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Irish Times
3 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
Ireland in need of a goal glut against Slovenia to top Nations League group
While they might have travelled to Istanbul last week with the hope of a Nations League victory big enough to eat into group leaders Slovenia's goal-difference advantage, in the end Carla Ward's Republic of Ireland players were just relieved to secure a narrow win . Not for the first time in this group, they had a tough day at the office. Ireland were indebted to a Turkish own goal and Emily Murphy's 89th-minute winner. It kept alive their hopes of topping the group and earning automatic promotion back to League A. But – and it's a huge 'but' – they must beat Slovenia by five goals in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday evening if they are to overtake them on goal difference. Considering they lost 4-0 to the same opposition in February , that's quite the ask. 'That's character for you,' said Ward after her team recovered from conceding an early second-half goal against Turkey. 'That's the Irish mentality, never rolling over.' They'll need more than big hearts against a Slovenia side that is in pinch-me territory. READ MORE 'We have exceeded our goals,' said their goalkeeper, Zala Mersnik, after last Friday's 2-0 victory against Greece made it five wins out of five in the group. 'Initially, all we wanted was to stay in League B, but our appetites have grown in the meantime.' A year ago, they were in the third tier of the competition, mixing it with nations ranked outside the world's top 100. Since winning promotion, they have cruised through their League B campaign, conceding just one goal in their five games. If they can avoid a heavy defeat in Cork, they'll be playing in League A next time around. Manager Sasa Kolman has bigger ambitions than avoiding defeat. 'We are going to Cork to win, we do not know how to think any other way,' he said on Friday. If Ireland are to pull it off, they will, as Katie McCabe put it after the Turkey game, 'have to be miles better' against Slovenia. 'If we want to be pushing for League A, we can't be conceding goals like that,' she said of Kader Hancar's 49th-minute goal. 'We gave them too much space, we need to take more care with the ball.' 'We need a massive improvement if we are going to beat Slovenia. It's a tough ask. They have played brilliantly for the whole Nations League campaign, but I've got belief in us. We can score goals from different phases of play. We can't rush it; we have to be patient. We need to be at our absolute best.' [ Katie McCabe's story: How gifted Dubliner reached top level of European soccer Opens in new window ] The win in Turkey did at least guarantee Ireland, at worst, the runners-up spot in the group, which would put them in to a two-leg promotion playoff in October against a third-placed team in League A. So there's nothing to lose in this final game. They might as well go for it. Ward has some big selection decisions to make if that goal glut is to be achieved. She won't need to be reminded that when she played an attacking 4-4-2 formation in Koper in February, Slovenia were 3-0 up by half-time. Ruesha Littlejohn, Kyra Carusa and Murphy will be among those pushing for a start, while the manager may need to rejig her defence if Aoife Mannion doesn't recover from the knock that saw her go off at half-time in Istanbul.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Kerry come away with the spoils after Cork fail to take their chances
All-Ireland SFC: Cork 0-20 Kerry 1-28 Kerry look set for a return to the All-Ireland quarter-finals and Cork are possibly headed for an early championship exit after the Kingdom saw off their Munster neighbours by 11 points in a feisty encounter at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The winning margin suggests a comfortable walk in the páirc for Kerry, and by the end it was that, but Cork gave them plenty to be concerned about in the first half, after which the home side led by three, 0-13 to 1-7. Cork's problem was they had played with a strong wind and failed to convert three great goal chances. Cork being Cork, they also gifted David Clifford an early goal. Kerry will be just happy to have got out of Cork with a win, but at what cost. Barry Dan O'Sullivan and Paudie Clifford didn't make it to half-time due to injuries, and Paul Geaney didn't come back out for the second half, adding to the concern over Diarmuid O'Connor who didn't make the match day squad. READ MORE And then there were those goal chances given up that Jack O'Connor will know a more ruthless team than Cork will punish. Kerry's Paudie Clifford. