Shane O’Neill says Na Piarsiagh charges were ready for ‘ambush’

Na Piarsaigh manager Shane O’Neill said the club’s defeat by Loughgiel of Antrim in the 2011 All-Ireland club semi-final had forewarned them about Northern teams.

Fri, 18 Mar, 2016 - 00:00

Michael Moynihan

“Without a doubt,” said O’Neill.

“Some of the boys thought that was the most physical match they had played so there was no way we were going to get ambushed today. “It’s great for Limerick, I suppose we were only concentrating on ourselves and make sure we did the business. When you look back and reflect... this is the first time that a Limerick team has won in Croke Park in many years. To perform in the manner we did was great.”

Was it their best performance?

“Against Sixmilebridge a few years ago we were very good but bearing the surroundings today, and the importance of the occasion, it was very good.”

In that context, Adrian Breen’s first-minute goal was vital.

“We were lucky enough to get an early goal, it always settles a team. I was delighted for Adrian, he was effectively dropped for the semi-final.

“Every time our half-forward line took them on in the first half, it worked fairly well.”

Cushendall manager John McKillop acknowledged it had been a “learning curve” for his side.

“We were eight or nine points down before we got going at all, you know. But sure, it’s a learning curve.

“I watched them, I went down to watch them down in Thurles and I saw the physicality they had. But look, that’s the way it is, there is nothing we can do about it now.”

McKillop was not sure he would return with Cushendall but backed them to bounce back from yesterday’s “devastation”.

“Getting beaten in an All-Ireland final, of course we are going to be devastated. But we are a young team, we will be back. I might not be back but they will be back.

“I really, really enjoyed it. Getting to Croke Park is something everybody dreams of. But I will have to sit down with the boys now and see what they reckon, whether we will go again next year.

McKillop said his side had taken too long to get going: “When we put it up to them, we were every bit as good as them, but it took us too long to realise what we were in.

“When we got going, we were every bit as good as them. Maybe they didn’t allow us to hurl, but when we get going we are as good as any team in Ireland. I feel it took us too long.”