DARRAGH FITZGIBBON denied Limerick a winning start to their season by nailing a free for Cork with the last puck of a tetchy NHL Division 1A encounter at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The 2024 Hurler of the Year nominee earned the hosts a share of the spoils with his tenth point of the night in the tenth minute of stoppage time. On a woeful night for hurling when every score was hard-earned, Limerick were in the driving seat with a 1-11 to 0-9 lead early in the second half.
However, their momentum was halted by a brilliant Shane Barrett goal. Pat Ryan’s side then showed their resolve in the closing stages to add another point to the two they collected last weekend in Wexford . This was Limerick’s first outing since their dreams of a historic All-Ireland five in a row were dashed by Cork last summer .
But the greasy conditions and swirling wind ensured that the fare on offer here was never likely to match what was conjured up in the most recent meetings of the Munster rivals. Limerick are in ‘a building process’, manager John Kiely said earlier this week. With one eye on their Championship opener against Tipperary, the first proper opportunity to respond to whispers of their demise is still 11 weeks away.
Nevertheless, there was enough evidence in their season opener to suggest that the foundations are still strong. A crowd of 23,402 braved the weather to witness the latest instalment of a rivalry that produced a few thrilling tussles last year. Cork salvaged their s.
