OPINION: Limerick's five-in-a-row is some achievement - Shane Dowling

ON an occasion like last Sunday, it’s actually impossible to even know where to start.

From a supporter's viewpoint, it’s all about the occasion. Well, the result is more important, but before a ball is thrown-in, you have to enjoy the day for what it is.

Being on duty for me meant I had to be in the TUS Gaelic Grounds for 11.45am. I left the house at 11.30am which was still over two hours before throw-in.

Walking up the Ennis Road I thought it would be some bit calm enough - but even at that early stage there was a large crowd around. Some atmosphere!

The weather added to the occasion, the fact that it was a Limerick v Clare Munster final also added to it! I couldn’t believe the crowd that was in the stadium with well over an hour to throw-in. The terraces were packed.

Of course people wanted to get a nice position so as to ensure that people went into listen to Mundy and take up their spot.

Over the last couple of years as a spectator at Limerick games I’ve been able to enjoy them, somewhat! But this was different!

While wanting to win it badly, it was the thoughts of losing to Clare in a Munster final in the Gaelic Grounds that drove the butterflies, that drove the tension!

I actually haven’t spoken to many people about this, but taking away the goals in the game, etc, I found the atmosphere strange! I have been at finals with a much better atmosphere. I think the tension was all around the stadium. Nobody wanted to give an inch.

Trying to find an inch on the pitch was impossible. Hits coming from all angles, the last ten minutes of the game was just scrambling for possession!

I have to say that after every game I always look for just one stat that will tell me which of the teams were better. Shots. Clare 47, Limerick 36. Both teams had one on ones saved.

Although I thought Clare carved through the Limerick defence a bit more they missed frees, had some really bad wides, uncontested ones. Dropped balls short.

They shot themselves in the foot. Then again, Limerick lost to Clare a few weeks earlier, and they had more shots, like they had against Tipperary. They usually come out on top in that stat on most days!

Early and often is a phrase I go to a bit- and that was one I kept repeating to myself on Sunday. Early and often into Aaron Gillane. To produce a performance like that on one of the biggest days is some achievement. To be fair, once his man was on a yellow card and they still kept him on Gillane, I’d say The Patrickswell man could hardly have believed his luck.

From the outset John Kiely made a big decision starting Graeme Mulcahy, and David Reidy.

Graeme is fair tough to be still performing and going as well as he is. And on a personal level I was delighted to see David Reidy get a chance. I hurled with him from under 14’s up. He is on the panel since 2013 with one year away, and put in some shift also. Bringing on Adam English and Colin Coughlan was also great to see and John Kiely's reasoning is because the players deserved to be judging on what they were doing in training.

And I think it’s important to rewards those lads because now you have the whole panel saying I could be playing if I can show form. And that bring a level of intensity to training, and keeps everybody fresh!

It’s some achievement though. Considering how competitive it is in Munster, of course, like everything else in life you need a bit of luck. And the last day in the round robin fell our way but when we are there, we don’t miss!

The scenes after the game were nothing short of phenomenal. The sea of green had the whole pitch covered, literally.
Trying to keep a straight face on TV and not get caught up in the euphoria of what was going on directly underneath us in the RTE Sunday Game studio wasn’t easy. And I did get sucked into it at one stage but that happens. We are from where we are from and we can never hide that! A couple of thousand fans singing Freed from Desire. Memories of a lifetime!

Now who would rule out a trilogy? I think Clare’s greatest challenge will be a likely meeting with Dublin in the quarter-final.

Getting back to those highs in a short turnaround won’t be easy because if they do beat them, they would love a hop off Kilkenny after what happened last year!

Our boys will take a few days off no doubt, maybe even the week. Anyway, they know the routine inside out. Tipperary or Galway look set to be awaiting for us in the All-Ireland semi-final! If I had to call it now I would say Tipperary.

But I’ll be honest. I have gone on record saying getting out of Munster will be our biggest challenge, and it was, but said if we get to Croker, there is nobody will beat us! And I’m not going changing my mind now!