Limerick book All-Ireland final spot with comeback win over Clare

Limerick book 2026 All-Ireland final spot with comeback win over Clare. Cian Lynch came off the bench in the second half following an injury scare to help Limerick to victory. Photo via Sunday Game

The Limerick Senior Hurlers book their place in the 2026 All-Ireland Final following an inspired comeback win over Clare

Limerick dug deep to come from behind to overcome a strong Clare performance to book their spot in the 2026 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final.

The Treaty Men produced an incredible late comeback, overturning a six-point deficit, beating Clare 1-21 to 1-19, to set up a meeting with Galway in this year’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling final.

In what was one of the games of the season, the contest ebbed and flowed with Clare holding an advantage for the majority of the 70 minutes, looking like they were stepping foot in the All-Ireland final, but an inspirational second-half defensive effort from Limerick helped get the job done for the Shannonsiders.

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Limerick held The Banner to just 1-3 in the second half, a remarkable step-up from their first-half performance, which saw them enter the break down by five points, 0-11 to 0-16, thanks to a great first-half performance from Clare, pushed on by Tony Kelly.

The game wouldn’t see its first goal until late in the second half, when Peter Duggan flicked the ball over Nickie Quaid, with the Limerick keeper receiving a yellow card before Tony Kelly blasted his penalty past Quaid in the 57th minute, putting Clare up 1-19 to 0-16, making a tough ask for Limerick to fight back.

Limerick refused to give up, John Kiely urging the crowd to get behind the Limerick men as they kept Clare scoreless for the remainder of the game. The decisive moment came when Limerick’s high press mounted on the Clare men in stoppage time, leading to Aidan O’Connor picking up the sliotar and working his way to the Clare goal, where he put the ball past Éibhear Quilligan between the sticks for Clare.

O’Connor’s goal gave Limerick a one-point lead before he tacked on a point in the 75th minute, leaving Clare searching for a late goal with the score 1-21 to 1-19.

Speaking with the Sunday Game, Man of the Match, Gearoid Heagarty said, “ Clare brought an intensity that we didn’t match; it’s as simple as that. We might’ve been slightly off, but we knew Clare was going to come with what they came with, and we didn’t match it, and that’s the position we found ourselves in at halftime because of the intensity they brought.

“There were a lot of hard questions asked of us there at halftime, and in the second half particularly. But I’m just so, so proud that we got over that battle today. It’s just incredible.”

Limerick Manager John Kiely said, “ The penalty was a huge setback, put us six back, but we never relented from that penalty. We kept on getting the next score, the next score, the next score, the next score.”

He noted that Limerick holding Clare scoreless following the penalty “took incredible resilience and inner belief”. He added, “We made mistakes. You know, we dropped balls, and we lost them again. We came back, and we tried to win them again. But hats off to the players. It was over to them today. They showed the resilience, the courage, the determination, and the never-say-die spirit, you know, to just keep after it, and I’m delighted they got the reward for it.”

Limerick will now look forward to an All-Ireland Final clash with Galway on Sunday, July 19, with a 3:30 pm throw-in in Croke Park.