John Kiely “very happy to be League champions” but ready to embrace the challenge of the Munster Championship

Limerick looked invigorated in this year’s League and manager John Kiely was certainly happy to add a third spring triumph in five years.

Limerick are league champions for 2023 after completing a dominant campaign with an 11-point victory over last year’s All-Ireland finalists Kilkenny.

After losing their opener to Cork, Limerick haven’t looked back in piling up the victories over the past two months. Sunday’s systematic dismantling of Kilkenny could have been much worse for the Cats only for 15 second-half wides from a side who were in the ascendancy throughout.

Stumbling through the rounds for the past two years, Limerick looked invigorated in this year’s League and manager John Kiely was certainly happy to add a third spring triumph in five years.

“I don’t know do we ever get it completely under control but listen we worked hard on it. The wides were disappointing, absolutely. Whilst we were happy to have created those scoring chances, we need to be taken more. I’d say our shooting efficiency was the lowest it’s been.

“At the same time very happy to be League champions. We went after it, we worked hard right throughout the campaign and you know all I can ask is the players to work hard and for them to have a good attitude and application to what we’re doing with them and I think they’ve answered all the questions for us so far this season.”

Nonetheless, there is little rest time for Limerick who will be in championship action on Sunday, April 23 when they take on Waterford in the provincial opener.

The Shannonsiders come into the campaign as the four-in-a-row champions, without a defeat since the 2019 round robin and the overwhelming favourites to claim a 24th title.

But Limerick will be under no illusions of the challenges that will be poised to them in Munster with each team finishing within the top three of their respective league tables.

And Kiely says the 2023 edition is shaping up to be the most competitive.

“If you were to look back in the last three or four (Munster Championships) you’d have to say that this is possibly the most competitive one and there’s a lot of teams that can hurt you very badly, very quickly if they’re given the opportunity. so you know that’s not lost us.

“We’ve two weeks work to get done now before the first round against Waterford and our focus is very firmly going in that direction

“We’re obviously probably moving a little bit better over this time last year, at this time last year there was no question answered really as such you know it was only subsequently that we just managed to pull it together and get it right.

“Every year is different and I’ve always pointed this out, no two seasons of the same, they all bring their own story, their own narrative and we just felt this year, this was right for us because we had a lot of players finished their Championship early and it felt good to us to go back training in December. We got some work done that time and obviously, the players had an appetite for it I think we managed it very well the way we worked with the players that were playing with clubs that went on a bit longer on the season and hence we’ve managed to maintain a good freshness in the group and I think that’s reflected in our performances.”

But Kiely stressed Limerick are where they want to be right now. Whether they want to continue in that vein is up to his star-studded squad who will be preparing for everyone’s hardest “questions.”

“If you ask me where I wanted to be right now at this stage of the season we’re there, the next question is where do we want to be in two weeks time.

“The question will be asked and whether we’ve got the answer or not will be the next thing. It’s up to the players to respond to that question when it will come and I’ve no doubt it will come, in two weeks time it’ll come guaranteed so looking forward to it. It’s a big challenge but one we’ll embrace.”

Embrace the challenge they will as they seek further history with the summer months fast approaching.

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