When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up fornow and never miss the top F1 stories again The showdown between Galway and Limerick takes places at 3.30pm this afternoon. Limerick last won the title in 1973 and have since featured in five All-Ireland finals, but have the chance to set that right with victory later today. Galway are the defending champions and will be looking to emulate the iconic side of 1987 & 88. The counties will battle it out at the famous Croke Park stadium in Dublin.<doc-sep>We can confirm to Limerick fans waking up this morning, feeling a little fragile, that it did all happen. The Treaty County were crowned All-Ireland hurling champions and lifted the Liam McCarthy Cup for the first time in 45 years. There were many near misses along the way but in some ways it may have made yesterday's triumph in Croke Park all the sweeter for the army of Limerick fans who travelled up to Dublin to witness history. Defending champions Galway fought all the way to the end and a Joe Canning long-range free could have completed a remarkable late comeback for the Tribesmen. However, it came up short and the celebrations went long into the night for the people of Limerick who will welcoming home their heroes this evening. The Gaelic Grounds will host the homecoming with doors opening at 4pm and closing at 6.30 pm. The winning team are expected to arrive at 7 pm to kick off celebrations. We will keep you up-to-date throughout the day with all the reaction from both camps after an epic summer of hurling came to a dramatic close on Sunday. Don’t miss this weekend’s GAA action – sign up to Sky Sports and get 6 months half price here , or try a NOW TV Sports Month Pass here , now just €20 a month – usually €50 If you haven't already, be sure to like our Irish Mirror Sport and Irish Mirror GAA pages on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.<doc-sep>Limerick Nickie Quaid 8/10 The Limerick number one was composed throughout and his distribution, both from restarts and when called upon from open play, was on the money. He gave away the free that led to Joe Canning’s late, heart-stopping goal, but under the circumstances he was doing what needed to be done to keep the ball out of the net. Sean Finn 7/10 The corner-back was a major outlet for short puck-outs and he moved the ball on with interest, though on one particular occasion in the first half he was sloppy in possession and lucky not to concede a score. Part of a Limerick full-back line that didn’t concede a score from play until Conor Whelan’s goal deep into stoppage time at the end of the game. Mike Casey 8/10 Strong on the edge of the square and overcame a rolled right ankle at the end of the first half to stay at his post. He eventually succumbed to what looked to be a calf injury after 49 minutes and the worry on Limerick supporters’ faces at this stage shows just hope important a player he is. Casey went off injured Richie English 7/10 Always an option for his goalkeeper for short puck-outs and his distribution when in possession was generally solid. Took care his defensive duties well and the full-back line was the bedrock on which this win was built. Diarmuid Byrnes 7/10 The wing-back got a vital second half point, though, like many of his team-mates, he took a few bad options and pucked valuable possession away. Matched the work-rate of the rest of the Limerick players, who hooked, hassled and harried whenever Galway had the ball and these contributions combined helped make the difference in the end. Declan Hannon 8/10 The captain had a brilliant first half in particular, scoring two points on the bounce to extend the lead to five and keeping Galway’s Joe Canning scoreless from play. His first, when he stepped out of defence, left Canning flat-footed and fired over from distance was leadership at its best. Declan Hannon gets one of his first half points Dan Morrissey 7/10 Was able to exert an influence on this game from wing-back as part of a muscular line that are capable of dominating in the air and compete on the ground. Kept the ball moving and was able to find his brother Tom further up the wing on more than one occasion. Darragh O’Donovan 8/10 The midfielder scored a great point, leaning back to get his shot over the blocking hurls, and his clever cross-field pass to Tom Morrissey helped set up a Seamus Flanagan’s point late in the first half. Ran himself into the ground and with his work done he was taken off with four minutes of normal time remaining. Cian Lynch 7/10 Showed incredible determination to register his first-half point, putting it over the black spot whilst being fouled with referee James Owens waving advantage. He was involved in everything in the middle third and sometimes beyond. Maybe tried to do too much in his desperation to help Limerick over the line, and who could blame him? Cian Lynch looking up with the ball in hand Gearoid Hegarty 6/10 The only player