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‘Next man up’ key to Limerick success – Flanagan
Former Limerick hurler Seamus Flanagan says the county's strength in depth, its "next man up" mentality, will be key when they face Galway in Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final at Croke Park. Flanagan, who won five All-Ireland titles with Limerick before stepping away from the panel at the end of last season, believes that even though the team has not hit the heights of the early 2020s, their pool of potential match-winners makes them dangerous opposition as they chase a clean sweep of every trophy on offer in 2026.
Limerick have already secured the league and Munster titles this year and reached the final courtesy of a "smash and grab" semi-final win over Clare, with Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Aidan O'Connor and Adam English combining for a late winning goal. Flanagan contrasted the current final with 2018, when Limerick ended a 45-year wait for the title against a more experienced Galway side; he now feels Galway hold an edge in big-match experience, but rates Limerick's management duo of John Kiely and Paul Kinnerk highly for their game-planning ahead of the 15:30 BST throw-in.
In short
- Limerick face Galway in Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final at Croke Park.
- Ex-player Flanagan credits Limerick's squad depth as a key strength.
- Limerick have already won the league and Munster titles this year.
Explained simply
The All-Ireland hurling final is the championship match for hurling, one of Ireland's national sports. Limerick and Galway will compete on Sunday at Croke Park, Dublin, with the winner crowned the best hurling team in the country. Limerick is seeking to win every major trophy available after already winning the league and Munster championships this year.
Limerick reached the final by beating Clare in the semi-final with a dramatic winning goal in the closing stages. The county won multiple All-Ireland titles in the early 2020s but has not quite replicated those heights since.
Galway last played in an All-Ireland final in 2018, when they lost to Limerick, who were ending a 45-year drought without the title. This gives Galway valuable experience of competing in the sport's biggest matches.
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