It was a fine evening in mid August, and the sun was low in the sky. The crowds were streaming away from Semple Stadium, some from Limerick with their heads down, some from Tipperary who were happier. Mark Bourke the Tipperary No.24 had scored the insurance point to put Tipperary four points ahead as the clock ticked to the end. The two-year Limerick stranglehold on under-21 hurling had been broken. Larry Corbett had won an under 21 medal, Eoin Kelly had added a second to the one he won in 1999. Or so everyone thought. The scene was the Munster under-21 final replay of 2002, and contrary to opinion on the night, the game was not yet over.

Mark Bourke was still celebrating when Timmy Houlihan took the puck out. Niall Moran and Mark Keane went up for it, but it missed them both, dropping and rolling slowly toward Andrew O’Shaughnessy. He turned and drove through, leaving his marker for dead, before producing one of the greatest finishes ever executed with the boot, in the game of hurling. He didn’t break stride in the art of scoring and it was an excellent finish. Seconds later, the tigerish Maurice O’Brien, drove out of defence with the ball, but had the ball flicked from his stick over the line. Eoin Foley took the sideline from under the Kinane Stand. Kevin Tobin blocked it, gathered it and drove it over the bar for an equaliser that will never be forgotten. The rest is history. Of all the memorable moments during the three-in-a-row, that is the one that sticks out in the memory of most supporters. Some would feel that the comeback that it was a bad thing, because it added to the air of invincibility surrounding the under 21’s.

Nine years on, barring a u-turn from the new Limerick management, it appears as though the intercounty career of Kevin Tobin has come to an end. His low number of championship appearances for Limerick is astonishing, given his level of natural ability. Three starts, eight substitute appearances, scoring ten points, many of which were flashed over from long range at critical times in games. Having been at every Murroe/Boher championship game last year, this writer is well placed to say that he was one of the players of the championship. Another 2002 hero given his P45 is James O’Brien of Bruree. We lack ball-winning forwards and James O’Brien is one of those. If only successive management teams had the patience to make James O’Brien a permanent fixture in the half forward line from 2003 to 2006 or so, and wait for him to come good, we might have one problem position less these days. Patrick Kirby, Shane O’Neill and Barry Hennessy could be forgiven for feeling that they had something to offer. Donie Reale has been released this week when it would have made sense to let him alone until LIT were finished, and then give him a fair crack of the whip. Obviously there isn’t room for everyone within the confines of a panel, but if Mike O’Brien and Donie Ryan are seen as horses for courses, then there’s surely a suitable course for Kevin Tobin and James O’Brien in particular. I sincerely hope that the management leave the door ajar.

There are some new kids in town. Kevin Downes, Declan Hannon, and Seanie Tobin. Hannon comes with a big reputation, and to be honest in Limerick we need to quell these reputations. There is a lot of talk about what Hannon achieved for Adare against Newtownshandrum in the Munster club championship of 2009, but people have forgotten that another youngster, Denis Maher of Thurles Sarsfields surpassed that against them in the next round. We need to keep things low key, and while the success of Ard Scoil Ris exposes our youngsters to high level colleges hurling, we must do our utmost to ensure that the success is not counter productive.

Stephen Lucey and Mark O’Riordan are playing football and one suspects that this will remain the case as long as there isn’t a fixture pile up. However Dónal O’Grady waited until May 2003 to tell Tom Kenny and Sean Óg that they wouldn’t be selected on the hurling team if they were playing football. The footballers didn’t get a great start in the league today, despite starting with eleven members of the team that should have won last years Munster final. Barring a trend where all teams beat each other, Limerick cannot afford to lose another game and realistically gain promotion. Therefore fixture clashes in final stages of the league may not be a problem

It will be an interesting spring in both codes and away trips to Down, Antrim and Carlow in hurling will make it a scenic route toward promotion. All things being equal, the result in Ennis next Sunday should purely decide who finishes first and second in the group, with both teams expected to make the League final. While the potential to slip up in Belfast is there, Limerick need to be surviving those sort of tests to realistically be in a position to challenge Waterford in the Munster championship.

PS: The amount of one-handed hurling in the game today between Ard Scoil Ris and St Flannans was infuriating. Just before half time, the Ard Scoil Ris left half back, went to pick up the ball under the stand with two hands on the hurley, but chose to use one hand instead. Needless to say his man came in, up scuttled his plans and the ball went over the bar. A horribly bad habit. If you liked this article, tell other people about it...