All Ireland champions Limerick travel to Semple Stadium on Sunday to face Tipperary in a game that all are hoping will finally spark the Munster Championship into life after a number of one-sided affairs.

The two sides have served up a few classics in recent years with the teams very evenly matched and given their recent performances, we are expecting nothing less this weekend.

Barring any major disasters, Tipperary will be in the Munster final for the first time since 2016. Finishing third in the provincial championship worked out quite well for Limerick last year but they will be desperate to make the decider this year considering that most of their panel haven’t won a Munster medal.

There is much at stake and should these two teams continue to dominate, this could be the first of three meetings between the sides in the 2019 championship and it could very well end in a draw.

Back in 2007, they also met three times in the championship but rarely enough, it was because their Munster semi-final clash went to a replay on two occasions.

The Limerick/Tipperary trilogy was a pulsating saga between two teams desperate to reclaim their spot among the best in Munster and those three games are our focus in this week’s edition of Forgotten Friday.

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June 10, 2007, Gaelic Grounds – Limerick 1-19 Tipperary 1-19

Thanks to a goal from John Carroll mid-way through the first half, Tipperary found themselves on top in this game by the time Limerick captain Damien Reale was sent off for a hit on Eoin Kelly.

However, Limerick clawed their way back into contention to trail by just two points at the break.

Tipperary maintained their advantage for most of the second half through points by Lar Corbett but they couldn’t shake off a stubborn Limerick side who were being kept in contention by the likes of Mike O’Brien and Ollie Moran.

The Premier County led by three points in the closing minutes of the game but Limerick weren’t finished yet.

A long Brian Geary delivery was plucked out of the air by Moran who laid it off to Pat Tobin on the edge of the square and the substitute sent a sublime shot to the back of the Tipperary net to send the game to a replay.

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June 16, 2007, Semple Stadium – Tipperary 2-21 Limerick 1-24 (AET)

Again, an early goal put Tipperary in the driving seat, this time Seamus Butler was the finisher. However, Babs Keating’s side were left to rue missed opportunities from Kelly and Corbett.

There was drama down the other end of the field also as Andrew O’Shaughnessy was dragged down in the square but he missed the subsequent penalty and the save from Gerry Kennedy was enough to propel Tipperary into action and they led by 10 points at the break.

Mike Fitzgerald found the back of the net for Limerick on the 55-minute mark to reduce the gap to five points but Tipperary maintained their composure and continued to lead by seven points with six minutes remaining in normal time. Crucially, the Premier men failed to score for the rest of the period.

Instead of trying to force a goal, the experienced Ollie Moran pointed on three occasions to leave Limerick trailing by just one with seconds remaining in injury time.

Just when it looked like Tipperary would hold on for the win, O’Shaughnessy won a free and tapped it over to force extra-time.

Another goal in the opening two minutes of extra-time saw Tipperary back in the lead but as was the story of the saga, a determined Limerick fought back.

A 65 from O’Shaughnessy ensured that the Treaty lived to fight another day.

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June 24, 2007, Gaelic Grounds – Limerick 0-22 Tipperary 2-13 (AET)

Back to the Gaelic Grounds the teams went and buoyed by the home support, Limerick blazed into the lead and had opened up a six-point gap by the 2oth minute.

Eoin Kelly kept his side in contention and just before the break, Darragh Egan struck for his second goal in eight days and much to the home side’s shock, Tipperary went two points ahead. However, O’Shaughnessy restored the balance to leave the team’s level at half-time.

Nothing could separate Limerick and Tipperary for most of the second half but the Treaty managed to grab a three-point lead with minutes remaining. However, in the case of these two teams, nothing is ever certain until the final whistle and Tipperary proved they weren’t going to give up without a fight.

With the clock in red, Butler levelled for the fifth time to send the game to extra-time for the second week in a row.

Tipperary grabbed an early goal when Brian Geary failed to properly control Corbett’s shot and led by two points heading into the second period of extra-time. Much to the frustration of the Tipperary camp, however, they failed to register a score for the final 10 minutes.

Limerick, meanwhile, roared back into action. Geary scored a long-range point before O’Shaughnessy added two more to put them one-point ahead as the game ticked into extra-time.

When Ollie Moran stretched their lead to two-points, Limerick fans couldn’t contain their excitement and a portion of them invaded the pitch.

Once they were rounded up and hurried off, the game resumed but there was no holding back the celebrations as Moran’s younger brother, Niall, sent over the point that saw them safely through.

Finally, the full-time whistle rang and after a battle of 250 minutes, Limerick finally secured their first victory in Munster in six years and a place in the provincial final against Waterford.

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