Kingpins Na Piarsaigh stand in the way of Doon breakthrough
THE HOT HAND: Doon's top scorer Adam English holding possession against Patrickswell in the Limerick SHC Semi Final. Pic: Brendan Gleeson
In the 130th staging of the Limerick SHC, Doon are looking to become the 30th different winners. To make the breakthrough would mean the world to the hurling mad village and their members from neighbouring Oola. But in their way are three-in-a-row chasing Na Piarsaigh.
The competition has been recently dominated by Na Piarsaigh, Kilmallock and Patrickswell – who’ve collected at the last 15 titles between them - but Doon have been semi-finalists in each of the last eight seasons. This is only a third final appearance for this group.
Now eight-time winners since their 2011 breakthrough, the Light Blues have denied the east Limerick men in the two previous finals. It hasn’t been vintage from them this season but it could be argued that they are timing their run towards this Sunday, and a shot at Ballygunner, who ended each of their last two seasons.
Doon suffered a 27-point defeat in the 2020 decider against the same opponents. This was the largest winning margin in a final in living memory, but the east Limerick men have picked themselves up off the canvas to return to a fifth-ever final. They’ve fallen well short in three of those clashes – first reaching the final in 1989.
Playing without both Richie English and Darragh O’Donovan during that Covid final, Doon shipped 5-27 in a total collapse. The pair are now fully fit after different setbacks this year — and both were on-song in their runaway 12-point semi-final triumph over Patrickswell.
Na Piarsaigh, somewhat surprisingly, come in as slight underdogs in some people’s eyes. Perhaps only once in their six outings this season have they looked fluid and devastating for long-periods. Their semi-final was all about getting over the line and a final-quarter flourish helped them beyond Kilmallock.
Their only slip-up to date was a round-four loss to Sunday’s opponents, as two late Adam English white flags took the spoils. That ended Na Piarsaigh’s dominance in the fixture, which had seen them win eight on the spin since Doon surprised them with a group stage win in 2016 – just weeks after the City side were crowned All-Ireland champions.
That evening goalkeeper Shane Dowling was top scorer for his side, as Na Piarsaigh turned in a most flat display. But they are a different animal in the Gaelic Grounds. Afterall, it has become like a home ground, given they have been at the business end of all bar one championship since that 2011 breakthrough.
This season, Shane O’Neill has run the rule over plenty from the younger cohort to compliment the ever reliable Mike Casey, Kevin Downes and Ronan Lynch. To date, the Caherdavin men have used 23 players, with only Shane Dowling and William O’Donoghue featuring in every minute. Youngsters JJ Carey, Vince Harrington and Dylan Lynch have all been regulars in a side that has changed regularly.
Much of the chatter around Na Piarsaigh centres on whether they will have David Dempsey, Adrian Breen and Peter Casey fully available. Dempsey sat out the semi-final with a hamstring problem while Breen’s injury profile meant he was only introduced at half-time in Rathkeale. Casey, who suffered that horrific ankle injury just shy of six months ago, is nearing a return. Still in a tracksuit earlier this month, the belief is he will be available to play some role at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
Waterford native Derek McGrath is reliant on another stellar showing from the in-form Adam English, who has been unmarkable at times this season. McGrath his built on the work of Fergie O’Loughlin, who was a penalty shootout away from a final place last season.
Doon certainly play with a spare defender, a sweeper, but the switch of Barry Murphy to six was the most eye-catching change. They have the long option of Darragh Stapleton and youngster Kevin Maher, but the bulk of their work has been through short passing and a running game. That helped to yield 15 points in the opening twenty minutes against the Well, but not for the first time this season, they stepped off the gas.
If Doon can deliver their best, the Daly Cup may be heading east, however, Na Piarsaigh’s experience can’t be discounted on the biggest day on Shannonside.
Ronan Lynch 1-44, Dylan Lynch 1-11, Daithí Dempsey 2-6, Conor Boylan 0-12, Kevin Downes 1-8.
Adam English 2-47, Chris Thomas 3-6, Kevin Maher 2-8, Darragh Stapleton 3-4, Pat Ryan 1-8.
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