Limerick 1-31 Kilkenny 2-26: Treaty hold off Cats in All-Ireland hurling final for the ages
Match report and highlights from the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final. Gearoid Hegarty (1-5) led Limerick past Kilkenny in an enthralling decider, during which momentum ebbed and flowed throughout.
By Brian Barry at Croke Park
Last Updated: 18/07/22 8:19am
Limerick have won three-in-a-row for the first time in their history, after a titanic 1-31 to 2-26 All-Ireland hurling final win over Kilkenny.
Brian Cody's charges threw the kitchen sink at the reigning champions, and the rest of the kitchen to boot, but the Treaty found the answers in thrilling fashion.
An early Gearoid Hegarty goal looked to set Limerick on their way, but the Cats came storming back after the break with goals from Billy Ryan and Martin Keoghan hauling the Nore-siders back into contention.
But in intense heat, the Treaty found the answers to hold out for a famous victory, one which breaks new ground for Limerick hurling. A fourth title in five seasons catapults this team into the conversation of the greatest of all time.
And on the basis of their resilience on Sunday, John Kiely's charges are not done just yet.
It was breathless stuff right from throw-in. The teams hammered into one another. And despite huge physicality, it made for a high-scoring contest.
It was Limerick who drew first blood.
In the fourth minute, Hegarty pounced on a break after a long ball fell around the Kilkenny D. The 2020 Hurler of the Year ran onto the ball, blasted Richie Reid out of the way like a wrecking ball, and unleashed a fierce shot which found the top corner.
An early Hegarty goal laid the foundations for a Limerick procession in the 2021 decider, but Kilkenny were in no mood to roll over.
The Leinster champs hit back. TJ Reid was unerring from placed balls, converting seven frees in the first half. Paddy Deegan and Pádraig Walsh also contributed two points apiece from play, as the Cats managed to cling on.
Brian Cody elected for Deegan not to follow Hegarty when the Limerick half-forward dropped deep. And it proved a mistake, as the St Patrick's man hit a further three points from play in the first half.
It was end-to-end, intense and enthralling. Colm Lyons' half-time whistle paused the contest with Limerick leading 1-17 to 0-16.
Walter Walsh's introduction made a major impact. Within minutes of the restart, he had created a green flag. Storming in on goal after fielding a high ball, he played it off and it fell into the path of Billy Ryan, who finished in the net.
Kilkenny weren't done just yet. In the 47th minute, they struck again. This time it was TJ Reid who won a long ball, leading to Martin Keoghan, and the Tullaroan man hit the net.
Moments later, John Donnelly levelled it and the momentum was black and amber. Brian Cody's substitutions paid off, with all five registering scores.
Richie Hogan struck for a score in the 63rd minute, as the contest went down to the wire.
But like real champions, Limerick found another gear. Try as they might, Kilkenny could not work their way into the lead.
Leaders were needed, and Gearoid Hegarty and Kyle Hayes stood up as Limerick scored five points without reply, taking a 1-31 to 2-23 lead into injury-time.
Kilkenny did respond with three of their own, but ultimately ran out of time.
Limerick are All-Ireland champions once more, and deservedly so after playing their part in an epic.
Attendance: 82,000 approx
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
Scorers
Limerick: Gearoid Hegarty (1-5), Aaron Gillane (0-7, 0-4f), Diarmaid Byrnes (0-5, 0-3f, 0-1 '65), Kyle Hayes (0-4), Tom Morrissey (0-4), Seamus Flanagan (0-2), Declan Hannon (0-1), Dan Morrissey (0-1), Cathal O'Neill (0-1), Conor Boylan (0-1).
Kilkenny: TJ Reid (0-9, 0-9f), Martin Keoghan (1-1), Billy Ryan (1-0), Adrian Mullen (0-3), Paddy Deegan (0-2), Pádraig Walsh (0-2), Tommy Walsh (0-1), Mikey Carey (0-1), Richie Reid (0-1), Eoin Cody (0-1), David Blanchfield (0-1), Alan Murphy (0-1), Walter Walsh (0-1), John Donnelly (0-1), Richie Hogan (0-1).
Teams
Limerick
1. Nickie Quaid
2. Sean Finn
3. Mike Casey
4. Barry Nash
5. Diarmaid Byrnes
6. Declan Hannon
7. Dan Morrissey
8. William O'Donoghue
9. Darragh O'Donovan
10. Gearoid Hegarty
12. Tom Morrissey
11. Kyle Hayes
13. Aaron Gillane
14. Seamus Flanagan
15. Graeme Mulcahy
Subs
Peter Casey for Graeme Mulcahy (49)
David Reidy for Darragh O'Donovan (52)
Conor Boylan for Seamus Flanagan (60)
Cathal O'Neill for Tom Morrissey (64)
Kilkenny
1. Eoin Murphy
2. Mikey Butler
3. Huw Lawlor
4. Tommy Walsh
5. Michael Carey
6. Richie Reid
7. Paddy Deegan
8. Cian Kenny
9. Conor Browne
10. TJ Reid
11. Padraig Walsh
15. Eoin Cody
13. Adrian Mullen
12. Billy Ryan
14. Martin Keoghan
Subs
Conor Fogarty for Conor Browne (temp - 17-25)
Walter Walsh for Cian Kenny (ht)
John Donnelly for Padraig Walsh (47)
David Blanchfield for Conor Browne (54)
Richie Hogan for Eoin Cody (59)
Alan Murphy for Paddy Deegan (72)
