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Sunday’s game is layered in compelling narratives with both aiming to lay down the early marker ahead of the championship commencement next month.
The two best sides in hurling face off this Sunday when they will wrote the latest chapter in an ever increasingly interesting saga with league honours on the line.
Limerick got the upperhand in the previous encounter, last July’s All-Ireland final avenging the defeat from the 2019 championship last four which remains the Treaty’s most recent loss.
The teams have been consistently intertwined since John Kiely’s appointment with the Cats ending his first championship in charge prematurely in 2017.
The Shannonsiders got their own revenge the following season before laying down a marker in Nowlan Park the next February. But that All-Ireland semi-final would have stung right up until last year’s finale.
The game this weekend is layered in compelling narratives with both aiming to lay down the early marker ahead of the championship commencement next month.
But before Sunday comes around, we look back on the five most recent meetings of two of hurling’s greatest.
Kilkenny 0-20 Limerick 0-17 (All Ireland Hurling Qualifiers Round I)
1 July 2017 in Nowlan Park
Kilkenny ended John Kiely’s maiden season in the Limerick job without a win, getting the job done in Nowlan Park in the first round of the qualifiers.
Kilkenny had the first two scores at home but by the 22nd minute the teams were level at 0-4 apiece with Kyle Hayes, Gearoid Hegarty and Shane Dowling finding the target.
Walter Walsh had a trio of first half scores from play and he proved the difference in the first period as it read 0-10 to 0-8 in Kilkenny’s favour at the interval.
But Limerick started the better after the restart and Hayes had levelled within ten minutes at 0-12 apiece.
However, six of the next seven scores came from the Cats as they made their charge. Scores from substitutes Barry Nash and Pat Ryan did Limerick within two approaching extra-time but Kilkenny finished strong for a three point win to conclude the Shannonsiders campaign.
Limerick 0-27 Kilkenny 1-22 (All Ireland Senior Hurling Quarter Final)
15 July 2018 in Semple Stadium
Limerick finally get the monkey off their back with a first win over Kilkenny in the championship in 45-years.
Kiely’s men needed a late rally after the Cats refused to be put down in a titanic quarter-final battle in Thurles.
Late substitute Richie Hogan got Kilkenny on the scoresheet first and while Seamus Flanagan replied in kind, Kilkenny had the next three scores as Kiely’s side were slow off the mark.
That lead was increased to 0-7 to 0-3 after 17 minutes as Limerick rued a missed goal chance from Aaron Gillane, the first of a string of point blank saves from Eoin Murphy.
But Limerick did slowly come into the game and scores from Gillane, Graeme Mulcahy, Diarmaid Byrnes and Declan Hannon had the teams level at 0-8 apiece.
Limerick continued in this vein as Gearoid Hegarty, Darragh O’Donovan and Tom Morrissey all found the target.
Conor Fogarty reduced arrears with the final score of the half as Limerick led 0-15 to 0-12 at the interval.
TJ Reid and Hegarty exchanged scores to start the second period with Murphy again standing in Limerick’s path of goal.
And Kilkenny made Limerick pay for their inaccuracy in front of goal as scores from Richie Leahy pulled them one clear before Mulcahy levelled.
Peter Casey made his mark from the bench and Donovan had Limerick ahead before Hogan struck for the games only goal with less than ten to play.
Kiely’s youthful side showed tremendous spirit to hit three on the bounce to move ahead again but Leahy was on hand to level heading into injury time.
But when needed most, Tom Morrissey produced the goods, with an excellent solo score before Gillane rounded off the scoring for an epic win.
History tells us that Limerick followed the win up with victories over Cork and Galway for a first All-Ireland title since 1973.
Kilkenny 0-15 Limerick 2-18 (National Hurling League Round III)
17 February 2019 in Nowlan Park.
Limerick produced arguably their best performance to date under John Kiely to record a nine-point victory over Kilkenny in Nowlan Park in the third round of the national league.
