Limerick 3-32 Cork 1-22
A scintillating first half performance saw Limerick power to another All-Ireland title on an historic afternoon at Croke Park.
The county’s 10th title in all, it’s their first ever two-in-row and with it being their third in four years, it surely cements this team’s legacy as Limerick’s finest.
It’s also just the third time in history that a county outside of the traditional big three has won the All-Ireland hurling title in successive years after Wexford 1955-56 and Galway 1987-88, while Declan Hannon became the first man since Christy Ring in 1954.
While Cork stayed in touch in the first quarter, they lost grip after the first water break with Limerick’s lead stretching from five points to 13 by half-time after a display reminiscent of Kilkenny’s demolition of Waterford in 2008.
Cian Lynch pointed for Limerick within 12 seconds of the throw-in and though he didn’t add another score before half-time, it was no reflection on the profound influence that he had on the game as he assisted a number of scores, including both of Gearoid Hegarty’s goals.
Limerick’s efficiency was off the charts in the first quarter and it wasn’t until a Tom Morrissey effort was blocked down in the 17th minute that a shot at the posts hadn’t resulted in a score for them. Prior to that they had 2-7 on the board from nine shots.
Cork had done reasonably well to keep pace with Shane Kingston replying instantly to Hegarty’s second minute goal and they were just a point adrift at 1-5 to 1-4 before Seamus Flanagan placed Aaron Gillane for Limerick’s second goal in the .
But while the gap was just five points come the water break - 2-8 to 1-6 - Limerick stepped on the gas thereafter, just as they had against Waterford, replying to a Seamus Harnedy point with five of their own.
Peter Casey, who managed to have his red card overturned to allow him to play in the final, was inflicting much of the damage and had 0-5 from play by the 25th minute before what appeared to be a knee injury eventually ended his afternoon prematurely.
But Limerick had built up a sufficient head of steam and continued to pulverise Cork, with Hegarty rampaging through for a third goal in first half injury time as they led 3-18 to 1-11 at the break.
Perhaps inevitably, the intensity of Limerick’s performance dropped in the second half with the outcome a formality but they still set a couple of records coming down the stretch.
As their points total mounted, Limerick’s eventual tally was a new record for an All-Ireland final, surpassing Kilkenny’s tally of 3-30 in 2008 and Cork’s 6-21 in 1970, albeit th latter was achieved in an 80-minute final.
Thirty-two white flags is also a final record, surpassing that of Kilkenny against Waterford 13 years ago and Limerick’s total against the same opposition last December.
LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash (0-1); Diarmaid Byrnes (0-2, 0-1f), Declan Hannon (0-2), Kyle Hayes; William O’Donoghue, Darragh O’Donovan (0-1); Tom Morrissey (0-3), Cian Lynch (0-6), Gearoid Hegarty (2-2); Aaron Gillane (1-6, 0-3f), Seamus Flanagan (0-1), Peter Casey (0-5).
Subs: Graeme Mulcahy (0-1) for Casey (35+1), David Reidy (0-1) for Hegarty (62), Colin Coughlan for Hannon (65), Barry Murphy for Mulcahy (68), Pat Ryan (0-1) for Tom Morrissey (69).
CORK: Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary (0-1), Robert Downey, Sean O’Donoghue; Eoin Cadogan, Mark Coleman (0-1f), Tim O’Mahony; Darragh Fitzgibbon, Luke Meade (0-1); Robbie O’Flynn, Shane Kingston (1-0), Conor Cahalane; Jack O’Connor (0-1), Patrick Horgan (0-12, 0-10f), Seamus Harnedy (0-4).
Subs: Damien Cahalane for Cahalane (HT), Sean O’Leary-Hayes for O’Leary (47), Shane Barrett (0-1) for Fitzgibbon (47), Alan Cadogan (0-1) for O’Connor (47), Niall Cashman for O’Donoghue (52), Declan Dalton for O’Flynn (55).
REFEREE: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).
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