Cork and Limerick each turn on style to book Munster final showdown

May 24, 2026

Cork's William Buckley with Rory Hayes of Clare ©INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon

Cork will play Limerick in the Munster senior hurling championship final on June 7th after both sides recorded empathic wins in their fifth-round provincial clashes this afternoon.

The Rebels were 1-30 to 1-14 winners over Clare at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, where Brian Hayes netted their goal two minutes before half-time.

Three points from Connolly and a single by Eoin Downey, along with Hayes’s goal, helped Ben O’Connor side to carry in a 1-13 to 0-7 lead and they’d increase it after the change of ends with Connolly, Shane Kingston and Barry Walsh helping them towards a 16-point advantage.

The Banner men, who now face the beaten Leinster finalists in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, couldn’t come close to closing the gap, with Kingston adding two more points to the Cork tally before Shane Meehan grabbed a consolation goal for the visitors towards the end.

It means that the Leesiders will host Limerick two weeks from today at Pairc Ui Chaoimh after John Kiely’s men moved into their eighth consecutive Munster SHC final with a 5-27 to 0-25 trouncing of already eliminated Tipperary at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

Aaron Gillane found Tipp’s net inside the opening minute and more majors would arrive from Aidan O’Connor and Diarmuid Byrnes as the hosts held a 3-13 to 0-15 lead over the All-Ireland champions after 38 minutes.

O’Connor’s second goal came four minutes later, with Gillane netting their fifth on the 50-minute mark ahead of late points by Cathal O’Neill, Shane O’Brien and Tom Morrissey completing the rout.


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