This weekend’s two quarter-finals would instead be fought out by Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford. An unashamed box-ticking weekend on the road to arriving at the desired Cork-Kerry final.

Limerick’s relegation back to Division 4 last month means that whenever league-based seeding does eventually come into effect in Munster, they won’t be getting any leg-up into the semis and draw separation from the green and gold until the final afternoon.

Sidelined by the men in suits last August, including their own two Munster Council delegates who had the temerity to vote against the wishes of the Limerick set-up, it is the players who hold the microphone this weekend.

So, what are they going to say?

“All four counties – ourselves, Waterford, Tipp and Clare – are out to make some sort of a point in regards to what was being proposed and nearly pushed through, as opposed to being player-led,” remarked Limerick’s dynamic middle-third operator Barry Coleman.

That any point made will also be directed at their own county board, such was the Limerick executive’s knife-in-the-back carry-on during the seeding vote, is utterly dismaying.

“There's a lot of politics probably involved in it. I try to stay out of that side of things, but yeah, players and management were disappointed in regard to what happened,” Coleman continued.

“Personally, I think it was disappointing because from a Limerick footballer point of view, we felt that we were building on something and that with a year or two years of progression, there was no reason we couldn't turn over Cork and then be the ones to get into Munster finals – I won't say on a frequent basis, but maybe every two, three years, or whatever it may be.

“They're bringing it in for the top two highest league seedings, and we're in Division 4, which means we're probably not going to be one of the top two seedings for a minimum of two years.

“Hindsight is a great thing and it's easy to say now, after we getting relegated, but it was still easy to say it last time. Based on how close I think we were getting to Cork, it's extremely disappointing.

“We'll just have to park it for now and go out and try and prove people wrong.” 

Less than a month before the initial Munster Council decision, Limerick were a Rory O’Brien-deflected goal effort from bringing the Tailteann Cup final to extra-time. It was their third Croke Park visit of 2025 and first not to end in victory. Limerick football was lifting.

Nine months and a raft of retirements and injuries later, the Treaty find themselves wearing Division 4 status and their stock stalled.

Of the three spring demotions across the past four seasons, the latest was by far the most sickening.

“It's probably the most disappointing one because you’re coming in with such ambition off the end of last year, and with the players we have and the capabilities we know we reached last year, we just don't seem to be reaching it at the minute,” surmised the 25-year-old.

“We set out our goals and relegation was the minimum that we didn't want to get to. Obviously, injuries play a part. And losing Iain [Corbett] through retirement has a massive part to play, as well. But at the end of the day, we're not going to make excuses.

“We know that there's more there to give. It would be different if we felt, 'Jesus, we got relegated, we deserved to be relegated'. But the mood is good, so going forward I'm confident.

“Internal expectations within the group are that on our given day, there's no reason we shouldn't be able to compete with any Division 2 team, any Division 3 team, whatever it may be.” 

Time to make a point so, both to themselves and others.