Boats, bikes and cars go green as Limerick gets set for final clash

Christy Keogh with his Limerick Boat outside King John's Castle.

THEY say a rising tide lifts all boats and, on Shannonside, theyโ€™re praying Limerickโ€™s hurlers can lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the third year on the trot this Sunday.

Treaty hurling fans are painting boats, bikes, cars and scooters green and white as All Ireland Final fever heats up ahead of Limerick and Kilkennyโ€™s showdown at Croke Park, July 17.

Beneath a giant Limerick hurling flag emblazoned across King Johnโ€™s Castle, Limerick super-fan Christy Keogh posed for photos standing in his fishing boat, moored on the River Shannon, which he and his brother David painted green and white, unfurled giant hurling flags for sails, and included two giant hurley paddles for steering.

โ€œWe have been doing this since 2018, we stuck a few flags in it and put it out in the river but itโ€™s after blowing out of all proportion now, and every year people are looking for it,โ€ said Christy.

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โ€œYou’re going down the street and people are roaring at you asking, โ€˜when are you putting the boat out?โ€, itโ€™s a bit of craic, a bit of fun, and it puts a smile on peopleโ€™s faces,โ€ he added.

Not as confident in his boat as he is that Limerick will retain the All Ireland on Sunday, Keogh wonโ€™t be sailing to Croker, instead heโ€™ll travel by train to the big match.

โ€œIt sank two weeks ago so we had to repair it but its back in the river again. You wouldn’t be sailing anywhere on this thing.โ€

Keogh, 58, is one of Limerick hurlingโ€™s longest-serving super-fans, โ€œIโ€™m going to matches 50 years, I have a season ticket, I don’t miss a game, this is my thing, I don’t drink nor smoke, this is my thing, going to matches, hurling.โ€

Recalling his memories of Limerickโ€™s All Ireland final win over the Cats in 1973, before Limerick suffered a 45-year All Ireland drought, Keogh joked: โ€œI was only about nine and, to tell you the truth, I didn’t see much of it. All I remember is looking up at fellas cursing and Iโ€™m one of those fellas now.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s what its all about, my father loved the Limerick team and I love them, itโ€™s just my thing I love going to hurling matches, I deck out the house, we put the boat out, itโ€™s great times for Limerick.โ€

Confident of a Limerick win on Sunday, Keogh added: โ€œIโ€™m going to Limerick hurling matches long enough to know the teamโ€™s chances and this Limerick team are one of the very best and they will do it.โ€

Newly elected Mayor Francis Foley raising the Limerick colours in advance of Sunday’s final.

Fans who canโ€™t get a ticket for the big match will surely be green with envy of those who do. However Limerick GAA and Limerick City and County Council have teamed up to provide a big screen event showing the big game live, at the home of Limerick hurling, the TUS Gaelic Grounds, with gates opening from 2pm, Sunday.

Tickets for the event which will include live music and DJs are on sale via Ticketmaster.ie.

Newly elected Limerick Mayor Francis Foley, waving a giant Limerick flag, wished Limerick manager John Kiely, and his champion charges, the โ€œbest of luckโ€ in returning Liam MacCarthy to Shannonside.

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