Hello and welcome to our All-Ireland hurling final live blog. Limerick are seeking to become the first team to do four-in-a row since Kilkenny in 2006-09. The Cats are chasing a 37th title, and a first since 2015. 

Team news on the way shortly. 

Throw-in is at 3.30pm. 

Kilkenny 

Wing-back David Blanchfield is out of 26 with injury. Experienced forward Walter Walsh starts. Gearóid Dunne joins the replacements, wearing No 5. Walsh won’t play in the half-back line, we’ll see how they line out.  

1. Eoin Murphy (Glenmore)

2. Mikey Butler (O’Loughlin Gaels), 3. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels), 4. Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan)

24. Walter Walsh, 6. Richie Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks), 7. Paddy Deegan (O’Loughlin Gaels)

8. Conor Fogarty (Erin’s Own), 9. Adrian Mullen (Ballyhale Shamrocks)

10. Tom Phelan (Conahy Shamrocks), 11. Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan), 12. John Donnelly (Thomastown)

13. Billy Ryan (Graigue-Ballycallan), 14. TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks), 15. Eoin Cody (Ballyhale Shamrocks)

TEAM NEWS: 

Limerick

1. Nickie Quaid (Effin)

2. Mike Casey (Na Piarsigh), 3. Dan Morrissey (Ahane), 4. Barry Nash (South Liberties)

5. Diarmuid Byrnes (Patrickswell), 6. William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh) 7. Kyle Hayes (Kildimo Pallaskenry)

8. Darragh O’Donovan (Doon), 9. Cian Lynch (Patrickswell)

10. Gearóid Hegarty (St Patricks) 11. David Reidy (Dromin Athlacca), 12. Tom Morrissey (Ahane)

13. Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell), 14. Seamus Flanagan (Feohanagh Castlemahon), 15. Peter Casey (Na Piarsaigh) 

The players parade before Hill 16 to a tremendous din. Throw-in five less than five minutes away. 

The anthem is done, the roar goes up and ball is in. 

1 min: Limerick 0-0 Kilkenny 0-1 Paddy Deegan from range. 

4 min – Limerick 0-1 Kilkenny 0-1: Cian Lynch opens the scoring for Limerick after and opening few minutes where Kilkenny have looked sharp and industrious with their blocking. 

7 min – Limerick 0-2 Kilkenny 0-1 Diarmuid Byrnes from a dead ball. Limerick go ahead.

GOAL FOR KILKENNY! 
Eoin Cody buries an effort off his left side. Tom Phelan tags on a point. Kilkenny lead 1-2 to 0-2.  

11 mins — Kilkenny 1-2 Limerick 0-3: Aaron Gillane knocks over a free. 

12 min – Kilkenny 1-3 Limerick 0-3 : Tom Phelan doubles his personal tally. 

Mikey Butler gets attention following a heavy hit by Diarmuid Byrnes. Yellow for Byrnes, William O’Donoghue is also on a yellow. 

16 min – Kilkenny 1-4 Limerick 0-3: Keeper Eoin Murphy converts the free from distance.  

18 min – Kilkenny 1-4 Limerick 0-4: Free from Byrnes after Cian Lynch is fouled. 

19 min – Kilkenny 1-4 Limerick 0-5: Sweet point by Aaron Gillane on the turn after a deft pass from Kyle Hayes, who made progress down the left. 

Gillane pulls from close range following an angled ball in from Barry Nash but it rolls wide

23 min – Kilkenny 1-5 Limerick 0-5: TJ Reid knocks over a close-in free. 

26 min – Kilkenny 1-6 Limerick 0-5: Reid free after sublime some stickwork and a dummy hand pass by Eoin Cody ends up with him being fouled.  

26 min – Kilkenny 1-7 Limerick 0-5: Richie Reid points from wing-back. 

27 min – Kilkenny 1-8 Limerick 0-5: Six-point gap now after Barry Nash gets pinged for carrying, TJ Reid points the free. 

32 min – Kilkenny 1-8 Limerick 0-7: Aaron Gillane free after Cian Lynch got fouled by Mikey Butler. Butler lucky not to get a yellow for a swipe. Then Lynch tags on another, Gillane with the assist.  

Eoin Cody blazes wide from a narrow angle. 

33 min – Kilkenny 1-8 Limerick 0-8: Back to a goal in it, David Reidy points after being set up by Cian Lynch. 

35 min – Kilkenny 1-9 Limerick 0-8: Rare miss from an easy free by TJ Reid as normal time is up. Two minutes of stoppage time to go. He sends the next one over from out the field.  

