A first Division 1 title for Limerick in three years and fourth under John Kiely was delivered in a free-strewn final in TUS Gaelic Grounds.
Losing their league crown, Cork won’t be perturbed by their second defeat to their neighbours in four weeks. The game lacked intensity at times and an atmosphere despite the 41,678 crowd.
Aaron Gillane helped himself to 1-7 as Limerick pushed away in the closing minutes of normal time, having seen a six-point lead cut to two by the 66th minute.
After losing his way a little towards the end of the first half, Aidan O’Connor rediscovered his marksmanship skills with three converted frees in the opening 12 minutes.
Gillane’s second point put them six up in the 48th minute, while his third point eight minutes later restored Limerick’s six-point cushion before Cork sprang back with three in less than two minutes.
Gillane forced another save from Patrick Collins in the 64th minute. Diarmaid Byrnes converted the resultant 65 only for Alan Connolly to restore the three-point difference.
The new 30-metre dissent rule was utilised by referee Shane Hynes when Mark Coleman contested a free awarded to Gearóid Hegarty and Gillane duly capitalised with the free. Hegarty then posted a point himself and Gillane weaved his way to a fifth point to seal the victory for Limerick.
Limerick’s attacks were bellowed by the breeze in the first half.
The first six scores in the opening seven minutes were Limerick’s, two of them directly from Cork puck-outs. Adam English picked off the first couple of points, the second after a Cork restart was preyed upon.
Diarmaid Byrnes rose above Darragh Fitzgibbon to claim another Collins puck-out in the seventh minute and sent it back over the Cork goalkeeper’s head.
Two minutes later, Byrnes was in the red when he inexplicably sent a pass intended for Nickie Quaid to Brian Hayes, who found the net.
Limerick twice led by six points before Gillane’s goal.
At that stage, nobody would have predicted Limerick scoring just two further points in the half. Four consecutive Alan Connolly frees gave Cork a foothold in the game that they craved.
A couple of Aidan O’Connor wides from placed balls deflated Limerick and Fitzgibbon, and Connolly scored either side of a Gearóid Hegarty point.
Tommy O’Connell, one of Cork’s best, made a great hook on English as he attempted to unload towards the Cork net in the 34th minute.
Another Limerick goal opening came seconds later, and Hynes had played advantage and blew for it just before Lynch bungled the sliotar over the line.
A row ensued, which saw English and O’Connell booked and the free was altered to a throw-in, which Cork won, O’Connell broke from and found Hayes to give the Munster champions a seismic boost before half-time.
