Remember the name.
No opponent had the ability to lay a glove on this Limerick under-21 side all the way to Saturday’s All-Ireland final, and though many expected Eddie Brennan’s Kilkenny to provide a stern test, there was only one team at the races in Semple Stadium, and that was the Treaty County.
Limerick flew out of the blocks in Thurles, with Peter Casey showing poise and finesse in the early stages, as his fleeting, purposeful movement wreaked havoc in the Kilkenny backline.
Casey lit the touch paper, and his Limerick teammates followed in hot-pursuit with Ronan Lynch dominating in the half-back line, Colin Ryan winning the breaks in midfield, while Barry Nash and Aaron Gillane were showing near telepathic understanding with the flawless Na Piarsaigh man in the forward line.
Limerick went into the half-time interval fully deserving of their seven point cushion, on a scoreline of 0-11 0-4, and not even your most biased Kilkenny man could argue with that.
Limerick were tenacious, faster to the breaks, adept under the high ball, structured in defence and insatiable in attack, and if there was one man who exuded all of the above traits, it was their undeniable midfielder Robbie Hanley.
The Kilmallock club man was everywhere on Saturday. He thundered into Kilkenny’s high rated duo of Luke Scanlon and Richie Leahy, hounding, hassling and harrying every ball that came their way.
The most impressive thing about Hanley’s performance, however, was his reading of the game. He got onto the breaks, he anticipated the loose balls, everything he did seemed to be the right decision.
The C.I.T student was a member of Limerick’s senior panel this year, but didn’t get much of a look in.
As they attempt to bring a halt to their trend of winning under-21 titles, but not seeing them translate to senior success, this man, along with many other of his teammates will be key to that trend.
In the end Limerick won out on a scoreline of 0-17 to 0-11, and nobody could argue with that.
@johnnymc116 @officialgaa @LimerickCLG Robbie Hanley outstanding so far #limvkk
— Podge langton (@elpodge) September 9, 2017
Might have taken ten mins to get a score in second half but what play by Robbie Hanley #LuimneachAbu #believe @BGEGAA #BGEu21
— Geraldine Neenan (@geraldineneenan) September 9, 2017
Kilmallock's Robbie Hanley driving @LimerickCLG on in U21 final, lead 0-12 0-4 (42)
— Tony Leen (@tonyleen) September 9, 2017
