PICTURES: Supporters cheer on Limerick and Tipperary in McGrath Cup clash in Rathkeale

THE Limerick senior footballers opened their 2026 season with a 0-15 to 0-4 defeat to Tipperary in the McGrath Cup at Rathkeale's Mick Neville Park on Friday evening.

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With a negative score difference of eleven, the result severely dents Limerick's chances of progressing to Munster's secondary competition ahead of their final Group B outing away to Cork on Sunday January 11 at Páirc Uí Rinn, 2pm.

On balance, the final score was a fair reflection of a game in which winners Tipperary were able to move up an extra gear when needed while their opponents struggled to find focus with their attack and then, when they did so, were unable to convert enough openings into scores.

However, this was also a reflection of the difference stages the sides were in their pre-season preparations as Tipp, who already had lost narrowly to Kerry in the Dylan Quirke Foundation fixture just before Christmas, were more intent on finding their starting lineup for their National League opener on January 24 under new manager Niall Fitzgerald.

Limerick manager Lee and his assistants were giving newcomers to their panel a first taste senior inter-county football without naming any of the regulars that won Division Four of the Allianz League and made it to the Tailteann Cup final in 2024.

Early possession was shared between the sides, but Tipp were first to make use of it as John Craddock shot them ahead and, after extended periods of Limerick on the ball faded out into a turnover, Cian Smith finished off a patient attack by putting the visitors two points to the good.

After the same player followed up with another score, Seán O'Connor took the final pass off a quick counter-attack to shoot just over the crossbar.

Four points ahead, Tipp's accuracy then deserted them in a run of wides and Limerick finally got themselves on the scoreboard when Shane Cross jinked in from the left along the goal line to fist over for 0-4 to 0-1.

However, that proved to be the highlight of the home team's half as Tipp pressed home their dominance over the entire second quarter with O'Connor and James Morris extendeing their advantage to five points and Paddy O'Keeffe struck twice for scores, before O'Connor picked off his third point to leave the Premier ahead 0-9 to 0-1 at the end of the 30 minute opening half.

Tipp's dominance continued over the interval although with less intensity as Charlie King struck early for a further point, which was folllowed by O'Keeffe before Limerick found a reply with Cross's pointed free.

A follow-up point from Sam Colgan just after he was introduced as a replacement sparked hopes of Limerick finding a sustained response, but they died on a clutch of substitutions adding a burst of energy into their opponents' line-up.

King, from a raid down the right, and O'Connor, with his last act before he was substituted, restored the margin to 11 points by the three-quarter mark.

Once those scores had been followed by O'Keeffe and King adding to Tipp's tally, the outcome had moved from the realms of probability before the game moved into the closing straight.

After sending three efforts wide and dropping another three short into goalie Shane Gartland's hands, Limerick did manage a solitary reply from Evan Curry which turned out to be last score of the hour as Tipp spoiled what, up to then, had been a flawless record of second half finishing with three wides in the three minutes of added time.