Cork defeat Limerick in penalty shootout to land first Munster SHC crown in seven years
June 07, 2025
Cork players celebrate after the Munster SHC final victory over Limerick ©INPHO/James Crombie
Cork are Munster senior hurling champions for the first time since 2018 after coming out on top in a penalty shootout with Limerick at the TUS Gaelic Grounds this evening.
After 90 minutes couldn’t separate the sides (2-27 to 1-30), it came down to penalties in this epic with Pat Ryan’s men holding their nerve to capture the Mick Mackey Cup and deny their opponents a seven-in-a-row of provincial titles.
The Rebels had been 0-8 to 0-5 in front when Aidan O’Connor struck the decider’s first goal on 19 minutes for the holders, but six minutes later the sliotar would be in the Shannonsiders' net via Shane Barrett as Cork moved on towards a 1-14 to 1-10 lead at the half.
Limerick halved their deficit in the opening minutes of the restart prior to a Pat Horgan free making it a three-point game and then Shane O’Brien’s well taken goal in the 47th minute squaring the sides.
They’d be level five more times from there to the full-time whistle, with a Horgan free sending the game to extra time where John Kiely’s team went two up early on through Aaron Gillane prior to Shane Kingston and Conor Lehan making sure the sides were honours even again.
Referee Thomas Walsh went off with cramp during the opening period of extra time, having to be replaced by fellow official James Owens, as the ferocious pace kept up in the last 10 minutes with a potential winner from Gillane (free) being cancelled out by Darragh Fitzgibbon’s ‘65’ at the death to force penalties.
Limerick scored their first penalty, while Cork missed theirs, but Conor Lehane, Shane Kingston and Alan Conolly all netted after that for Leesiders ahead of Declan Hannon sending the last one wide which sealed the Rebel County's 55th Munster SHC triumph.
The newly crowned Munster champions now have a four-week break until a Saturday All-Ireland semi-final date with either Tipperary, the Joe McDonagh Cup runners-up or the Leinster runners-up, while Limerick are up against either Dublin or the Joe McDonagh Cup winners in the quarter-finals the weekend after next.
TweetRob Downey lifts the Mick Mackey Cup as Cork win the Munster Hurling Championship, beating Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds. #rtegaa pic.twitter.com/9EV6VFtSKU
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 7, 2025