After both sides started the contest slowly, Limerick burst into life just prior to the half, putting the result beyond question.
Richie Leahy had the sides level at 0-7 apiece on the half hour mark before Limerick hit the Cats for 2-3 without reply before the interval.
Shane Dowling was the first to bury past Eoin Murphy, firing to the net following an Aaron Gillane pass in the 33rd minute. A minute later and Conor Boylan raised their second green flag with Graeme Mulcahy first intercepting a wayward pass before feeding the Na Piarsaigh man.
The power plays continued on the resumption and the Treaty men had the first four points of the new half, Gillane firing three and Barry Murphy adding the other. Leahy briefly replied for the Cats but Limerick then moved 2-16 to 0-8 clear.
With the game won Limerick eased off the throttle as Kilkenny put some respectability on the scoreboard. However, Kilkenny would get their revenge five months later.
Kilkenny 1-21 Limerick 2-17 (All Ireland Senior Hurling Semi-Final)
27 July 2019 in Croke Park
Limerick’s hopes of retaining the All-Ireland title were dashed as Brian Cody’s men avenged the defeat from the previous season, leading from start to finish.
Paying little heed to Limerick’s 2019 form as they headed into the game with All-Ireland, Munster and League titles in tow, Kilkenny tore into the Shannonsiders.
Kilkenny had the first three scores of the game as Adrian Mullen put them 0-6 to 0-1 clear inside 10 minutes.
Colin Fennelly furthered this lead as he goaled from Eoin Murphy’s puck out to make it 1-7 to 0-2.
But bit by bit, Limerick started to gain a foothold with the full forward line of Aaron Gillane, Graeme Muclahy and Peter Casey all scoring from play.
Gillane in particular was causing problems for the Kilkenny rearguard and he was fouled for a penalty in stoppage time.
The Patrickswell man made no mistake from the spot and suddenly Limerick trailed by just three at the half.
Barry Nash brought Limerick within one on 51 minutes but that was followed by four unanswered from the Cats.
And try as they might, Limerick could not get level, even after Shane Dowling’s wonder strike once more brought them within one.
Darragh O’Donovan had a sideline attempt deflected wide but no 65′ was awarded as Kilkenny held out for the win and a place in the final.
Limerick 1-31 Kilkenny 2-26 (All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final)
17 July 2022 in Croke Park
Limerick made history and became the first team from the county to claim a three-in-a-row of All-Ireland Senior Hurling titles with a two-point victory over Kilkenny in Croke Park.
Despite leading for the vast majority of the contest, Limerick couldn’t shake of a determined Kilkenny side aiming to end a seven-year famine between All-Ireland’s.
However, John Kiely’s all-conquering side showed why they are the best in the business with a brilliant performance encapsulated by Gearoid Hegarty scores.
There was only four minutes on the clock when the St Patricks club man rattled the corner of the net, giving Eoin Murphy no chance. Limerick went 1-2 to the good before Kilkenny got on the board, reducing the margin to a single score by the 20th minute.
Scores from Hegarty, Kyle Hayes and Tom Morrissey had Limerick six clear once more but Kilkenny rallied to leave it 1-17 to 0-16 at the break.
Hayes and Aaron Gillane restored the two score cushion but a Billy Ryan goal halved the deficit immediately. On 47 minutes, Martin Keoghan followed suit and Kilkenny were within one point, John Donnelly then restoring parity.
Morrissey pointed Limerick back into the lead as they moved 1-26 to 2-20 in front but the Cats clawed their way back into it, Richie Hogan pulling the teams level.
Yet Limerick had the answers again with Cathal O’Neill, Conor Boylan, Gillane and Hegarty all finding the target, the latter taking his tally to 1-5 with the last the pick of the bunch.
That had Limerick five clear and while Kilkenny had the final three points, it wasn’t enough as the Shannonsiders reigned supreme for the third successive season and fourth in five years.
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