36 min – Kilkenny 1-9 Limerick 0-9: Tom Morrissey zips one over the bar to leave a goal in it at half-time. Cian Lynch once again provided the assist.  

The game is finely poised as the sides run down the tunnel. Kilkenny will expect a customary third-quarter surge from Limerick. What can Derek Lyng do to counter this and lead his team to an All-Ireland in his first season in charge? It’s been an absorbing, hard-hitting first half.   

Underway for the second half. Padraig Walsh on for Kilkenny, Conor Fogarty off. 

38 min – Kilkenny 1-9 Limerick 0-10: Diarmuid Byrnes free. Just before we had a poor wide by Seamus Flanagan following yet another impressive piece of play from Cian Lynch to set him up. Lynch is pulling the strings now.  

39 min – Kilkenny 1-9 Limerick 0-11: Byrnes with another free from range – just inside his own half.  

40 min – Kilkenny 1-10 Limerick 0-11: Super response from Tom Phelan, grabs the puckout and slings it over.

41 min – GOAL FOR KILKENNY
Kilkenny 2-10 Limerick 0-11: Extraordinary. Goal from Paddy Deegan. Ball goes through the net.

44 min – Kilkenny 2-10 Limerick 0-14: Peter Casey point for Limerick, followed quickly by a Barry Nash point. Gearoid Hegarty then. Some sequence by Limerick.    

45 min – Kilkenny 2-10 Limerick 0-15: Diarmuid Byrnes points from a free. This has been a superb response from Limerick. 

46 min – Kilkenny 2-10 Limerick 0-16: The equalizer. Arron Gillane points from tight to the sideline following a breathless exchange between the sides.  

48 min – Kilkenny 2-11 Limerick 0-16: TJ Reid steadies the ship with a cool free from the left side. 

49 min – Kilkenny 2-11 Limerick 0-17: Level again, Byrnes free.  

50 min – Kilkenny 2-11 Limerick 0-18: And Limerick lead. Darragh O’Donovan from another Lynch handpass.   

51 min – Limerick 0-19 Kilkenny 2-11: Gillane free takes Limerick two clear.  

53 min - Limerick 0-20 Kilkenny 2-11: Monster point from distance by Byrnes.  

54 min - Limerick 0-21 Kilkenny 2-11: Byrnes knocks over another free. Kilkenny need a response here. Limerick are rampant. 

55 min - Limerick 0-21 Kilkenny 2-12: TJ Reid free take it back to a three-point gap. 

56 min - Limerick 0-21 Kilkenny 2-13: Big roar as John Donnelly points for Kilkenny.  Two-point game. 

59 min - Limerick 0-22 Kilkenny 2-14: Gearoid Hegarty points. Adrian Mullen responds for Kilkenny.  

60 min - Limerick 0-24 Kilkenny 2-14: Peter Casey from under the Hogan Stand. Then Kyle Hayes from the other side of the ground. Limerick stretch their legs again. 

62 min - Limerick 0-25 Kilkenny 2-14: Peter Casey dances then fires over following an angled low pass from Lynch. 

62 min - Limerick 0-26 Kilkenny 2-14: And Casey again. 

63 min - Limerick 0-27 Kilkenny 2-14: Cathal O’Neill scores while off balance on the left wing. 

64 min - Limerick 0-28 Kilkenny 2-14: David Reidy now, this is turning into a procession. 

Richie Hogan is on the field. Four minutes of normal time left and the four-in-a-row is beckoning for Limerick. 

67 min - Limerick 0-28 Kilkenny 2-15: TJ from a 65, brings it back to seven. 

Three minutes of stoppage time to go.  

70 min - Limerick 0-29 Kilkenny 2-15: Peter Casey clips over his fifth point. 

FULL TIME: 73 min - Limerick 0-30 Kilkenny 2-15: Limerick make 30 points. Time is up. Four in a row for John Kiely’s magnificent team. 

A devastating second-half performance by Limerick, where they hit 21 points, many of which were of sublime quality. 

Four-in-a-row and a fifth title in six seasons for Limerick. Given the age profile of this team it’s dizzying to think what they could yet go on to achieve.  

Kilkenny had momentum after Paddy Deegan’s net-bursting effort on 41 minutes. Yet their five-point lead was erased within five minutes, and Limerick didn’t look back in their surge for the line. 

Plenty of analysis, reporting and reaction on the way from Croke Park in the next short while. That’s it for the live blog, thanks for reading.