Limerick’s strengths are based on ball retention and clever transition from defence through good positioning and support running.

Fail to lift the Munster title this Sunday and Limerick are unlikely to retain their All-Ireland crown, former Treaty defender Stephen McDonagh has insisted.

Form is clearly temporary in hurling. If the bookmakers are to believed, the 100% 2019 Munster SHC record Tipperary bring to Limerick on Sunday is of no consequence and will be broken.

There has been no wielding of the axe by the Clare management in the wake of last weekend’s 13-point hammering at the hands of Tipperary, with the team named for tomorrow’s game against Limerick showing just one change in personnel.

Dan Morrissey was among the thousands of Limerick supporters who took station on the Gaelic Grounds terrace the afternoon of the 2013 Munster hurling final.

After a breakthrough performance at the Tour of Yorkshire, Eddie Dunbar has said he’ll be added to Sky’s successor Team Ineos’ roster for the Giro d’Italia, which starts in Bologna next Saturday.

There was a nail-biting final stage to the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, as JB Murphy (Team Leinster) powered home to victory in the final dash up the hill in Killorglin in an exciting two-man sprint with his breakaway compatriot Sean Hahessy (Dan Morrissey-MIG-Pactimo).

On a fast and furious opening 96km stage, Alex Luhrs (Ribble Pro Cycling) took the win from a breakaway trio ahead of his teammate Dan Bigham on day one of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan. Ben Healy (Team Ireland) just hung on to the flying English duo to take third.

We are a week into Munster Championship Lent. The 40 days and 40 nights before the start of the Munster SHC on May 12 commenced last Tuesday.

A crowd of 3,224 is not what you expect for a first-round Munster SHL fixture on a cold and, at times, wet evening in mid-December. Then again, this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill pre-season blowout.

There’s usually less debate about the hurling All-Stars than you get with the football All-Stars.

Limerick hurling stars delivered a finale last night that University Concert Hall’s 25th Anniversary Gala Concert audience won’t forget.

Final reflections with Enda McEvoy.

Galway and Limerick have both named their starting lineups ahead of this Sunday's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final at Croke Park.

The focus yesterday on Anthony Nash’s puckouts was more fixed than is normally the case.

Mike Casey and his teammates don’t intend following the path of recent Limerick teams. They’ve no interest in midsummer exits and languishing at the back of hurling’s chasing pack.

Waterford icon Ken McGrath says the Déise have reason to be confident, based on last week’s draw against Tipperary, but he describes playing away from home as a “massive disadvantage”.

A sending off in hurling affects a game in various ways, writes Donal O’Grady.

Limerick remain on course for a winner take all final league game with Galway on March 4 after John Kiely’s side made it three from three with a comfortable win over Dublin at the Gaelic Grounds.

Nobody knows our troubles but God. Not exactly the words of Clare co-manager Gerry O’Connor after this game but close enough.

A superior Clare qualified for their first Munster final in nine years but not without difficulty as a combination of poor shooting and Limerick’s tenacity made them sweat until the end.

It should be remembered that John O’Dwyer was the main forward for Tipperary in their victory over Waterford last year, writes Donal O’Grady.

The loss of John O’Dwyer to an early red card didn’t deter Tipperary from confirming a second successive Munster final date with Waterford.

If TJ Ryan is reading, here’s a question for him. (And if he isn’t, he’ll doubtless have heard it by tonight.) Does he know what kind of game Limerick will be trying to enact tomorrow?

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today

A couple’s occupation of a house in Co Kildare is holding up the proposed €5.6m sale of the property by AIB-appointed receivers, the Commercial Court has heard.

Kilkenny 3-25 Limerick 0-16 (SH challenge): Kilkenny warmed up for the Leinster championship with an impressive win over Limerick in this inter-county challenge in Inistioge.

Cork have made four changes to their side for Sunday’s final Allianz HL Division 1A game against Tipperary at Páirc Uí Rinn.

University of Limerick 3-12 Waterford IT 0-21 (AET)

Fitzgibbon Cup Semi-Final

UL 0-18 UCD 0-15: UL manager Brian Lohan hailed the second-half intensity shown by his charges, 10 unanswered points directly upon the change of ends laying the foundation for this quarter-final win.

Six-time All-Ireland winning minor hurling boss Mattie Murphy has joined the managerial ticket seeking to replace outgoing Galway senior manager Anthony Cunningham.

An interim examiner has been appointed to the Dan Morrissey company in Carlow - meaning that 160 jobs in the county are safe for the time being.

The turnstiles were clicking merrily at the Gaelic Grounds last night for this Munster hurling U21 opening round match, so much so that throw-in was delayed 15 minutes, to 7.45pm, as 6,000 fans made their way in .

Tony Kelly is diplomatic enough not to be drawn on whether it’s Clare’s U21s who are benefiting more from the seniors or the other way around.