Details of successful Saturday for Limerick Hurling Academy U14, U15, U16 sides

FIVE LIMERICK Hurling Academy sides were in action last weekend across three counties as all their hard work in 2023 came to a conclusion.

THE U16 squad were victorious in their competition with wins over Dublin and Cork seeing them to victory in the Eugene Carey Tournament.

Limerick qualified top of their group from their four group games throughout the season, played Dublin in a hard fought semi-final in a fine Kilworth GAA grounds and came away with 0-21 to 1-9 win.

The team played with with the aid of a strong breeze in the 1st half and went in 0-9 to 0-5 points ahead. A very strong Dublin side stayed with Limerick in the first half and closed the gap to just two-points early in the second but Limerick pulled away in the latter part of the half to secure our place in the final against hosts Cork. 

The final started within an hour of the long whistle of the semi final with Limerick electing to play with the breeze in the first half. Some excellent play in possession and a ferocious work rate put a much fancied Cork side back in their own half and held a 0-13 to 0-2 half time advantage.

While Cork got a run on Limerick in the second half, the Treaty youngsters worked hard to turn them over and picked off some vital scores in this period with significant impact off the bench to keep the scoreboard ticking over. 

A late goal signalled the end of the Cork resistance. The game finished 1-19 to 0-12 in Limerick’s favour. 

Limerick U16 Panel: Joe Fitzgerald (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Conor Ryan (Adare), Denis Blackwell (Ahane), Daithi Dennehy (Glenroe), Eoin Brosnan (Na Piarsaigh), Gavin Dorgan (Monagea), Gearoid Enright (Kilmallock), Jack Cosgrove (Ahane), Liam O Connor (Templeglantine), Tommie Cusack (Murroe/Boher), Patrick Cagney (Feohanagh-Castlemahon), Patrick Kearney (Adare), John O Keeffe (Murroe-Boher), Diarmuid Hurley (Hospital-Herbertstown), Eoghan Maher (Monaleen), Mal Keogh (Cappamore), Conor Crowley (Mungret St Pauls), Malachy McKenna (Pallasgreen), John O’Connor (Ahane), Alfie Fitzpatrick (Adare), Jose Azzopardi (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), David Moloney (Knockaderry), Eamon Richardson (Doon), Conor O’Brien (Kilmallock), Adam Fitzsimons (Na Piarsaigh), Eoghan Sheehan (St Kieran’s), James Fleming (Mungret St Pauls), Darragh O Carroll (Croagh-Kilfinny), Cian Barrett (Kilmallock), Jack Fitzgerald (Bruff).

Management: Shane Dowling, Liam Cronin, Andrew Ryan, Darren Moynihan, Hugh Dunne and Barry O'Regan.

LIMERICK'S two U15 squads competed in separate competitions at two different venues in Tipperary on Saturday. 
The A squad played a very strong Tipperary team in the semi-final of the Arrabawn Competition in Dundrum we succumbed on a scoreline of 1-17 to 1-10. 

Tipperary went on to ease to victory in the final, while a superb 5-21 to 2-12 win over Cork gave Limerick a big lift in their final game. 

Limerick U15 A Panel: Cathal Dennehy (Glenroe), Sean Fitzgerald (Murroe-Boher), Rory Hanly (Ballybricken-Bohermore), Jackie Dwane (Kilmallock), Kyle McCarthy (Glenroe), Alex Smith (Ballybrown), Cathal Kiely (Monagea), Rory Gleeson (Mungret St Pauls), Cian McNamara (Hospital-Herbertstown), Killian Begley (Mungret St Pauls), Danny Sheehan (Na Piarsaigh), Michael Hanly (Ballybricken-Bohermore), David O Keeffe (Na Piarsaigh), Paul Murphy (Castletown- Ballyagran), Conor Hough (Monagea), Marcus Murphy (Na Piarsaigh), Evan Ryan (South Liberties), Fintan Sheridan (Murroe-Boher), Conor Birmingham (Na Piarsaigh), Alex Kearns (Na Piarsaigh), Cathal Connery (Kilmallock), Shane Carroll (Kildimo-Pallaskenry).

The Limerick U15A squad that played in the Arrabawn Competition last Saturday.

