Pictures: Limerick defeat Cork to claim the Munster hurling title

Limerick were crowned Munster champions today in front of a packed crowd at the Gaelic Grounds

Referee James McGrath's decision to send off Pat Horgan just before half time for catching Paudie O'Brien on the head with his hurl in what looked like an accidental clash will surely be a talking point, in a game where Limerick pushed on in the second half with a man advantage.

At half-time, the sides were level 0-10 to 0-10, but Cork really threatened the Limerick goal with a series of chances that were only a whisker away from going in.

Limerick's Donal O'Grady uses the old 'levitating hurl' trick

In the second period however, Limerick looked reinvigorated, so the sending off wasn't the only difference maker between the two sides. The Shannonsiders pulled clear and eventually came out on top by a scoreline of 0-24 to 0-15 points, with a series of substitutes all contributing to the scoreline too, showing the importance of a strong panel.

James Ryan celebrates at final whistle

The Gardai could hardly keep back the crowd, who were itching to invade the pitch as the final whistle approached, and with 42,730 packed into the Gaelic Grounds, the scenes were pretty spectacular as Limerick claimed their first Munster title since 1996.