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Cork made a hero out of goalkeeper Shane Ryan who saved brilliantly from Mark Cronin and Matty Taylor, while Taylor was through again late in the first half but was thwarted from getting a shot off. Indeed, the game's only goal came from Cork shooting themselves in the foot when David Clifford intercepted Micheál Aodh Martin's kickout to roll the ball past the goalkeeper and put Kerry 1-2 to 0-1 ahead after six minutes. Kerry were 1-4 to 0-2 ahead by the 12th minute and then Cork found some form with Brian Hurley posting two points, Paul Walsh kicking a two-pointer, and those goal chances being created but not converted. Points from Colm O'Callaghan and Chris Óg Jones evened it up, 0-8 to 1-5, and Cork finished the half well, with Hurley's orange flag after the hooter giving the home side a 0-13 to 1-7 lead at the interval. Playing with a strong wind it hardly seemed enough of a lead, and so it proved. Cronin's free stretched Cork's lead, but David Clifford raked over a huge two-pointer from play, Seán O'Shea converted a free from outside the arc after a three-up breach, and Kerry pulled away after that. Kerry's Micheal Burns and Cork's Seán Brady. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Killian Spillane came on and kicked two from play, Clifford nailed a two-pointer and a point before O'Shea converted two two-pointers and a free. That had Kerry 1-21 to 0-16 ahead after 53 minutes, and Cork's woes and inability to be ruthless was summed up with Cronin's penalty miss – or rather another Ryan save. Cork head for a neutral venue to face Roscommon in a must-win game for them, while Kerry are all but headed straight to the All-Ireland quarter-finals again. CORK: MA Martin; S Meehan, D O'Mahony, M Shanley; B O'Driscoll, S Brady, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O'Callaghan (0-0-2); P Walsh (0-1-1), S Walsh, S McDonnell; M Cronin (0-0-6, 5f), B Hurley (0-2-3, 2f, 1tpf), C Óg Jones (0-0-1). Subs: S Powter for Meehan (43 mins), R Deane (0-0-1) for McDonnell (50), C O'Mahony for Hurley (60), L Fahy for M Taylor (65), E McSweeney for Walsh (66). KERRY: S Ryan; D Casey, J Foley, T O'Sullivan (0-1-0); B Ó Beaglaoich, M Breen, G White; J O'Connor, BD O'Sullivan; G O'Sullivan (0-0-1), P Clifford (0-0-1), S O'Shea (0-3-3, 3tpf); D Clifford (1-2-4, 2f, 1tpf), P Geaney (0-0-2), M Burns. Subs: M O'Shea for BD O'Sullivan (inj, 21 mins), D Geaney (0-0-1) for P Clifford (31), K Spillane (0-0-2) for Geaney (ht), T Brosnan (0-1-0) for Burns (59), T Morley for Ó Beaglaoich (66) . Referee: D O'Mahoney (Tipperary).
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Crunch time for Mayo and Galway on bumper weekend of GAA action
Saturday All-Ireland SFC, Round Two Group One Tyrone v Mayo, Healy Park, 7pm (Live on GAA+): In the county's extensive history of difficult weeks, Mayo put down yet another one over the last seven days. The optics of the GAA president and director general both attending a hastily called Mayo County Board meeting on Monday wasn't a particularly resplendent look for all involved. More importantly, news of Kevin McStay's health issues forcing him to step away as manager at this time is a worry that goes beyond football. All of this unspooled just one week after Mayo's surprise loss to Cavan . That loss means they will struggle to emerge from this group now so to at least keep their summer alive a little longer Mayo must not leave Omagh empty-handed. But if Tyrone reproduce their Ballybofey form, that's likely to be Mayo's fate. Verdict: Tyrone Group Two READ MORE Cork v Kerry, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 4.45pm (Live on GAA+): Once bitten ... and all that. Kerry received a hell of a scare from Cork in the Munster semi-final in April so that will be fresh in the minds of the Kingdom's players and management. Cork's lacklustre display against Meath last weekend must be a worry for the Rebels. That was a game John Cleary would have targeted for two points, but Cork played with no spark in Navan. Verdict: Kerry Roscommon v Meath, Dr Hyde Park, 6pm: Roscommon have never beaten Meath in championship football. This is the fifth time the sides will have clashed – with Meath winning the previous four (1952, 1991, 2006, 2009.) Robbie Brennan's Meath also beat Roscommon in the league this year but the Rossies still finished in the