Home comforts for Limerick in Munster final date with Clare

LIMERICK'S senior hurlers will renew rivalry with near neighbours Clare in the Munster SHC final for the second time in as many years on Sunday week.

John Kiely's charges head into the TUS Gaelic Grounds fixture on June 11 as the bookies’ favourites but will face a Banner outfit that have lit up the 2023 Munster championship.

Brian Lohan's side have recovered superbly from their loss to Tipperary in the first round robin game with wins over Limerick, Waterford and Cork putting them into the Munster final. The wins over both Limerick and Clare were by a one-point margin, while they saw off Waterford by 12-points.

This year's decider is a repeat of the 2022 epic that eventually saw Limerick beat Clare after extra-time. The game was one for the ages, with Tony Kelly's stunning point from a sideline cut that forced the two extra periods.

Clare have been the one team that has put it up to Limerick on a consistent basis since Limerick won their first All-Ireland in 45 years back in 2018.

They had a big win over Limerick in their round robin fixture but it was Limerick that had the better of things in 2019, scoring a 1-28 to 0-13 win.

Limerick also came out with a victory in the covid affected Munster Championship in 2020 with a 10-point winning margin. The 2022 round robin meeting ended in a draw at Cusack Park in Ennis and the sides were almost inseparable in the Munster final.

This will be the eighth time that Limerick and Clare will meet in the Munster SHC final. Limerick have win six of the seven previous meetings with the first one coming in 1918.

They have also recorded victories in 1955, 1974, 1981, 1994 and last year. The game in 1955 was the only other time that Limerick and Clare have met in a Munster final at the Ennis Road venue.

Clare's win came in 1995 and Ger Loughnane then guided them to the All-Ireland title.