on the Limerick team from midfield forward not to score in the first half, though he did make a great contribution to Graeme Mulcahy’s early point by winning a high ball. His work-rate was never in question. Made way for super sub Shane Dowling with 15 minutes of the 70 still on the clock. Kyle Hayes 8/10 A towering presence as the fulcrum of Limerick’s attack with his aerial ability and his willingness to gallop into space. Having scored 0-01 in the first half he upped the tempo after the break, with his team mates following his lead, as he rapped over three points in three minutes. Showed his youth late on pucking away possession, though this didn't take from a fine display. Tom Morrissey 8/10 Capped a fine personal performance with a his vital second-half goal, turning over Galway centre-back Geariód McInerney in possession to set up the chance for himself. He may have over-carried the ball, but wasn’t called for it and showed great stick-work to finish. His work-rate and passing were both notable throughout the afternoon at Croke Park. Limerick goal-scorer Tom Morrissey Aaron Gillane 7/10 Not near as prominent as he was when he gave a super semi-final performance in the extra-time win over Cork, but he recovered well after missing his first free early on. He got one from play in a 0-03 haul and his movement meant he was always an option for players further out the field. Seamus Flanagan 7/10 He was the go-to long-range puck-out option in the first half, dragging his marker away from the edge of the square and all about the pitch. Registered a first-half point, though he did hit a wide in either half, which was a symptom of Limerick’s wayward shooting throughout this game. Graeme Mulcahy 8/10 Limerick’s most experienced forward showed great leadership throughout this game. He might not have known much about his first half goal, but the fact is he was in the right place at the right time. He added 0-02 from play, including his team’s last point when he showed an icy touch when players around him were losing their heads. Graeme Mulcahy on his knees Substitutes Richie McCarthy 7/10 This long-serving defender came in when the game was whirling and showed a calm head. Came out with ball from the full-back line to relieve the pressure. Shane Dowling 7/10 This man makes a difference whenever he comes on and it’s a credit to him and he has never complained about starting on the bench. Showed his killer instinct when he got a sight of goal late on. Peter Casey, William O’Donoghue - Not on long enough to rate Galway Skehill had to be helped from the field James Skehill 6/10 Under pressure with his restarts, though some of that can be put down to Limerick covering his options so well.<doc-sep>2:52 Highlights of a dramatic match between Galway and Limerick in the All-Ireland hurling final Highlights of a dramatic match between Galway and Limerick in the All-Ireland hurling final Limerick are All-Ireland champions for the first time since 1973, after beating Galway 3-16 to 2-18 at Croke Park. It's been a long 45-year wait for Limerick, made all the more excruciating by having to watch bordering neighbours taste success after success in the interim. Five times the Treaty had been to hurling's biggest day since 1973, and they had returned back to Shannonside with their tails well and truly between their legs. Opportunity has come and passed, and no county knows better than Limerick the perils of getting too excited about underage success. Nonetheless, when John Kiely led their U21 side to All-Ireland glory in 2015, and when they backed it up 12 months ago with a second triumph in three years at the grade, there was a sense that something special was on the horizon. However, few expected that this young side would mature so quickly. The Treaty came to Croke Park today for a crack at All-Ireland champions Galway, having played with a swagger and abandon all season long. For all the talk of a fast Galway start throughout the week, it was the men in green who took the game by the scruff of the neck in the early stages, racing into a 0-03 to 0-00 lead. Aaron Gillane evades Adrian Tuohy to score the opening point of the game However, Galway quickly settled with David Burke and Pádraic Mannion pointing the way forward, as Joe Canning was his usual accurate self from placed balls. The Tribesmen perhaps should have been further behind after the early stages as Limerick hit six wides in the opening ten minutes. With the game in the balance as the sides settled, it was Limerick who landed the first significant blow as Graeme Mulcahy bundled the sliotar across the line after 16 minutes. It may not have been an all-time great final goal, but they all count as the Limerick fans were sent into raptures. The Treaty were winning battles all over the field, with Mike Casey keeping tabs on Johnny Glynn and Declan Hannon sending over two points while holding Joe Canning scoreless from play. John