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The Irish Sun
26-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Graeme Mulcahy predicts how much turnover there'll be across Limerick's panel and staff after Dublin letdown
AS Limerick braces itself for a winter of discontent, Graeme Mulcahy is adamant that John Kiely's men can come back in from the cold in 2026. Dublin shook up the hurling world last Saturday by 2 John Kiely's men went down in one of the biggest Championship upsets ever 2 Graeme Mulcahy ahead of the 2025 Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland Minor Championship Finals Credit: Inpho Mulcahy was part of a Limerick team that raised the bar by winning five All-Ireland SHC titles. But for the first time since Kiely took charge in 2017, they are set to endure back-to-back seasons without landing the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Mulcahy, "We took a lot from that year and those learnings really stood to us in the 2020 to 2023 period. Read More On GAA 'We lost to Cork last year. I stepped away so I don't really know what happened within the confines of the group. But did we learn enough from it? I don't know. 'Losing the Munster final on penalties and losing an All-Ireland quarter-final two weeks later, there'll be a lot of soul-searching done. 'It'll be a difficult six-month period before they get back in December, January to really think hard on it.' Insisting that they are also capable of a semi-final shock against All-Ireland favourites Cork, Mulcahy is full of praise for a 'very impressive' Dublin team who defied the first-half dismissal of captain Chris Crummey to overcome the Treaty. Most read in GAA Hurling As for Kiely's crew, having lost to the Rebels in a gripping provincial decider that was decided by a shootout at a packed TUS Gaelic Grounds a fortnight earlier, they tried to muster a positive response. But Mulcahy felt they found it difficult to reacclimatise for an All-Ireland quarter-final that was played as a curtain-raiser to 'So much integrity' - RTE viewers hail Stephen Cluxton for 'principled stand' Dublin GAA icon took during Parnells saga He said: 'Trying to come down off a Munster final that will live long in people's memories in terms of the drama, then going to Croke Park a couple of weeks later, an empty stadium effectively with little or no atmosphere... "You could hear the referee's whistle echoing around the stadium for the first five, ten minutes — it was just a completely different experience for that Limerick team. "That really played into Dublin's hands, allowing them to get a bit of a foothold. It didn't allow Limerick to make the blistering start that they might have wanted.' Given that quarter-finals are ordinarily played on neutral ground, Mulcahy agrees that Limerick would have been better served by playing at a venue like Semple Stadium. On the contrast in atmosphere to their previous outing, the 2018 All-Star added: 'Psychologically, if you're not prepared for that and if you haven't spoken about it, it can have a huge effect. 'If that game had come down to Thurles, you would've had probably three times the amount of Limerick fans that were in Croke Park. On the flipside, you wouldn't have had as many Dublin fans travel. 'That would have added to giving Limerick an edge, certainly in terms of their performance, that was lacking in Croke Park.' GLASS HALF FULL Mulcahy is confident that 'there won't be a huge turnover' in playing personnel and expects Kiely and coach Paul Kinnerk to remain in situ for a tenth season. The Kilmallock man said: 'I think people want to see an end of an era. They want Limerick gone away and I just hope that's not the case. 'You'll always lose a couple, but if they keep the core group together and take the learnings from this year, they'll be competitive again next year.' FORMER Electric Ireland minor hurler Graeme Mulcahy was speaking ahead of the All-Ireland minor finals. This summer, Electric Ireland are championing the Minor Stars Team of the Year winners from 2017 to the present. Artwork will be displayed in Croke Park to highlight Electric Ireland's support for the Championship and to showcase the minor Championship's record of nurturing players. #ThisIsMajor
Irish Times
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Limerick great insists half-empty Croke Park played key role in Dublin hurlers' shock win
Limerick , victims of their own success. It is an intriguing take on the All-Ireland hurling favourites' unlikely loss to Dublin that the muted surroundings in an 'empty stadium effectively' got to a team more used to operating, and thriving, in the chaos and turbulence of packed-out grounds. A fortnight after contesting an epic Munster final in front of a sell-out 43,580 at their own TUS Gaelic Grounds base, former Limerick forward Graeme Mulcahy reckons Croke Park last Saturday afternoon probably felt like a ghost town in comparison. Limerick's All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin was the first game of a double header that attracted 36,546 in total. Even if they'd all been in the stadium at the one time, the place would have been less than half-full. READ MORE When the volume did crank up in the second half, it was mainly because of the Dublin football fans arriving in advance of their team's All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final against Cork . Mulcahy says this had a '15th man' effect for the Dublin hurlers, offsetting the earlier dismissal of Chris Crummey. Speaking ahead of the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor championship finals, Mulcahy pointed to the unlikely early wide struck by Aaron Gillane as an indication of a team not quite tuned in. 'I think it can have a massive effect,' said Mulcahy of a quiet stadium. 'Psychologically, if you're not prepared for that and if you haven't spoken about it, it can have a huge effect. I think if that game had come down to Thurles, you would have had probably three times the amount of Limerick fans at the game that were in Croke Park. 'On the flip side of that, you wouldn't have had as many Dublin fans travel. I think that would have added to giving Limerick an edge, certainly in terms of their performance. That was lacking in Croke Park.' Former Limerick hurler Graeme Mulcahy at the launch of the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor championship finals at Croke Park. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Mulcahy, a five-time All-Ireland winner, called it quits at county level after the 2024 season. He has vast experienced of the cauldron-like atmosphere on Munster championship game days and in All-Ireland finals when Croke Park is full. 