‘Sunday is going to be fierce battle’ says former Limerick goalie Brian Murray

“SUNDAY is going to be another fierce battle between two fantastic hurling counties, there is always a great build-up when it's Limerick against Cork,” was former Limerick goalkeeper Brian Murray's response as he looked ahead to the big All-Ireland semi-final clash.

The Patrickswell man reflected on how tough the battles with Cork were during his time on the Limerick hurling team. Not much has changed in terms of the intensity of the rivalry since.

Since his departure from inter-county hurling, Murray has worked closely with the club in Patrickswell and said he was honoured to share the pitch with the club's three Hurlers of the Year in Cian Lynch, Aaron Gillane and Diarmaid Byrnes.

Murray said he always knew that the three players were destined for great things from an early age. He said: “Cian was always top class, you knew that he was going to be a superstar, much like Diarmaid and Aaron.

“The three of them had to work very hard to get to the top, it's a totally different level now than it was in my time.

“I saw all the work they put in from schools, underage, colleges and then on to inter-county. They are a credit to themselves for getting to the level they are at today.

“I feel honoured to have shared the pitch with now three Hurlers of the Year during my time playing for Patrickswell and they give so much back to the club as well.”

Hurling has never been too far away for Murray, being so heavily involved in the ‘Well, but the game has changed since his inter-county stint with this Limerick side relying heavily on processes, the former goalkeeper pointed out.

“Obviously a lot has changed since my time with the game being very tactical and process driven. Before there would have been tactics of course but not as much as there is now.

“The commitment is also a hell of a lot more now for players, it's almost a full-time job now. They give everything, it's nearly five or six times a week. In our time the commitment was there but the level it has gotten to now is just unbelievable.”

Looking ahead to this Sunday's clash with ‘the Rebels’, Murray, like the rest of the Limerick fans, is hopeful John Kiely's men can get over the line and move on to their fifth All-Ireland final in-a-row. Limerick's approach throughout the Allianz League and the Munster championship have always been to take it one game at time and that process seems to be working for the current All-Ireland champions.

The former Limerick goalie touched on this thinking process saying: “From the outside looking in it seems to be one game at a time and even though Limerick are only two games away from a potential fifth All-Ireland title in-a-row they won't even be thinking about that, it'll be all eyes on Cork now this Sunday.

“This semi-final will be the main one now and they never seem to get ahead of themselves so why change it now.”

Murray, like the thousands of other Limerick fans, has enjoyed unprecedented times with this Limerick hurling side with another big display expected at GAA headquarters this Sunday afternoon. “It's great to go to games now and you know you are in with a right chance every time. This team seem to have a never-say-die attitude whether they go well down or not, but looking to Sunday I think Limerick will have to start well.

“I feel they will win it out by five or six points, but one point will get the lads over the line and as supporters that's all we can ask for.”