Limerick legend Lucey reflects on epic 2007 trilogy against Tipperary
IT IS now 16 years since the epic Munster Championship semi-final trilogy between Limerick and Tipperary captured the entire nation.
The traditional rivals battled it out in three absorbing contests in the Munster SHC that eventually saw Richie Bennis' Limerick side beat the Premier at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
Stephen Lucey was full back on the Limerick team that eventually reached that's year's All-Ireland final but the three meetings with Tipp is what he remembers most from the year.
"It was a rollercoaster," Lucey told Leader Sport this week. "There was a big rivalry between us and Tipperary back then. They had beaten us for a few years on the trot leading into 2007.
"A lot of us went to college together and were used to playing together, and against each other. We couldn't believe when the draw was made, that it was Tipperary again.
"At the start of the year we went to Breaffy (Mayo) for a training weekend and it proved to be a worthwhile trip.
"Richie and Dave (Moriarty) and Gary (Kirby) brought us into a room and on the walls it was all newspaper cuttings of the previous few years; losing to Tipperary, getting knocked out of championships.
"It really focused the mind for the year ahead. We set our goals that weekend and they were to beat Tipperary in the first round of the league, which we did, beat Tipperary in the first round of the championship, which we eventually did and reach an All-Ireland semi-final. We reached all those goals."
The trilogy began with an enthralling contest at the TUS Gaelic Grounds. Tipperary led by a goal late on but a stunning Pat Tobin finish saw the game end in a 1-19 to 1-19 draw.
The second game at Semple Stadium was just as dramatic. Tipperary were well up, but Limerick, led by the outstanding Ollie Moran, once again pulled things out of the fire to force a second replay. Andrew O'Shaughnessy's extra time '65 seeing the game finish deadlocked at 2-21 to 1-24.
Extra time was needed once more in the second replay, and again, there was a dramatic conclusion to the game with a long range Niall Moran point confirming Limerick's place in the Munster final, eventually, thanks to a 0-22 to 2-13 victory.
"The whole of Limerick went mad," Lucey remembers. “We were so wound up in the those games. The rivalry was massive between us. There were goals going in at both ends of the field.
"In the second game at half time, we were down by 10 points or so. I told the lads that Limerick had been here before, down by 10 points to Tipperary.
"We are going to get back into this by taking our points, putting on pressure and then getting frees and a goal will come. That's exactly how it panned out.” The third game brought on exuberant celebrations all across the county.
"Although the season ended in Munster and All-Ireland final defeats for Limerick, Lucey still holds the year up as his most treasured year of inter-county hurling.
"Everything that happened in 2007 started in Breaffy. The training was tough, but there was a switch of focus after that.
"It was epitomised by Shaughs. If you just looked at him, whether it be during a match or in training, he had this steely look on his face. It was a noticeable shift.
"Momentum was the other big change. We were used to losing in the first round of Munster. It had happened for the previous four or five years.
"By the time 2007 came along, we had enough of losing. I look at 2013 when the lads beat Cork in the Munster Final. There was a huge outpouring of emotion. Years of s**t. I was fully convinced that Limerick would win that day.
"The same in 2018 with the All-Ireland final. I don't think it was fate for us in '07, but I really just feel that we had enough of losing.
"There was just a sheer bloody mindedness that we were not going to be beaten. It took us three matches, but we won in the end. The meeting in Breaffy was where the tone was set."
Lucey believes that the three-week break for Limerick will have done them the world of good ahead of Sunday's crucial Munster SHC clash with Tipperary.
The Limerick team and scorers from the win in in the third game are below.
Scorers - Limerick: Andrew O'Shaughnessy 0-6 (3f, 1 '65'), Niall Moran 0-5, Ollie Moran, B Geary (1f, 1 '65) 0-3 each, Kevin Tobin, Mike Fitzgerald 0-2 each, Donal O'Grady 0-1.
LIMERICK: Brian Murray (Patrickswell); Damien Reale (Hospital-Herbertstown), Stephen Lucey (Croom), Seamus Hickey (Murroe-Boher); Mark O'Riordan (Croom), Brian Geary (Monaleen), Mark Foley (Adare); Mike O'Brien (Glenroe), Donal O'Grady (Granagh-Ballingarry); Niall Moran (Ahane), Ollie Moran (Ahane), Mike Fitzgerald (Doon); Andrew O'Shaughnessy (Kilmallock), Brian Begley (Mungret), Kevin Tobin (Murroe-Boher).
Subs: Peter Lawlor (Croom) for Reale, James O'Brien (Bruree) for Begley, Pat Tobin (Murroe-Boher) for K Tobin), Barry Foley (Patrickswell) for Fitzgerald, Hugh Flavin (Croom) for P Tobin.