Cian Lynch hails Limerick squad: ‘We have a great panel of players’

CIAN Lynch has seen it all as a key figure in the golden age of Limerick hurling.

Now in his 12th season of senior hurling after being drafted into the squad as a teenager by TJ Ryan, the Patrickswell man is in his second campaign as captain.

While 2025 saw inconsistency and ultimately the disappointment of the Croke Park defeat to Dublin, Lynch and Limerick are looking to return to the winner’s circle on Sunday when Cork come to the TUS Gaelic Grounds in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A final.

The year Lynch made his Limerick debut, he was a key figure in John Kiely’s U21 side who won All-Ireland glory.

In a dozen years of working with the Galbally man, the pair have led the county to what previously would have been considered unimaginable success.

A win on Sunday will be a fourth national league title for Lynch and Kiely - and Limerick's 15th overall title.

“Yeah, sure, he’s brilliant,” Lynch said of the manager.

“We all have such great relationships with him. The man he is, he's a credit to himself.

“We all look to him as a leader.”

En route to the decider, Kiely has used 29 players in the six games to date.

Six more saw game-time in January’s Munster SHL as the early season outings have been a real squad effort.

“We have a great panel of players, they are a great group, 36 lads there putting their hand up every week for a jersey, for a position,” captain Lynch said.

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“And the games that we've had down through the weeks, the intensity from each game we've seen across the league has been so high so it’s competitive.”

After an all-conquering 2023 saw a league, Munster and All-Ireland treble, followed by another provincial title 12 months later, last year saw more inconsistent performances on the field culminating in a first trophy-less year since 2017.

While the drop-off is hard to explain, Lynch insists not much changed leading into the improved fortunes of 2026 to date.

“I can't really pinpoint it,” he said. “Going down to Walsh Park (first league match), we didn't get the result we wanted.

“It was just about regrouping and going again, and it was kind of week on, week off, and we kind of got the momentum.

“There's such a good group of lads there, and a massive variety of lads, from newer guys to kind of a middle core, and then the more experienced group - we kind of bounce off each other.

“I think it's just a new year, and I suppose just focusing on ourselves and trying to get better week in, week out, whether it's games or training,” Lynch said.

Adam English continued his great form from 2025 and Aidan O’Connor has laid down a marker as first-choice free-taker.
Seeing them up close, Lynch sees the ability they possess.

“They're serious guys, they're great young fellas, a credit to themselves even outside of hurling,” he said.

“It just shows the competition that's there. You know, these guys are putting their hands up and performing and they are leaders themselves.

“(O’Connor’s) been brilliant. He's had an unbelievable league campaign.

“It just shows the type of person he is, he's pushing himself and trying to keep making himself better and improving.”

With Will O’Donoghue settled at center back, Doon man English lined out alongside Lynch at midfield in the latter stages of the league round robin stage, and has impressed his skipper.

“Like Aido, another phenomenal character, like he's just ability to read a game and control a game. It's just a privilege to be able to take onto the pitch of these guys,” said Lynch.