Kilmoyley (Kerry) 4-12
Monaleen (Limerick) 0-13
Jackie Cahill at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
HISTORY FOR KILMOYLEY at the Gaelic Grounds this afternoon as the Kerry senior hurling kingpins won a game in the AIB Munster club hurling championship for the very first time.
Kilmoyley, managed by former Clare star Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin’s brother Fergie, saw off Limerick representatives Monaleen by 11 points in the provincial intermediate semi-final.
Kerry senior captain Daniel Collins led the charge as Kilmoyley set up a final clash with Dan and Maurice Shanahan’s Lismore in a fortnight.
And Kilmoyley will now aim to go one step further than Kingdom counterparts Ballyduff, who lost Munster intermediate finals in 2011 and 2012.
Collins was superb in attack, landing 1-7 (including 1-3 from play) while also registering three wides.
There was also a two-goal haul from corner forward Maurice O’Connor – one in each half – as Adrian Royle registered Kilmoyley’s other goal.
Monaleen suffered with the absences of Brian Geary, recently-appointed to the Limerick senior hurling management team, and injured county star Andrew La Touche Cosgrave.
But Kilmoyley were worthy winners nonetheless and after staving off a mini Monaleen fightback in the second half, they pushed on for a comfortable win.
Kilmoyley led by 2-6 to 0-7 at half-time on a bitterly cold afternoon, first half goals from inside forwards Royle and O’Connor boosting their challenge.
Royle struck the opening goal of the game in the fifth minute, pouncing from close range to get the final touch in a goalmouth scramble.
And after Monaleen had enjoyed a profitable spell – with former county senior footballer Ger Collins clipping over a couple of nice points – Kilmoyley had their second goal in the 14th minute, Collins supplying the pass for O’Connor to finish.
Kilmoyley, despite playing against the breeze, were moving well as Monaleen’s cause wasn’t helped by seven first half wides.
Their biggest lead of the half was seven points – 2-5 to 0-4 – before Monaleen cut the interval deficit to five.
The Limerick men were reliant on Mark O’Dwyer’s free-taking to stay in touch, with Collins adding those brace of scores from play.
A run of three points after half-time had Monaleen back in contention but they were rocked back on their heels by a fourth Kilmoyley goal, scored by Collins after a sniping run.
And a fourth goal put the icing on the cake with ten minutes remaining, O’Connor collecting his second to put the seal on a memorable afternoon.
Scorers for Kilmoyley: Daniel Collins 1-7 (0-4f), Maurice O’Connor 2-1, Adrian Royle 1-0, Joseph McGelligott 0-2, Robert Collins & James Godley 0-1 each.
Scorers for Monaleen: Mark O’Dwyer 0-8 (7f), Ger Gollins & Shane Mullane 0-2 each, John Nicholas 0-1.
Kilmoyley
1. Aidan McCabe (c)
2. Seanie Murnane
3. Colman Savage
4. Robert Collins
5. Seán Dowling
6. Tom Murnane
7. Dougie Fitzell
8. Paudie O’Connor
9. James Godley
21. Kieran McCarthy
11. Daniel Collins
12. Sean Maunsell
14. Jordan Brick
15. Adrian Royle
13. Maurice O’Connor
Subs:
19. Joseph McGelligott for Brick (38).
Monaleen
1. Cian O’Dwyer
4. Darragh Madden
3. Damien Cosgrave
2. Jamie Porter
5. Lorcan Lyons
7. Cian O’Brien
20. Darren Golden
8. Michael Doyle
9. Simon Griffin
10. Shane Mullane
11. Edward Doyle
12. John O’Dwyer
13. Peter Russell (c)
14. Ger Collins
24. Mark O’Dwyer
Subs:
17. John Nicholas for Doyle (h.t.)
21. Daniel Power for Porter (52)
19. Conor Sherlock for Mullane (53)
18. Diarmaid Lehane for O’Brien (59)
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
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The really ridiculous thing is the divisional finals. Having won all their divisional games, Limerick then had to go and play 2nd place Dublin. If you’re top of the league, you win. Its not as if its a humongous money spinning game for the GAA.
There should be 8 teams in Division 1. As a Dub i’m delighted with the win on Saturday night but it could have gone either way. Limerick don’t deserve to be playing in 1B. They should be playing in the Top Division with teams of the same calibre as them.
Limerick should be in the top flight no doubts.
Losing one playoff shouldn’t doom a good team to another year playing teams they’re clearly superior to.
Helps nobody
Of course leagues are ‘elitist’ – but that’s why there are leagues in the first place. Allen would be on the other side of the fence if Limerick were made to play a few meaningless games against Longford or Warwickshire in a pre-Championship tournament.
On a broader point, it seems this year like every division below 1A has one or two teams that are evidently on a higher plane than everyone else – Dublin and Limerick in 1B, Laois and Westmeath in 2A, Meath and London in 2B, Fingal in 3A and Longford in 3B (perhaps less so in the 3A and 3B divisions).
It seems like the bands of teams would be much fairer if the league was restructured into five tiers, with eight teams in Division 1 and the rest of the country (36 teams, if you brought Cavan back in) split into four divisions of seven teams each. The likes of Laois and Westmeath – Liam MacCarthy teams, basically – get back with their own kind in Division 2; Meath or London get into the third tier where they’re given a decent challenge to rise up a few notches, and Fingal or Donegal are taken out of a division where they’re consistently beating the likes of Fermanagh and Tyrone.
To be honest it seems like there are only two issues with the idea: firstly, that it would mean a few extra Sundays taken out of the county club championships (which shouldn’t be too much of a problem considering every county previously took part in an eight-county division until fairly recently), and secondly, that you’d have the seven lowest teams given the dubious honour of playing in ‘Division 5′. Realistically this is just a branding thing: I don’t see the difference between putting a team in Division 5 and putting them in Division 3B (why isn’t it called Division 6? it’s not as if Divisions 1, 2 and 3 carry any equality to the four tiers of Championship hurling anyway). A rose by another other name…
The GAA needs a complete overhaul. I know traditionalists wont like the idea, but I would love to get rid of pre league tournaments like the McGrath cup. Run off provincial championships in March&April. Then roll league and championship into one champions league style tournament 16 teams in hurling – 4 groups of 4 and top 2 from each into quarter finals. 32 teams in football (4 groups of 8 teams) top 2 from each into quarters. This would also help create a proper calendar for club fixtures.
It should be an 8 team division one, the current 6 plus Dublin and limerick! you need to have promotion and relegation
I don’t get how an eight team division one solves the problem of an elite six team division 1a. If anything it makes the situation worse. Think about it, Limerick played four of six games against Dublin(twice), Wexford and Offaly. Cork or Clare will replace Dublin next year. It’s a bit much for Limerick to believe they’re too good for that type of opposition.
With an eight team division one, the likes of Wexford will play six of seven games against Carlow, Antrim, Laois, Kerry, Westmeath and Down in division two. Being in a six team division 1b in spring is a reasonable preparation for the championship, and even offers a route to winning the league. Finding yourself in an eight team division two would be a far bigger setback.
Billy, Limerick and Dublin are better teams than wexford and offaly. they are on the same level as cork, clare and waterford and this was clear in lasts years championship. Being denied promotion two years ago was insulting. They top the league yet are still in the same division . The young players coming through need to be playing the stronger sides to develop and to make the championship stronger.
10 team in Div 1 Of hurling league .. Would include current 6 plus Dublin, Limerick, Offaly and Wexford
The format for the championship is no better. There’s more chopping and changing than their is in a match itself.
A league is a league – you win the league – end of story .