Defending champions Limerick’s “in it to win it” approach under John Kiely again manifested itself as they extended their winning League run to six games going back to last season.

Tipp versus Limerick. The first match of 2020. The last match of 2019 in an only very slightly parallel dimension, one not populated by Alan Kelly’s umpires.

Kiely is looking towards the end of January as much as next weekend’s Munster League final against Cork.

Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy and former Cork boss John Meyler are set to lead the PwC All-Star 2019 and 2018 hurling teams when they head out to Abu Dhabi tomorrow.

Kilkenny are champions of the inaugural New York Hurling Classic after a convincing 24-point win over Limerick in Citi Field.

Patrick Horgan has been shortlisted for 2019 PwC Hurler of the Year award, along with Tipperary and Kilkenny captains Séamus Callanan and TJ Reid.

Not to put too fine a point on it but Kilkenny won the All-Ireland quarter-final largely because they were playing — and were allowed to play by and play through — Cork. Not to put too fine a point on it but they’re unlikely to win the All-Ireland semi-final largely because they’ll be playing — and will not be allowed to play by and play through — Limerick.

In the sporting realm, it’s obvious, but often under-appreciated in business is the maxim that you can’t get anything done without a team.

“Getting the heads right” will be crucial if Limerick are to buck the dreadful All-Ireland semi-final record of recent Munster champions, according to Treaty midfielder Cian Lynch.

Limerick goalkeeper Nickie Quaid has taken umbrage with suggestions the Treaty County could have done more to beat Tipperary in the last round of the Munster SHC a fortnight ago, a result they emphatically reversed yesterday.

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

Cian Lynch, Declan Hannon, Gearoid Hegarty, and Graeme Mulcahy have been restored to the Limerick team for tomorrow’s Munster hurling final.

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.

Two former Tipperary forwards are concerned Liam Sheedy’s team could suffer against Limerick in the Munster Final as a result of beating them last Sunday week.

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.

Limerick manager John Kiely yesterday dismissed Clare suggestions that his side could have done more to beat Tipperary in the last round of the Munster SHC, a result which would have sent the Banner through to the All-Ireland series.

Watching both teams warming up, I zeroed in on the goalkeepers.

If the phoney war taketh away, sometimes the phoney war giveth.

Of the eight teams doing Championship battle this weekend, only Tipp and Limerick are guaranteed to progress.

All-Ireland champions Limerick are all but guaranteed of a top-three finish in Munster after this 18-point thumping of Clare.

Alan Cadogan will start his first championship game for Cork since August 2017 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday night.

Precisely a year ago at this venue it was Tipperary who sleepwalked into an ambush and a ravenous Limerick who pounced upon them.

I’m sure there are some people out there giving me a share of the credit for Cork’s win yesterday. I’ve no doubt that my comments in my column here on Saturday got Cork riled up big time.

Cork’s Championship is well and truly back up-and-running after this fine victory over the All-Ireland champions in the LIT Gaelic Grounds.

Donal O’Grady assesses how Cork can counter the All-Ireland champions’ gameplan

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.

Readers of a certain age will remember Tony Doran.

When two friends raced ahead of him on a mountain walk,Pat Fitzpatrick felt ‘over the hill’ at 52. He needed to get fit — fast.

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.

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven, as Wordsworth mused in reference to the Limerick hurling set-up in the spring of 2019.

That Kilkenny is the only other county in the past 30 years to back up an All-Ireland final win with a hurling league title the following spring tells you the path which this Limerick group are forging for themselves.

I was on the road to Dublin yesterday morning at 6.15am. It wasn’t easy to roll out of the cot at that ungodly hour but I arranged Kilmacud Crokes training early so I could be organised and be able to get into Croke Park early.

Limerick took the honours in this NHL 1 semi-final, booking their place in the final with an efficient display.

The summer game always looks strange when the players’ breath is visible in small clouds at every facemask.

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

A couple of momentary mental lapses couldn’t stop reigning Limerick and Munster champions Na Piarsaigh reaching a seventh Limerick senior final in 10 seasons.

Kilmallock 4-27 Murroe-Boher 0-13

If you were taking the season as a whole, not just the championship, Lynch was definitely Limerick’s most important performer, writes Peter McNamara.

"You talk about complacency" — Tommy Walsh

By last Sunday morning, my voice was creaking, writes Anthony Daly

The player

By last Sunday morning, my voice was creaking, writes Anthony Daly

"You talk about complacency" — Tommy Walsh

Fresh from the Department of No Further Ado, the end of season hurling awards. Often copied but never equalled, the jury (Michael Moynihan, alone) has reported in.