Limerick are aiming to seal their era of dominance in tomorrow’s All-Ireland hurling final as they look for a third Liam MacCarthy Cup win in a row.
The Cats of Kilkenny are underdogs for once – and hungry too.
At clubs in both provinces, where greatness has been forged and roots run deep, the excitement has turned feverish.
Under a hot July sun, the game is played in challenging, energy-consuming temperatures. Still, fans expect a game that will go down in history.
In one respect there is an unusual state of tranquility – there is no battle for tickets. For once, there seems to be enough to satisfy fans, largely because there won’t be a small game up front.
“We’re all sorted for tickets,” said Damien O’Connell, club historian at O’Loughlin Gaels on the outskirts of Kilkenny city, where members enjoy tea on the clubhouse’s new balcony, built by volunteers during lockdown.
O’Loughlin’s will have three on the team tomorrow: Paddy Deegan, Huw Lawlor and Mikey Butler, along with Conor Heary on the subs bench.
They may be the stars of the club, but they are also “down to earth, hardworking, down to earth”.
“They call them O’Loughlin’s Wall,” Eileen Cleere (89) says proudly of the three Kilkenny defenders. “We expect them to play a big part on the day.”
They’re all part of the rare Kilkenny generation that hasn’t tasted All-Ireland success yet.
Club secretary Joan Galwey says: “This group is really hungry because they don’t have medals at underage. They have some, but not All-Irelands – but this is proof that you don’t have to win medals to get into the senior panel if you work hard enough.”
Mr O’Connell recalled a Polish girl who came to work in town and thought the procession of the Liam MacCarthy Cup parade through town was an annual event.
“But we haven’t won since 2015,” he says.
A stone’s throw away in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny treasurer Barry Hickey says the build-up to the final has been very short when it comes to raising funds.
With the shortage of accommodation in Dublin, they are setting up the team tomorrow night at the River Court Hotel in Kilkenny.
“But the great thing is that we’re bringing the business back to Kilkenny,” he says.
Outside, John Mackey, who had sold jerseys in the supporters’ club, had none.
“I’m sold out,” he says. “Seventeen dozen jerseys and twelve dozen polo shirts – all I have left are a pair of shorts and a few flags, but we expect them to be gone by evening. They destroyed it for everyone who had the final so early this year.”
For singer-songwriter and hurling fan Mick Hanly, the All-Ireland hurling finale is a sporting Catch-22 worthy of a classic ballad.
Born in Limerick and a lifelong hurling fan of Treaty County, he now lives in Kilkenny, is married to a proud Kilkenny wife and faces tomorrow with a mixture of excitement and fear.
The Hanly’s house in Thomastown, as a sign of fairness, will carry both the Kilkenny and Limerick flags.
“It will be a fascinating and intriguing finale,” said Mr. Hanly. “Kilkenny is a sparkling side and Limerick has shown over the last five years what a great team they are. They have indeed set the bar very high.”
In the village of Castleconnell, Co Limerick, there is a statue of the great Mick Mackey, born 110 years ago this week.
His great-granddaughter plays today at his club Ahane, just down the road, where Limerick footballer Peter Nash puts the kids to the test at Cúl Camps.
The atmosphere is electric as the youngsters blow over with the prospect of cheering on their club mates, brothers Dan and Tom Morrissey and Ciaran Barry.
“We’ve picked a great week for the Cúl Camps,” said Sarah Sheahan, Bord na nÓg PRO from the club. “It adds a lot to the atmosphere. All the under-12s are going to the finals by bus, so they’re all looking forward to it. Let’s hope they’re happy when they come home.”
Dan, Tom and Ciaran are great with the kids, she adds.
“They are gods here and extremely talented, but they are very down to earth and have time for everyone.”
Like everyone else in Ahane GAA, they were very involved in looking after the elderly in the community, delivering meals and medicines during the pandemic.
Recently, Ms. Sheahan came across a photo of Dan as a child when he was goalkeeper for the mini sevens soccer team.
“He’s been involved since he was little — they all are,” she says.
While an inter-provincial footballer himself, as a Limerick City Development Hurling Officer, Peter Nash thrives on bringing the youth with him and wouldn’t want to miss tomorrow at Croke Park.
“The buzz is huge — there’s a huge faith in these guys and the faith filters down,” he says.
“You’d miss some games when you’re playing football, but I love it – it’s a great group to watch and they’re really top guys.
“You would meet them at the gym and have a good chat. They are excellent with the kids and giving of their time.”
Back in Castleconnell, George Lee is watering the flowers at his shop, Shannon Stores, which his father opened in 1946.
He was in Croke Park to watch Limerick take on Kilkenny in the 2007 All-Ireland final and remembers the triumphant Cats fans who waved at him as he took the exit on the way home.
“So I won’t be at Croke Park on Sunday because I don’t want to mock them,” he says. “I’ll watch it in there, in that room, and I’ll be the only one in the village. They all say ‘close the gate’ to me.”