Gaelic Games

The Schemozzle: Limerick’s John Kiely man of the moment

All-Ireland champions blaze trail to join elite four-in-a-row club; hats off to victorious Waterford camógs; and disappointment for Kilkenny’s Derek Lyng

John Kiely has delivered for the Treaty faithful. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
John Kiely has delivered for the Treaty faithful. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Mon Jul 24 2023 - 05:00

In July, 2016, John Kiely was asked about the vacant Limerick senior manager’s position and replied that it was “not on my radar”.

Fast forward two months and Kiely was unveiled as replacement for his Garryspillane clubmate TJ Ryan, explaining his about turn thus: “I’ve been involved in seven of the last eight years at some level or other between intermediate, under-21 and senior. As time went by, the possibility of doing this particular role grew in the back of my head.”

On his appointment, Kiely called for patience from supporters. “I’m not blind to the fact that it is a major challenge in our lives,” he said. “All we would ask of the Limerick supporters is to support the team as best they can.”

Even the most optimistic of those Treaty fans couldn’t have hoped for the bounty that followed. Limerick have now played in 13 major finals — three National League deciders, five Munster finals and five All-Irelands — and have won all of them.

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Classy Waterford camógs

Waterford's Shauna Fitzgerald and Keeley Corbett Barry celebrate after the final whistle All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Semi-Final against Tipp. Photograph: Inpho
Waterford's Shauna Fitzgerald and Keeley Corbett Barry celebrate after the final whistle All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Semi-Final against Tipp. Photograph: Inpho

Hats off to the Waterford camógs who ended a 78-year wait for a place in the All-Ireland senior camogie final.

When the Déise last made the decider, it was played on December 17th at Cappoquin, with Antrim winning. Camogie was rife with internal politics; Leinster had disaffiliated entirely that year, meaning Waterford had a bye through the All-Ireland semi-final, after also beating Tipperary.

A front-page story in the Dungarvan Observer paid tribute to the success, while also claiming much of the credit (a letter in the paper had spear-headed a reorganisation).

“Waterford’s rise to such a high position in camogie is surely meteoric when it is considered that in May 1944, there was no camogie board in the county and no camogie team. For this meteoric rise … the Observer takes pardonable pride,” the paper noted.

Lyng misses out

Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng's Cats fall short at the final hurdle against Limerick at Croke Park in the All-Ireland final. Photograph: Inpho
Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng's Cats fall short at the final hurdle against Limerick at Croke Park in the All-Ireland final. Photograph: Inpho

Had Kilkenny managed to get over the line, manager Derek Lyng would have joined quite an exclusive club. Since the 1970s, when most counties gravitated towards a “manager” rather than a trainer or the traditional selection committee, only eight managers have won the Liam MacCarthy Cup in their first season at the helm.

Michael Ryan, who guided Tipperary to glory in 2016, was the most recent; prior to that, it was John Allen with Cork in 2005. Ten years earlier, Ger Lougnane famously led Clare to Munster and All-Ireland success.

The others were Canon Michael O’Brien and Justin McCarthy (joint managers of Cork in 1984), Pat Henderson with Kilkenny two years earlier and on a joint ticket with Eddie Keher in 1979 and Mickey Cregan with Limerick in 1973.

Lovely Limerick

Limerick can do it in any conditions. According to the Met Eireann forecast, yesterday’s final was the wettest All-Ireland hurling final day since Limerick, coincidentally, also beat Kilkenny in the decider in 1973.

Limerick won by 1-21 to 1-14 in that year’s final, played on September 2nd in very rainy conditions.

The wettest All-Ireland hurling final on record is the 1939 Thunder and Lightning affair in which Cork defeated Kilkenny by 3-3 to 2-7.

Word of Mouth

Argument over. Limerick 2018-23, hurling’s greatest force.#GAA — Journo Vincent Hogan on Twitter.

By the Numbers: 3

Limerick are the third team to win four in a row after Cork (1941-44) and Kilkenny (2006-9).