Exactly six years ago this month marked the last time Tipperary managed to secure a league victory against Limerick. Managed by John Kiely, who now commands an impressive resume of eight seasons, five All-Ireland titles and three league titles, the team shows no sign of slowing down.
Interestingly, the upcoming match being held in Cork due to renovations taking place at the TUS Gaelic Grounds, will mark Kiely’s fourth encounter with a Tipp manager, this time a familiar face, Liam Cahill. The latter managed the Waterford team for three years, during which they were seen as Limerick’s fiercest hurdle.
A notable moment in Limerick’s journey was in 2018 when they achieved their major goal of reaching Division 1B of the league, eight years after being relegated, and proved to be a formidable opponent for Tipperary in the semi-finals. The year proved historic as they went on to secure their first All-Ireland title in 45 years in August, beating Tipperary for the prestigious title. Since that defining year, their winning spree has continued without interruption.
In the past eleven matches with Tipperary since then, the Tipperary team managed to secure a single win, during the 2019 Munster championship round robin. Yet, Limerick quickly retaliated with a 12-point victory in the provincial final, a shocking upset that Tipperary remarkably recovered from to later seize the 2019 All-Ireland semi-final from Kilkenny and consequently claim the Liam MacCarthy cup.
Even with two draws in their most recent encounters, including a thrilling match in Thurles last May and the start of the 2021 league when the Covid pandemic was still prevalent, Limerick, as reigning All-Ireland champions, continues to mount pressure on their challengers.
Under the leadership of Cahill, Tipperary has made an energetic beginning to the season, ranking second in the league table on full points, with only a narrow point difference separating them from their opponents this weekend. The change in location might provoke some unsettled recollections for the team, as they experienced two significant games against the reigning champions at the Cork venue. Their initial match took place during the winter championship of 2020, where the evening drizzle soaked Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Having already participated in a quarter-final, Limerick dominated the match from the starting minute, beating Tipperary by nine in an otherwise deserted stadium.
Devastatingly, after throwing everything they had at their rivals in the Munster final’s initial half in Cork, watched by the largest permissible crowd of 7,000, they were outperformed dramatically in the next 17 minutes. Despite an exceptional performance resulting in a 10 point lead at halftime, Kyle Hayes’ goal turned the tide dramatically, leading to a startling 15-point swing.
The historic rivalry between Tipperary and Limerick has seen power shift back and forth over the years. Nicky English, a standout player for Tipperary for 15 years, only experienced defeat at the hands of Limerick in the final two championships of his career. This rivalry has seen more back and forth exchanges and extended periods of unbroken success are also apparent. It’s worth noting, the year prior to English’s debut for the county, Limerick ended a seven-match winning streak dating back to 1973.
Tipperary enjoyed a ten-year, nine-match winning streak under English’s management, from June 1997. However, such streaks are not eternal and are destined to end eventually, but until then, it serves as a comforting thought in the background. Listen to our Inside Politics Podcast for further commentary and analysis.
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