David Reidy gets a start in Limerick hurling team for Munster Championship clash with Cork

THERE are two injury enforced absentees in the Limerick senior hurling team to play Cork in Sunday’s Munster SHC opening round tie.

Seamus Flanagan misses out with a hand injury and joins long-term injured Peter Casey (cruciate ligament) on the sidelines for the Easter Sunday clash in Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

The two absent All-Stars in the full forward line are the only changes from the Limerick team which started the All-Ireland SHC final last August in Croke Park.

Into the team is the panel’s most experienced player Graeme Mulcahy, and David Reidy, for just his second ever championship start.

Reidy has played 17 times for Limerick in the championship since his debut in 2015. Since Limerick’s Liam MacCarthy breakthrough in 2018, the Dromin-Athlacca man has played in 13 of Limerick’s 15 championship games but his only previous start was the 2020 Munster final win over Waterford.

The 29 year old joined the Limerick senior panel in 2013 when still in the U21 ranks - his only season out of the panel was 2017 when he played under Joe Quaid in Kildare, where he was based as a teacher at the time.

Elsewhere, there is a familiar look to the Limerick starting team for Sunday’s Munster Championship opening round tie, which has a 4pm start and will be live on RTE TV.

Limerick begin a quest for a fourth successive Munster SHC title this Sunday - to emulate the men of the 1933-36. Just four players have started all games as Limerick collected a hat-trick of provincial titles - Nickie Quaid, Sean Finn, Kyle Hayes and Tom Morrissey.

Sunday’s Leeside battle is of course a repeat of the All-Ireland final from last August. Enroute to back-to-back Liam MacCarthy Cup wins, Limerick have used 27 players across nine games - four of those are no longer in the panel and three are currently injured, Barry Murphy, Flanagan and Casey.

The remaining 20 form the majority of Sunday’s matchday panel of 26. It's an 11-strong substitutes list that includes U20 players Cathal O'Neill and Colin Coughlan, but not Adam English. Mike Casey is also listed as he looks for his first inter-county action since the 2019 All-Ireland semi final loss to Kilkenny.

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid (Effin); Sean Finn (Bruff), Dan Morrissey (Ahane), Barry Nash (South Liberties); Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), Declan Hannon (Adare), Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry); Darragh O’Donovan (Doon), William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh); Gearoid Hegarty (St Patricks), Cian Lynch (Patrickswell), Tom Morrissey (Ahane); David Reidy (Dromin-Athlacca), Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell), Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock). Subs: Barry Hennessy (Kilmallock), Conor Boylan (Na Piarsaigh), Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh), Ronan Connolly (Adare), Aaron Costelloe (Kilmallock), Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown), Richie English (Doon), Robbie Hanley (Kilmallock), Cathal O'Neill (Crecora-Manister), Oisin O'Reilly (Kilmallock), Pat Ryan (Doon).