Limerick looking forward to challenge of Galway side 'playing exceptionally well'

AFTER an indifferent 2025 Allianz National League campaign saw Limerick finish in fifth place, this time around John Kiely’s side are just one win away from a place in the final.

Saturday's visit of Galway to the TUS Gaelic Grounds is for all intents and purposes a straight semi-final with Cork expected to get back to winning ways against Offaly to book their place in the decider.

The Treaty come into the game on the back of a four-game winning run, with an eight-point win over ‘the Rebels’ in their most recent outing.

“The mood in the camp is obviously good," said Kiely. “You can see it, by the way, they’re hurling, number one, which is the most important.

“They're enjoying their hurling, and they've worked hard over those couple of months to make sure that they're in a position to do that.”

Kiely's side are still backboned by members of the four-in-a-row All-Ireland winning team but there are more players emerging with both Shane O'Brien and Cathal O'Neill scoring goals in each of their last two games.

“There's a nice mix obviously of experienced players and younger players breaking through, and there's a very competitive element to the way that the group is evolving now at the minute,” Kiely said.

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“And I think once we get everybody back on the training pitch over the coming weeks, which we will, I think it's going to make for a very interesting couple of weeks.”

Galway travel to the Ennis Road venue high on confidence after an 18-point win over Kilkenny in their last game. With both sides in good form, Kiely is looking forward to a big battle on Saturday night.

“I think it's great for both teams that we can look forward to that challenge now, and it'll be a great game” he said. “We look forward to it, it will be a great challenge, and I've been watching them right throughout the league, they've been playing exceptionally well, working extremely hard, a lot of really exciting, good young players coming through there, so we know there's going to be a right challenge ahead of us for two weeks' time, so we look forward to that.

“Listen, it would be nice to get there, but, you know, we've got a big challenge ahead of us, you know, so we're, we're acutely aware of that.”

Meanwhile, Limerick senior footballers are involved in a relegation battle in Division 3 of the Allianz Football League following their heavy 4-21 to 3-8 defeat to Westmeath in Mullingar yesterday afternoon.

In camogie, Limerick maintained their hopes of reaching this year's Division 1B Centra National Camogie League final after scoring an exciting 3-13 to 1-11 victory over Wexford at TUS Mid-West on Saturday. Limerick's away date with Dublin on Saturday next will decide which of the two counties joins Clare in the Division 1B final. A draw next weekend will suffice for Limerick to reach the final against ‘the Banner’.