Manager John Kiely insists magnitude of 'drive for five' bid did not hinder Limerick

LIMERICK hurling manager John Kiely has insisted that the prospect of becoming the first team in history to win five All-Ireland senior titles in a row had not hindered the squad during the 2024 championship campaign.

Four-in-a-row All-Ireland champions Limerick exited the 2024 championships when suffering a 1-28 to 0-29 defeat to Cork in a pulsating semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday in front of a sell-out attendance of 82,300.

Afterwards Limerick boss insisted his squad had not been hindered with by the possibility of winning the Liam MacCarthy Cup for a fifth time in a row 

Kiely said it had "no bearing on us at all to be honest with you. We felt light about all that all year, we were very committed to going after the 2024 championship.

"When you’re on the road as long as the lads are, on a winning run like they have been, of course you’re going to come up against opportunities for the opposition to beat you. But we gave ourselves an opportunity to win it too.

"If we were beaten by 10 points, we'd say 'Right, okay, something's wrong here’. We could have won by two or three, but we didn't and, you know, that's just the way it is.

"So no concerns about the weight of that on the group, we had a really enjoyable year together. We were determined to enjoy the season and we did. I don't think the group had any baggage in that regard coming into today or any other day.

"The over-riding thought is, I’m extremely proud of the players and what they’ve done for 2024. They couldn’t have done any more. They worked extremely hard. They left no stone unturned.

"We have no regrets and it’s good to have that, in some respect."

The manager said he had no doubt but the Shannonsiders, who have won the last six Munster senior hurling titles in a row would come back re-energised in 2025.

"I've no doubt, Limerick will regroup and come back in 2025, refreshed and ready to go again. There's no reason why they can't," Kiely said.

"The group of guys that are inside in that dressing room are incredibly dedicated. They shape their world around hurling, where they choose to live, where they choose to work, where they choose to go to college, they have shaped their world around this group, this team.

"Just immensely proud of the boys, immensely proud of all the people in the backroom team for the work they've put in over the last number of years, and in particular this year.

"There's an incredible togetherness and unity within the group and, they're going to hurt now, there's no doubt about that. The hurt is going to be god-awful. I have no doubt, but it is what it is. We haven't tasted defeat very often, but any time we have, it has tasted very sour.

"So we just have to go through that now. The group will reflect obviously, individually, collectively. There will be a lot of time for that. Today is not for that consideration. I think that will take quite a bit of time."