Reflecting on two significant instances, three years apart, at Croke Park leaves Limerick and Cork with different sentiments. Limerick’s journey from ambiguity to certitude was defined in this venue. In contrast, Cork remained stuck in uncertainty.
Cork encountered hardship. The 2018 All-Ireland semi-final saw Limerick triumph over them, snatching victory from their grasp when they were ahead by six points with just over eight minutes to play. And in the 2021 All-Ireland final, Limerick simply outclassed them on their path to potential all-time greatness.
These moments of defeat continue to haunt Cork – painful lessons they cannot and should not forget. These deep wounds became lasting scars. Change was the only possible guard against further defeats, though it was not immediate.
For the past six seasons, all opponents have been forced to confront their reality through the success of Limerick. What impressions did Limerick leave? How did they incite feelings? What thoughts did they provoke? And prompt reconsideration?
Under the stewardship of John Kiely, Cork and Clare are the only ones who have had victories over Limerick both at home and off-the-ground, in the regular season and championships. However, Croke Park was an anomaly: a neutral territory that was swiftly claimed by Limerick as they staked their territory.
The memory of the 2018 game remains potent due to the factors that influenced its conclusion. The inability of Cork to manage the game cost them dearly. Limerick was still learning, but they demonstrated aplomb against Kilkenny in the quarterfinals, and showed unfaltering composure when facing the pressure from Cork. Such experiences are validating and have a lasting impact.
However, the game was Cork’s to lose. And lose it, they did.
Former Cork defender, Colm Spillane, speaks candidly of the loss. “Not being able to maintain control and win remains the biggest regret of my career as I truly believe we could have had the All-Ireland title that year,” he says. “It’s a game that will always be a source of regret for me.”
Limerick fell behind by six points, prompting RTÉ commentator Michael Duignan to suggest they needed a goal. Over the past seven to eight years, the goal-point relationship in hurling had been significantly redefined, largely led by Limerick. They eventually managed to secure seven points unanswered.
Spillane expressed how overwhelming it feels when the opposing team dominates the ball on the vast pitch of Croke Park and is consistently scoring.
However, Cork found themselves unable to counter the powerful tide after Darragh Fitzgibbon’s point in the 62nd minute, failing to score again in the following 27 minutes, including stoppage and extra time.
Bill Cooper found himself on the ground during Limerick’s scoring spree, albeit more out of stress than a physical ailment. His attempts to slow the game’s pace didn’t get much support from the umpire. As he expresses, it’s arduous to shift the momentum once you’re in the heat of the game.
Several attempts such as Patrick Horgan hitting the upright and Tim O’Mahony’s shot from a distance of 80 meters failed to yield any score. The body language was evident of the struggle and Duignan’s comment painted the picture, questioning who had the most desire to win.
The scores were tied in the second minute of stoppage time when Nickie Quaid blocked Séamus Harnedy’s shot. What was scarcely mentioned was Limerick’s scramble defence, with three more Limerick’s defenders behind Quaid and another behind Harnedy attempting to prevent a score. Such defensive maneuvers repeatedly characterize their game strategy in the upcoming years.
The match decision essentially came down to substitutes. Although Limerick’s use of substitutes would later become a common practice, contributions from the bench that day were crucial. They scored 2-6 with 1-4 from play where Cork’s substitutes managed only a point.
The thinness of their squad was an ongoing problem throughout the season, and on that particular day, it reached a critical point. Daniel Kearney and Harnedy, two of Cork’s key players, had to be substituted, only to be brought back onto the field. It was clear that Kearney was suffering from an injury, and he was eventually taken off for a second time during extra-time.
Spillane commented that they never really found their rhythm in extra-time, unsure of the exact reason. Perhaps it was the disheartening loss of the lead. Both Kearney and Harnedy, despite their impressive performances, had to be brought back onto the pitch — a strategy that is not common. What they sorely needed were fresh, uninjured players.
Spillane admitted to having a difficult game, likely his most challenging. He gave Aaron Gillane, whom he knew was a talented player, too much leeway due to fear of what Gillane could do if he found an opening. This mistake confirmed Gillane’s prowess on the field.
The surprising factor: no one had any idea in 2018 just how much of a powerhouse Limerick would turn into. It was a surprise that nobody saw coming. By 2021, Limerick was an entity well-known and respected. They were perceivable, imposing, influential, powerful, and intimidating.
Coming into Croke Park, Cork was brimming with confidence. Cooper recollected their impressive victory against Kilkenny in the semi-final and admitted they were going into the final with optimism. The buzz surrounding Cork was heady. Former player and manager of Cork, Dónal O’Grady, blamed the overwhelming pressure of reaching the All-Ireland final after a gap of eight years.