'I think trying to come down off a Munster final, and probably a Munster final that will live long in people's memories in terms of the drama, and then going to Croke Park a couple of weeks later, an empty stadium effectively with little or no atmosphere, you could hear the referee's whistle echoing around the stadium for the first five, 10 minutes,' said Mulcahy. 'It was just a completely different experience for that Limerick team. The whole game felt flat for that first 15, 20 minutes, aside from maybe a bit of intensity that Dublin brought. 'I think in the first couple of minutes of the game, Aaron Gillane had an easy enough free by his standards and it just went wide. Even the umpires weren't tuned in at that point and it went to Hawk-Eye. 'Whatever little atmosphere was in the stadium was sucked out of the stadium at that point. I think that really played into Dublin's hands, just allowing them to get a bit of a foothold in the game. 'It didn't allow Limerick to make the blistering start they might have wanted to make. Dublin then just kept in the game for that first 15, 20 minutes. Obviously they had a sending off and after that, I think they got a bit of confidence and they got a bit of oxygen. 'The Dublin football fans coming in as well, they effectively gave Dublin back that 15th man. I just think Limerick were never really hitting the pitch that they wanted to hit.' Finishing a year without any silverware for the first time since 2017, and for only the second time in John Kiely's nine-season reign, has prompted talk of the end of an era. Mulcahy doesn't buy it. His expectations are as follows; that Cork will win the All-Ireland, that Limerick will lose a player or two in the usual winter reshuffle and that Kiely will stay on to lead a freshly energised group in 2026. 'I think people want to see it as an end of an era,' he said, pointing to rival counties. 'They want Limerick gone away and I just hope that's not the case. You'll always lose a couple but I think if they keep the core group together and take the learnings from this year, I think they'll be competitive again next year.'
Irish Examiner
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Graeme Mulcahy: Virtually empty Croke Park hindered Limerick's performance
Graeme Mulcahy reckons the lack of atmosphere in what he felt was an 'empty' Croke Park, compared to the packed out stadium for the Munster final, played a part in Limerick's demise. The Shannonsiders are still coming to terms with last Saturday's All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to a Dublin side that played with 14 men for the majority. Mulcahy expects a couple of Limerick retirements in the coming months but doesn't view the defeat as the end of an era and reckons that John Kiely and his management team will return in 2026 energised to make amends. The five-time All-Ireland medallist attributed the relatively flat performance, and ultimate defeat, to starting slowly in an 'empty stadium effectively' and allowing Dublin to generate momentum. Former attacker Mulcahy, who retired last year, pointed specifically to Aaron Gillane's unlikely wide in the opening minutes from a free as a sign of Limerick perhaps not being fully tuned in. Speaking ahead of the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor championship finals, Mulcahy said it has been a few days of 'soul searching' and looking for answers in Limerick. Former Limerick hurler Graeme Mulcahy pictured ahead of the 2025 Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland Minor Championship finals. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady "I think trying to come down off a Munster final, a Munster final that will live long in people's memories in terms of the drama, and then going to Croke Park a couple of weeks later, an empty stadium effectively with little or no atmosphere, like, you could hear the referee's whistle echoing around the stadium for the first five, 10 minutes," said Mulcahy. "It was just a completely different experience for that Limerick team. The whole game felt flat for that first 15, 20 minutes, aside from maybe the bit of intensity that Dublin brought. "In the first couple of minutes, Aaron Gillane had an easy enough free and it went to Hawk-Eye. "Whatever little atmosphere was in the stadium was sucked out at that point. I think that really played into Dublin's hands, just allowing them to get a bit of a foothold in the game." The Dublin/Limerick game preceded the All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final tie between Dublin and Cork. The overall attendance announced for the day was 36,546, well below half the capacity of the stadium. "I think it can have a massive effect," continued Mulcahy. "Psychologically, if you're not prepared for that and if you haven't spoken about it, it can have a huge effect. I think if that game had come down to Thurles, you would have had probably three times the amount of Limerick fans at the game that were in Croke Park. On the flipside of that, you wouldn't have had as many Dublin fans travel. I think that would have added to giving Limerick an edge, certainly in terms of their performance, that was lacking in Croke Park." Limerick still had an extra player after the 15th minute dismissal of Chris Crummey though Mulcahy said it felt like the backing of the Dublin fans who came streaming in for the second game as the first game was concluding 'effectively gave Dublin back that 15th man'. The Kilmallock man said he agreed with the decision to send Crummey off for what was perceived to be a head high challenge on Gearoid Hegarty. "On a personal level, I would love if he got it overturned and was able to play in an All-Ireland semi-final, but I just don't see it happening," said Mulcahy. The seven-time Munster medallist reckons that Cork will beat Dublin in their July 5 semi-final and that the Munster champions will 'go on and bridge that 20-year gap' by winning the All-Ireland. But he insisted that if Dublin can maintain the quality and intensity they showed against Limerick, 'Dublin could easily overturn Cork in that semi-final as well'. And if Dublin were to beat Cork, Limerick's defeat may be viewed in a different light. "I think if Cork were to wipe out Dublin completely, then it would feel even more difficult for Limerick, but if Dublin were to go on and overturn Cork as well, and get to the All-Ireland final, I think it would really signal their intent and suggest that there's maybe a new hurling power on the rise." As for Limerick, Mulcahy rejected talk of the core of their group potentially coming to the end of the line. "I think people want to see it as an end of an era," he said, pointing to rival counties. "They want Limerick gone away and I just hope that's not the case. I think if they stay unified, like, you'll always lose a couple but I think if they keep the core group together and take the learnings from this year, I think they'll be competitive again next year."
