by John Fallon

When Limerick goalkeeper Nickie Quaid sat down in his home in Effin last November to watch the semi-finals and final of the Fenway Classic the last thing he envisaged is that he would be heading to this year’s event as an All-Ireland champion.

But now Limerick are hoping to round off their glorious year by winning the Aer Lingus Fenway Hurling Classic in Boston on Sunday.

“I’d say it was the furthest thing from my mind a year ago when I was watching it. We were after having a disappointing year, we didn’t get promoted in the league and the championship didn’t go that well for us.

“At that stage we were only starting to look at getting back into it and seeing if we could improve. By November you tend to be putting the year behind you and starting to look forward and that matches from Fenway sort of came in the middle of that process last year.

“But it shows how quickly things can change. Galway were the All-Ireland champions then, Clare won the Fenway Classic and Tipp and Dublin also competed.

“It never even crossed my mind that we might be in it the next time it happened, let alone be heading over to Boston as All-Ireland champions,” said the 29-year old.

And when they boarded their Aer Lingus flight in Dublin Airport yesterday (FRI) morning they knew they were heading away to become the first Limerick team since 1974 to play a match abroad.

Back then Limerick, having won the 1973 All-Ireland final against Kilkenny, headed to San Francisco to take on the All-Stars.

Limerick will head away on a team holiday just after Christmas but Quaid said the squad were really looking forward to this weekend’s trip to Boston, not least as they haven’t spent much time together as a group since their All-Ireland final win over Galway in August.

“Most of the lads were busy with their clubs after the All-Ireland, the Na Piarsaigh boys are still on the go, so there haven’t been many occasions for us all to get together and that makes this weekend special as well for us.

“We have seen in the past couple of years that teams take this seriously and we will be doing the same. It won’t be like championship or anything like that but we will be going there to win and the other three counties will be doing the same.

“There is a competitive streak there in all of us and we will see that in Boston this weekend. We are looking forward to it. We see it as the last couple of games of 2018 and it has been a great year for us.

Nickie Quaid is, of course, continuing a great family line of Limerick players. His late father Tommy was in goal when Galway beat them in the 1980 All-Ireland final, while his grandfather Jack won a Munster SHC medal in 1955, and cousin Joe is a former All-Star goalkeeper.

And Quaid is looking forward to a busy time in Boston given that the format only allows goals to be scored.

“The main reason any of us became goalkeepers was for shot-stopping, all the other stuff came afterwards, so to have a competition with only goals is great for us. We will certainly be busier this weekend but sure you wouldn’t have it any other way,” he added as he hopes to bring the curtain down on their glorious year in style.

Limerick will Wexford in the second semi-final on Sunday with the winners taking on either Cork or Clare in the final. All three games will be broadcast live by TG4, starting at 5.30pm Irish time on Sunday.

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