Carlow 1-15 Limerick 3-18

LIMERICK senior hurler Seamus Hickey believes the issue of burnout amongst young players can be “a state of mind” and says proper communication lines between managers is the best way to ease those concerns.

The depth of Justin McCarthy's already understrength panel will be severely tested when Limerick take on Offaly in Saturday's All-Ireland SHC phase 2 qualifier in Tullamore (throw-in 7pm).

MIDFIELDER Eamonn Fennell has emerged as a major injury doubt for Dublin ahead of Saturday’s All-Ireland SFC round two qualifier with Tipperary in Croke Park.

NOT quite the ritual disembowelling that many had anticipated, but Cork still had 13 points to spare over Limerick in the Munster SHC semi-final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.

Cork 2-19 Limerick 0-12

Nine players in Limerick's selected starting line-up will make their Championship debuts this Sunday when they take on Cork in the Munster SHC semi-final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh (throw-in 4pm).

LIMERICK boss Justin McCarthy has handed out nine championship debuts for Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final against Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and has only been able to call on three of the team that started last August’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat against Tipperary due to the hurling crisis that has raged in the county since the end of last season.

CHAMPIONS Adare got off to a winning start in their bid for a four in-a-row in the Limerick senior hurling championship.

ALL the trauma of the first few months of the year behind them, the player/management crisis resolved when an overwhelming majority of club delegates voted in favour of retaining Justin McCarthy as manager, it’s time now for the new Limerick senior hurling panel to focus on the Munster championship, and a date on June 20 with the winners of the Cork/Tipperary clash.

FINALLY, it came to pass.

Dublin 6-30 Limerick 2-11

THEY travel to Parnell Park in two weeks still bearing thoughts of survival in NHL Division 1, but after another emphatic defeat in the Gaelic Grounds yesterday, Limerick remain on course to drop to second tier hurling next spring.

NHL DIVISION 1:

Noel Hickey is set to make his first competitive start for Kilkenny since the 2008 All-Ireland final, after Brian Cody named the defender in his side to face Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds tomorrow.

NOEL HICKEY makes his long-awaited comeback from injury for Kilkenny tomorrow afternoon after he was named at full-back for their NHL Division 1 clash against Limerick.

Offaly 2-17 Limerick 3-13

YESTERDAY’S encounter in Fraher Field, Dungarvan, came with more angles than a bagful of squares: Justin McCarthy, formerly of Waterford, back in the Déise with Limerick.

Waterford 2-20 Limerick 2-10

Ahane clubman Mike Carr is the one change to the Limerick team for tomorrow night's Allianz NHL Division 1 game against Cork at the Gaelic Grounds (throw-in 7.30pm).

THE ‘hair-dryer’ dressing- room treatment of one of his under-achieving teams by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is legendary in sport at this stage, but if there is anyone in the GAA who would give the great man a run for his money, it’s Galway’s fiery hurling manager John McIntyre.

Limerick 1-11 Galway 1-18

Kilmallock clubman Bryan O'Sullivan will captain a depleted Limerick team for their National Hurling League opener against Galway in Kilmallock on Sunday (throw-in 2.30pm).

UCC 0-19 Limerick 2-9

OFF the field, the raging inferno that is the Limerick hurling crisis burns on, yet between the white lines Justin McCarthy is attempting to plough on with the preparation work for the 2010 season.

The Limerick hurling saga is set to drag on for another week following the postponement of tonight's specially-convened Limerick County Board AGM and the first County Board meeting of the year.

THE Limerick hurling saga is set to drag on after tonight’s specially-convened County Board AGM and the first county board meeting of the year were both postponed due to the adverse weather conditions.

LIMERICK senior hurling manager Justin McCarthy is facing a New Year of crisis as four more players have walked away from his severely depleted squad.

HEADING inexorably down the same rutted briar-ridden cul-de-sac as that travelled by Cork GAA several times over the past decade, that’s Limerick hurling today.

HOW do you win an All-Ireland senior hurling title? Simple really, according to the philosophy of Conor O’Mahony, Tipperary centre-back, as his team prepares to meet Limerick tomorrow in the All-Ireland semi-final: you do it the same way as you complete the Chinese proverbial thousand-mile journey — one step at a time.

Both Tipperary and Limerick make one change in personnel to their starting 15s for Sunday's All Ireland Senior Hurling Semi-Final.

Ollie Moran has been added to the Limerick attack for Sunday's All-Ireland SHC semi-final clash with Tipperary (Croke Park, throw-in 3.30pm).

IMMORTALITY comes with a reddish crew cut. Waterford beat Galway yesterday by the width of a singlet, with John Mullane’s late, late point putting a spear in maroon hearts, as their manager said afterwards.

IRRESPECTIVE of how it was accomplished, Limerick qualifying for the All-Ireland hurling semi-final after a topsy-turvy campaign was a notable achievement for Justin McCarthy and his players in Thurles yesterday.

I WAS down around the square in Thurles yesterday, and five or six Dublin lads passed me talking loudly.

Limerick 2-18 Dublin 1-17

MASSIVE credit for a truly wonderful display in Thurles on Saturday won’t compensate Laois for losing out on an All-Ireland hurling quarter-final place against Dublin next weekend.

Limerick 0-20 Laois 1-14

Limerick manager Justin McCarthy has made three changes to the team that beat Wexford last weekend for this Saturday's All-Ireland SHC Phase 3 qualifier against Laois in Thurles.

PRIDE restored and his own record of never having lost a game in Wexford intact. However, as euphoric as the Limerick hurling manager was in the aftermath of this hard-fought qualifier win in terrible weather in Wexford Park on Saturday, Justin McCarthy’s experience in the game was alerting him to bigger challenges next weekend.

Wexford 0-14 Limerick 1-13

Kilkenny 1-16 Limerick 0-13

Doon CBS 1-6 Coláiste Spioraid Naoimh 0-9

Doon CBS 2-13 Our Lady’s, Templemore 1-9