Adare romp to ABK victory but miss out on Limerick SFC quarters

ADARE bow out of the Irish Wire Products Limerick Senior Football Championship despite a 4-23 to 0-11 win over Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan in Sean Finn Park, Rathkeale.

The 24-point victory ended up being a futile one in Group 2 for the 2024 champions due to victories for both Rathkeale and Kildimo-Pallaskenry who finish second and third behind to reach the quarter-finals.

Goals from Shane O’Connor (2), Hugh Bourke and Roy Gleeson eased them to victory over a depleted ABK who will now face Oola in the relegation play-offs.

Losses to Mungret St Paul’s and Kildimo-Pallaskenry have proven their undoing. For all their success, 2026 will represent the most disappointing season for a squad that were defeated by eventual champions Mungret in the semi-final last season.

For the 2025 intermediate winners ABK they failed to ever really lay a glove on Adare with the result beyond them after about 20 minutes of action.

Short David O’Shaughnessey, Sam Colgan and Seán Downes through injury, they have found the senior grade tough going since winning their opening round tie against Kildimo-Pallaskenry in July.

Their sharpshooter, Danny Neville, accounted for six of their total, including a stunning two-pointer on the stroke of half-time.

By that stage it was 2-11 to 0-6, with goals from Shane O’Connor and Hugh Bourke after a devasting start from Adare.

Those goals, as well as points from Roy Gleeson and Michael O’Mahony saw them race into an early lead. The Bourke brothers linked well all evening with Robbie accounting for a the games opening two pointer after just six minutes.

More points from Shane Costelloe, Hugh and Robbie Bourke swelled the margin with Colm O’Flaherty with a well taken score in reply.

From the second half throw-in, Gleeson rampaged through to find the net, to end and feint hope for a fightback.

Jamie Dolan raised the orange flag for ABK from a free, before Paul O’Shauhghnessy’s second point of the evening gave Declan Ryan’s charges consecutive scores for the only time all evening.

They continued to hunt more goals, and Shane O’Connor found his second just six minutes from time. There were points from subs Ollie Desmond and Jack English, all of which pushed the margin well out.

For Askeaton/Ballysteen/Kilcornan the will need to reset ahead of a relegation semi-final meeting with Oola. With St Kieran’s and Ballylanders on the opposite side of that quartet.

Adare left the pitch after a huddle, after realising their hopes of another Fr. Casey Cup had been extinguished.

SCORERS – ADARE: Robbie Bourke 0-9 (1 tpf); Shane O’Connor 2-2; Hugh Bourke 1-4 (1f); Roy Gleeson 1-1; Mark Connolly 0-3; Michael O’Mahony, Shane Costelloe, Ollie Desmond, Jack English 0-1 each; ASKEATON-BALLYSTEEN-KILCORNAN: Danny Neville 0-6 (3f); Jamie Dolan 0-2 (1 tpf); Paul O’Shaughnessy 0-2; Colm O’Flaherty 0-1.

ADARE: Jeffrey Alfred; Jack Fitzgerald, David Connolly, Brendan Duffy; Stephen Flynn, Davy Lyons, Paul Maher; Joe Sweeney, Roy Gleeson; Shane Costelloe, Hugh Bourke, Robbie Bourke; Mark Connolly, Shane O’Connor, Michael O’Mahony; Subs: Rory O’Connor for Gleeson (50 mins); Ollie Desmond for M Connolly (50 mins); Cian Sparling for Duffy (50 mins); Jack English for O’Mahony (55 mins); Michael Mullally for Lyons (58 mins).

ASKEATON-BALLYSTEEN-KILCORNAN: Jamie Dolan; John Fitzsimons, Bill Casey, Shane Hanrahan; Niall Barry, Jamie O’Sullivan, Stephen O’Donnell; Alan McGrath, Shane Gallagher; Padhraic McMahon Paul O’Shaughnessy, Conor McNamara; Sam Duggan, Danny Neville, Colm O’Flaherty; Subs: Mark Ranahan for Fitzsimons (48 mins); Shane Hallahan for O’Flaherty (48 mins); Cormac McMahon for Duggan (48 mins); Fiachra Butler-White for O’Sullivan (55 mins).

Referee: Michael Sexton (Bruree)