'You'd love another crack at it' Limerick's Cian Lynch penalties v replay debate

Irish Daily Mirror

11-06-2025

Cian Lynch had no idea that last Saturday's Munster final would go to penalties and admitted that he would have welcomed a replay instead.
Limerick relinquished their grip on the Mick Mackey Cup that they had held since 2019 as they lost a shootout 3-2 after they and Cork couldn't be separated after extra time.
Albeit two Ulster football finals have been decided in this fashion, the concept of penalties to decide major inter-county games is a relatively new one in the GAA, and it was only after Darragh Fitzgibbon's late, late 65 levelled the game yet again at the end of extra time that Lynch realised that the tie would be decided in his fashion.
It was the first time that it had happened in a top tier Championship game in hurling.
The Limerick captain said: 'I suppose in my own head initially, you think there's going to be an extra five minutes each half. Because that's the way it was before, wasn't it?
'But I suppose when it's said it's penalties, you just accept that and that's obviously the way it is.'
Still, if the prospect of a replay rather than penalties was put to Lynch at the end of the 90-plus minutes, he would have gladly taken it.
'Yeah, of course you would. Sure you love playing the sport. I suppose the pros and cons to either.
'I suppose it's not for me to make a point or make a comment on what's the right thing to do but you'd love to have another crack at it. Any team would.
'But for us, it's just about accepting that that's in the past now. We unfortunately didn't win and Cork did.'
Lynch was gone off the field before the full-time and so he wasn't eligible to take part in the shootout - not that it's something he would have put his hand up for anyway.
'If you were asked to take one, I'm sure 100% you'd do anything you can to help the team, but I wouldn't be someone that's known to stand over a free or a penalty, to be honest with you.
'The five guys, obviously our guys, the five Limerick lads, the same as Cork obviously and Nickie, to step up, that takes some courage. After playing 70 to 90 minutes of hurling, to have it based on standing over a penalty, that is tough. That is some responsibility.
'But great credit to the guys, great credit to Nickie [Quaid] and so on. Just the way it is.'
Limerick now go on to play either Dublin or Kildare in the All-Ireland quarter-final the weekend after next, and Lynch said they won't be looking for an out in the fact that they didn't lose the Munster final in regulation or extra time.
'No, it's still a defeat,' he insisted. 'Obviously, you look at the time played and so on, neither team won and it went to penalties and that's just the way it was.
'You obviously are disappointed. You see an opposition collecting a trophy and celebrating with their fans and stuff. That's tough to take.
'You just have to dust yourself off, regroup, process that feeling and try to drive on again.'