Cork v Limerick: Two changes to Rebels side for Munster final

None of Cork’s injured trio of captain Robert Downey, Niall O’Leary or Declan Dalton has recovered sufficiently to start Saturday’s Munster SHC final against Limerick at TUS Gaelic Grounds (6pm).

All three missed the Rebels’ last round-robin game, the victory at home to Waterford a fortnight ago, but, while Ger Millerick – who sustained a broken finger against the Déise – was ruled out of the decider, the others remained in contention.

Both Downey (hamstring) and O’Leary (groin) have been ed fit enough to take their places on the substitutes’ bench but Dalton, who, like O’Leary, was forced off in the loss to Limerick on May 18, is still hampered by his hamstring problem.

With Millerick out, there is a change in the full-back line as Damien Cahalane comes in to the side at number 2 while Lisgoold’s Diarmuid Healy is given his first championship start, replacing Brian Roche in the half-forward line.

Darragh Fitzgibbon, who reverted to midfield alongside Tim O’Mahony for the Waterford match after a stint at centre-forward, reclaims the number 9 jersey while Shane Barrett, who captains the team in Downey’s absence, is at centre-forward, flanked by Healy and Séamus Harnedy.

The full-forward line of Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly and Brian Hayes is – apart from Patrick Collins in goal – the only sector of the pitch that has had the same starters for all of Cork’s matches to date.

Cahalane, who last championship start was away to Waterford at the beginning of the 2024 campaign, s Eoin Downey and Seán O’Donoghue in the full-back line while Ciarán Joyce is named at centre-back with Cormac O’Brien and Mark Coleman on the wings.

From the last Cork team to win the Munster title, beating Clare in 2018, there are six surviving starters – Cahalane, O’Donoghue, Coleman, Fitzgibbon, Harnedy and Horgan – while subs Luke Meade, Conor Lehane and Shane Kingston also started that day. Robbie O’Flynn, another sub, came on in that match.

Limerick have of course won the six editions of the provincial championship in the interim. Cork’s last Munster final against the Shannonsiders was in 2014, when Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s side secured victory in the last inter-county match at the old Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Cahalane played at left half-back that day while Horgan (0-8, 0-6 frees), Lehane (0-5) and Harnedy (1-2) all scored in a 2-24 to 0-24 victory.

Having lost by 16 points in their trip to Limerick three weeks ago, Cork are aiming to turn the tables in the final – in the round-robin era, there have been two instances of this happening. In 2019, Limerick avenged their earlier defeat to Tipperary while in 2023 they bounced back from a home loss to Clare to beat the Banner County in the decider.

The Limerick team has 14 of the same starters as the counties' last clash. Aidan O'Connor comes in at full-forward for his first championship start, with Shane O'Brien the missing man.

CORK (Munster SHC final v Limerick): 

Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig); 

Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra);

Cormac O’Brien (Newtownshandrum), Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), Mark Coleman (Blarney); 

Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville); 

Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold), Shane Barrett (Blarney), Séamus Harnedy (St Ita’s); 

Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers), Alan Connolly (Blackrock), Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s).

Subs: Brion Saunderson (Midleton), Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), Robert Downey (Glen Rovers), Tommy O’Connell (Midleton), Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s), Luke Meade (Newcestown), Conor Lehane (Midleton), Shane Kingston (Douglas), Jack O’Connor (Sarsfields), Robbie O’Flynn (Erin’s Own), Brian Roche (Bride Rovers).

LIMERICK (Munster SHC final v Cork): 

Nickie Quaid (Effin); 

Seán Finn (Bruff), Dan Morrissey (Ahane); Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh); 

Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), Kyle Hayes (Kildimo/Pallaskenry), Barry Nash (South Liberties); 

Adam English (Doon), Will O'Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh); 

Gearóid Hegarty (St Patrick's), Cian Lynch (Patrickswell), Tom Morrissey (Ahane); 

Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell), Aidan O'Connor (Ballybrown), David Reidy (Dromin/Athlacca).

Subs: Shane Dowling (Na Piarsaigh), Peter Casey (Na Piarsaigh), Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown), Séamus Flanagan (Feohanagh/Castlemahon), Declan Hannon (Adare), Barry Murphy (Doon), Shane O'Brien (Kilmallock), Donnacha Ó Dálaigh (Monaleen), Darragh O'Donovan (Doon), Paddy O'Donovan (Effin), Cathal O'Neill (Crecora/Manister).