Limerick claim first All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship in 42 years with win over Tipperary

Limerick claim first All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship in 42 years with win over Tipperary.

Limerick have claimed a historic win at TUS Gaelic Grounds, claiming the county’s first Minor All-Ireland Hurling Championship in 42 years with a hard-fought win over Tipperary

Limerick are the 2026 All-Ireland Minor Hurling Champions following a hard-fought win over Munster rivals Tipperary in front of a crowd of more than 12,000 supporters at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

Limerick came out on top with a 2-12 to 1-14 win over The Premier County to earn what is Limerick’s first Minor All-Ireland championship in 42 years, thanks to the comeback win.

Coming into the game as underdogs, Limerick looks destined to miss out on the silverware, with Tipperary taking a three-point lead into the closing stages of the game, an inspired late push from substitute Gavin O’Brien saw the Treaty men draw level, thanks to an incredible goal, before John Ross O’Reilly, who also came on from the subs bench, took the game-winning point just a minute later, giving Limerick the lead for the first time since the opening minutes of the game, enough to bring the Irish Press Cup back to Limerick.

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Although Limerick hadn’t led in the game from minute 3 until the winning score, a strong defensive team performance kept them within touching distance throughout, and a standout attacking show from Shane Waters who was Limerick’s top scorer on the day finishing with 1-6, icnluding a first-half penalty, kept the side in contention, coming in at half time down 1-8 to 1-5.

Limerick goalkeeper Sam Collins stepped up when needed, making crucial saves, and Tipp were left ruing their missed chances, notching up 18 wides, five more than the Limerick side.

Limerick manager Diarmuid Mullins said the win is “brilliant for the lads”, saying he thought Tipp were the better team in the first half, but with half-time changes, it kept the Limerick side in the game, and despite missed chances, the late surge helped seal the win.

Speaking with Balls.ie, following the game, Sam Collins said, “We did fight hard to the very end, fair dues to Tipp,” and speaking about his crucial saves, he said, “I just do what I have to do, I’ve been training for ages. It was a great game, we did our job, and we came out the end of it.”

The win brings the All-Ireland Minor Hurling championship back to Limerick for the first time in 42 years and is a redemption for the team, who narrowly lost out on the Munster Championship to Tipperary.