Why hurling keeps me sane in a world gone mad.. how Limerick have the killer edge again this year and what Rebel weaknesses have been badly exposed
NOW I’m not someone who has spent his time wondering about the chance of heading into space to see the dark side of the moon.I’ve enough on the farm down here in Limerick to be getting on with. But I have to say, I’ve been fascinated by the Artemis mission and how there’s people on this planet who want to get off it — maybe because Donald Trump seems to want to have this world blown to pieces.It’s a good job we have the hurling to keep us grounded. To give us such earthly pleasure. One step ahead: Aaron Gillane of Limerick in action against Seán O'Donoghue of CorkThe National League final last Sunday really and truly was a credit to both Limerick and Cork. As usual, we had a bit of ducking and diving from some other counties, Tipperary being the chief culprit. But we had the two teams who took it most seriously reaching the final.And it was a great game. Limerick put themselves firmly back in the picture for the All-Ireland. After two years of people saying they were gone, they’re finished, they proved the opposite. They are back — and better than ever.Their whole performance deserves to be admired.This performance had everything. Power and strength and aggression and no amount of skill. A packed house too at the Gaelic Grounds, the only disappointment being the Clare or Dublin supporters who didn’t travel in numbers for the Division 1B final that was part of the double-bill and missed out on the game of the league.This was championship intensity in my book.What will Cork learn from it? Plenty. Because Limerick outmuscled them, outworked them, hassled and harried them from the off and streaked ahead, only to gift them an own goal.By the end Cork were short of ideas. They were well beaten. And that’s after turning just three points down and with the breeze backing them.Limerick hit them like a tsunami from the start and they weren’t able to handle it. The intensity of Limerick really struck me. They rattled Cork. The gameplan they had was go early and go hard, give them no room. Cork found themselves six down with nothing on the board. Under pressure: Cork's Tim O'Mahony feels the heat from Barry Nash of LimerickThe goal will live in the memory of Diarmaid Byrnes. It reminds me of one of my bugbears — the ball across the field. It should have been cleared route one down the field. A pass across the goal like that is very hard to judge with a strong wind. It was hilarious. Brian Hayes only had to stand there and let it deflect in.Go back to the Cathal O’Neill goal against Galway which I highlighted at the time – another interception from a team trying to go straight across the field with a sideline pass.Soon enough, they’ll realise it’s better to move it forward.Overall, the level of individual performance from Limerick stood out. Gearóid Hegarty was immense. The half-back line of Byrnes, Will O’Donoghue and Kyle Hayes the same. I have been advocating for O’Donoghue at centre-back and he was the main man in helping stop the supply of ball into Cork’s full-forward line.Having missed out on winning All-Irelands for two years, seeing their five-in-a-row bid go up in smoke and then crash out against Dublin last year, this was a message from Limerick. Full on: A fierce contest for possession during last weekend's National League hurling finalIt’s great to see Darragh O’Donovan coming back into the frame. That is likely to free up Cian Lynch to go to the half-forward line. Cathal O’Neill is after coming of age in recent games.And then there’s Aaron Gillane who has proven himself already as a great player. It helped that he was being supplied with the type of ball that if you wrote to Santa, you wouldn’t get a better present.You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know you need to push up on Limerick. But the likes of Diarmaid Byrnes had time to wind up and deliver those long balls. With that kind of service, Gillane was unstoppable.Will Cork be tempted into using a sweeper when they meet in Munster? If they do that, they’re f***ed, in the language of politics and Trump.Cork ran out of ideas. They have tremendous hurlers but they weren’t let into the game. And they couldn’t match Limerick’s intensity.I have always admired the All Blacks. The intensity, skill and speed of them. A unique team.Limerick, too, will hit you with the kitchen sink. This team could play international rugby, when you look at the physique, the bodies. The skill factor there as well is incredible.Ben O’Connor and Cork know the work they have to do.Overall though, the league produced some very positive scenes for hurling. No matter what else is going on in the world.
