TWO-time Hurler of the Year Cian Lynch will make his first start after a long injury lay-off when he captains Limerick in Saturday’s important National Hurling League tussle with Clare at the Gaelic Grounds.
Also returning are goalkeeper Nickie Quaid, Kyle Hayes and Peter Casey.
Lynch will be flanked at centre-forward by Gearóid Hegarty and Micheál Houlihan, who makes his league debut.
In the absence of injured Declan Hannon, Dan Morrissey has been handed the number six jersey.
Outside of Houlihan, other first-time starters are Fergal O’Connor and teenager Shane O’Brien.
It’s a repeat of last June’s frantic provincial decider, generally hailed as the greatest Munster final in years.
In the league opener, Limerick slipped-up down in Cork while Clare demolished Westmeath. At Cusack Park on Sunday, Aidan McCarthy, absent for the 2022 season, struck 0-10 in total, five coming from play, while Mark Rodgers and Ian Galvin rustled up 2-02 and 1-03 respectively.
Throw-in time tomorrow is 7pm, and the contest will be refereed by James Owens of Wexford.
Meanwhile, Adam English (0-4) and Colin Coughlan (0-1) both featured for Brian Ryan managed University of Limerick in their runaway, 4-19 to 0-10, home defeat of UCD in the quarter-final of the Fitzgibbon Cup. Michael Kiely of Waterford was the game’s star performer, scoring a hat-trick of goals.
SETU Waterford are next up for UL in the semi-final.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid (Effin); Sean Finn (Bruff), Richie English (Doon), Fergal O’Connor (Effin), Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown), Dan Morrissey (Ahane), Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry); Darragh O’Donovan (Doon), David Reidy (Dromin-Athlacca); Gearóid Hegarty (St. Patrick’s), Cian Lynch, captain, (Patrickswell), Micheál Houlihan (Kilmallock); Shane O’Brien (Kilmallock), Seamus Flanagan (Feoghanagh-Castlemahon), Peter Casey (Na Piarsaigh).
Substitutes: David McCarthy (Glenore), Ciaran Barry (Ahane), Ronan Connolly (Adare), Aaron Costello (Kilmallock), Adam English (Doon), Tom Morrissey (Ahane), Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock), Aidan O’Connor (Ballybrown), Donnacha Ó Dálaigh (Monaleen), Oisin O’Reilly (Kilmallock), Jimmy Quilty (Blackrock).
