Kilmallock edge Na Piarsaigh in Limerick SHC thriller

KILMALLOCK provided a shock in the opening round of the Whitebox Limerick Senior Hurling Championship after beating Na Piarsaigh 1-22 to 0-24 at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

James Hickey’s side trailed heading into added time but two Micheál Houlihan frees saw them to a win over the 2025 champions.

The first score of the evening came via a Keith Dempsey free, Peter Casey soon followed to give Na Piarsaigh a 0-2 to 0-0 lead after three minutes.

Kilmallock got off the mark a minute later when Pierce Connery slotted over a sublime effort from distance. Both sides would trade scores for the following six minutes or so.

Connery was in fine scoring form for his side whilst Na Piarsaigh had threats from all over the park, Dempsey doing the majority of the damage via placed balls.

Last year’s county champions began to turn the screw shortly after Connery’s second. Peter Casey, Keith Dempsey and Eoin Brosnan all chipped in to give their side a 0-8 to 0-3 lead after 12 minutes.

Connery stopped the mini Kilmallock scoring drought a minute later with a sublime individual effort. Peter Casey and Conor Boylan nudged Na Piarsaigh 0-10 0-4 ahead after a quarter of an hour but Kilmallock came roaring back.

Points from Houlihan, Phelim O’Reilly, Pierce Connery and Graeme Mulcahy brought the contest back to a two-point game after 20 minutes. Na Piarsaigh would extend their advantage again via Emmert McEvoy and JJ Carey’s first white flag of the tie.

Kevin Downes’ first of the contest gave the Caherdavin outfit a 0-13 0-10 lead after 22 minutes. Kilmallock, however, levelled proceedings with the only goal of the opening half and it came via the determination and skill of Shane O’Brien who fetched a long ball into the full-forward line from Killian Hayes, took on two or three Na Piarsaigh defenders, and rifled home.

Late first-half points from Keith Dempsey and Ronan Lynch granted Na Piarsaigh a crucial two-point cushion at half-time.

The first score of the second period came from Kilmallock’s Steven Quirke to cut the gap to one and the sides were soon level via Pierce Connery. Dempsey continued to be accurate from placed balls and nudged his side two ahead after 35 minutes.

Oisín O’Reilly’s first of the contest cut the gap to a single point on 37 minutes. Both sides would trade scores for the following 10 minutes. Kilmallock’s keeper Conor Hanley-Clarke notched two crucial placed balls from distance kept his side in the contest as well as efforts from Na Piarsaigh’s Ronan Lynch and Keith Dempsey continued to be deadly accurate both from frees and from play.

A Ronan Lynch free put Na Piarsaigh two ahead with a quarter of an hour to go, 0-20 to 1-15. Perhaps the defining moment of the second half came shortly after when Peter Casey’s one on one effort was well saved by Conor Hanley Clarke.

A pair of Ronan Lynch frees put Na Piarsaigh ahead with ten minutes on a scoreline of 0-22 to 1-15.

Kilmallock’s Houlihan continued his sensational placed ball form to keep his side in the game however, with the midfielder nailed five crucial frees coming down the stretch including the last two of the contest.

He held his nerve in added time to not only level proceedings but put his side in front, remarkably for the first time in the contest and it was to be Kilmallock who would be leaving the TUS Gaelic Grounds with the two points on a scoreline of 1-22 to 0-24.

SCORERS: KILMALLOCK: Michael Houlihan 0-8 (7f), Pierce Connery 0-5, Shane O’Brien 1-1, Oisin O’Reilly 0-3, Conor Hanley Clarke 0-2 (2f), Steven Quirke, Graeme Mulcahy and Phelim O’Reilly 0-1 each; NA PIARSAIGH: Keith Dempsey 0-10 (7f), Ronan Lynch 0-4 (3f, 1 ‘65), Peter Casey 0-3, Conor Boylan 0-2, David Dempsey, Eoin Brosnan, JJ Carey, Emmet McEvoy and Kevin Downes 0-1 each.

KILMALLOCK: Conor Hanley Clarke; Aaron Costello, Robbie Egan, Jackie Dwane, Mark O’Loughlin, Ciaran O’Connor, Killian Hayes, Michael Houlihan, Steven Quirke, Oisín Enright, Shane O’Brien, Graeme Mulcahy, Pierce Connery, Phelim O’Reilly, Oisín O’Reilly; SUBS: Gearoid Enright for O Enright (38 mins), Conor Staunton for Quirke (51 mins), Dylan O’Brien for O’Loughlin (54 mins).

NA PIARSAIGH: Shane Dowling; Mark O’Connor, Mike Casey, Ronan Lynch; Mike Foley, Will O’Donoghue, Emmet McEvoy; JJ Carey, Keith Dempsey; Kevin Downes, Peter Casey, Daithí Dempsey; Will Henn, Conor Boylan, Eoin Brosnan; SUBS: James Finn for Downes (39 mins), Vince Harrington for Henn (50 mins), Dylan Lynch for Brosnan (53 mins), Tommy Grimes for Carey (57 mins).

REFEREE: John O’Halloran (Bruree).