
Was Dublin's shock win over Limerick a bolt from the blue or can lightning strike twice?
staggering success of his team
last Saturday,
Dublin
hurling manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin referred to the importance of backing up the defeat of
Limerick
.
'I totally understand what we have achieved but this will be long forgotten as well if we don't follow through in two weeks' time,' he said.
In fact, the opposite is probably the case. The less his team achieve in the future, the more memorable the shock will become.
For a team like Limerick -
All-Irelands
champions in four of the last five years - to fall to opponents like Dublin would be all the more remarkable if it turned out to be an inexplicable bolt from the blue with no longer-term implications.
READ MORE
There has understandably been speculation about how the result compared to previous shock outcomes in the hurling championship. The question is as intangible as those perennially – it almost seems – pitched after Munster finals: the best ever?
Just as there are few reliable methods of assessing matches that happened decades ago – without context, old footage can be as vibrant as a laboratory specimen – trying to work out what caused the biggest shock can lack useful reference points.
How accurately can you assess a contemporary mood, years later?
One candidate that quickly surfaced was Antrim's defeat of Offaly in the 1989 All-Ireland semi-final. As was pointed out by Paul Fitzpatrick in The Irish Times last Monday, the context of that result was that the Ulster champions had already beaten Offaly twice in that year's league, relegating them after the second meeting.
It had historic significance because Antrim were reaching an All-Ireland final for the first time in 46 years. It stands as their only All-Ireland appearance in the last 82 seasons.
Dublin's Chris Crummey leaves the field after being red carded against Limerick. Photograph: James Crombie
Were Dublin to beat
Cork
and reach their first All-Ireland senior hurling final since 1961, that would have obvious historic resonance. But the bookies, clear-eyed and unsentimental, will pay you 11 to 2 for backing that outcome.
That Limerick were beaten was probably not the biggest turn-up. There had been plenty of queries as to where they stood, having been beaten twice in Munster, admittedly once on penalties. But for Dublin to administer the coup was unforeseen by nearly everyone.
The improbability intensified with captain Chris Crummey's dismissal in the 15th minute. Already, he had been making an impact on the match and had scored a point. But so had his team. They won an early ruck in front of Hill 16 and had tussled their way to a narrow 0-5 to 0-7 deficit by the time of the red card – an uncomplicated decision for referee Liam Gordon after the player had visibly raised his elbow at Gearóid Hegarty.
There has been plenty of academic focus on the psychological aspect of red cards in sport. The Ringelmann effect suggests that individual effort decreases as the size of the group performing a task increases, which can impact on the team with the numerical advantage.
Conversely, teams typically describe how members raise their work rate to compensate for losing a player.
In 1996, Limerick lost a match at Croke Park to 14 men after Wexford's Eamonn Scallan was sent off just before half-time. Manager Liam Griffin explained how they had coped.
'We had planned for it if a man was off. If we had an extra man. If they had an extra man. We wrote it and rewrote it. What we would do if a back was sent off, if a midfielder was sent off, if a forward was sent off. We wrote it down and then wrote it again.'
Such contingency planning, it is argued, has been rendered redundant by the modern game. Last April, Clare overhauled a nine-point deficit after Cork lost Shane Barrett for the last 10 minutes.
Yet, as Ó Ceallacháin said of the response afterwards, having detailed his reorganisation: 'It's not tactical. What it comes down to is the boys inside, how deep they dug ...'
John Hetherton celebrates after scoring Dublin's first goal against Limerick. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Dublin had been such long odds for the match, their prospects so disregarded, that this may have functioned as a liberation. Nobody was expecting them to win and unless they were annihilated, there would likely be little blame in defeat: a free shot. That feeling presumably intensified when they lost a key player.
So, it played out. Broadcast commentary and conversation within Croke Park at half-time made reference to Dublin's brave performance, while accepting that their opponents would in all likelihood run out winners.
According to Christy O'Connor in the Irish Examiner, some bookies were still quoting them as odds-on when two points down with minutes to go.
