FOLLOWING the last round of group fixtures, the line-ups for both the Munster and Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Finals were confirmed.
As long anticipated, Limerick and Cork will contest the southern showpiece at Páirc Uà Chaoimh on Sunday week (2pm, June 7), on the eve of which surprise packets Dublin meet Galway at Croke Park.
It will be a remarkable eighth final appearance on the trot for John Kiely’s charges.
In a comprehensive 5-27 to 0-25 outcome that tied with their record championship win of 1947 over Tipperary, Limerick enthralled their supporters, who were the lion’s share of the healthy 30,000 attendance at a sun-soaked Gaelic Grounds.
With early goals from Aaron Gillane and Diarmaid Byrnes, the Shannonsiders were 2-12 to 0-14 ahead at half-time, and on the resumption quickly put matters to bed with rapid-fire three-pointers from Diarmaid Byrnes and O’Connor again.
The fifth green flag came courtesy of a second from Gillane.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; SeánFinn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey (0-01); Diarmaid Byrnes (1-3), William O’Donoghue, Kyle Hayes; Adam English (0-1), Darragh O’Donovan (0-1); Gearoid Hegarty (0-02), Cian Lynch, captain, (0-2), Cathal O’Neill (0-2); Peter Casey (0-1), Aaron Gillane (2-0), Aidan O’Connor (2-7)
Substitutes used: Barry Nash (0-1), Tom Morrissey (0-4), David Reidy, Shane O’Brien (0-2), Colin Coughlan.