promotion places while Meath did not. This is likely to be a close affair between two evenly matched sides and could end in stalemate. Verdict: Draw Group Three Down v Louth, Páirc Esler, 5.30pm: Down delivered one of the most comprehensive displays of the opening round with a 3-27 to 1-16 dismissal of Clare in Ennis. Louth edged Down by a point when the sides met in the league in February so don't be surprised if this one comes down to a winning score at the death. Louth have had some injury issues in recent weeks though and they were denied permission to play their round one 'home' game against Monaghan in Newry as Down didn't want to cede any advantage ahead of this game. Verdict: Down Odhran Murdock of Down goes for a score. Photograph: Natasha Barton/Inpho Tailteann Cup, Round three Group Two Wicklow v Waterford, Wexford Park, 6pm: Wicklow's solid win over Laois last time out leaves them on course for a place in the knockout stages. A draw or a win here will guarantee Oisín McConville's side progression from the group. They face a Waterford side who, whilst competitive, lost to both Laois and Offaly. Verdict: Wicklow Offaly v Laois, St Conleth's Park, 6pm: Laois manager Justin McNulty was critical of his team's performance following their defeat to Wicklow in round two. Offaly, meanwhile, have been the form team in this group and that momentum should see them make it three wins from three. Verdict: Offaly Group Three Westmeath v Limerick, O'Moore Park, 2pm: This is a straight shootout for top spot and a pass directly to the quarter-finals. Dermot McCabe's Westmeath appear to have hit some real form in recent weeks and their high-scoring victories over London (0-26 to 1-10) and Antrim (4-24 to 1-17) suggest they might have superior firepower here on Limerick. Verdict: Westmeath Nickey Rackard Cup final Mayo v Roscommon, Croke Park, 1pm (Live on TG4 YouTube): Mayo had seven points to spare on Roscommon when the sides met in April and while Roscommon have shown to carry a real goalscoring threat this year, their Connacht neighbours look to have a better balance to their team. Mayo lost last year's final to Donegal. Verdict: Mayo Lory Meagher Cup final Cavan v New York, Croke Park, 3pm (Live on TG4 YouTube): New York's participation in the competition has sparked plenty of debate in recent weeks and they enter this final as unbackable favourites. New York were parachuted in at the semi-final stages, where they beat Monaghan 1-29 to 2-13. Verdict: New York Christy Ring Cup final Derry v London, Croke Park, 5pm (Live on TG4 YouTube): Derry overcame London by four points when the sides met in Ruislip during the group stages. Both sides have shown impressive form this season but Derry have been the most consistent side in this year's Christy Ring and are hoping to make it third time lucky after losing the last two finals. Verdict: Derry All-Ireland under-20 hurling final Kilkenny v Tipperary, UPMC Nowlan Park, 3pm (Live on TG4): Kilkenny's path to this final came with wins over Laois and Dublin in Leinster whereas the round-robin format in Munster meant Tipp played all comers in their province – beating Cork, Clare and Limerick. They then beat Clare again in the Munster final and should enter this decider much more battled-hardened than the Cats. Tipperary are also still stewing from last year's All-Ireland final defeat to Offaly. Verdict: Tipperary Sunday All-Ireland SFC, Round Two Group One Cavan v Donegal, Kingspan Breffni, 2pm Interesting to see what sort of reaction Donegal bring here, having thrown away a good position after a very patchy display against Tyrone. Cavan surprised everyone by tearing Mayo to shreds so Jim McGuinness's side will be well-warned. Shaun Patton's importance can rarely have been better advertised than last Saturday night so the sooner Donegal have him back taking kickouts the better. They should probably be too strong for Cavan but then we said that about Mayo too. Verdict: Donegal Group Three Monaghan v Clare, Clones, 4pm Monaghan have been impressive, putting Louth away for more comfortably than the scoreline suggested last weekend. They will surely have plenty in hand against a Clare team that couldn't get out of Division Three and have lost by 11 and 17 in their last two games. Verdict: Monaghan Stephen O'Hanlon of Monaghan. Photograph: Ciaran Culligan/Inpho Group Four Derry v Galway, Celtic Park, 2pm (Live on GAA+) Not exactly a loser-goes-home game but not a million miles off it. Whoever is beaten here will still have a chance to escape deep water