PREVIEW: Limerick Minor Hurlers begin defence of their Munster championship against Cork

The Diarmuid Mullins managed Limerick Minor Hurlers will begin the defence of their Munster championship this Saturday as they face Cork in the semi-final in Semple Stadium.

The game will be live on TG4’s YouTube channel with throw in at 1pm.

In his first year in charge, Mullins lead the side to a first Munster title since 2014 as they overcame Clare in the decider in the LIT Gaelic Grounds.

However, it is back to the straight knockout format for 2020 with the winners of Saturday’s tie to meet either Tipp or Waterford in the final on December 22.

While it will be Limerick’s first outing of 2020, Cork were 1-24 to 2-13 winners over Clare in the quarter-finals in mid-October.

These sides met in the LIT Gaelic Grounds last year where they played out an entertaining 0-19 to 1-16 draw.

Limerick were undefeated in Munster last summer, winning a pair of their group games and drawing the other two before beating Clare 1-17 to 1-11 in the final.

They would come unstuck in the All-Ireland semi-finals as they fell to a powerful Kilkenny side, losing out 2-24 to 0-18 in Croke Park.

Mullins has Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Tommie Quaid and Ger Barry as coaches/selectors.

Speaking ahead of the clash, Manager Mullins says his side will have to be clinical to get through to the final.

There is a panel of 34 players named for the championship with eight retained from the provincial winning squad of 2019.

Those are this years captain Adam English, vice-captain Ronan Lyons, Ethan Hurley, John Kirby, Liam Lynch, Patrick O’Donovan, Luke O’Connor and Ned Quinn.

Limerick 2020 Minor Hurling Panel

Joseph Fitzgerald, Lochlann McHale, Ronan Lyons (all Monaleen); Barry Duff, Billy Molyneaux, Liam Lynch (all Mungret St Pauls); Dylan Lynch, John Fitzgerald, Vince Harrington (all Na Piarsaigh); Ethan Hurley, Michael Blashkiv, Con Hayes (all Newcastle West); Darragh Butler, Josh Keating and Patrick Finn (all Bruff); Eoin McCormack, Patrick O’Donovan, Sean Canning (all Effin); Luke O’Connor and Ned Quinn (both Ballybrown); Adam English and Tomás Lynch (both Doon); Eoin Harmon and John Kirby (both Patrickswell), Sean O’Neill (Blackrock), Sean Whelan (Cappamore), Cian Scully (Dromin-Athlacca-Banogue), David Boyce (Feenagh-Kilmeedy), Liam Dennehy (Glenroe), Thomas Sheahan (Killeedy), Shane O’Brien (Kilmallock), Eoin Cleary (Knockainey), Michael Sheahan (Rathkeale), Adam Fitzgerald (Templeglantine).

Limerick play Cork in the Munster Minor Hurling semi-final this Saturday at 1pm in Semple Stadium with the game live on TG4’s YouTube channel.

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