Kiely's troops were finding space easier, making smart use of hand-passes as they strode into a four-point lead at half-time, 1-10 to 0-09. Limerick were looking to kick on in the second half, and that's exactly what transpired as they quickly doubled their lead from four to eight, largely thanks to three from Kyle Hayes. Any suggestions that it was going to be an easy run-in were quickly silenced, as Joe Canning scored two from play in quick succession to raise the Tribesmen. Graeme Mulcahy scores his first-half goal However, on 54 minutes, it swung back in the Treaty's favour. Tom Morrissey stole in from the right, skipping by a host of Galway defenders before firing it past James Skehill to send Limerick into a nine-point lead. The Treaty were in dreamland, and had an opportunity to wrap it up moments later, but Séamus Flanagan was denied by Skehill. Galway looked to chase the game as they pulled it back to five, but Limerick's bench wasn't being hyped up during the week for nothing. In the 68th minute, super sub Shane Dowling was on hand to bury it into the Hill 16 goal for the second consecutive game. As the game ticked into eight minutes of injury-time, Conor Whelan raised a green flag for the Tribesmen to make it uncomfortable for Limerick heading down the final straight. It was made all the more uncomfortable when Joe Canning rocketed a 21-yard free into the top corner to bring it back to two. When Niall Burke pulled it back to one, memories of 1974, 1980, 1996, 2007 and in particular 1994 began to creep into the mind of every Limerick man, woman and child in HQ. Graeme Mulcahy pointed to keep Limerick at bay, but Canning sent over a 65 to bring it back to one. Nonetheless, the Treaty weren't to be denied, as a late Canning free fell short, as Limerick ended 45 years of hurt and secured their first All-Ireland final since 1973. _____ Referee: James Owens Attendance: 82,300 (approx) Scorers for Limerick: Graeme Mulcahy 1-02, Tom Morrissey 1-01, Kyle Hayes 0-04, Aaron Gillane 0-03 (0-02 frees), Shane Dowling 1-00, Declan Hannon 0-02, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-01, Darragh O'Donovan 0-01, Cian Lynch 0-01, Séamus Flanagan 0-01. Scorers for Galway: Joe Canning 1-10 (1-06 frees, 0-02 65s), David Burke 0-03, Joseph Cooney 0-03, Conor Whelan 1-00, Pádraic Mannion 0-01, Niall Burke 0-01. Galway 1. James Skehill 2. Adrian Tuohy 3. Daithí Burke 4. John Hanbury 5. Pádraic Mannionn 6. Gearóid McInerney 7. Aidan Harte 8. Johnny Coen 9. David Burke (captain) 10. Joseph Cooney 11. Joe Canning 15. Cathal Mannion 13. Conor Whelan 12. Johnny Glynn 14. Conor Cooney Subs: Niall Burke for Cathal Mannion (46th minute) Jason Flynn for Conor Cooney (temporary - 49th-52nd minute) Paul Killeen for John Hanbury (57th minute) Jason Flynn for Conor Cooney (59th minute) Seán Loftus for Johnny Coen (60th minute) Fearghal Flannery for James Skehill (61st minute) Limerick 1. Nickie Quaid 2. Seán Finn 3. Mike Casey 4. Richie English 5. Diarmaid Byrnes 6. Declan Hannon (captain) 7. Dan Morrissey 8. Darragh O'Donovan 9. Cian Lynch 10. Gearóid McInerney 11. Kyle Hayes 12. Tom Morrissey 13. Aaron Gillane 14. Séamus Flanagan 15. Graeme Mulcahy Subs: Richie McCarthy for Mike Casey (50th minute) Shane Dowling for Gearóid Hegarty (56th minute) Peter Casey for Séamus Flanagan (64th minute) William O'Donoghue for Darragh O'Donovan (67th minute) Tom Condon for Richie English (73rd minute)<doc-sep>
All Ireland Hurling Final 2018: Galway vs Limerick match preview The showdown between the counties takes places at 3.30pm this afternoon. Galway are the defending champions and will be looking to emulate the iconic side of 1987 & 88. Limerick last won the title in 1973 and have since featured in five All-Ireland finals, but have the chance to set that right with victory later today. Galway and Limerick will battle it out at the famous Croke Park stadium in Dublin. How to watch Galway vs Limerick - All Ireland Hurling Final LIVE STREAM Fans in Ireland will be able to watch the final live on RTE2 from 2.15pm. Live streaming is also available on the RTE Player through the website or official app. For the rest of the UK, the showpiece will be shown on Sky Sports Arena from 2.30pm. The game can also be streamed through the Sky Go app, which is available across a range of devices. Fans across the globe can still get in on the action via the GAAGO app for one-off fee of €20. Galway vs Limerick: Find out how to watch the All Ireland Hurling Final Galway vs Limerick: Can the Tribesmen make it back-to-back titles? All Ireland Hurling Final: Galway vs Limerick odds Galway, as the holders, are favourites to win the match at 8/11. They can also be backed at 4/7 to lift the trophy. Limerick are available at 13/8 to win the game or 11/8 to lift the cup. If you think the clash could go to extra-time, a draw can be backed at 9/1. Galway vs Limerick: Who will come out on top in the All Ireland Hurling Final?