As Limerick manager
John Kiely
pointed out afterwards, the quarter-final was more about Dublin than his team. Start with the reaction to being two points down. Seán Currie hit a free and one from play within the following four minutes to level the match.
[
Dublin's win over Limerick may be the greatest upset in championship history
Opens in new window
]
Kiely lamented his team's lack of energy and that was apparent. One unusual aspect was how, in the second quarter, when they were coming to terms with their handicap, Dublin still launched fast-paced, running attacks. And even when fouled, they didn't look for the free but persevered on advantage, as with Ronan Hayes's point in the 29th minute when being pulled over by Barry Nash.
Even with a three-point lead at the break, Dublin's eventual eclipse was considered a matter of time.
A crucial tactical switch was the introduction of John Hetherton at half-time. As Dublin naturally began to run out of steam in the second half, the option of hitting long ball into the combative St Vincent's player became an outlet rather than constantly running the ball forward.
His input included scoring a goal and breaking a high ball to assist Cian O'Sullivan for the second within 34 seconds. RTÉ commentator Darragh Maloney exclaimed: 'What is happening here?'
He wasn't the only one saying it.
sean.moran@irishtimes.com

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


RTÉ News
18 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Enda McGinley: Zonal defence will win you 80-90% of games
And so the curtain has come down on a championship season where the new playing rules have certainly enriched the game of Gaelic football. In last year's All-Ireland final, Armagh scored 1-11 as they won a second title. On Sunday, with the opportunity now there to enhance your score via two-pointers, Kerry registered 1-26 in overcoming Donegal, so delivering a 39th Sam Maguire success for the aristocrats of the code. The zonal defence deployed by Jim McGuinness's side did not result in the frustration of a Kerry side who signalled their forward-thinking approach right from the off. By the 20th minute, the Kingdom were nine points to the good. The game was effectively over. The last play of the opening half saw Kerry with possession, while Donegal stuck rigidly to their defensive structure. In a split second. Paudie Clifford played the ball to his brother David, who just as quick had broken free from his marker Brendan McCole. A two-pointer from the latter was the outcome. Kerry tails were up as they headed for the dressing room; Donegal, quite simply, deflated. Speaking on the latest edition of the RTÉ GAA Podcast, Enda McGinley had his say on the approach deployed by Jim McGuinness's men. "The zonal defensive approach certainly had its limitations exposed on a huge stage yesterday," he said. In essence, football's new world is making it harder for defenders, with the Tyrone All-Ireland winner adding: "Equally, the man-to-man defence can be torn apart with these new rules probably even quicker than the zonal defence. "The quality of football that Kerry played in that first 19 minutes would tear apart pretty much whatever defensive strategy you want to do. The only way of trying to defeat that, when a team has that form and that artillery, is to win primary possession in midfield and not give it away. "If you're out there competing in midfield, you're limiting the attacking options of your opponents." "You can't not park the bus and I think we're all the better for it" A case then of best-laid plans getting you so far, with McGinley stating: "Against the vast majority of club teams and county teams for that matter, the zonal defence as Donegal and Armagh have shown is highly effective and will win you 80-90% of games. Does it have its problems? Yes. And so does the man-to-man. There is no easy solution. "Jim McGuinness said in Killarney (for league game against Kerry) at the start of the year 'you can't defend with these new rules'. I think that's the key. There is no full-proof way, you can't park the bus and I think we're all the better for it. We're all now admiring the skills of players and we're all the better for it." The lack of a defined interpretation as to what is a tackle also makes life difficult for defenders, according to Ciarán Whelan, who also contributed to this week's podcast. The former Dublin asked a pertinent question. "Does anybody know what a tackle is?" The lack of a clear answer only adds to the frustration for players, he feels. "It depends on the referee and a lot of players will play the referee depending on how far he's letting the bar go on the tackle. Both teams yesterday probably felt aggrieved on some of the tackles. You see very few one-on-one turnovers because there is a nervousness of committing to the tackle. "You can be heavily punished for an innocuous tackle outside the arc. Defining the tackle is a frustration for supporters and players. How do you apply it? I don't know whether it's something the FRC ever looked at.


Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Kerry chairman optimistic Jack O'Connor will remain in charge for 2026
Kerry chairman Patrick O'Sullivan is optimistic Jack O'Connor will remain on for a fifth season in charge in 2026 despite the All-Ireland winning manager's intimations he will be stepping down. O'Connor has yet to make a decision on his future but has indicated this fourth year of his third term in charge will be his last. Asked about his future on Sunday, he said: 'I was going out the door Thursday evening with the with the bag and my missus [Bridie] took a picture of me going out the gate. And I already know that'll be up on the wall, that was my last, so I'd say no, she'll be framing that one.' However, O'Sullivan believes the five-time All-Ireland SFC manager will stay on next season as Kerry look to win a 40th All-Ireland SFC and there will be conversations had in the coming weeks. 'Jack has given a lifetime's service to the association in Kerry with his club and the county,' said O'Sullivan. 'At the start of the year, Jack was edging that way (stepping down) but winning yesterday and with the backing of the players I think Jack will stay on for another year. 'That's a discussion we will have over the next couple of weeks. What is best for Kerry will happen. Jack is an honorable man, he has been and it's a discussion for us going forward.' Sunday's victory marked a third All-Ireland title won during the chairmanship of O'Sullivan, who was also at the helm in 2014 and '22. He pointed to the pain suffered by players in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to would-be champions Armagh last July. 'I'll be honest, going into the All-Ireland final Jimmy McGuinness spoke about the hurt of 11 years ago. In the 11 years since, we had lost three All-Ireland finals and won one so we had hurt ourselves. Kerry County Board chairman Patrick O'Sullivan brings the Sam Maguire cup out of the dressing-room. Pic: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile. 'We had a direction where we wanted to go and when we were beaten by Armagh last year, it was the toughest pill we had to swallow for a long time. From that game, there were conversations among the people in the leadership group in the team and they drove it on and those fellas who spoke were leaders on the pitch.' The Kerry players, management and board officials left Dublin before lunch-time on Monday to visit sponsors Kerry Group headquarters in Naas. They were then travelling by train from Sallins to Rathmore for the beginning of their homecoming, which will culminate in Tralee this evening.

The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Danny Healy-Rae has slept on it and decided he won't make complaint about 'shove' from garda
KERRY TD DANNY Healy-Rae no longer plans to make a formal complaint about being 'shoved' by a member of the gardaí while he was in Dublin for the All-Ireland football final yesterday. Multiple videos shared widely online show the Independent TD appearing to be pushed by a member of An Garda Síochána ahead of yesterday's final between Donegal and Kerry. Healy-Rae told a number of news publications yesterday that he intended to make a formal complaint to gardaí about the alleged incident, but speaking to The Journal today the TD said he has decided against doing so. In the most widely shared video, Healy-Rae is seen walking between a large crowd of Kerry supporters just off O'Connell Street. As he passes through, he lifts his arms to the crowds, encouraging them to cheer before appearing to be pushed by a passing garda. Healy Rae-then turns back towards the garda and the pair exchange words before Healy-Rae walks off as the garda follows. Boos are heard from the Kerry supporters throughout the exchange. Speaking to The Journal this morning, Healy-Rae said he was 'upset' yesterday evening when it happened. Advertisement 'There was no need for it and all that, it would be nice if he apologised but I'm going no further with it. Let his superiors deal with it. I'm doing no more,' the Independent TD said. 'I don't know what his problem was, what his story is or what excuse he had. I don't know,' Healy-Rae said, adding that he thinks the gardaí in general did an excellent job yesterday. 'I've been shoved and pushed before and I'm alright today. Look, he was wrong, all the rest of the guards are fine and always have been.' The TD said it was a good day for Kerry in the end yesterday. 'We have the best team in the country and have had for a while,' he said. 'They really deserved this… especially the supporters. The support they had there yesterday was magnificent.' When The Journal sought a comment from the gardaí in relation to the incident a spokesperson responded: 'Anyone who wishes to report the conduct of a member of An Garda Síochána is entitled to make a complaint to the independent policing ombudsman, Fiosrú.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal