My Limerick Story of the Year: Footballers do the county proud

AT THE start of 2025, you may have been laughed at if you had predicted it would be Limerick’s footballers who would be the last local county senior men's team standing at the business end of the GAA season.

But that’s exactly what happened: the hurlers’ championship exit to Dublin meant it was all on Jimmy Lee’s footballers to raise the county’s spirits at Croke Park.

They had a date at headquarters on the 12th of July in the final of the Tailteann Cup.

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Gaelic football definitely plays second fiddle to hurling in Limerick, but it was brilliant to see hundreds of supporters gathering at Colbert Station on the morning of the game, excited and hopeful the Treaty could beat Kildare.

Hearing stories of how children in schools in football strongholds wanted to emulate some of the senior players made me feel that the big ball’s time had arrived in Limerick.

In the run-up to the final, I was delighted to be able to turn the focus on the footballers, and visit parts of the county where Gaelic football is a firm favourite.

I was lucky enough to be welcomed to Galtee Gaels GAA in Anglesboro on the Limerick-Cork border, which supplied three players to the panel - Tommie Childs, Robert Childs and Sean Clancy.

We also got a warm welcome at Newcastle West whose own clubman Jimmy Lee has led the football renaissance.

Going into the Tailteann Cup final, it felt like the footballers were in bonus territory, having already triumphed in the Division Four final at Croker.

But on July 12, they did Limerick proud, coming within one kick of landing what would have been an historic trophy against Kildare, who were favourites.

To see fans leaving Croker gutted shows how far the side have come.

Limerick’s footballers appeared at headquarters three times in 2025, winning twice.

Meatloaf once sang, ‘Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad’. But how good would the full set have been?!