Enda McEvoy: Enough about how many All-Ireland medals ya have

Donal Og Cusack of the Jubilee Cork Team from 1999. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy.

Time for the second All-Ireland semi-final and whatever skin and hair may fly on the field – this is Clare and Limerick, that most visceral of hurling rivalries – all will surely be sweetness and light off it.

No early-evening handbags, no queries about the size of anyone’s medal collection. We’ve had quite enough excitement for one weekend and the memes are still doing the rounds.

At pitchside RTÉ have Anthony Daly (two All-Irelands, and as captain too) and Liam Sheedy (two All-Irelands as manager) with Joanne Cantwell. 

Also at pitchside BBC Northern Ireland have Neil McManus, Jason Forde (three All-Irelands) and Seamus Flanagan (umpteen All-Irelands, being from Limerick). They’re with Sarah Mulkerrins, giggly after her boys floored Cork on Saturday. 

Elsewhere on the premises are Mark Sidebottom and Dara Ó Briain (definitely no All-Ireland medals, being from Wicklow).

Limerick are sloppy from the off, making a string of unforced errors. “They’re at sixes and sevens, they’re a bundle of nerves,” Ger Canning declares. Gradually the underdogs, all hustle and bustle and getting clean ball in to Tony Kelly in the right zone, compile a lead.

At the break they’re five up, a not insubstantial advantage in a game that refuses to flow. In the BBC commentary position Jamesie O’Connor (two All-Ireland medals) is struggling to contain his excitement, to the extent that Thomas Niblock appears worried for his health.

“Are you okay? Are you cool?” “I am cool,” Jamesie responds, slightly stung. “If I survived 2024 against Cork I’ll survive anything.”

Seamus Flanagan, a fine TV discovery, gives credit where it’s due. “They’re playing the game on their terms. They’re winning the breakdowns. Limerick are stationary and stagnant under the Clare puckouts.” 

All of that said, we’re only halfway through. The RTÉ lads agree that the pendulum will swing. 

Anthony: “Limerick will have their patch.” 

Liam: “Clare should be seven up. Limerick will have a purple patch. It’s about managing that.” 

Limerick duly have a purple patch – well, a purplish patch anyway – on the resumption. Gearoid Hegarty is unmarkable. Conor Cleary is withdrawn before he incurs a second yellow. Four unanswered points cut the gap to the minimum before the Banner hit their first point of the half. Then they hit another.

The ship is steadied, the gap is out to two and John Kiely’s troops haven’t threatened a goal, never mind scored one. And Aaron Gillane, who’s been peripheral, is withdrawn for Tom Morrissey, who immediately drives a wide.

Jamesie: “Clare have staunched the flow of Limerick’s scores.” Thomas: “You still cool?” 

Midway through the half a heightened and possibly hinge moment arrives. Peter Duggan and Nickie Quaid. Is it a penalty? Will it be a black card? Did Barry Nash, as Paul Murphy (four All Ireland medals) opines to Thomas and Jamesie, kick the sliotar into his own net before Tyler Walsh blew the whistle?

It’s a penalty. There won’t be a black card. Nash didn’t kick the sliotar into his own net before Tyler blew the whistle. But TK does the business and Clare are six up with 14 minutes to go.

Aidan O’Connor converts a free. Mark Rodgers misses a gimme at the other end. Slowly and painfully Limerick chip away at the deficit. Another O’Connor free. A Diarmaid Byrnes free. A Byrnes missed free. This is not the Limerick of old nor can it be.

They haven’t lost the will that says hold on, however, and they haven’t lost their clarity of thought. A minute from the end of normal time with two points in it Adam English, instead of going for his own point, flights a crossfield dart that O’Connor traps, turns and rattles home. It is the match-winning score.

It’s been a mighty contest, all the more gripping because the pair haven’t shot the lights out, and it would take a heart of stone not to feel sorry for the losers. Nonetheless 1-3 in the second half tells a story.

The resident Banner folk give due credit to the winners. Jamesie lauds their mental toughness, fortitude and belief. Anthony notes that they got more from their bench than their opponents. Sarah sums it up best of all. “Limerick just do Limerick things.” 

Hegarty, Byrnes and Kiely are gracious in victory, the latter attributing the turnaround to his team’s “resilience, composure and a bit of a dog in us”. Pressed by Joanne as to his thoughts on the Galway/Cork match Byrnes dodges the question brilliantly. “I was watching the rugby.” 

Another very Limerick thing to be doing.