Former Tipperary star Shane McGrath described Limerick’s dominant display in the second period of last Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC final as “perhaps the greatest half of hurling” he’s witnessed

The Treaty men caught fire after Paddy Deegan’s 41st minute and it saw them totalling 21 points in the second-half altogether on route to a fourth Liam MacCarthy Cup on the bounce.

Writing in his final RTE Sport column for 2023, McGrath said the dominance portrayed by John Kiely’s team is “scary for the rest of us”.

“Perhaps the greatest half of hurling I have witnessed and to do all that in an All-Ireland final, when the pressure is at its highest with the prize so massive, it's the stuff of dreams for players and management alike,” he wrote.

“Credit to Kilkenny, they gave all they had for as long as they could but they never had Limerick on the ropes or in real bother, and when Limerick sensed blood, they went for the kill.

“There are lots of stats floating around, but here's one that emphasises Limerick’s dominance in the second half. After Paddy Deegan’s goal, the next five scores were recorded by Limerick, followed by one Kilkenny point, then the next six scores were from Limerick, then a Kilkenny point, and the next five scores came from Limerick.

“Man of the match Peter Casey had one point scored by the 59th minute and four points scored by the 63rd minute.

“Complete dominance from a complete group, who will only be stronger next year, with players returning from injury and competition shooting up with the younger guys gaining a world of experience this year and wanting to be on that field of play next year. It's scary for the rest of us. Well done Limerick – we look on with envy but also huge respect and scratch our heads as to finding a way to beat you.”

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