THERE WERE ALL-IRELAND and Munster champions on the field in Thurles on Sunday and seven Allstar winners.
But it was a teenager making his senior championship debut who stole the show.
Cian Lynch streaked across the Munster hurling sky like a comet with a sensational display for Limerick.
He struck 0-3 and issued a forceful statement for a player just out of minor ranks.
“He’s a great lad, he’s very honest and unassuming,” says Limerick defender Gavin O’Mahony.
Every night he comes into training and keeps his head down. To look at him, you’d think he was going to be the next David Beckham.
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“But even when he comes in training, there’s no airs or graces. He comes in and works very hard.
“He was a great outlet for us at times (on Sunday), he won a lot of even 50-50 balls. He won good possession, he was very clever and used the ball very well. Any player that does that, that’s playing for the team is good.”
Cian Lynch signs autographs for Limerick fans after Sunday's game. Fintan O'Toole / The42.ie
Fintan O'Toole / The42.ie / The42.ie
Lynch’s display helped deliver a championship win for Limerick as they atoned for another spring of league disappointment.
Limerick slipped up in their promotion bid this spring and then fell tamely at the hands of Dublin in late March’s quarter-final in Croke Park.
Coupled with his club Kilmallock’s humbling All-Ireland final defeat on St Patrick’s Day, O’Mahony didn’t lack motivation in Sunday’s Munster bout with Clare.
‘Poorly’
“We don’t go out to play poorly in the league or to not get promoted. We’ve been there a couple of years now and it’s a kind of a stigma with us, we just never seem to perform. Even the game against Dublin in Croke Park, there was just no answer to it.
Limerick's Gavin O'Mahony in action against Clare on Sunday. Tommy Greally / INPHO
Tommy Greally / INPHO / INPHO
“That’s something we’re adamant to prove right. I suppose a huge thing that we put emphasis on is consistency. Even going back through the last 30 years with Limerick, we make a spurt for a year or two, you wouldn’t go back to Croke Park again for four or five.
“You can’t expect to be winning All-Ireland’s if you’re not contesting semi-finals and finals every year. If you’re not going to be there every year, you can’t just be a flash in a pan, get lucky and win one.
You have to keep trying to get back there, keep doing the right things and the result will come.
“When you’re playing sport and you’re playing hurling, you’ve a lot more losses than wins, a lot more lows than highs, especially when you’re in Limerick. But any day you can win a game in the Munster championship is positive, it’s a good result.”
'To look at him, you'd think he was going to be the next Beckham. But there's no airs or graces.'
THERE WERE ALL-IRELAND and Munster champions on the field in Thurles on Sunday and seven Allstar winners.
But it was a teenager making his senior championship debut who stole the show.
Cian Lynch streaked across the Munster hurling sky like a comet with a sensational display for Limerick.
He struck 0-3 and issued a forceful statement for a player just out of minor ranks.
“He’s a great lad, he’s very honest and unassuming,” says Limerick defender Gavin O’Mahony.
“But even when he comes in training, there’s no airs or graces. He comes in and works very hard.
“He was a great outlet for us at times (on Sunday), he won a lot of even 50-50 balls. He won good possession, he was very clever and used the ball very well. Any player that does that, that’s playing for the team is good.”
Lynch’s display helped deliver a championship win for Limerick as they atoned for another spring of league disappointment.
Limerick slipped up in their promotion bid this spring and then fell tamely at the hands of Dublin in late March’s quarter-final in Croke Park.
Coupled with his club Kilmallock’s humbling All-Ireland final defeat on St Patrick’s Day, O’Mahony didn’t lack motivation in Sunday’s Munster bout with Clare.
‘Poorly’
“We don’t go out to play poorly in the league or to not get promoted. We’ve been there a couple of years now and it’s a kind of a stigma with us, we just never seem to perform. Even the game against Dublin in Croke Park, there was just no answer to it.
“That’s something we’re adamant to prove right. I suppose a huge thing that we put emphasis on is consistency. Even going back through the last 30 years with Limerick, we make a spurt for a year or two, you wouldn’t go back to Croke Park again for four or five.
“You can’t expect to be winning All-Ireland’s if you’re not contesting semi-finals and finals every year. If you’re not going to be there every year, you can’t just be a flash in a pan, get lucky and win one.
“When you’re playing sport and you’re playing hurling, you’ve a lot more losses than wins, a lot more lows than highs, especially when you’re in Limerick. But any day you can win a game in the Munster championship is positive, it’s a good result.”
– First published 00.05
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cian lynch Munster SHC Gavin O'Mahony Limerick Teenage Star