WATCH: ‘We have the million pound player Aaron Gillane’

ADARE village, the home of captain Declan Hannon, has turned green in anticipation for the All-Ireland final. 

Nestled into the corner of well-known GAA pub, BIll Chawke’s, sits Michael O’Connell and Philip Lane, regulars who have frequented the place for fifty odd years now, avid followers of horse racing and the hurling. 

"It looks like they are coming to the boil at the right time, injuries of course are a problem, they'll have to suffer that but the improvement that's in them last week (semi-final) against Galway was enormous and I'm sure there's a little bit more in them. 

“They're coming right just at the right time. And we have the million pound player Aaron Gillane. It was touted two years ago, they said if there was paid professionals in the GAA that Aaron Gillane would be the first million pound player and he looked like that last week,” Ballingarry man Philip said. 

Adare man Michael O'Connell added: "I go to all the All-Ireland's, I've been going there when we were losing and very happy to be there when we're winning, very happy. It's possible but it won't be easy and I wouldn't get carried away, I think Limerick will win.”

This current Limerick team have played together from underage level with players such as Cian Lynch, Declan Hannon and Kyle Hayes having reaped the rewards of senior All-Ireland’s since 2018 and are on track to secure that coveted four-in-a-row. 

"JP and his brother apparently started seven, eight, nine years ago and put this young age team together, maybe more than nine years ago and they built them up to be what they are and I remember going to matches as we were losing and you'd hear someone coming out of the field saying 'we haven't got the hurlers' but John Kiely seems to find them very easily."

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“When you train them right, they are there and he has new fellas coming on every year onto the panel and they proved that last Saturday evening when they brought on their subs, fresh legs which is very important and Mr Kiely and Mr Kinnerk proved that, that when fellas get tired to come on with new good hurlers is a fierce bonus,” Michael told the Limerick Leader/ Limerick Live. 

On Sunday next, the Treaty County's hurlers will walk the hallowed grounds of Croke Park behind the marching band alongside the opposition, Kilkenny, the team that have already achieved All-Ireland greatness with that four-in-a-row (2006-2009) a title that Cork first obtained (1941-1944). 

"Kilkenny are the up and coming side, new management. He's putting his stamp on what he's doing, there potentially improvers and have been all year so Limerick will have to be on their A-game to bring it off and I'm sure they will. They are well up for it but it’s going to be no easy task,” Philip explained. 

Following all the build up to the All-Ireland final in his week's Limerick Leader - on sale from Wednesday.