2018 Munster Senior Hurling League

The 2018 Munster Senior Hurling League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League, was the third Munster Senior Hurling League, an annual hurling league competition for county teams from the province of Munster. The league began on 30 December 2017 and ended on 14 January 2018.

2018 Munster Senior Hurling League

Dates	30 December 2017 – 14 January 2018[1]
Teams	4
Sponsor	Co-Op Superstores
Champions	Limerick (1st title) Paul Browne (final captain) Declan Hannon (captain) John Kiely (manager)
Runners-up	Clare Patrick O'Connor (captain) Donal Moloney and Gerry O'Connor (manager)
Tournament statistics
Matches played	6
Goals scored	17 (2.83 per match)
Points scored	207 (34.5 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Aaron Gillane (1-21)
← 2017 (Previous) (Next) 2019 →

Cork were the defending champions.^[2][3] Tipperary and Waterford did not participate in the league.^[4]

On 14 January 2018, Limerick won the league title following a 0-16 to 0-10 defeat of Clare. It was their first Munster SHL title.^[5][6]

Format

Each team plays each other team once, earning 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw. The top two teams advance to the final.

Results

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	SF	SA	Diff	Pts
1	Clare	2	2	0	0	8-37	0-30	31	4
2	Limerick	2	2	0	0	5-42	2-36	15	4
3	Kerry	3	1	0	2	2-50	8-52	–20	2
4	Cork	3	0	0	3	2-52	7-63	–25	0

Round 1

Clare v Kerry

30 December 2017 Round 1	Clare	4-20 – 0-12	Kerry	Limerick Institute of Technology, Limerick
	David Reidy (1-3), Niall Deasy (0-5, 1f) Shane O’Donnell, Cathal O’Connell, Bobby Duggan (1-1 each), Colin Guilfoyle (0-3), Daragh Corry, Ryan Taylor (0-2 each), Cathal Malone, John Conlon (0-1 each)	Report	Shane Nolan (0-7, 5f, 1’65), Daithi Griffin, Daniel Collins (0-2 each, Collins 1f) Padraig Boyle (0-1)	Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)

Cork v Limerick

30 December 2017 Round 1	Cork	1-21 – 2-23	Limerick	Mallow GAA Complex, Mallow
	Robert O’Shea 0-5 (1free), Jack O’Connor 1-2, Eoghan Finn 0-4, Dean Brosnan 0-3, Christopher Joyce 0-2, Robbie O’Flynn, Brian Lawton, Daniel Kearney, Brian Murray and Patrick Collins (free) 0-1 each	Report	Aaron Gillane 1-9 (0-5frees), Seamus Flanagan 1-2, Tom Morrissey 0-4, Barry Nash, Doiarmaid Byrnes 0-2 each, Cian Lynch, Paul Browne, Darragh O’Donovan and Pat Ryan 0-1 each	Attendance: 1,364 Referee: Philip Kelly (Tipperary)

Round 2

Limerick v Kerry

7 January 2018 Round 2	Limerick	3-19 - 1-15	Kerry	Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
	Barry Nash 1-5, Seamus Flanagan 2-2, Aaron Gillane 0-4 (2frees), Andrew La Touche Cosgrave, Darragh O'Donovan 0-2 each, Declan Hannon, Cian Lynch, Diarmaid Byrnes and Paddy O'Loughlin 0-1 each.	Report	Padraig Boyle 1-10 (1-8frees), Daniel Collins 0-2, Jordan Conway, Daniel O'Carroll and Brandon Barrett 0-1 each.	Attendance: 485 Referee: J Larkin (Cork)

Clare v Cork

7 January 2018 Round 2	Clare	4-17 - 0-18	Cork	Cusack Park, Ennis
	Peter Duggan 2-0, Cathal Malone, Niall Deasy (0-1f) 1-2 each, Ian Galvin 0-3, Seadna Morey, David Reidy, Tony Kelly, Mickey O’Neill 0-2 each, Billy Connors, Ryan Taylor 0-1 each.	Report	Rob O’Shea 0-5 (0-2f), Declan Dalton 0-4 (0-4f), Daniel Kearney 0-3, Lorcan McLoughlin, Eoin Murphy 0-2 each, Eoghan Finn, John Looney 0-1 each.	Referee: J McCormack (Tipperary)

Round 3

Kerry v Cork

14 January 2018 Round 3	Kerry	1-23 - 1-13	Cork	Austin Stack Park, Tralee
	Shane Conway 0-10 (0-4 f), Colum Harty 1-1, Pádraig Boyle 0-4, Shane Nolan 0-3, Seán Weir 0-2, B Barrett, J Goulding, Daithí Griffin 0-1 each.	Report	Declan Dalton 0-8 (7 f), John Looney 1-0, Eoghan Keniry 0-3, Luke Meade, Aaron Myers 0-1 each.	Attendance: 433 Referee: T Walsh (Waterford)

The final group game was cancelled, as Limerick and Clare had already reached the final.^[7]

Final

Limerick v Clare

14 January 2018 Final	Limerick	0-16 – 0-10	Clare	Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
14:00	Aaron Gillane 0-8 (0-5f), Tom Morrissey 0-4, Paul Browne, Seamus Flanagan, Barry O’Connell, Gearoid Hegarty 0-1 each.	Report	Cathal Malone 0-4, Cathal O’Connell 0-2 (0-1f), Niall Deasy (0-1f), Podge Collins, Tony Kelly, David Reidy (0-1f) 0-1 each.	Attendance: 3,209 Referee: C McAllister (Cork)

League statistics

Top scorers

Top scorers overall

Rank	Player	Team	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Aaron Gillane	Limerick	1-21	24	3	8.00
2	Pádraig Boyle	Kerry	1-15	18	3	6.00
3	Séamus Flanagan	Limerick	3-5	14	3	4.66
4	Declan Dalton	Cork	0-12	12	2	6.00
5	Niall Deasy	Clare	1-8	11	3	3.66
6	Cathal Malone	Clare	1-7	10	3	3.33
	Barry Nash	Limerick	1-7	10	2	5.00
	Rob O'Shea	Cork	0-10	10	2	5.00
	Shane Conway	Kerry	0-10	10	3	3.33
	Shane Nolan	Kerry	0-10	10	2	5.00

Top scorers in a single game

Rank	Player	Team	Tally	Total	Opposition
1	Pádraig Boyle	Kerry	1-10	13	Limerick
2	Aaron Gillane	Limerick	1-9	12	Cork
3	Shane Conway	Kerry	0-10	10	Cork
4	Séamus Flanagan	Limerick	2-2	8	Kerry
	Barry Nash	Limerick	1-5	8	Kerry
	Aaron Gillane	Limerick	0-8	8	Clare
	Declan Dalton	Cork	0-8	8	Kerry
5	Shane Nolan	Kerry	0-7	7	Clare
6	Peter Duggan	Clare	2-0	6	Clare
	David Reidy	Clare	1-3	6	Kerry

Miscellaneous

• Kerry's 1-23 to 1-13 defeat of Cork was their first competitive senior victory over their neighbours since the 1891 Munster Championship.^[8]