Cork’s strategy had been heavily reliant on speed, skill, and an aggressive offense which felt both thrilling and single-faceted. Where they fell short was their need for more aggression and power. Despite a few exceptions, they didn’t have enough of these attributes to bring the game in their favor.
Cork was aware of what was at stake. Just a week prior to the All-Ireland final, they engaged in an intra-squad match at Fota Island where only one penalty was granted. The goal was to prepare themselves for the fierce competition ahead, but this type of conditioning seemed out of their league. Physically strenuous play was not their strong suit and they found difficulty imposing this on each other.
Brian Fitzgerald, a member of Cork’s analysis team, offers, “I don’t believe that Cork’s preparatory training for that game was anything like Limerick’s. During the intra-squad match, the players of team B refrained from using aggressive force on team A. Contrary to this, Limerick, in the week leading up to the final, organised a game at the Gaelic Grounds between teams A and B, where team B won by a slender margin, following a severe dispute. When I was involved with Munster [rugby], we would normally have a contentious altercation during the training week ahead of a European game.”
When it came to power conditioning, Cork lagged substantially behind. According to O’Grady, who previously spent some time in Limerick, there were strength and conditioning programmes already in place a decade ago, right from the academy teams upwards. He was well aware that Cork was lacking in this area.
Christy O’Connor, a journalist and coach who was also part of Cork’s support staff that year, recollects, “I was standing near the tunnel at Croke Park when Limerick players came out onto the field. I remember thinking, ‘These guys are colossally huge.’ That realisation hit me then and there.”
A quarter of an hour into the game, it was still wide open. “Cork is clearly unfazed by the enormity of this event,” Duignan commented during the broadcast. “For such a young team to show up and start off so strongly is truly commendable.”
However, in less than 10 minutes, the game was on the brink of collapse. By the interval, it was all but finished.
Fitzgerald explains, “I use a traffic light system on my computer for varying in-game data. Green, amber, red. The colours would change depending on the key performance stats. On that particular day, the entire screen turned crimson during the first half, indicating the team was underperforming. The primary indicator to assess is work rate. Perhaps they were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event.”
“In the locker room at half-time, it’s likely that only a single flaw can be addressed. From the perspective of the management in Cork that day, it seemed impossible to make any beneficial changes,” recalls a member of the Limerick team.
According to internal statistics from Limerick, their players had achieved almost 60 tackles in the opening half, compared to a mere 20 from Cork. Limerick managed to score 2-5 from turnovers alone. In the first half, the team had 10 unique scorers. With a total of 3-18, it was the highest number of scores in the first half in the entire history of All-Ireland finals.
In the words of Donal Óg Cusack on RTÉ, “Cork are trying to set up camp during a storm.”
Twelve minutes into the second half, Alan Cadogan was brought in as a substitute player. He recalls, “It was evident that the match was beyond our reach when I entered the field. The aim then was not to surrender but to salvage some dignity in the scoreline. It’s not easy to process such thoughts as a player from Cork.”
“They outmatched us in every way – physically, tactically. Their prowess was overwhelming. You want to be at your best at an All-Ireland final. We didn’t live up to that expectation,” says Cadogan.
Surviving the aftermath of the match, Cork struggled to find any silver linings. “The first 20 minutes weren’t too bad. We unnecessarily conceded an early goal. We handed them the ball back. In the second quarter, they claimed the game. We lacked the resources to challenge them again,” says O’Grady.
He further adds, “Watching the game unfold reminded me of Bord Na nÓg [juvenile] matches from the past when a well-advanced team would be declared winners before the full time. I’m certain that’s how most viewers felt before the match ended.”
Despite the crushing defeat, Cork needed to regroup and refocus. Limerick continued to set the standard that all other teams were measured against. There was simply no way to bypass them.
What is the current status of Cork? Last year at Gaelic Grounds, Cork surpassed Limerick by half a dozen points in the final 10 minutes yet fell short by a point. This year at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, they beat Limerick by the same margin in the last seven minutes, managing to win by a couple of points. O’Connor notes that this is the first time in half a decade that Cork had taken more shots than Limerick in this match. Cork demonstrated aggression, winning the puck-out contest. They played confidently, with no signs of intimidation or weakness.
Cork’s athletic capability has displayed improvement, with a deeper squad. Their tackling figures have also seen development: not consistently or every time, and not quite matching Limerick yet, but there is clear progression. Facing Limerick, these improvements merely get them to the starting line, however.
Cork has had its fair share of struggles. There were lessons to learn and changes to make, all with humility. This was a lesson presented to them by Limerick.