in a fortnight but it's a long, long way to the surface. The return of Odhran Lynch and Lachlan Murray give Dery some hope – god knows they need it. They won't find much encouragement from their home record anyway – they haven't won a championship match in Celtic Park since June 7th 2015, a decade ago almost to the day. Not a lot of succour in their history against Galway either – in five championship meetings down the years, they've lost every game. Galway look to have evolved past their dependence on having both Shane Walsh and Damien Comer available at the same time, which can only be a good thing. A team with their pretensions can't afford a defeat here. Verdict: Galway Dublin v Armagh, Croke Park, 4pm (Live on RTE Two) The only game of the weekend between two first-round winners. It's first time that Dublin have faced a proper All-Ireland contender in Croke Park in a group game in either the old Super 8s or the current format, so there should be some electricity. The absence of Con O'Callaghan is a killer for Dublin, who don't have a replacement. That said, they will be heartened to see Lee Gannon back after they feared his season was done. Armagh have a deeper squad and a cleaner bill of health. Should be enough. Verdict: Armagh Tailteann Cup, Round three Group One Kildare v Sligo, Dr Hyde Park, 2pm Sligo are nobody's mugs and drew this fixture in the 2023 Tailteann Cup. Both these teams will progress so it might take a slight edge off. With Daniel Flynn back firing, Kildare could have a class edge. But not by much. Verdict: Kildare Leitrim v Tipperary, Mullingar, 1.30pm Still something to play for here – a Tipperary win will likely earn them a spot in the next round. Leitrim's points difference leaves them with more of an uphill struggle and they haven't won a game since May 2024 so they can be forgiven for just wanting the season over. Verdict: Tipperary Group Three Antrim v London, Newry, 1.45pm This has really turned into a rotten season for Antrim. Relegation from Division Three has been followed by a championship in which they've been conceding cricket scores. Even this fixture is a bit forlorn – both teams have such a lead weight points difference that a win most likely won't buy them passage to the knock-out stage. Might favour London, oddly. Verdict: London Group Four Carlow v Longford, O'Connor Park, 1.45pm Joe Murphy has performed quite the exorcism in Carlow, going unbeaten against Wexford (Division Four champions) and Fermanagh (finished a point off promotion in Division Three). They should have enough to put Longford away and will probably top the group. Nobody saw that coming when Shane Curran walked in late March. Verdict: Carlow Fermanagh v Wexford, Croke Park, 1.45pm - GAA+ Crunch tie of the day in the Tailteann Cup. Fermanagh came so close to beating Down in Ulster that most presumed they'd breeze through the early stages of the Tailteann but Carlow nipped them in a stone-cold classic. Wexford were four up going into injury-time against Carlow the last day but gave up a goal and point at the death. In four meetings between the teams, Fermanagh haven't been beaten. This is no time to be making history. Verdict: Fermanagh
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Wounded Cork must put meltdown behind them or the season is over
A standout moment from last week is Cork 's Mark Coleman crossing the pitch to take a lineball under the Mackey stand in the 54th minute. In the end it goes wide. Nobody has stepped in for Coleman and Nicky Quaid pucks the ball back out to Cathal O'Neill, who was free and open with no one picking him up. It's not as if Quaid had spotted O'Neill there and was racing to get the ball to him. He had time to look up, see him there, fire out the ball and watch as it was flashed over the bar. That's a desperate reflection on a team. Dublin were 15 points down to Kilkenny, on a par with what was happening to Cork, but at least they maintained their shape; they tried. Cork completely disbanded – which is the right word. They became a collection of individuals. READ MORE I had expressed some doubts about Cork and was disappointed when I went to Páirc Uí Chaoimh to see them play Tipperary only for Darragh McCarthy to get his red card. That was the kiss of death for Tipp, who had no chance from that moment, but it also meant that Cork couldn't address the question marks still hanging from their second-half collapse against Clare. Even the league final second half against Tipp raised issues, as Pat Ryan said at the time. Now, I accept