As Limerick cruised to a sixth All-Ireland title in ten years against Galway on Sunday afternoon, people’s attention began to drift.
Conversations started to turn toward whether this Limerick team may be the greatest team of all time. Since John Kiely came to power in Limerick, the script has been completely rewritten regarding Limerick hurling.
A county associated with an inability to get over the line on the biggest days has been transformed into a lean, mean, killing machine.
Recommended
You only have to look at Kiely’s record in finals as Limerick senior boss and his time with the U21s, Kiely has taken charge of Limerick teams in 20 different finals, winning nineteen and losing one. That one loss came on penalties in the 2025 Munster final to Cork.
When the lights shine brightest, Limerick raise their game, they are no longer the lads who sneak out the back door, they are the lads marching up the steps to lift another trophy.
Brendan Cummins On Key Difference Between Limerick And Cody’s Kilkenny
Debating the virtues of Brian Cody’s four in a row Kilkenny side and Kiely’s Limerick team, the former Tipperary netminder made a valid argument for Limerick being considered the greatest team hurling has ever seen.
He pointed to the lack of change in the side since they won their first title in 2018.
We had a chat about this earlier, they are using the same group of players all the time, Kilkenny had their cycle, then Brian Cody broke it up and they got new, fresh faces in but the majority of that group have been there throughout.
The entertainment they have given to Limerick hurling, the last two years have been difficult. Nobody’s above criticism, they had done so much for Limerick, they’d done four in a row. Then the last two years, call it the doldrums, call it a famine but they would have gone through hardship.
They’d have had people in Limerick saying ‘Ah you might be finished now, that might be it’.
But the emotion they’ve shown after games this year has been huge. They are really right up there as one of the greatest we’ve ever seen.
The point about the consistency of selection is a valid one, the argument of course is one that we’ll never have an actual answer for but this Limerick side and Brian Cody’s Kilkenny side 2006-10 are definitely up there as the greatest sides hurling has ever seen.
SEE ALSO: Shane Dowling Thinks One Galway Tactic Was Doomed To Fail Against Limerick
SEE ALSO: Brendan Cummins Issues Sharp Clarification On Waterford Job Rumours