Joy of six: Limerick’s Na Piarsaigh stars’ unique double

THE six Na Piarsaigh players on Limerick’s panel have now joined a very unique band of players to have won All-Ireland honours at both club and county level.

Brothers Peter and Michael Casey joined William O’Donoghue, Shane Dowling, Kevin Downes and David Dempsey on the panel, giving the Caherdavin club the highest representation among the class of 2018.

Mike Casey started and Shane Dowling scored a goal after being brought off the bench in the second half, while William O’Donoghue and Peter Casey were also called into action at Croke Park.

And while generations of star hurlers and footballers have failed to land club hurling’s top prize, Na Piarsaigh’s six panelists can now lay claim to the double, following their win over Cushendall in 2016.

“Six All-Ireland medals in one club is phenomenal really,” said Helen Casey, the mother of Peter and Michael. “And there’s more in them yet. They are young, and I don’t think they’d rest on their laurels.”

Helen said it will hit Na Piarsaigh’s star six even more when they return to Elm Drive this week.

“Everyone here is just so proud of them,” she told the Limerick Leader.

She said her two sons will have no issues remaining grounded.

“Michael starts work at the new Educate Together school in Castletroy next week. He’s just out of college, so he’s there from next week. He’ll have a lot on his plate trying to organise things. Peter is going back to college too, so there will be a lot of new challenges for him,” Helen added.

She also said the pair’s sister Emma, the lady captain at Shannon Rugby Club, does a good job keeping their feet on the floor!

As Limerick embarked on a tense nine minutes of injury time at GAA headquarters, Helen admitted her mind started to think back to Na Piarsaigh’s All-Ireland replay defeat to Cuala in Portlaoise earlier this year – especially after Galway hit two goals in close succession.

“All I could think of was that game when the two goals went in the second half and we lost. But every match this year, they have given us a good surprise, and I knew they would finish it out. I really did. The only game I was really nervous about was the Kilkenny match,” she admitted.