Liam Cahill and John Kiely declared themselves “delighted” after a valuable Dillon Quirke Foundation fundraising clash ended in a one-point victory for Tipperary.
The All-Ireland champions led by eight before being pegged back with three minutes to play. They were never headed, though, as a late pair of Jack Leamy frees saw them through.
For Cahill, the ‘Champions Under Lights’ challenge in front of a healthy crowd at Fethard Town Park will help to “close the book” on their triumphant 2025 campaign.
“We’ve given ourselves ample time after the All-Ireland to enjoy it,” he said.
“The demands have been huge, and the players have been exemplary in all their commitments, but from now on, we’ll be making ourselves unavailable really as we head into 2026 because the focus has to be around getting ready for a National Hurling League at the end of January. That’s going to take priority.
“Unfortunately, as much as we’d love to stay in 2025 and keep enjoying it, things move on, and we have to get ready for the challenges that are going to come.”
Limerick created enough chances to win, getting off 46 shots to Tipp’s 37 in the 60-minute contest, but must tune up their shooting to reduce their 18 wides.
“I’m actually delighted,” said Kiely. “We played really well. We created a load of scoring chances in the first half into a very strong breeze.
“Disappointed at half-time that we hadn’t a few more on the board. We had 24 shots. We only came in with eight points, so that was probably the one negative of the night: our accuracy. It’s early in the year, so we’ve plenty of time to work on that.”
The goalkeepers were the most notable selections as 2019 All-Star Brian Hogan returned between the Premier posts after three years abroad. Meanwhile, Poc Fada champion Colin Ryan was recalled, having last figured in the Treaty forwards in 2019.
“Brian was back in the country, and I was delighted to hear that,” said Cahill.
“You can see by his physical condition, he’s come back in brilliant shape for a guy that has been away from this level of hurling for the last two years or more.
“It was a really good first appearance for him. He’s going to add some really big competition to that particular area with us.”
On Ryan’s return, Kiely said: “He has played there before at underage. He’s obviously a very skilful hurler. He had a very positive evening’s work.
“He has a lot to do, he knows that himself. It’s still very early doors. But after a month’s work, a performance like that, he’ll be very happy.
“He executed his puck-outs really well, particularly in the first half. He had to pick out guys, and he has that range.
“We went very long with the breeze a few times, and it didn’t really work out for us. We’ve rarely had that opportunity to go that long with puck-outs, so there was just a bit of an unpreparedness for that.”
The wides became the defining factor early on as Limerick struggled to find their radar into the wind. Their third wide, in just the second minute, saw Donnacha Ó Dálaigh hit the side-netting after good work by Shane O’Brien. Tipp got in at the other end, but Ryan made a diving save from Paddy Creedon.
The first 18 minutes featured 17 wides, with the Treaty striking 11 of those. In total, they missed 11 of their first 12 shots, with Oisín O’Farrell breaking their duck at the ninth attempt in the 10th minute.
Tipp took time to settle, too. It was 0-3 to 0-1 at the first-quarter mark before the scores began to flow more freely. O’Brien and Aidan O’Connor levelled, but Tipp tagged on five of the next six points, including efforts from Seán Kenneally, Darragh Tynan, Darragh Stakelum, and Kevin McCarthy.
They exchanged goal chances with Seán Casey blocking from Kenneally and Hogan saving from Colin Coughlan.
Kenneally hit the net 27th minute after a fine full-forward line combination involving Creedon and Leamy for a 1-11 to 0-8 half-time lead.
A Leamy brace extended their advantage to eight before Limerick lifted their game with four consecutive points, led by O’Connor and O’Brien.
Brian Óg O’Dwyer fizzed a goal chance over and Creedon added 0-2 to restore Tipp’s six-point cushion.
Limerick scored seven of the next eight to level, including a brilliant Dylan O’Shea pair from wing-back and Robbie O’Farrell’s second.
McCarthy and O’Connor traded points before Leamy brought his tally to 0-10 with his late frees. O’Brien pulled the gap back to the minimum before missing a late levelling opportunity.
: J Leamy (0-10, 8 frees); S Kenneally (1-1); D Stakelum, P Creedon, K McCarthy (0-2 each); J Caesar, B Óg O’Dwyer, B Seymour, D Tynan (0-1 each).
A O’Connor (0-8, 5 frees); S O’Brien (0-4, 1 free); O O’Farrell, R O’Farrell, D O’Shea (0-2 each); D Langan, C Coughlan, E Hurley, D Ó Dálaigh, P O’Donovan (0-1 each).
: Brian Hogan; J Ryan, D Nolan, R McCormack; D Tynan, J Caesar, M Cawley; P McGarry (capt), D Stakelum; J Fogarty, K McCarthy, B Seymour; S Kenneally, P Creedon, J Leamy.
: C Ryan for Cawley (39), B Óg O’Dwyer for Seymour (39), A Daly for McGarry (46), A Hall for Kenneally (46).
: C Ryan; V Harrington, S Casey, E Stokes; D Langan, C O’Neill (capt), C Coughlan; A English, E Hurley; O O’Farrell, A O’Connor, H Flanagan; D Ó Dálaigh, S O’Brien, P O’Donovan.
: R O’Farrell for Flanagan (h-t), J Fitzgerald for Hurley (43), D O’Shea for Coughlan (43), C Thomas for Harrington (43), F Fitzgerald for English (50), D Ferland for Ó Dálaigh (50), M Fitzgerald for Langan (50), J English for O O’Farrell (50), F O’Brien for Ryan (53), J Coughlan for O’Neill (53).
: N O’Toole (Waterford).