last Sunday was a much more important match for Limerick, which was obvious even before they – most unusually – suspended the omerta afterwards for long enough to acknowledge that they had gone after Cork in response to last year's defeats. Maybe Limerick won't play as well again this year, who knows, but they blew Cork asunder. I can't imagine what Monday night recovery or training on Tuesday night must have been like. It can't have been easy. On the face of it, a match with Waterford to decide if you reach the Munster final is a quick chance of redemption, but they have to have big doubts about themselves. They have also picked up injuries. O'Leary and Downey are two of their best defenders and both are out. As a result, their bench this weekend looks quite light, particularly on backs. It's a huge test for Cork. A fighter who has just taken a heavy shot is 100 per cent vulnerable, but the question is, have Waterford the punching power to finish them off? Probably not. They remain very dependent on Stephen Bennett and even with his heroic application, cracks have appeared. Dessie Hutchinson has declined to the point where has hasn't been selected to start. They simply don't score enough. Munster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Round 3, Waterford vs Limerick: Darragh Lyons of Waterford and Mark Fitzgerald with Cian Lynch of Limerick. Photograph: Inpho It's all very well to point out how, at the other end of the pitch, Waterford have conceded just one goal. On the face of it, that sounds great but Tadhg De Búrca has been sitting back to defend the D and in the last two matches, the centre forward for Limerick and Tipperary has been the man of the match. So, Waterford are not conceding goals, but Cian Lynch and Andrew Ormond ran amok in the two matches because of the space that was allowed to them. An improving Limerick put them away and after a bad start, Tipp were still able to beat them convincingly. Cork should win with their greater spread of scorers but if Waterford stay in this until the last 10 minutes, the home contingent in Páirc Uí Chaoimh will be sweating and not just in the crowd. The big match in Leinster is in Parnell Park. Dublin v Galway might even help to spotlight the province after a really low-key campaign, not helped by the preponderance of Saturday matches. Galway have improved, no doubt, after the opening weekend in Kilkenny . Cathal Mannion was their best player that day and he has maintained that form. Conor Whelan can come alive at any stage, so there are two outstanding forwards. They've become more serviceable around the middle of the field. Cianan Fahy, Tom Monaghan and Gavin Lee have all started to play but I still have reservations, having watched them all year from the league through until now. Virtually any time they played what you might call a benchmark team they were well beaten. So far in the championship, Kilkenny are the only side they have played at that level and they were very poor. Dublin right now look closer to that benchmark. They conceded calamitous goals on their visit to Nowlan Park – such as defenders running into each other and a player dropping the ball in front of goal with Adrian Mullen standing by. I would argue that those mishaps are relatively easy to address, like ensuring that the goalkeeper takes control in those situations. Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Round 4, Kilkenny vs Dublin: Chris Crummey of Dublin attempts to block a shot from Luke Hogan of Kilkenny. Photograph: Inpho Hard as it is to make the distinction, they played well apart from that. Their forward play was sharp and precise. Donie Nealon used to emphasise taking the easy score and there's actually a skill in that. They're not spectacular but if you're missing them, you're putting yourself under pressure. For example, an inexperienced Shane O'Brien in last year's semi-final was caught in two minds. Either take a chance for goal or the easy point but thinking about going for the goal meant that he missed the easy point. Dublin have been very good at focusing on the easy score. They're not complicating it as much up front as they have historically. The likes of Cian O'Sullivan, Seán Currie and AJ Murphy, when he came on, just hit routine points. They actually played better in the first half when conceding four goals than they did in the second, when launching their comeback. I think they have a good chance of winning this even though Micheál Donoghue has an improving team and knows this group of Dublin players very well.
