee he will be named at wing back come the start of the championship but one of the best in the business looks to have upped his game another level.
Limerick ease off the pedal
In front of a rapturous home crowd, Limerick flew out of the blocks and didn’t relent for the first hour in the TUS Gaelic Grounds. The lead at the interval was six and that was extended out to 13 when Donnacha O’Dalaigh hit the net. With five minutes to play, the game was as good as over.
The result was never in doubt but the concession of 1-5 with only a point in reply down the stretch clearly disappointed John Kiely as he alluded to in his post-match interview.
“Happy with the win, happy with the two points, happy with 58 minutes of the performance. It was solid, we controlled the game for large periods. The last 10/12 minutes we lost our shape, leaked 1-5 so disappointed with that. Last week we were disappointed with the entirety of the second half, this week the last ten minutes so it’s an improvement and that’s what we’re looking for.
“We have two weeks to the next game and it will give us time to get a body of work done and hopefully we can be a better team in two weeks’ time.”
John Kiely
Clare were never going to salvage anything from the game after O’Dalaigh’s three-pointer but after such a dominant opening hour, it was alarming to see Limerick exposed late in the contest.

Yet, for the management, it could prove a blessing in disguise with a difficult trip to Galway coming in twelve days time.
Far cry from 2022
And the trip to Salthill promises to be an exciting one between two sides who have played out a number of instant classics in recent years. Dating back to the league clash in 2018 at the same venue where Limerick snatched promotion at the expense of the then All-Ireland champions, to their Liam MacCarthy meeting in Croke Park that August, to last year’s epic All-Ireland semi-final, there has rarely been much between the sides.
However, one game where there was a gulf was twelve months ago when Galway left the TUS Gaelic Grounds with the spoils after a deserved 1-18 to 0-27 victory. Limerick did gain revenge in the All-Ireland series five months on but the Shannonsiders will have the chance to rectify that in two weeks.
That loss was the first of three successive defeats in the Spring as Limerick looked a shell of themselves in last year’s league. However, Kiely says there is still plenty to work on following poor final-quarter performances in both contests so far.
“We didn’t look like we were streets ahead last week and we didn’t look like that in the last 12 minutes tonight so we have a load of work to do. We’re looking ahead and seeing how good we can be next weekend the week after. We have to keep striving to make incremental improvements week to week and that’s the challenge.”
John Kiely
It will also provide Limerick with another chance to benchmark themselves against one of their contenders for the Liam MacCarthy. And with the start of the championship less than two months away, it is an opportunity to lay down a marker.