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Limerick team announced ahead of 2025 Munster Final clash with Cork
Limerick team announced ahead of 2025 Munster Final clash with Cork. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick
Senior Hurling Manager, John Kiely has announced his starting 15 ahead of this Saturday’s 2025 Munster Senior Hurling Championship final where Limerick host Cork at the TUS Gaelic Grounds
Limerick manager John Kiely has made several changes to the team, which fell to Clare in the final round of the Munster Hurling Championship round-robin ahead of this weekend’s Munster Final clash with Cork, with several key players returning to the starting lineup.
The team, much-changed from the Clare game, features a highly experienced squad and features just one change in the starting 15, which took on Cork earlier in the campaign, with Ballybrown’s Aidan O’Connor getting his first championship start this season in place of Kilmallock’s Shane O’Brien. O’Connor comes into the team at full-forward, replacing Shane O’Brien, who drops to the bench.
O’Connor will line out alongside Aaron Gillane and David Reidy, backed by half forwards Gearóid Hegarty and Tom Morriesy on the left and right with Kiely hoping captain Cian Lynch will continue orchestrating from the centre half-forward position as he has in previous games.
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The Treaty will be hoping the forwards perform as they did in the opening three games of the championship, and that Aaron Gillane’s showing is a repeat from the previous meeting with Cork where he scored 1-7.
The unchanged midfield of William O’Donoghue and Adam English will hope to keep their strong partnership going as they hope to marshal the middle of the park with a strong halfback line with the return of Kyle Hayes who was man-of-the-match in the previous meeting with Cork, returning alongside Diarmaid Byrnes and Barry Nash.
The full back line sees Sean Finn return to the fold in place of Doon’s Barry Murphy, alongside Dan Morrisey and Mike Casey. Nickie Quaid also returns to the starting 15 in goal following the return of Na Piarsaigh’s Shane Dowling to face Clare.
Depth and experience is available to John Kiely on the bench if needed with the likes of Declan Hannon, Peter Casey, Seamus Flanagan, and Cathal O’Neill all ready and waiting following their starts against Clare.
Limerick will be hopeful for a repeat of the earlier meeting with Cork in the round-robin stage, just three weeks ago but it will be a tough test as Cork come off the back of a commanding win over Waterford which sealed their place in the final. The Limerick team and supporters will be out in force on Saturday with throw-in set for 6pm at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
The Limerick starting 15 are Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey; Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash, William O’Donoghue, Adam English, Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch (C), Tom Morrissey, Aaron Gillane, Aidan O’Connor, David Reidy.
With the subs Shane Dowling, Peter Casey, Colin Coughlan, Seamus Flanagan, Declan Hannon, Barry Murphy, Shane O’Brien, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Darragh O’Donovan, Paddy O’Donovan, Cathal O’Neill.
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