Irish Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
How Cork v Limerick became the biggest game in Irish sport
Nobody saw it turning into this. Or if they did, they were impressive in their discretion. In the press conference after the 2021 All-Ireland decider, Cork manager Kieran Kingston was asked for his take on the drubbing his side had just been subjected to. Limerick had rinsed them by 16 points, the biggest ever defeat suffered by a Cork team in an All-Ireland final. Given the context, it was probably little wonder that Kingston felt inclined to turn the klieg lights away from his county and on to the champions. 'I suppose initially, your first reaction is it's all about Limerick, to be fair,' he said. 'You'd want to go on record – it's huge, huge credit to Limerick ... From our perspective, it was like trying to stop the tide with a bucket.' Nothing much changed in 2022, either. Cork won a ho-hum league game in the Gaelic Grounds the following February before being strong-armed again in the championship in May. Páirc Uí Chaoimh had its biggest crowd yet for a hurling match that day but it was still a few thousand short of capacity. The last knockings of Limerick's 11-point victory were played out to emptying stands. READ MORE Nobody left Cork that day thinking they had just seen the next great rivalry. In his Examiner column the next morning, Anthony Daly was withering and precise. 'This bunch of Cork players just can't beat Limerick at the moment ... When Limerick's main men are back to their best, Cork just haven't the physical or mental fortitude to get near them. That's the bottom line.' Aaron Gillane celebrating after Limerick came out emphatically on top in the 2021 All-Ireland Hurling Final against Cork. Photograph: Tom Honan That was just three years ago. In five league and championship games since, Limerick have only won once. Cork have come out on top three times, lost one and drawn the other. There hasn't been a single clash that was decided by more than two points. Nobody leaves before the end of a Cork v Limerick game now. 'When you have that shared border, there's always going to be that extra rivalry,' says TJ Ryan. 'When you look over your shoulder and you see the neighbours are going well, you always want to up your game to put them back in their box. And I think for a while, there was a realisation that Cork weren't good enough. 'But over the last two or three seasons, everyone has seen that's changing. The underage success in Cork, Pat Ryan getting the job – things are improving. Last year they came with a head of steam and that Cork cockiness came back in a big way. 'How do you know a fella is from Cork? He'll tell you! So now that has come back in a major way because there's much more confidence among Cork people that they have a team to back it up.' Insofar as you can measure these things, Cork v Limerick has probably become the biggest game in Irish sport. Attendances at these games since the start of 2023 have gone through the roof and will come close to 250,000 after this weekend. That's in six games, league and championship. For comparison's sake, the last six encounters between Munster and Leinster in rugby have seen just short of 234,000 through the gates. It hasn't only been the big blazing days of summer either. In 2023, 19,516 were in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on the first Saturday night in February for the opening round of the league. That number far outstripped every other game in that year's league, including the final between Limerick and Kilkenny. They were back again on February 1st this year and the crowd swelled to 23,402. The final beat it this time around, as 43,423 turned up to see Cork tear Tipp limb from limb. But it beat the football final between Mayo and Kerry, as well as every other game in the hurling league. The key addition to the Cork v Limerick rivalry has, of course, been Cork. Limerick's part of the deal hasn't changed all that much. Though not quite the threshing machine they were in their imperial phase, they're still the sport's biggest beast with a huge support behind them. All that has happened really is that Cork have come up to their level, on and off the pitch. 'The 2021 final was such a disappointment,' says Seánie McGrath. 'Cork had been quietly building at underage and the two under-20 titles in the space of a few weeks got us all really excited. And then Limerick hammered us that day. 'But that team kind of came out of nowhere that year. This feels different. Cork have had good teams over the past 20 years since the last All-Ireland but there's just something different about this one. People are very excited about the pace of them, the height, the strength. You can see that the S&C stuff has been done properly with them and they're able to compete with Limerick physically now. 