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The 42 is the home of quality journalism for passionate Irish sports fans, bringing you closer to the stories that matter through insightful analysis and sharp sportswriting.
A STUNNING GAME produced a stunning conclusion.
Limerick’s reign as champions is over, their All-Ireland five-in-a-row dream ended at the semi-final hurdle as Cork produced a fantastic second-half display to claim a two-point win.
A final date with Clare awaits in a fortnight.
Cork got a huge boost as the first quarter concluded, Brian Hayes surging through from the left wing after Shane Barrett popped in a handpass, and the St Finbarr’s brilliantly drilled his shot to the net.
His goal threat was well advertised, two minutes later he found the net again but as the Cork support erupted in joy, the whistle had been blown with Alan Connolly penalised for a thrown pass. Hayes clipped over a point soon after to send Cork five clear, but Limerick then took over to outscore Cork 0-10 to 0-3 for the remainder of the half.
They had taken a firm grip on the game to lead 0-16 to 1-11 at half-time and were in a dominant mood. David Reidy clipped three first-half points, Cathal O’Neill and Diarmaid Byrnes struck two apiece, while Aaron Gillane knocked over five.
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Speaking as a limerick man “The dream has died” but well done to Cork .They deserved to win and their supporters were fantastic and gracious.A few of them just shook my hand on the way out.The game of hurling was the winner again today.
@Willie Marty: Fair play Willie.. and commiserations. Great game.. you’re in a minority though.. never seen such an over confident/arrogant crowd at Croker for a semi in my life.. and I was in the crowd when John Fenton pulled on that ball v Limerick in ’87. Amazing Limerick team..Will be back no doubt.. but their supporters,by and large, with a host of’ new fans’, have been very very arrogant on this amazing run.
@Willie Marty: Still a fantastic team and 5 in a row would have completely been appropriate, but 10 years of training and sacrifice dies take its toll…..
I’m a Cork man and hurling needed a team like Limerick to pop up and show other counties that it’s possible and hopefully the game grows from here.
I still hate the yellow ball and the championship finished in July
@Brian: God, you’re one miserable person. If you’re that soft, perhaps you shouldn’t go to games, the banter before and afterwards is part of the joy……
You actually give Cork people a bad name
@Paul O’Mahoney: well said Paul and best of luck .Im sure there will be a big welcome if Liam McCarthy comes to Leeside.
@Brian: let yourself down there. You’re probably not a cork man.
@Eoghan: No, 100 percent Cork Eoghan, and I’m not the one that has let myself down.. been to more Munster and All-Ireland finals than most Limerick lads had hot dinners. Engaged with all sorts of banter with pedigree hurling county supporters along the way.. Limerick men ocasionally included. Some people who don’t even go to games, and comment, think they know the feel of a crowd or the respect between fans before and after.. I can tell you 1st hand that Limerick fans, in the main, were totally overconfident and arrogant before today’s game. I was in and around the stadium.. that’s my experience of it and them. It was all the sweeter beating them for that .. and I make no bones or apologies for that too..
@Brian: well I’m a Cork man and I’ve been to every game even when we lost the first two in munster and we always had great banter with the Limerick fans and found them to be good humoured at all times. Certainly nothing like your talking about.
@James Leahy: Ahh James, the other lads are always great craic when you’re the loser! What ya mean by ‘every game’? Anyway, I’m talking about pre-match attitude.. never seen a bunch of supporters to think they were home and hosed before the game even started.. and post-match..? if I hear ‘G’wan the banner’ once more tonight from a Limerick supporter… lol.. Anyway, All a deflection from a superb Cork win. Rebels Abu
@James Leahy: Brian isn’t a true Cork man or woman , he lacks so much…..but let’s not allow him and his ignorance be the narrative… great game, great result for true Cork people……
@Paul O’Mahoney: correct’ – being from Charleville myself on the border down here the banter and craic has been mighty all week. Looking forward to meeting my limerick friends at work on Tuesday morning.
@Willie Marty: correction (limerick side of Charleville and looking forward to seeing my cork friends on Tuesday)
@Paul O’Mahoney: the thrown handpass has to sorted out, we had legal passes being blown for and illegal passes being let go, if the handpass isn’t sorted by the powers we’ll have watched hurling being slowly strangled
Justice. Kyle Hayes should never have been available for selection on the Limerick team for this year and probably the next 2 years. Revenge is best served cold comes to mind!
@Ooooooooooo: totally, I agree 100%. Following that Limerick judge’s pompous decision re the Natasha O’Brien’s case, that other thug, Hayes, should never have been allowed to represent Limk.
@Patrice Ahern: Absolutely!!
@Ooooooooooo: He’s a young man who made a mistake. Get off your high horse.
@John Fagan: if that’s the case the same could be said about Crotty. There’s rightfully a national outcry at the leniency shown to him….Hates should be no different.
@Ooooooooooo: You’re some sad person. Well done, cork,fully deserved. This amazing Limerick team brought us 5 all irelands,6 munsters, and 3 leagues,we owe this amazing team so much.
