Adam Moynihan reports from the Fitzgerald Stadium

Munster Championship Final

Kerry 1-28 Limerick 0-8

HT: Kerry 0-12 Limerick 0-03

The summer sun was blaring throughout this untraditional Killarney Munster final but things never really caught fire as Kerry breezed to a comfortable 23-point victory over Limerick.

Much of the pre-game talk surrounded the status of David Clifford, Kerry’s star player who was unexpectedly left out of the matchday 26. Thankfully the injury that ruled him out is not serious. In fact, it is believed that he could have played if needed and Jack O'Connor confirmed in his post-match press briefing that Clifford is likely to return to full training next week.

O'Connor also admitted that Kerry would "probably prefer to get a stiffer test" than the one they got from the Treaty. Worryingly, they now have a four-week layoff before their next match: an All-Ireland quarter-final on June 25/26.

SLOW

Limerick were painfully slow with their restarts in the first half and their tactic of frustrating their illustrious neighbours worked - up to a point. Scores by Josh Ryan and Iain Corbett left them trailing by just two (0-4 to 0-2) with 20 minutes on the clock.

Kerry found their stride thereafter, however, and three straight points by Paul Geaney, Killian Spillane, and the industrious Paudie Clifford opened up a five-point lead.

The impressive Ryan gave the healthy travelling support something to shout about with a spectacular free from the terrace sideline but Jack O’Connor’s men finished the half in cruise control. A fisted effort by Gavin White, a beauty by Spillane, another fist by Seán O’Shea, a long-range kick by Brian Ó Beaglaoich, and a well-struck O’Shea 45 left Limerick chasing an insurmountable nine-point deficit at half-time.

PROCESSION

The second half was a procession as The Kingdom fired over the first six points of the period. Iain Corbett popped up with his second of the day to make it a 14-point game but just seconds later Killian Spillane found himself in acres of space in front of the Lewis Road end and he made no mistake to register the first and only goal of the game.

Jack O’Connor ran his bench to give David Moran, Paul Murphy, Dylan Casey, Micheál Burns and Gavin Crowley some game time.

The thirstier members of the crowd began to slip back into town with 15 minutes to go. They had the right idea.

KERRY: S Ryan; G O’Sullivan, J Foley, T O'Sullivan (0-3); B Ó Beaglaoich (0-2), G White (0-1), T Morley; D O’Connor, J Barry; P Clifford (0-2), Seán O’Shea (0-6, 1f, 1 ’45), S O’Brien (0-1); T Brosnan (0-3), P Geaney (0-4, 1m), K Spillane (1-3).

Subs: D Moran for O’Connor (temp), A Spillane (0-1) for O’Brien, D Casey for Foley, D Moran for O’Connor, M Burns (0-2) for K Spillane, P Murphy for Morley, G Crowley for Ó Beaglaoich (temp).

LIMERICK: D O’Sullivan; S O’Dea, B Fanning, M Donovan; C Sheehan (0-3), I Corbett (0-2), P Maher; D Treacy, C Fahy; A Enright, B Donovan, J Naughton; P Nash, J Ryan (0-2, 1f, 1 ’45), H Bourke.

Subs: H Bourke for R Bourke, G Brown (0-1) for Maher, T Griffin for A Enright, C McSweeney for Nash, R Childs for Fanning.

Attendance: 14,587