NEWCASTLE West became the first team in an age to win three-in-a-row Limerick Senior Football Championships courtesy of a thrilling 3-5 to 0-13 defeat of modern day rivals Adare at the Gaelic Grounds.
Not since Treaty Sarsfields (1973-1975) has any club enjoyed such supremacy on Shannonside.
Some quality points from Hugh Bourke and the Connolly brothers, David and Ronan, helped Adare into a strong position early-on but a brace of goals from an alert Eoin Hurley – voted player-of-the-match – leap-frogged NCW into a surprise 2-2 to 0-7 half-time lead.
Another three-pointer after the restart through Bryan Nix had the Magpies in pole position, but stubborn Adare were still in the mix late-on thanks to efforts from Bourke.
In a hectic finish, Jimmy Lee’s impressive outfit held out to win by the narrowest of margins.
Iain Corbett captained the historic NCW side.
Elsewhere, Mungret St. Paul’s – Club of the Year in Limerick – clinched two county football titles.
In the Intermediate Final, Kevin O’Hagan-managed Mungret breezed past Dromcollogher/Broadford (1-8 to 1-3).
James Killian scored the game’s only goal, while captain John Hutton impressed with three points.
In the Junior A Final, Cian O’Doherty-captained Mungret were comfortable, 2-16 to 0-8, winners over Camogue Rovers.
Teenage Luke Walsh kicked a whopping ten points, eight of which were from play.