Delighted for Cork, shocking that ” do you know who I am Kyle Hayes” was allowed play. The manager should be ashamed of himself giving him a character reference.
Great game of hurling.
What a match!! Wonderful spectacle, the better team won.
Limerick made it interesting near the end, although certain players on that team shouldn’t have played at all. Karma comes to us all
Congrats to Cork. Should be a cracker of a final.
@Fergus O’Connor: Come on CLARE bring it home to the North of the Shannon to join SAM in Galway. The WEST’S Awake ! This is our year.
A game for the ages! As a neutral that was a thoroughly enjoyable watch. The start to that second half, coupled with some fantastic saves won the game for Cork. It’ll be nice to see a different winner this year!
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of lads
The best game in the world simple as that. What a match. Limerick unusually nervey missing lots of point chances. Cork took full advantage and produced some performance. Cork goalkeeper man of the match for me. Bring on the rebels
@Johnny 5: if you were lucky enough to get a ticket to that match as a tourist to Ireland for a week or two , your mind would be blown !! The skill, the speed , the pace, the intensity, the brutality ,,,,,,? It was an ad for Irish sport and Ireland the country on its own; fans sitting side by side , many families wearing contrasting jerseys ; I’m a Clare man myself living in cork :!the kids are asking when the cork flag is going up ; I’m asserting my dad dominance the BOTH WILL BE UP ! C’Mon the Banner ,,,,,, Up the Rebels ,,,,,, until my son or daughter is in that red jersey playing against Clare I’m going to bleed saffron & blue . After that a blood transfusion will be required
Atleast Kilkenny made the final with the drive for five attempt. Hardly the greatest team ever going down to that cork side in the semis.
@Vincent Wallace: said like a true Kilkenny man
@Vincent Wallace: rubbish, during that era they played 2 ,maybe 3 to win All Ireland. Nowadays it’s a lot harder to win Munster never mind the All Ireland.
@Vincent Wallace: let’s put Kilkenny into Munster and see how the fare.
@CP: couldn’t have said that better.
@Vincent Wallace: that kilkenny would have been better off not making the final because they got destroyed and were embarrassed in the final.
The original “Beautiful Game”
@Sean Sean: quare stupid comment !!
Simple hurling won today and I’ll say this we aren’t better hurlers than Limerick, but our strategy was get ball into scoring places and score , we did that , and I’m as surprised as anyone.
Clare were like that yesterday too, points and momentum.
I’ve said the following for the last 5 years who ever beat Limerick will win the championship….we’ve beat them twice.
Now the real munster final is happening in Dublin
Delighted for both our neighbours which ever wins best of luck in the final
At least There’ll be no court case from this limerick beating
So much for the Limerick-Kilkenny final – well done Cork!
Delighted for Cork, great to see them back in both hurling and football
It was a fantastic game and no insults should be aimed at either team or their supporters. Limerick were fantastic champions but all good things come to an end.
@paulinlavally@gmail.com: And hurling won today too.
Problem is for cork in the final day have to try and do it all over again clare by 3 in the final
@Alan Moloney: Isn’t that that the same for any team that wins a semi-final Alan ? Let us enjoy halting the drive for 5.. Limerick great team no doubt.. but Cork hurling pedigree came to the fore today.. Them Limerick supporters think they invented hurling.. quite boys tonight. Rebels Abu.
@Brian: will never beat the super dubs 6 in a row
@Alan Moloney: Obviously not .. because boreball.. sorry I mean football is not hurling .. A 10 in a row in boreball wouldn’t even equate to even 3 in a row in hurling. Hurling is the game of the Gods..
@Alan Moloney: cut the grass dude ye have nothing left to do.
@Brian: hurling snobbery at its finest !!
@Alan Moloney: don’t be comparing hurling with football. There is no comparison.
@Alan Moloney: you were spouting the same nonsense about Galway after they kicked Dublin out of the football championship. Have you no new material. Is it just copy and paste you do? I swear you must be Ray Ridge back up account
@eamonn farrell: Take that up with the Gods Eamonn… or the paying public.. either or .. you’ll get same answer. Boreball jealousy at its finest.
@Brian: an clár abu
@brian madden: And the very besht of luck to ye lads . We owe ye one form ’13 though !
Well done, Cork. Happy to se the back of the ‘nightclub thug’.
Best game of hurling in years
Cork is the top of a bottle …
@Quinny: lol
@Quinny: And a tree
Delighted. I’ve no time for a person who defends thugs
When will the referees be spared the near impossible task of deciding in real time what is a hand pass and what is a throw. If it was work they’d have gone on strike long ago to demand clarity.
@Gerry Ryan: Maybe they should put a chip in the sliothar similar to the euros to hear when the sliothar is hand passed … :)
Seriously – who give a toss outside of Cork & Limerick. Why is this on national news feed?
@Tómas WD: Nice trolling moron
@Tómas WD: so why are you on here commenting?
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