Limerick claim Munster Hurling League title with win over Waterford

Limerick claim 2026 Munster Hurling League title with win over Waterford. Picture via Munster GAA

Limerick lifted the 2026 Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League title following an 8-point win over Waterford in Mallow on Saturday, January 17

Limerick followed on from a strong win over Cork in the final round of the Munster League phase to take the title over Waterford with a strong second-half performance in Mallow Sports Complex on Saturday, January 17.

The Treaty men continued their strong early-season form with a victory over Waterford as they will now turn their focus to the start of the National League campaign, kicking off on February 1 in Walsh Park, where they will meet Waterford once again.

Following a tight first half, Limerick manager John Kiely was happy to see an impact made from the bench to see the Shannonsiders pull away, coming out as comfortable 0-23 to 0-15 winners.

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Limerick’s Aidan O’Connor shone on the day, finishing with 0-11, leading the front line of the attack, with three of the points coming from play to help see captain William O’Donoghue lift the trophy in front of the crowd of 1,957 supporters.

The team was a mix of youth and experience, thanks to players returning from Fitzgibbon Cup action, with Kiely making six changes from the team which steamrolled an experimental Cork side in the second round of the group phase.

Waterford briefly edged ahead early on, but a strong performance in the middle of the park saw Limerick take control of the game, and improved shooting efficiency will be a positive for the Limerick squad coming into the National League, having not registered a wide until late in the first half.

Leading 0-11 to 0-10 at half-time, Limerick pulled away decisively after the break with a solid effort from players coming off the bench, which helped the Treaty County to a 0-23 to 0-15 win.

Following the win, Limerick manager John Kiely said, “ First and foremost, it was just what we came for was to make sure that we got a good performance. The lads worked really hard. I think we were very efficient in front of goal, which is something that we’ve been really going after the last couple of weeks. So that was great to see, and we’ll keep working on that. We still have work to do on it.”

Looking to the upcoming league opener, the Limerick Manager is expecting a tough test with Waterford’s Ballygunner players returning following their All-Ireland Club Championship win.

He said, “ Tough game today and two weeks now to get ready for a first round below in Walsh Park in Waterford, and you know we know they have got Ballygunner to come back into their squad after tomorrow. So they have a lot coming into their group, and we’re going to have a right battle. It’s going to be a really tough game for us down there. It’s their first home league game. So, we’re really looking forward to that.”