John Kiely praised for honest interview after Limerick’s All-Ireland exit

'Incredibly proud'

The Rebels stopped the dominant force of Limerick's quest for five All-Ireland hurling titles in a row at semi-final stage.

Brian Hayes was the star of the show as Cork won by 1-28 to 0-29 to cement themselves in hurling history as they now prepare to take on Clare in the final at Croke Park on July 21.

Kiely praises Cork's 'efficiency'

Despite falling to a surprise defeat in-front of a sold-out Croke Park, Kiely was admirable in defeat and praised his opponents for being more efficient than his Limerick team.

Speaking to RTÉ, he said: "Cork pulled away a bit in the middle of that second half.

"At the same time, I thought we finished the game quite strong. I think we definitely created enough scoring opportunities.

"It just boiled down to efficiency at the end of the day, and theirs' was better than ours', and that's top level sport."

Kiely looks back on achievements with pride

Defeat for Limerick may be a positive step for the game of hurling as a whole, but it shouldn't overcloud their incredible achievement.

Defending one title is enough but to defend it four years on the trot is extremely special and Kiely hailed his team's resilience over the years.

"It's not easy to come back time after time after time and show the levels of hunger and desire that our lads have shown for so many years," Kiely said.

"It wasn't that today they didn't have that desire or hunger for it either.

"It came down to such small margins.

"I'm grateful to them, as everyone in Limerick should be for what they have done over the last number of years.

"It's been an incredible achievement. We had hoped that 2024 we could push on and find new levels again and we have in many respects but it just wasn't to be."

Looking ahead to the tournament, Kiely admitted he's looking forward to seeing which side will be taking the Liam McCarthy home this year.

He added: "It's time for us to step aside in this year's championship and wish the best of luck to Clare and Cork in the final."