The 42
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'That fear factor is probably diminishing' - the impact of Limerick's shock All-Ireland exit
FORMER LIMERICK HURLER Graeme Mulcahy says that his county 'lacked energy' in their shock All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Dublin, and suspects that the fear factor that has surrounded the team is 'diminishing.' John Kiely's men were sensationally dumped out of the championship last weekend after one of the biggest upsets in modern GAA history. Despite losing Chris Crummey to an early red card, Dublin outworked Limerick and edged a 2-24 to 0-28 epic at Croke Park. 'The team just lacked energy,' the five-time All-Ireland winner Mulcahy told The 42, having retired from the Limerick team last year. 'Dublin had all the energy. The lack of an atmosphere from the word go, I think, [and] not having a huge crowd in Croke Park, that's not something Limerick are used to over the last number of years. 'Obviously [they're] used to having a full stadium, and 30 to 40,000 Limerick fans roaring you on. You could nearly hear your own voice echo around the stadium, you can hear the referee's whistle echo around the stadium for the first 10-15 minutes as the stadium is filling up for the football. 'I think Limerick probably didn't really recognise that that could have been a factor, maybe in the decision to take the game to Croke Park. I think if it was in Thurles it would have been a completely different atmosphere. You'd have had a lot more of a Limerick support travel to Thurles, so I think that was probably one of the main factors.' Advertisement Former Limerick hurler Graeme Mulcahy. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO Limerick came into the tie on the back of a bruising defeat in the Munster final where their seven-in-a-row charge was crushed after extra-time and penalties. Mulcahy feels they struggled to park that disappointment against Cork and 'didn't maybe manage that two-week period well enough' in time for the Dublin battle. In recent days, the absence of renowned sports psychologist Caroline Currid has also become a discussion point. Currid has been credited with much of Limerick's run to five All-Ireland titles in six years but stepped away ahead of the 2024 season. 'I think she's probably been missed,' says Mulcahy. 'In fairness to Caroline, she's there at all the sessions. She's on the ball in terms of, she has a hawk-like personality, where she just sees everything that's happening around. 'Anything that's not right, or that she sees that there should be improvement in, she would pull you up on it on a personal level, or as on a collective. She'd manage everything from logistics behind the scene, making sure that the preparation of even the backroom staff was managed to a tee. 'If something wasn't right, no matter how small it is, she'd find out about it, she'd rectify it. It might be number 37 on the panel, he was maybe unhappy for whatever reason, that she'd talk to that person to make them content, and you need everyone going in the right direction. She'd always ensure that that was the case. Maybe that aspect of things I think was missed.' Looking at the wider implications of this defeat, Mulcahy believes trying to mount a recovery in 2026 will be challenging for Limerick. He pointed to the remaining teams in the competition who have long famines to end in their quest for Liam MacCarthy glory, and the added pressure that will bring for other sides next year. He also worries that other teams are learning to wipe out the fear factor that is often associated with Limerick. 'You've opened the door now certainly to another team. Tipp haven't won it since 2019, you're talking 10 years since Kilkenny won it, 20 years for Cork, Dublin, back in the 1930s I think it was. So you're opening the door again to one of those teams. 'They're going to be defending champions next year. You have Clare back in the fray, who were champions in 2024. That fear factor is probably diminishing. Maybe Limerick aren't on the pedestal that we were on towards 2021-23, where teams feared us. But I think the players are still there, they're still of an age, you know, guys are only 29, 30, 31. So that's your prime as an athlete. 'And then you have the younger guys coming through, the likes of Aidan O'Connor, Shane O'Brien, that are adding to the options that John Kiely has. So I think in terms of a panel, I still think they're in a very strong position, and you won't lose too many, I'd hope.' Graeme Mulcahy was speaking ahead of the 2025 Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland Minor Championship Finals.
Irish Independent
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Graeme Mulcahy insists hurling handpass issue is ‘all nonsense'
Former Limerick hurling star Graeme Mulcahy has labelled the criticism of the Treaty's handpassing as 'nonsense' with the five-time All-Ireland SHC winner insisting 'it gets too much focus'.
