My Favourite Game: Top 10 Limerick Hurling games this Century-1

With no sport to keep us entertained for the foreseeable future, it is time to get creative and reminisce about all sport has offered us over the years.

As such, I began to examine my favourite hurling games involving Limerick since I first attended the Gaelic Grounds in 2007 as a 10-year-old.

There has been some huge highs and many more lows in Limerick hurling circles over the past thirteen years and for each of the next ten days I will count down my top ten favourite Limerick games.

Earlier this week I went through the honourable mentions, and also,

Number 10.

Number 9.

Number 8.

Number 7.

Number 6.

Number 5.

Number 4.

Number 3.

Yesterday we released Number 2 while now we have my favourite.

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#1

Limerick 3-16 : 2-18 Galway (All-Ireland Final)

19 August 2018 at Croke Park

History.

As a match it wasn’t up to the same level as the semi-final but in an All-Ireland Final, the result is all that matters.

45 years is a long time but the celebrations at the end were worth the wait.

A city united for weeks will live forever in my mind and as a result, this game is untouchable as my favourite and i can’t imagine any coming close ever again.

But I’m okay with that.

As for the game itself, Limerick gave an exhibition of hurling in normal time holding an eight point lead heading into injury time.

The nine minutes of injury-time saw Galway reduce the gap and present Joe Canning with a chance to level with the last puck of the game, which dropped short and sparked scenes of joy in Croke Park.

Limerick controlled the opening exchanges of the game and had teh first three scores with Aaron Gillane, Kyle Hayes and Graeme Mulcahy on the scoresheet.

Galway eventually found their way into the game and took the lead for the first time on fifteen minutes through Joseph Cooney.

Within 60 seconds Limerick were back in front as Graeme Mulcahy bundled in Limerick’s first goal of the game.

Two stunning points from captain Declan Hannon from centre-back had Limerick fully in control once more as half-time approached.

The sides traded points as Limerick went into the break with a 1-10 to 0-9 advantage.

Limerick continued where they left off and dominated the opening proceedings of the second half.

Man of the Match Kyle Hayes came into his own with three quick-fire points but Joe Canning offered some resistance for the Leinster Champions.

Tom Morrissey would strike Limerick’s second hammer-blow, blasting to the Galway net after dispossessing Gearoid McInerney to see Limerick into a commanding 2-15 to 0-12 lead with 54 minutes on the clock.

Three consecutive Galway scores brought the gap back to six before Limerick struck once more.

As he did in the semi-final, Shane Dowling made a huge impact from the bench to get his sides third goal and a nine-point lead heading into injury time.

Eight minutes of additional time was announced and with the clock dipping into the red Conor Whelan slammed home Galway’s first goal to offer some restbite.

Minutes later Joe Canning had Galway’s second with a bullet of a free to reduce the lead to a goal with four minutes of additional time remaining.

As they did in 1994 Limerick looked like crumbling with the All-Ireland in their clutches.

Niall Burke had the deficit to one before Graeme Mulcahy popped up with the most important score of the year.

A Canning 65′ reduced the arrears once more with time running over.

There was still one last chance for Canning to level with a free just within his range but also well inside his own half.

The free would drop into the Limerick square but Tom Condon would escape with the sliotar as James Owens’ final whistle blew to end the famine.

Tears of joy filled Croke Park as Doloras O’Riordan’s lyrics erupted on Jones’ Road.

Perfection.

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Scorers for Limerick: Graeme Mulcahy 1-2, Tom Morrissey 1-1, Kyle Hayes 0-4, Shane Dowling 1-0, Aaron Gillane 0-3 (2f), Declan Hannon 0-2, Seamus Flanagan 0-1, Cian Lynch 0-1, Darragh O’Donovan 0-1, Diarmuid Byrnes 0-1.

Scorers for Galway: Joe Canning 1-10 (1-5f), Conor Whelan 1-0, Joseph Cooney 0-3, David Burke 0-3, Padraic Mannion 0-1, Niall Burke 0-1.

Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Michael Casey, Richie English; Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Dan Morrisey; Darragh O’Donovan, Cian Lynch; Gearoid Hegarty, Kyle Hayes, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan, Graeme Mulcahy
Subs: Richie McCarthy for Mike Casey (50), Shane Dowling for Gearoid Hegarty (56), Peter Casey for Seamus Flanagan (64), William O’Donoghue for Darragh O’Donovan (67), Tom Condon for Richie English (72)

Galway: James Skehill; Adrian Tuohey, Daithi Burke, John Hanbury; Padraic Mannion, Gearoid McInerney, Aidan Harte; Johnny Coen, David Burke; Joseph Cooney, Joe Canning, Jonathan Glynn; Conor Whelan, Conor Cooney, Cathal Mannion
Subs: Niall Burke for Cathal Mannion (46), Paul Killeen for John Hanbury (57), Jason Flynn for Conor Cooney (58), Sean Loftus for Johnny Coen (60), Fearghal Flannery for James Skehill (61)

Ref: James Owens (Wexford)

Check out the All-Ireland Hurling Final highlights here! pic.twitter.com/jONiA1rWcW

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 19, 2018