The John Doyle Cup returns to Tipperary after minor hurlers clinch Munster title!
Tipperary defeated Limerick in the Munster Minor Hurling Championship final on Friday evening
Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Championship Final
Tipperary 3-16
Limerick 0-18
The Tipperary minor hurling class of 2026 secured a 43rd Munster crown after seeing out an incredibly tough battle and duel with Limerick in FBD Semple Stadium on Friday evening.
Two first-half goals from Conall Morrison and KJ Dunne, and a late, late major 20 seconds again from Morrison, who would deservedly pick up the man of the match award, would prove pivotal for the victors, who never really hit their straps at any point.
Morrison’s contribution of 2-4 from play was the winning contribution for Tipperary, who huffed and puffed but eventually found the necessary quality late in the second half to put to bed a vicious Limerick challenge.
Glacial pace in terms of action, the workrate and honest endeavour was the winning attribute in the first half, mostly on the Limerick side as the Treaty came with a raw physicality and work ethic.
They were travelling to play, despite a tetchy start in which Tipperary managed to fizz into a 1-1 to nil lead after four minutes; Conall Morrison’s goal was one of great fortune after his attempted point dropped short, deceiving the Limerick goalie, who spilt the ball into the net.
Limerick were bringing intensity, though, and had two points on the board within three minutes to take the sting out of that goal concession thanks to fine scores from Daire Long and Shane Waters, but Shane Ryan had a three-point lead re-established for Tipp in the eighth minute.
Tipp would go ten minutes without another score from here; however, Limerick deployed a sweeper to stifle the well-touted and dangerous inside forward line, and this worked to good effect due to the relentless harrying of the Limerick attackers on the ball by Tipperary players, preventing pinpoint deliveries.
It was certainly frustrating the Tipperary flow, and they were making hay at the other end too, with Ryan Foley, Jack Roche, and Shane Waters (two frees) picking off well-executed points, and after Chris Dunne had ended a long wait for a score in the 16th minute, it was level pegging at 1-3 to 0-6.
Dunne added another free to give Tipp a short-lived lead three minutes later, but Limerick were in the groove, and that was epitomised by Xavier Neligan’s sublime sideline cut under the shadow of the stand that floated beautifully over the bar.
Tipp needed to get the dangerous trio of Zach O’Keeffe, Chris Dunne, and KJ Dunne more involved. A moment that brought two of the three to life in the 23rd minute should have ended with a goal, when KJ Dunne popped a lovely stick pass in behind the Limerick half-back line to Conor Kennedy, who found Chris Dunne in space inside the 21, but the Gortnahoe man just took too long with his effort and was hooked.
Although a big miss, it set off a sequence of chances before the break for the attacking unit, and after Limerick had taken a 0-9 to 1-4 lead in the 27th minute, Tipp finished the half strongly, getting the scores to go with it.
Conall Morrison picked off a badly needed point before the Moyle Rovers man was involved in a goal chance a minute later, denied a shot at goal by a brilliant defensive block, before Limerick repeated the feat with the break on Zach O’Keeffe. However, luck was on Tipp’s side as the final ball dropped to KJ Dunne, who danced around a defender to rifle a low shot home from close range.
Chris Dunne (free) and Eamon O’Sullivan traded points in added time, as Tipperary took a 2-6 to 0-10 lead at the interval, against the run of play, it must be said.
Tipperary were a bit more aggressive and fluid in their play upon the restart, and hit three of the opening four scores of the half with Eanna Tucker, Chris Dunne and Conall Morrison putting Tipp ahead by 2-9 to 0-11 after 40 minutes.
Limerick’s threat up front was increasing too, and Tipp had a stroke of luck when a Limerick goal was chalked off for a square ball after a strong run from Eamon O’Sullivan ended with the ball in the back of the net.
The Treaty had dragged it back to a three-point game by the three-quarter mark with Eamon O’Sullivan and Shane Waters the main men, and again, they had a goal chance to level after 47 minutes.
Diarmuid Crowe’s strong run led to an overlap that put substitute John Ross O’Reilly within breathing distance of the goal, but the bravery and quickness of Eoin Connolly in the Tipperary goal brilliantly denied Limerick what could have been a game-changing major.
The warning signs were there, so Tipp needed to up the gears, and they duly obliged with four points in a row between the 48th and 55th minute, with Conall Morrison getting that sequence of scores up and running with a ridiculous catch and conversion off the back foot.
Frees from Chris Dunne and James Finn were amongst that flurry, while KJ Dunne set up Eanna Tucker for the other, as the game was going into its final and most critical stages with five minutes left.
Limerick were throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Tipp, it must be said, but the home side’s resilience held firm and it was left to man of the match Conall Morrison to end the tie late on, with a long ball breaking in behind for the Moyle Rovers man who made no mistake to finish to the net and lift the roof off the new stand in Thurles.
A brilliant win for the minor hurlers, who you could say never hit the heights of previous performances, but they managed to eventually find the gears to pull away from a tough Limerick challenge.
Scorers: Tipperary: Conall Morrison 2-4, Chris Dunne (0-6, 0-4f, 0-1 65), Eanna Tucker 0-3, KJ Dunne 1-0, Shane Ryan, James Finn, Zach O’Keeffe all 0-1 each.
Limerick: Shane Waters (0-8, 0-4f, 0-1 65), Jack Roche, Eamon O’Sullivan 0-2 each, Xavier Neligan 0-1 sl-cut, Daire Long, Ryan Foley, John O’Riordan, Gavin O’Brien, Rian Horgan all 0-1 each.
Tipperary: Eoin Connolly (Carrick Swans); Colm Ryan (Newport), Daniel Groome (Borris-Ileigh), Conor Collins (Galtee Rovers); Oisin Kennedy (Newport), James Finn (Golden Kilfeacle), Travis McLoughlin (Cahir); Shane Ryan (Borris-Ileigh), Hugo Healy (Kilruane MacDonaghs); Conor Kennedy (Clonoulty Rossmore), Conall Morrison (Moyle Rovers), Eanna Tucker (Nenagh Éire Óg); Zach O’Keeffe (Holycross Ballycahill), Chris Dunne (Gortnahoe Glengoole), KJ Dunne (Toomevara).
Subs used: Ciaran Gantley (Cappawhite) for Healy (42)); Ciaran O’Mahony (Thurles Sarsfields) for McLoughlin (42); Rian McGrath (Kiladangan) for Tucker (52);
Limerick: Sam Collins (Crecora/Manister); Rowan Collins (Adare), William Ryan (Murroe Boher), Sam Mitchell (Knockainey); Eoin Hennessy (Patrickswell), Conor Ryan (Monaleen), John O’Riordan (Bruff); Xavier Neligan (Kilmallock), Jack Roche (Blackrock); Diarmuid Crowe (Doon), Ryan Foley (Patrickswell), Shane Waters (Na Piarsaigh); Eamon O’Sullivan (Adare), Danny O’Grady (Granagh Ballingarry), Daire Long (Pallasgreen).
Subs used: Jack McCarthy (Ballybrown) for Mitchell (HT); Rian Horgan (Murroe Boher) for O’Grady (35); Gavin O’Brien (Kilmallock) for Long (41); John Ross O’Reilly (Ballybrown) for O’Sullivan (41); Cian Hickey (Crecora/Manister) for Foley (57).
Referee: Seaghan Walsh (Waterford)