Kingdom is at hand for Limerick as they begin redemption quest

All-Ireland SHC Qualifier Kerry v Limerick: Ian O'Riordan reports on the determination to make up for the loss to Waterford.

While Cork and Waterford decide who reigns in Munster hurling this weekend, for Limerick, themselves title contenders a few short weeks back, the road to redemption takes them to Tralee, and their qualifier game against Kerry.

Normally that wouldn't be regarded as the most difficult of challenges. Yet Kerry hurling is on the rise again, and having had four championship games already this season, they'll be as close as any team gets to a peak.

But the truth is they will meet a Limerick team determined to get the salvation of their season off to the best possible start.

Saturday evening opens up a whole new season for them. And as goalkeeper Timmy Houlihan explains, that means no holding back.

"The big disappointment about the replay with Waterford was our own performance. We just played badly, and missed the chance of getting into a Munster final. So we see this as the chance to get some redemption.

Kerry will play this as their fifth championship game, which is definitely a record for them. And they have the home venue of Tralee.

"They won't be easy to beat, and we have to give them the respect that they deserve, but we're going down there to produce our best possible performance."

Houlihan sums up the mood of Limerick when he admits that they don't really know what went wrong in the replay with Waterford earlier this month. Losing Niall Moran to injury after just 12 minutes was a major blow, especially after his key performance in the replay, and while Andrew O'Shaughnessy was also unavailable because of exams, the entire team failed to reach the heights of the dramatic drawn game a week earlier.

"Well it's hard to pinpoint one area. But the Waterford forwards tried to drag out one or two of our backs, and that left a lot of room around the full-forward line. And defending that on a pitch like Thurles will always be difficult.

"But we were very thankful to have got the three weeks before the qualifiers. Clare showed how tough it is to come back six days after a defeat, and I thought that was really unfair on them.

"Hopefully we'll get the right result this time. Kerry have some very talented hurlers coming through, and especially their corner-forward Michael Slattery. So we'll be on our toes as well."

The success of the footballers this season has taken a little of the spotlight off the hurlers, but Houlihan only sees that as a good thing.

"Limerick is still a big hurling county, and there will always be some extra pressure on us. But the footballers are getting great support, and the hurling team are fully behind that too. Especially with three dual players, Stephen Lucey, Brian Begley and Conor Fitzgerald.

"And I remember the under-21 side getting to the All-Ireland final in 2000. We got to the final that year as well, and we got great inspiration from them. And that was really the start of our success at under-21."

Houlihan swiftly graduated to the senior panel with that under-21 success, but suffered a sort of slump last year when veteran Joe Quaid returned to the goalkeeper duties.

"My form just wasn't the best last year, and I take all the blame for that.

"But I was back in college this year, and playing a lot in the Fitzgibbon Cup and that helped get my confidence back. And so I was delighted then to get back on to the panel."