Game recognises game as Henry Shefflin doffs cap to Limerick's four in a row contenders

This is the thing about playing Limerick. They will empty you. It is just a question of how long it takes.

It doesn't matter that they are already four All-Ireland titles into this remarkable cycle going back to 2018, that they are one win away from their fifth Liam MacCarthy in six years and that they can join Kilkenny (2006-'09) and Cork (1941-44) as the only teams to achieve the four in a row.

Nor does it matter that they lost one of their star defenders, Sean Finn, before the start of the year and then their inspirational captain and centre-half back Declan Hannon in the Munster final.

READ MORE: Declan Hannon has 'every chance' of making All-Ireland final as John Kiely plays down historic bid