Shane Barrett: 'We came up here with one mission: to win. A brilliant day for Cork hurling'
TURNING Limerick over on their home patch 'is as sweet as it gets', Cork vice-captain Shane Barrett says.
Kyle Hayes was man of the match when Limerick sent Cork back down the road tail between legs 20 days previous. Hayes sat on Saturday evening, Barrett marauded and blitzed. 1-3 from play chalked by the 32nd minute. Cerebral hurling, cerebral movement.
'I got it all in the first-half, I didn't do much for the other 50 or so minutes,' he quipped. 'Once we won, I couldn't care less [about my own individual contribution], and thankfully we did win.'
Barrett clipped 1-2 from play when Cork turned Limerick over to keep their 2024 championship alive. Another 0-8 came off him that indelible night at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. In the five-in-a-row-ending All-Ireland semi-final win over the same green opposition two months later, he rose three white flags.
Saturday gone, though, topped the lot. Seven-in-a-row stopped. Cork's first Munster success since 2018. His first Munster success full stop.
'You are coming up into an absolute cauldron. Limerick are going for seven-in-a-row Munster championships. They've made the Munster championship almost look easy the last few years. So this is probably as sweet as it gets, coming up here and turning them over.
'We have had great days over the past 12, 18 months. Hopefully we have a few more. But this is really special. We are really going to enjoy this for the next few days.
'Munster medals are very prestigious. Pat really spoke about the importance of it. People of Cork are reared on Munster championships. It has been seven years since we have been in a final. That is too long for a county like Cork. It is unbelievable for those of us winning our first. Hoggie, Sham, Lehane and Damo have three, and then the '97 crew and a few more have two. At least we can say we are joining that club now, so we are delighted.'
Limerick rolled in an All-Star cast off the bench in an attempt to reach provincial immorality. Shane O'Brien nailed 1-2. Darragh O'Donovan put them in front approaching the end of regulation time. Peter Casey pointed too. Cathal O'Neill hurled an amount of ball in the middle third, albeit guilty of one incredibly poor extra-time wide.
And yet it was the Cork bench that won this particular contest. Three points from Shane Kingston, two from Lehane. The latter nailed arguably the most crucial penalty of the nine struck after Cork found themselves two down early doors in the shootout. And this from a man making just his fourth appearance of 2025. Kingston was next in red to make the lonely walk and return a hero.
Tommy O'Connell brought energy and a one-point contribution. Robbie O'Flynn, in extra-time, was fouled for a Darragh Fitzgibbon converted free and then assisted a Kingston white flag.
'We are not joking when we say the strength of our panel is, we think, the best in Ireland. Today showed that,' Barrett continued.
'Conor Lehane, he hasn't played much in the last 12 months. He came on against Waterford two weeks ago, got a critical point, and today sticks the penalty. He also clipped points and won frees. Absolutely invaluable.
'Shane Kingston too, Robbie O'Flynn, Tommy O'Connell put in a huge shift. Niall O'Leary came on. Brian Roche came on half-forward, had to go back midfield to do a job, it is just what he does. The strength of our panel is unbelievable, today really showed that.
'We were absolutely blown away here three weeks ago. We knuckled down, trained really well over the last three weeks. We knew up three weeks ago wasn't a fair representation of us as a team. We came up this time with one mission: to win. A brilliant day for Cork hurling.'
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Munster mayhem: Cork are champions after dramatic penalty shoot out in Limerick
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