Limerick primed for All-Ireland hurling semi-final tie with Galway

LIMERICK face into a crucial All-Ireland hurling semi-final this Saturday in Croke Park when they face Henry Shefflin's Galway in the last four clash.

John Kiely's Limerick side have had a four-week lead into the fixture at GAA headquarters, while the Tribesmen saw off Tipperary in their quarter-final at the TUS Gaelic Grounds a week ago.

Limerick are odds-on with the bookies’ to reach a fourth All-Ireland final in a row but they face a Galway outfit that would have taken great confidence from their performance against Tipperary.

The biggest selection headache for Kiely and his management team surrounds the centre back position after Declan Hannon was ruled out due to a knee injury picked up against Clare in the Munster final.

Dan Morrissey and Kyle Hayes were the likely contenders to fill the void left by Hannon and it is Hayes that got the gig with Gearóid Hegarty moving to left wing back. A position he played under Kiely when Limerick won the All-Ireland U21 hurlingtitle in 2015.

Elsewhere, Cian Lynch and Peter Casey return to the starting lineup. Both were subs when Limerick and Galway met in the 2022 semi-final. Lynch will captain Limerick at Croke Park.

Ahead of the game, Kiely said that the four-week lead into Saturday's game was ‘a great opportunity’. “We managed the four weeks last year and we have done it in the past. We know our routine. It's nailed down.

“Everybody knows what to expect in that dressing room before I go in and say it. They knew exactly what's going to happen this week, the week after that and the week after that. We know our routine. We are a team that works according to our routines. It's not an issue for us. Yes, it's an opportunity for us to recharge.

“It's an opportunity for a few guys to get a few little bits and pieces together in terms of their own preparation, individually in terms of fitness levels, injuries and knocks. To just take a break.

“It was a really tough Munster Championship. Every team brought their absolute best performance against us every time we went out.

“I think that we have shown an amazing amount of resilience, hunger and appetite. That was questioned but it is most certainly still there,” said Kiely ahead of Saturday's All-Ireland semi-final.

It is the third meeting of Limerick and Galway at the All-Ireland semi-final stage in recent times. Limerick won on both previous occasions in 2022 and 2020.

Kiely’s men also tasted victory when the sides met in the 2018 All-Ireland final. Galway provided stiff opposition for Limerick in both of those semi-finals. Limerick held a four-point lead at half time in last year’s clash but a Brian Concannon goal early in the second half set up a tense finish to a game that was level 10 times.

The Tribesmen then took the lead in the 44th minute a strong finish, that included three points from substitute David Reidy, saw Limerick to a three-point winning margin.

It was a similar story in 2020 when the Shane O’Neill managed Galway outfit pushed Limerick all the way, however, Kiely’s men turned out another three-point win in a November semi-final. Limerick are aiming to become the first Munster side since Cork in the 1940's to reach four successive All-Ireland finals.