NOT just a group nor even a team, according to Barry Nash, but a family.
It was a neat way of summing up the unity that exists within this Limerick group, all of which came flooding to the fore during an incredible second-half performance at Croke Park yesterday.
“I know it sounds a bit cliched but that’s exactly what it is,” said Limerick defender Nash of the family remark.
“We’ve phenomenal men in that dressing-room, and women as well. And look, it’s just an incredible feeling.”
Trying to explain that display in the final 30 minutes or so was like trying to put words on a Picasso masterpiece but Nash did his best.
The most glaring statistic is that Limerick outscored Kilkenny by 0-19 to 0-5 from the 44th minute.
“The intensity was through the roof,” said Nash.
“But sure we knew that coming into the game, that it would have to be. Kilkenny are a phenomenal team. We’ve had some tremendous battles with them over the years, going right back into our early careers.
“And we knew what was coming today, those guys are incredible hurlers and I think they don’t get the credit that they deserve. They’re an unbelievable team.
“It was a fantastic game for anyone watching I’d say. Kilkenny were ahead, we came back. It was that type of game, just really high intensity.”
Peter Casey struck the point that ignited Limerick after the 44th-minute Paddy Deegan goal for Kilkenny. Nash nabbed the next one and suddenly Limerick were off. It turned out there was no stopping them after that.
“Look, we’re cool, calm and collected,” explained Nash.
“We’re a very composed team. I suppose we didn’t really get into much of a flow in the first half but I also know the men that were on the field with us there and the boys who came off the bench.
‘‘I know what we can do and you could see it in the second half, there were scores going over from everywhere. Once we got into that sort of rhythm, it takes some team to stop us.”
Casey came thundering into the game in the second half, as did Diarmaid Byrnes and substitute Cathal O’Neill while Gearoid Hegarty, Kyle Hayes and David Reidy got in on the blitzkrieg too.
But captain Cian Lynch was their beating heartbeat throughout, even when things were going against Limerick in the first half.
“I think he’s going to go down as one of the greatest hurlers that ever played the game – if not already,” said Nash.
“They don’t call him the nickname ‘The Magician’ for nothing. When Declan Hannon went down with the injury, Ciano really stood up. He took the charge, he took that leadership role in that Galway game. He’s an incredible man and I can’t say enough about him.”
Nash grew up watching the great Kilkenny team of the 2000s secure the game’s last four-in-a-row. Beating them now to match the achievement must have been sweeet?
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet that we’re getting to that level,” said Nash.
“To beat Kilkenny any day of the week is a phenomenal achievement. The tradition in that county, the hurlers that they have, it’s a great achievement any time you do it.”
