Limerick 3-25 Cork 1-30
Outside noise? Diarmaid Byrnes says that it doesn’t make a blind bit of difference to the Limerick hurlers.
There was as much defiance in that man’s man-of-the-match winning performance as there was in the interview where he accepted his award.
The Patrickswell man was pumped to the gills.
Limerick had just come out with a statement victory, silencing the doubters by beating Cork and booking their place in the Munster senior hurling final. In that one point victory, Byrnes was the hero of the hour.
Already the highest scoring half back in hurling history, the 29-year-old pushed further clear in those ranks with 1-4 this Sunday.
Two of those were bombs from open play, there were two more frees and then there was the penalty – that hot-missile of a penalty that, if you asked him, Patrick Collins would probably tell you that he didn’t even see.
That’s what Diarmaid Byrnes does. It was definitely their best performance of the year – it was like the Limerick of old as, in front of a heaving Gaelic Grounds and under a baking Munster championship sun – the champions got back in the groove.
Gearoid Hegarty epitomised it in many ways as, despite another trying start to the game, he battled and ground his way into it, ending his day with three from play. Aaron Gillane probed and threatened and delivered – he always does – while Seamus Flanagan and Cathal O’Neill played their part.
But Byrnes was the man-for-all-seasons. An emphatic presence at half-back, he was just as emphatic speaking to Damian Lawlor after the game.
“We knew coming into it that it was do-or-die of a situation for ourselves or Cork,” he began.
46 Limerick 3-15 Cork 0-20
Absorbing fare at the Gaelic Grounds
📺 https://t.co/ZfZ9mA9XTY
💻 https://t.co/ThdYW020TW #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/KEfvdrhXWY— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 28, 2023
“It was only a couple of days ago we were dead and buried, after a phenomenal couple of years that we’ve had,” he added, with a little hint of a dig to those who wrote them off.
“But now we march on. So look, we’re happy to come out on top. You see lads are back on form today.
“Hego last week, probably the worst player on the field. Today, absolutely outstanding.
“Outside noise…(tuts and raises eyebrow,) he continued.
“Caroline (Currid) has us well driven.
“So we’re far too experienced for that as a group (to listen to outside noise.)
We don’t let any of it into our own circle. People talk, the media talk, they need their reference points, they need something to talk about – they need their likes and shares on Instagram and Twitter – the pundits have to come up with something to write about and unfortunately it’s us.
“We didn’t play exactly how we wanted to the last couple of weeks – of course not – because the championship is so competitive. There’s no team in the Munster championship (that are poor) Waterford are gone, but they could easily have beaten us.”
"The pundits need something to write about – and unfortunately it's us!" – Diarmaid Byrnes says Limerick have been blocking out the noise and focusing on themselves the last few weeks #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/5CwrAuwvoO
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 28, 2023
But they didn’t. Only Clare did. And coming fast down the tracks in two weeks, Limerick have a chance to gain revenge in the Munster final…
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