On This Day | Limerick claim All-Ireland Senior Hurling title behind closed doors in Croke Park

Limerick completed the perfect season with their tenth successive win to claim back the Liam MacCarthy title for the second time in three years.

Twelve days out from Christmas, Limerick claimed the Liam MacCarthy title with an imperious 0-30 to 0-19 win over Waterford in the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final.

Behind closed doors due to the ongoing pandemic, John Kiely’s men put in their finest performance of the year to win a second All-Ireland title in three years.

Tom Morrissey and Gearoid Hegarty combined for 0-12 from play as the Deise couldn’t match the Shannonsiders who were comfortable in the end.

13 December 2020; Cian Lynch, left, and Kyle Hayes of Limerick celebrate following the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Limerick and Waterford at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

It was Tom Morrissey, who plundered 0-6 in the semi-final a fortnight previously who kicked off the scoring with a brillint effort from out on the sideline. Seamus Flanagan followed that up but Waterford reoplied with two of their own to level the contest.

Morrissey had Limerick into the lead once more and an Aaron Gillane had Limerick three clear after 12. It could have been worse for the Deise, Stephen O’Keeffe making a fantastic double save, firstly from Kyle Hayes and then Cian Lynch after the Patrickswell man struck striaght from a volley.

Austin Gleeson stemmed the tide somewhat but the Limerick juggernaut continued to purr. Hayes did get his name on the scoresheet after 25 minutes to push Limerick 0-10 to 0-4.

Gleeson halved the deficit with a sideline as the Deise managed to keep in the game with the Mount Sion man poiinting witht he last score of the half to leave it 0-14 to 0-11.

But the third quarter was pretty much one way traffic as Limerick powered clear of their opposition. Flanagan kicked off the second half scoring with Hurler of the Year Gearoid Hegarty adding to that. Between them they would fire 0-6 in the third quarter with Limerick finding six of the first seven scores after the restart.

That was enough for an eight point lead at final waterbreak with Kyle Hayes and Aaron Gillane combining for an excellent score on the resumption. Hegarty tightened his grip on the potential HOTY award as he moved onto seven points for the day with he and Morrissey, who finished with 0-5, wreaking havoc on the Deise rearguard.

13 December 2020; Tom Morrissey, left, and Gearóid Hegarty of Limerick celebrate following the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Limerick and Waterford at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Diarmuid Byrnes got his name on the scoresheet with a typically well taken loing range effort while substitute Pat Ryan also found the target. At the other end, the Limerick defence was dominant and behind the imperious unit of Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey and Barry Nash, Nicke Quiad was in All-Star form with a number of fine stops with Waterford desperate for a consolation goal.

But it was the man that began the scoring in Croker that rounded out the day as Tom Morrissey pushed Limerick on to 0-30, their third time of the year to reach that mark.

A surreal final whistle followed from Fergal Horgan with the Limerick players and management embracing in an eerily silent Croke Park.

Declan Hannon climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand to accept the Liam MacCarthy title for the second time in three years as Limerick completed the perfect season with All-Ireland, Munster and League honours secured after ten successive wins.

13 December 2020; Limerick captain Declan Hannon lifts the Liam MacCarthy Cup as Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael John Horan looks on following the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Limerick and Waterford at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane (0-10, 6frees); Gearoid Hegarty (0-7); Tom Morrissey (0-5); Seamus Flanagan (0-3); Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes, Pat Ryan, and Will O’Donoghue (0-1 each).

Scorers for Waterford: Stephen Bennett (0-10, 9frees); Austin Gleeson (0-5, free, sideline); Calum Lyons, Kevin Moran, Kieran Bennett, and Dessie Hutchinson (0-1 each).

Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes; Darragh O’Donovan, Will O’Donoghue; Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey; Graeme Mulcahy, Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan.
Subs: Peter Casey for Mulcahy (49), David Reidy for O’Donovan (59), Pat Ryan for Flanagan (63), Adrian Breen for Gillane (68), Paddy O’Loughlin for Hayes (70).

Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Ian Kenny, Conor Prunty, Shane McNulty; Kevin Moran, Tadhg de Burca, Calum Lyons; Jamie Barron, Kieran Bennett; Jack Fagan, Austin Gleeson, Neil Montgomery; Dessie Hutchinson, Stephen Bennett, Jack Prendergast.
Subs: Iarlaith Daly for De Burca (21), Darragh Lyons for K Bennett (40), Conor Gleeson for Montgomery (44), Patrick Curran for Moran (52), Shane Fives for Kenny (55).


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