By John Harrington

When Limerick ended a 45-year famine by winning the 2018 All-Ireland Hurling title, they were very popular champions among neutrals.

Were they to win a fourth All-Ireland in a row in 2023 and a fifth in six years the acclaim wouldn’t be so universally warm.

Not that anyone in Limerick would care too much, least of all the players.

Gearóid Hegarty knows only too well that others are sick of their sustained success, but he’s more than happy with that situation.

“I grew up in the era of the great Kilkenny team in the 2000s and even in my household no matter who they were playing you were always supporting the opposition,” says Hegarty.

“That's the team you want to be. You want to be the team that everybody wants to lose. There's a reason for that. Because obviously they've been successful as we've been for the last few years.

“We relish that position. We take it on and we use it as a positive. We don't shy away from it. I know exactly what you're on about because I remember that about Kilkenny when I was growing up, believe me.

“You have to relish it. It's a massive compliment. It's a huge compliment. And we frame it into a big compliment and use it as a positive.”

Used as a positive, but not as a source of motivation, because Limerick don’t need to search for that outside of their own camp.

Hegarty reckons the current panel is the most talented he has ever been a part of during his eight seasons as an inter-county hurler, and the relentless competition within the group is what keeps driving them forward.

“We want to win everything,” he says. “At times, in a bad way, I'm extremely competitive. Sometimes, you're around groups of people who aren't as competitive as I am, and they don't like that. I'm lucky in the sense that we have a panel of extremely competitive guys. That's where the motivation comes from, that's where the hunger comes from.

“The hunger comes from me going to training knowing that if you don't perform, you won't be starting. The management team do not care what you did in last year's All-Ireland final. They care about yesterday's training session in this preparation of this Sunday, and tomorrow night's training session.

“They don't look too far into the past. They don't care what your name is or what you've done in the past, what accolades you've won, how many All-Irelands you've won. They don't care if it's your first year on the panel or your tenth year on the panel. They care about how you're performing right now.

“You don't want to lose your starting jersey to anybody. That's what keeps us hungry and definitely what keeps me hungry.”

Hegarty has won three All-Stars and on Hurler of the Year award in the last three seasons, but even he doesn’t feel like he can take a moment to rest on his laurels such are the standards required now to keep yourself in John Kiely’s good books.

“I suppose I'm always in fear, like,” he says. “I'm always in fear that you'll lose your starting spot, that's the way I've always been. Even since I came on the panel, I always wanted to play every game. You always have that element of fear inside you: 'Are you doing enough? Am I gonna get a starting jersey?'

“He names the team on a Friday night before a championship match on a Sunday and you're never 100% sure that you're gonna be named. There's always that moment of doubt as he's getting to the half-back, midfield line. 'Please, please, please.' There's always an element of fear, for sure. Always.”

After winning the Allianz League in some style, this Limerick team come into the championship full of confidence.

Hegarty is adamant things could turn around quickly if they allow their level to drop even slightly, but he’s full of belief that if Limerick can match every opposition out there for work-rate then no-one can beat them.

“If you don't think that, then you're setting yourself up to fail; if you're not confident that if you bring your A-game, you'll win, well then what are you doing there?” he says.

“If you're not confident in your preparation, and not confident in where you are as a group in terms of the talent you have and what you're going to bring to the table that day...you need to be 100 per cent confident that will get you over the line.

“We are always confident that if we bring our A-game, we will be there or thereabouts and we will be successful. We have been over the last number of years.

“Sport is fickle and so funny. I didn't read them, but I saw some of the headlines there over the last number of weeks, 'X and Y said how good we are'... All it takes is a couple of per cent for us to be off next Sunday, the following Saturday, straight away you're way behind the eight ball.

“We know that they're going to be coming next Sunday to take us on, like every team in the Munster Championship.

“You've Cork, Tipp and Waterford who have new management, and Clare are after a really good year last year, obviously a disappointing semi-final. There's going to be nothing between any team, and there never is.

“It's a new year, they won't care what happened last year. Every panel will have new members, and loads of counties now have new management, they'll all be bringing fresh ideas. As we've seen in the Munster Championship over the last few years, there won't be a whole lot between any team.

“There's five teams vying for three spots and it's going to be nip and tuck, and we know that. We're not getting ahead of ourselves.”

He’s most certainly not looking beyond Sunday’s Munster SHC opener against Waterford. Limerick have had their number in recent years, but Hegarty is wary of the challenge they’ll pose under new manager Davy Fitzgerald.

“Davy probably gets a little bit of flak, maybe from the general public, but I have great respect for him.

“If you look at his track record, everywhere he's gone, he's been successful. Everywhere. He's won All-Irelands, won a Leinster title with Wexford.

“We won't be underestimating them anyway. Every single game we've played against Waterford has been a dogfight. We may have pulled away against them in a couple of the games late on.

“They bring massive physicality. We love that but it's tough. I'm expecting no different on Sunday. I'm expecting that it's going to, from the off, be rip-roaring. It's going to be like your age old Munster Championship games.

“Waterford have a massive following. There will be a massive crowd in Thurles next Sunday. Talking about hunger, that's what keeps you hungry and motivated, knowing that you have these massive championship matches on the horizon.

“They'll be disappointed about last year, and I'm sure they've learned a lot from it. I'd say they're mad to get back at it, after the disappointing championship they had last year. I'm sure they're chomping at the bit to get out of the dressing room next Sunday.”