'All that has led to a situation where you get the sense around Cork that there's a newfound support. There's a new demographic there. The amount of young people that are going to matches now is unprecedented. Cork hurling is very fashionable at this moment down here. Munster and Cork City get a good support as well but it just seems to be the cool thing to do – go support the team, get your terrace ticket, put the colours on and go in and have a carnival.' That injection of pure uncut Cork has been like human growth hormone for the whole scene. In this year's league, Cork matches were responsible for five of the six biggest crowds. Last year's second epic against Limerick is the only time in history that Croke Park has sold out for an All-Ireland hurling semi-final. For the first time since 2018, more people watched the hurling final on TV than the football final. There has been an injection of pure uncut Cork. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho 'This Cork team have changed the narrative,' says Ryan. 'For a long time there, it would have been like the old Alex Ferguson thing – Limerick would have looked at them and a bit of them would have been thinking, 'It's Spurs, lads.' But that's gone now. Cork feel they are in the equation and rightly so. 'The two wins last year were such epics and Cork came out on top both times. I think both teams picked their battle to some extent in the league game this year because they're basically eyeballing each other now. I think there's a good chance that this game will be the first of a trilogy.' When you're there, when you're down by the Lee or on the Ennis Road or up in Croke Park, the unspooling drama can feel inevitable. But it has been nothing of the sort. Of all the teams that were going to come and challenge Limerick, it always felt like there was something lacking in Cork. Too wristy, too knacky, too pure somehow. You are who you are until you change who you are. The game that transformed everything came a year ago last weekend. Limerick came down to the Páirc and Cork met them with extreme prejudice. They took them on in the air, sourcing 2-5 from Patrick Collins's puck-outs. On a balmy night down by the marina, they outscored the champions by 1-4 to 0-1 in the closing four minutes. Bedlam. Cork fans celebrate victory over Limerick in last year's Munster Championship. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho 'Cork have been the catalyst for Limerick to make changes,' Ryan says. 'Going back to three up top, their use of the long ball, Brian Hayes knocking the ball down to runners, playing with goal on their mind a bit more than other teams. Limerick forced Cork to do that and now that they've done it, it has forced Limerick to change things up as well. 'But none of that would have mattered if Cork hadn't the players. It's all very well to say that, 'Oh, you need to do a, b and c to challenge Limerick. You have to have the players to do it. We often overlook that. 'Once they had the players to do it, you could see the Cork public really getting behind them. It was as if they were going, 'This is us.' And then that game in the Páirc last year when their backs were against the wall and they won it on a lovely summer's night and the crowd came on the pitch afterwards – that was credit in the bank. That sent the whole thing to another level.' A couple of weeks back, McGrath's seat at the Tipp game gave him a head-on view of the Cork full-forward line in action. Darragh McCarthy's early red card obviously dilutes most analysis of the game as a whole but even allowing for it, Tipp had to be buried. McGrath saw the process up close. 'I think in general, hurling has undergone a huge tactical change over the past few years anyway and every team is so tactically astute. But Cork have made that change to really using their aerial ability in a way they haven't had it in a long, long time. The whole Connolly-Hayes dynamic is really different to what went before. [ Ciarán Murphy: A high-performing Cork hurling team is a boost to the GAA Opens in new window ] 'They've got great pace and they still play Cork hurling, if that makes sense. Brilliant wristy ability, great ability to eke out goals. Cork got criticised – actually, that's a strong word for it. We had excellent players for a long time but maybe they were all of the same type, a lot of them. Similar styles, low to the ground. That full-forward line now gives you huge variety. 'I had a great vantage point at the Tipp game and what really struck me was that there was ferocious communication going on between them. I think more of a team ethic has been built into the team over the last couple of years since Pat came in. They're very unselfish. 'Against Limerick last year, Decky Dalton basically sacrificed his game so as to bring Kyle Hayes around the place and make space in the centre. But then he was still able to come back into his half-back line and score a point from nearly 100 yards. Cork have those options now and Limerick have to combat them.' Kingston was probably right in 2021. It was all about Limerick. It's not any more.
