Since the ‘back door’ element was introduced to the All-Ireland SHC in 1997, only four times have the Munster champions gone on to win the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
And with Clare’s double success 22 years ago followed by Cork in 1999 and 2005, it means that it has been achieved just once in the last 14 years, by Tipperary in 2016.
From 2005-07, the Munster and Leinster champions only received a passage to the All-Ireland quarter-finals but since a semi-final spot was reserved for the provincial winners from 2008, the Munster kingpins have lost eight out 11 times at the penultimate stage of the Championship.
Limerick were among the victims themselves in 2013 after a first Munster title in 17 years, losing to eventual champions Clare in the semi-final.
“I’m sure every manager of all those teams have their own theories but I think most of them will tell you that it’s just they weren’t good enough in the semi-final,” says Limerick boss John Kiely, as he bids to steer the county to successive final appearances for the first time since 1974.
2008: TIPPERARY beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Waterford.
2009: TIPPERARY beat Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final, beaten in the final by Kilkenny.
2010: WATERFORD beaten in All-Ireland semi-final by Tipperary.
2011: TIPPERARY beat Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final, beaten in the final by Kilkenny.
2012: TIPPERARY beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Kilkenny.
2013: LIMERICK beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Clare.
2014: CORK beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Tipperary.
2015: TIPPERARY beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Galway.
2016: TIPPERARY beat Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final and Kilkenny in the final.
2017: CORK beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Waterford.
2018: CORK beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Limerick.
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