The Limerick U15B squad had two successful outings in Clonoulty-Rossmore with wins in successive matches against Westmeath on a scoreline of 2-08 to 0-11 and Galway 3-13 to 0-12 to win the John Doyle Shield.

Limerick U15B Panel: Dylan Kiely (Dromin-Athlacca), Oisin Donnelly (Mungret St Pauls), Louis Ferland (Monaleen), Ronan Butler (Ahane), Callum O'Dwyer (Kilmallock), William Fitzgerald (Glenroe), Alan Judge (Murroe-Boher), Gavin Thompson (St Kieran’s), Mark Sheehan (Ballybrown), Peter Scully (Monaleen), Darragh Mullane (St. Kieran’s), Evan Martin (Caherline), Darragh O Donoghue (Granagh-Ballingarry), Sean Lee (Monagea), Sean Flanagan (Blackrock), Ethan Quinn (Glenroe), Jordan O'Donoghue (Adare), John O’Halloran (Monaleen), Conor Bowles (Monaleen), Conor Shanahan (Bruff), Denis Blackmore (Doon), Conor O’Dwyer (Pallasgreen), Robbie McGrath (Doon).

The Limerick U15 management: Dave Clohessy, Alan Browne, Tom Murphy, Jody Hannon, Jason Hayes, Cian Hedderman and James Conheady.

Both Limerick U14 hurling squads qualified for the Tony Forristal Offaly Tournament at the weekend.The competition is now seen as a development tournament and also hosted games in both Waterford and Dublin.

The A squad had a decent win against Clare in their first game but came up short against a more physically mature Dublin side on a scoreline of 0-14 to 0-10 in the semi-final while Limerick’s second squad lost narrowly to Offaly and Dublin in their outings.

However, the competition should be a great starting point for these players going forward.

Limerick U14 Panels: John Murray (Patrickswell), Jack McCarthy (Ballybrown), Eoini Hennessy (Patrickswell), Andrew O’Connor (Ahane), Paul Collins (Tournafulla), John O Riordian (Bruff), Shane Waters (Na Piarsaigh), Fergal O’Duinn (Moanleen), Billy Gavin (Ballybrown), Nathan Rainsford (Murroe-Boher), Cian Lonergan (Glenroe), Eamon O’Sullivan (Adare), Colin Burke (Drom-Broadford), Gavin O’Brien (Kilmallock), Rian Horgan (Murroe-Boher), Darragh Kirwan (Na Piarsaigh), Diarmuid Crowe (Doon), William Ryan (Murroe-Boher), Cian McCarthy (Ahane), Rowan Collins (Adare), Killian O’Neill (Murroe-Boher), Kian O’Keeffe (Newcastle West), David Moran (Ahane), John Ross O’Reilly (Ballybrown), Sam Collins (Crecora-Mainster), Cathal McKenna (Pallasgreen), Ruairi Dwane (Mungret St Pauls), Mikey Power (Kilmallock), Sean O’Brien (Na Piarsaigh), Jack Meade (Glenroe), Conor Ryan (Monaleen), Thomas Hanley (Newcastle West), Colm Cleary (Knockainey), Jack Collins (Monagea), Darragh O Sullivan (Hospital-Herbertstown), Patrick Concannon (Crecora-Mainster), Jack Horgan (Newcastle West), Cian Hickey (Crecora- Mainster), Kion Quigley (Murroe-Boher), Rian Moloney (Knockaderry), Sean O’Dwyer (Caherline), Danny O’Grady (Granagh-Ballingarry), Cormac Ryan (Ahane), Ryan Foley (Patrickswell), Daniel Deely (Croagh-Kilfinny), Sam Mitchell (Knockainey), Dannan Glynn (Ahane), Shane Moloughney (Ahane).

Management: Chris Sexton, Steve Fox, Mike McCormack, Ed Doyle and Pauric Rattigan.

The Limerick U14 B squad that took part in the Tony Forristal competition in Offaly at the weekend.

"Overall there were some very encouraging performances on both squad and individual levels throughout the season," said Limerick GAA Head of Youth Athletic Performance of the weekend action.

"Special thanks must go to the superb volunteers we have from managers, coaches, selectors, kit, liaison, stats, video who give of the both their time and expertise so freely for the betterment of Limerick Hurling.

"In now famous words of one of our political parties we can sum up our academy season with the phrase 'A lot done and a lot more to do'.