PREVIEW | Limerick welcome Dublin in novel National Football League clash

The Shannonsiders will host Dublin in the league for the first time in fifteen years this Sunday.

Limerick welcome Dublin to the TUS Gaelic Grounds for their first home fixture in Division 2 of the League since 2006. It will also be the first meeting of the sides since 2007, a day when Dublin left it late to escape with a one-point win.

The fortunes of the sides have been vastly different since with Dublin going on to break the record for most consecutive All-Ireland’s won, making it six on the trot in 2020.

In the same timespan, Limerick have won three promotions from the bottom tier, suffered as many relegations but sealed the important one in 2022 joining Louth in returning to the second tier.

Under Billy Lee, Limerick earned two promotions in three years, but after stepping down in August of last year, Ray Dempsey led the side to Owenbeg last Saturday for their return to the Division.

Derry showed exactly why they are favoured to come out of the Division with a comprehensive 0-16 to 0-4 victory. Limerick had a pair of scores in either half but Derry controlled the contest in sending out a statement of intent.

Dublin were made to work for their first-round win over Kildare, staving off their Leinster opponents 1-11 to 0-13 in Croke Park.

Interestingly, this is also Dublin’s first year in Division 2 since the late 00’s. The Dubs won the division in 2008 and went on to claim six first-tier titles since. However, a below-par 2022 saw them relegated alongside Kildare.

Still, Dessie Farrell was able to call upon ten of the side that featured in the 2020 All-Ireland final win last week. Seven of those found the target with Brian Fenton, a two-time Footballer of the Year, hitting the net.

Little will be expected of Limerick this Sunday against the Dubs, as was the case against Derry but for Ray Dempsey and co will be the learnings that come from the game as the Mayo native explained in the wake of the first-round defeat.

“It’s a big step up from Division 3 but you have to play it. You can talk about it and look at it but until you are out there in the heat of battle, you won’t appreciate how intense and how quick things have to be done. The lads kept battling, there was big heart and guts and they kept going until the end.

“A lot of lads working hard to get up to the speed but you have to be exposed to it to realise and appreciate the level these games are played at.

“You have to play in it and experience it and we’ll keep working to find improvements, that’s all I can guarantee.”

Ray Dempsey

Sunday’s game could prove to be a free hit for Limerick with Derry and Dublin the unbackable favourites to earn promotion from division two. The third round will provide a clearer view of where this Treaty side as they travel to Louth for a repeat of the 2022 National League final. Cork away is the following game and Limerick will need to get something from those games if they are to sustain their status in the second division.

Both of those sides lost in the first round against Limerick’s final pair of opponents, Clare and Meath, two more games that Limerick will aim for.

But, for now, the focus will be on Dublin this Sunday where Limerick will try to cut their cloth at the highest level.

Limerick face Dublin in the second round of Division 2 of the National Football League this Sunday at 3pm in the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

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