Limerick have claimed their fourth All Ireland hurling title in a row after producing a barnstorming second-half performance to overwhelm Kilkenny in Croke Park on Sunday.
Kilkenny looked set to spoil Limerick's party when Paddy Deegan fired in a goal after 42 minutes to give them a 2-10 to 0-11 lead, but Limerick's response was emphatic, outscoring their opponents by 14 points in the last 30 minutes to record a 0-30 to 2-15 victory.
Missing Sean Finn and captain Declan Hannon, Limerick were made to work for their fourth All Ireland title in a row as they came up against a dogged Kilkenny side that led by three points at the break thanks to Eoin Cody's early goal.
Deegan's goal seemed to kick Limerick into life, however, and they reeled off point after point in the closing stages as Kilkenny started to visibly tire.
John Kiely's side have become just the third hurling team in history to win four titles in a row, matching the achievements of the great Cork team from the 1940s and the legendary Kilkenny side from the 2000s.
They have won five of the last six All Ireland titles and will have an opportunity to create history next year when they go for five titles on the spin.
Kilkenny, meanwhile, have now lost their last four All Ireland finals, also losing in 2016, 2019, and 2022.
They have not won the Liam McCarthy Cup since 2015, a veritable famine for a side that has won more All Ireland hurling titles than any other county.
They set themselves up to end that run on Sunday when Cody fired a low shot past Nickie Quaid in the 10th minute and fully deserved their six-point lead midway through the first half.
However, Limerick cut the deficit to just three points before half time, with the exceptional Cian Lynch pulling the strings for Kiely's side.
Kilkenny again started strongly in the second period and established a five-point lead when Deegan hammered a shot past Quaid, hitting the ball so hard that it went through the net and fooled the crowd into thinking it had gone wide.
But it was all Limerick from there. with Peter Casey, Barry Nash, Gearóid Hegarty, and Diarmuid Byrnes all pointing in quick succession to make it a one-point game.
Watch the Full-Time Highlights of Kilkenny v Limerick in the 2023 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final here on #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/COgUUsRKxl
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 23, 2023
Cody, who was aiming to become the youngest All Ireland-winning captain in 48 years, was almost in for a second goal but fired narrowly wide and Limerick soon made him pay when Aaron Gillane pointed to draw the sides level.
TJ Reid nudged Kilkenny back in front with a free, but there was no stopping Limerick's momentum.
Kilkenny simply couldn't get out of their half and saw Limerick rattle off another four points in quick success - this time through Darragh O'Donovan, Gillane, and Byrnes (2).
There were still just two points between the sides as the game entered the final ten minutes, but Limerick outscored Kilkenny by eight points to one, including six unanswered points in a ruthless five-minute spell, to put the game beyond all doubt.
Limerick couldn't miss, with Casey scoring sensational points from all angles in the closing stages.
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