Editorial: Can Cork shock Limerick?
It’s certainly on at a strange time but Saturday should still be a brilliant occasion.
As Finbarr McCarthy puts it in his excellent preview on page 36 of the paper, Limerick are chasing history while Cork are seeking redemption.
It’s Limerick versus Cork in the Munster Hurling Final on Saturday in Limerick at 6pm. The Munster Hurling Final remains among the most iconic sporting events on this island.
While the provincial structure of the GAA championships remain flawed, any talk of scrapping them entirely is tempered by the idea of losing the Munster Hurling Final.
That aside, it remains something of an anomaly that some of this fantastic Cork team have played in more All-Ireland finals than Munster finals!
Limerick are the holders and have been for six long years. They are seeking to make history and win seven in a row this weekend. Cork remain the all-time record-holders with 54 titles. Limerick have won 25 times but are favoured by many to make it 26 this weekend.
Limerick beat Clare in the final last year, the third time in a row that the two featured in the final. Before that, Limerick beat Tippeary, Waterford and Tipp again making Cork the last team to win it before Limerick’s current win streak.
Cork’s last Munster title came back in 2018, with Cork having managed two All-Ireland final appearances since.
Even with the intensity of the group stage format of the current Munster Hurling Championship, it’s strange that Cork have been so bad at even getting to the final, let alone winning it but Limerick are certainly an exceptional team.
Munster has been incredibly hard to get out of and into the All-Ireland series and perhaps Cork’s focus has more often being on ensuring they made third in the Munster round robin rather than finishing in the top two to make the final.
It would be apt if Cork could halt Limerick’s incredible run but their recent showdown wouldn’t fill you with confidence.
Cork beat Limerick twice last year by two points on each occasion. One match was in round 3 of Munster while the other was in the All Ireland Semi-Final.
Just a few weeks ago however, Limerick took Cork apart to win by 3-26 to 1-16 in Limerick on 18 May in a real statement performance.
As Finbarr suggests in his preview, it’s unlikely that Cork will be as bad again or Limerick as good, but will that be enough to change the outcome?
While it would be fantastic to win Munster, this Cork team really wants an All Ireland so building up confidence again and finding a way to limit key Limerick players Kyle Hayes and Cian Lynch may be more important. Come on Cork!