John Kiely believes Shane Dowling still has a lot to offer at inter-county level.

The poacher-turned-goalkeeper made a sensational return to the Limerick senior hurling panel after a four-and-half-year absence last month after first-choice goalkeeper Nickie Quaid was ruled out of the 2025 campaign with an ACL injury. The Sunday Game panellist kept goal for Na Piarsaigh in this year's Limerick SHC and will provide competition to Jason Gillane and Conor Hanley for the number one jersey.

Still only 31, Dowling was forced to retire through injury in 2020 after playing a crucial role in Limerick's first Liam MacCarthy Cup triumph in 45 years two years earlier - he scored a goal in the final win over Galway.

“Shane has gone and gotten involved with his own club over the last three or four years playing in goals and anyone that has been attending the club games in that period will know that Shane has had a huge impact with Na Piarsaigh and has played exceptionally well in that role,” Kiely told Limerick's Live 95FM.

“Not only in terms of his puck-outs, but his distribution of the ball in general, his ability to come out and take long-range frees and his shot stopping has been exceptional as well. Shane is a superb goalkeeper and that's the reason that we spoke.”

The Limerick manager added: “It was a huge decision for him to come back into the group to have a shot off this, but we wouldn't be true to ourselves if we didn't go and explore every single avenue that we have as a management team.”

Meanwhile, Kiely has bolstered his backroom team with the addition of 2020 Munster MHC winning coach Ger Barry.

The Killeedy man joins Paul Kinnerk, Alan Cunningham, John Flavin and fellow newcomer Liam Cronin in the management set-up for 2025.

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