The numbers behind Limerick’s 2022 All-Ireland triumph

Limerick made it three in a row last Sunday in retaining their Liam MacCarthy crown.

It was certainly done the hard way but for the third successive year, Declan Hannon was the man climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand on All-Ireland final day.

En route to the title, Limerick accounted for Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, Clare, Galway and finally Kilkenny in clinching a well deserved victory.

2020 seemed like a revenge tour as Limerick went perfect in League and Championship following their exit in the previous year’s championship at the hands of Kilkenny.

2021 was an exhibition of power plays as Kiely’s men put teams to the sword at will in retaining Liam for the first time ever.

2022 seemed different as teams brought their best to the table but on each occasion Limerick had the appropriate answer.

There were stellar performances throughout the field as all played their part in ensuring success.

Numbers Game

As mentioned, 2020 and ’21 appeared on the surface level to be achieved at relative ease. The former year saw Limerick win their five championship games with an average margin of just over 7ppg (points per game).

That increased to 10ppg in 2021 as Tiperary, Waterford and Cork were brushed aside.

But with a target on their back and three-in-a-row in sight, teams brought their A game with Limerick’s winning margin reduced to 4ppg, which was less than 3ppg in the Munster final, All-Ireland semi and All-Ireland final.

In their seven games, Limerick scored 8-184. That comes in at just under 30ppg.

Limerick conceded 6-161 over the same time. That is 25ppg.

Aaron Gillane was Limerick’s top scorer for the championship with 3-47. An incredible 3-21 of that came from play which made him the top scorer in the championship in that regard, as he finished seventh overall.

Diarmaid Byrnes was second only to Gillane, followed by Gearoid Hegarty (2-16), Tom Morrissey (0-17) and Kyle Hayes (2-8)

Byrnes broke the record for most points scored by a defender in a single championship scoring 0-36 (30f)

TJ Reid topped the overall scoring charts with a haul of 2-65.

In total, eighteen different Limerick players found the target over the course of the championship.

Limerick 2022 Championship Scorers

Limerick 2-25 : 1-17 Cork (Munster Championship Round 1)

Aaron Gillane 1-4 (2f), Diarmaid Byrnes 0-6 (3f), Kyle Hayes 1-1, Gearóid Hegarty 0-3, Barry Nash 0-2, Cathal O’Neill 0-2, Cian Lynch 0-2 , Declan Hannon 0-1, Dan Morrissey 0-1, Tom Morrissey 0-1, Pat Ryan 0-1, David Reidy 0-1.

Limerick 0-30 : 2-21 Waterford (Munster Championship Round 2)

Aaron Gillane 0-13 (7f), Diarmaid Byrnes 0-6 (5f), Cathal O’Neill 0-3, Darragh O’Donovan 0-2, Tom Morrissey 0-2, Gearoid Hegarty 0-2, David Reidy, 0-1, Pat Ryan 0-1.

Limerick 3-21 : 0-23 Tipperary (Munster Championship Round 3)

Aaron Gillane 2-5 (0-4f), Tom Morrissey 0-5, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-4 (0-3f, ’65), Conor Boylan 1-0, Darragh O’Donovan 0-2, Cathal O’Neill 0-1, Graeme Mulcahy 0-1, Gearoid Hegarty 0-1, Barry Nash 0-1, David Reidy 0-1, Declan Hannon 0-1.

Clare 0-24 : 1-21 Limerick (Munster Championship Round 4)

Diarmaid Byrnes 0-9 (7f, ’65); Gearoid Hegarty 0-4, David Reidy 0-4 (4f), Kyle Hayes 1-0, Seamus Flanagan 0-1, Tom Morrissey 0-1, Oisin O’Reilly 0-1, Darragh O’Donovan 0-1.

Limerick 1-29 : 0-29 Clare (Munster Final)

Aaron Gillane 0-10 (7f), Seamus Flanagan 0-8, Gearoid Hegarty 1-0, Tom Morrissey 0-3, Cathal O’Neill 0-2 Diarmaid Byrnes 0-1 (1f), Darragh O’Donovan 0-1, Declan Hannon 0-1, Conor Boylan 0-1, David Reidy 0-1, Will O’Donoghue 0-1.

Limerick 0-27 : 1-21 Galway (All-Ireland Semi-Final)

Aaron Gillane 0-8 (2f), Diarmaid Byrnes 0-6 (6f), Kyle Hayes 0-3 David Reidy 0-3, Séamus Flanagan 0-2, Barry Nash 0-1, Declan Hannon 0-1, William O’Donoghue 0-1, Gearóid Hegarty 0-1 Tom Morrissey 0-1.

Limerick 1-31 : 2-26 Kilkenny (All-Ireland Final)

Gearoid Hegarty 1-5, Aaron Gillane 0-7 (4f), Diarmaid Byrnes 0-5 (3f, ’65), Kyle Hayes 0-4, Tom Morrissey 0-4, Seamus Flanagan 0-2, Declan Hannon 0-1, Dan Morrissey 0-1, Conor Boylan 0-1, Cathal O’Neill 0-1.

Scorers

• Aaron Gillane 3-47 (26f)
• Diarmaid Byrnes 0-36 (27f, 3 ’65)
• Gearoid Hegarty 2-16
• Tom Morrissey 0-17
• Kyle Hayes 2-8
• Seamus Flanagan 0-13
• David Reidy 0-11 (4f)
• Cathal O’Neill 0-9
• Darragh O’Donovan 0-6
• Conor Boylan 1-2
• Declan Hannon 0-5
• Barry Nash 0-4
• Cian Lynch 0-2
• Dan Morrissey 0-2
• Pat Ryan 0-2
• William O’Donoghue 0-2
• Graeme Mulcahy 0-1
• Oisin O’Reilly 0-1

18 + richie english, robbie hanley, p casey, m casey, s finn

Over the course of the championship, 24 different players featured. Those are the 18 above that scored as well as Nickie Quaid, Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Richie English, Robbie Hanley and Peter Casey.

Quaid, Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Nash, Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Dan Morrissey, William O’Donoghue, Gearoid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey and Kyle Hayes started each of the seven games.

Quaid, Finn, Nash, Byrnes and Hannon played every minute in the campaign.

The All-Ireland win also brought Limerick to 11 titles, which is fourth in the all-time roll of honour behind Kilkenny (36), Cork (30) and Tipperary (23).

2022 was Limerick’s 20th All-Ireland final as they became the fifth county to reach that threshold following the aforementioned trio and Galway.

Declan Hannon has been Limerick captain for 36% of the county’s All-Ireland wins. He is also the first man to ever lift the Liam MacCarthy four times.