Kilmallock edge Na Piarsaigh to earn Limerick SHL glory

Frank Reidy presenting Graeme Mulcahy, Kilmallock, after winning the County SHL final. Pic: Brendan Gleeson

Limerick Senior Hurling League final: Kilmallock 0-18 Na Piarsaigh 0-15 

Kilmallock are Limerick senior hurling League champions for 2025 after they saw off Na Piarsaigh on an 0-18 to 0-15 scoreline at Claughaun.

Conor Staunton starred for ‘The Balbec’ with an impressive 0-8, his two efforts from play the highlight of what was a contest that never really got going.

Both teams were without a litany of starters that one would expect to see come championship in a game that Kilmallock deservedly came out victorious.

Pierce Connery got the scoring underway after two minutes but a Ronan Lynch free brought Na Piarsaigh level moments later.

Kilmallock, aided by a strong first half breeze, took control from the moment that Graeme Mulcahy put his side back in front.

Further scores from Connery and Staunton then saw Kilmallock open a 0-4 to 0-1 advantage with six minutes on the clock.

Keith Dempsey stopped the Kilmallock wave with a free but Connery and Staunton restored dominance for the south Limerick outfit.

Connery excelled in the first half and his fourth point inside the opening quarter cancelled out a fine Mark Hogan score for Na Piarsaigh.

That lead was stretched to five when Kilmallock keeper Conor Hanley-Clarke fired over a long-range free.

Oisin O’Reilly made it a six-point lead as the half drew to a close but a Lynch free saw the score at 0-10 to 0-5 in Kilmallock’s favour at the break.

Lynch kept Na Piarsaigh in touch in the early stages of the second half with a couple of frees but Staunton always had a response for Kilmallock.

The lead was at three when the game entered the final quarter but strikes from Mulcahy and Staunton, either side of a Lynch placed ball, handed Kilmallock a four-point buffer.

Dempsey (2) and Adrian Breen gave Na Piarsaigh hope as the game headed towards its conclusion but a Staunton free and a superb O’Reilly point from play saw Kilmallock home to victory.

Scorers for Kilmallock: C Staunton 0-8 (5f, 1’65), P Connery 0-4, O O’Reilly 0-3, G Mulcahy 0-2, C Hanley-Clarke 0-1 (1f).

Scorers for Na Piarsaigh: R Lynch 0-7 (7f), K Dempsey 0-4 (3f), Mark Hogan, G Brown, D Lynch and A Breen 0-1 each.

Kilmallock: C Hanley-Clarke; D O’Brien, L English, D Joy; R Egan, A Costello; A Enright; S Quirke, G Enright; S Carroll, C Staunton, G Mulcahy; P Connery, O O’Reilly, S Dowling.

Subs: D Woulfe for Carroll (44), P O’Brien for Dowling (49), C Barrett for Mulcahy (58).

Na Piarsaigh: P O’Neill; A Dempsey, S Long, P Heaney; A Fitzsimons, R Lynch, T Grimes; J Finn, J O’Keeffe; JJ Carey, K Dempsey, G Brown; Mark Hogan, K Daly, D Lynch.

Subs: A Breen for Daly (39), E McEvoy for Heaney (39), Marcus Hogan for Brown (59).

Referee: E Stapleton (Doon).