Liam Cahill and John Kiely marked each other in a Tipperary-Limerick legends match in aid of The Alzheimer Society of Ireland last year. The only time they went toe to toe on the hurling field. On Sunday, they will go head to head on the sideline.
"We played a charity match about twelve months ago up in Nenagh," Cahill recalls. "I can safely say that fitness levels would have to be questioned on the day! We were both drawing air early! Between trying to catch our breath, we had a good chat while the match was going on."
Cahill and Kiely were on opposing sides in the 1996 Munster final and replay. Cahill at corner forward for Tipperary wearing 13, Kiely on the bench for Limerick wearing 24. The man in the yellow helmet scored 1-3 from play as the Premier County led by ten points at half time. A late Frankie Carroll point earned Limerick a replay and the Shannonsiders prevailed at the second time of asking. "I still think about that when it comes up in conversation. It probably was an ageing Tipperary team at the time but that’s not taking away from Limerick, they hurled until the end. I’d be a little bit disappointed myself, I had a right chance ten minutes into the second half to put the game fully to bed and I blazed it wide. Had that gone in, that Limerick team mightn’t have gone on to contest the All Ireland that year. Nobody knows, that’s sport, that’s the joys of sport and that’s what happens when you don’t take your chances."
He admires the job John Kiely has done with Limerick. “The couple of times I’ve met John Kiely, he is a real hurling man. He’s a gentleman to speak to. He is principal of Abbey CBS in Tipperary Town which is a big job and takes good organisation and he has brought those skills to management. They’re very well organised. As a unit, they tick all the boxes and that’s down to the structures he has given them since he took on the job. He has set unbelievable standards and brought through a lot of young players from their academy. I’m sure he doesn’t do complacency and he’ll have his troops well ready for Sunday.”
Listen back to the full interview with Liam Cahill from Friday's Lár Na Páirce.
https://www.spreaker.com/user/wlrfm/larnapaircenov13p1
