While Kilkenny are regarded as one of the "big three" of hurling, with Cork and Tipperary completing the trio, Limerick are ranked fourth in the all-time roll of honour and have enjoyed sporadic periods of dominance at various stages throughout the history of the championship, including currently.

On 3 September 1933 the All-Ireland final between Kilkenny and Limerick set a new attendance record when 45,176 spectators turned up at Croke Park to see their first championship clash of the 20th century.

Matty Power gave Kilkenny a one-point lead before Johnny Dunne scored the clinching goal to secure a 1-7 to 0-6 victory.

Jack Keane issued an instruction from the sideline that Timmy Ryan, the team captain, was to take the free and put the sliotar over the bar for the equalising point.

Early in the second-half Kilkenny took a four-point lead, however, once Limerick captain Mick Mackey was deployed at midfield he proceeded to dominate the game.

In spite of this, Kilkenny suffered an amazing streak of bad luck and lost several key players in the lead in to the game.

However what is seldom mentioned is that four very prominent hurlers Leonard Enright, Jim O'Donnell, Michael Graham and Mick O'Loughlin were all unavailable, for one reason or another to Limerick.In a tactical masterstroke, Limerick moved their own star forward, Éamonn Cregan, to centre-back where he nullified the Kilkenny attack.

[2] Kilkenny didn't have to wait long to avenge that defeat as Limerick provided the opposition in the All-Ireland decider on 1 September 1974.

Henry Shefflin hit a five-point glut between the nineteenth and 25th-minutes that proved the winning of a game that failed to fire.

Goals from man of the match Eddie Brennan (who scored 1-5) and Henry Shefflin, who eventually went off injured, got Kilkenny off to the dream start.

In spite of this a shock looked like a very real possibility with Limerick, who had played into a stiff breeze, belying their massive underdog tag with a first-half display of poise and class.

The All-Ireland semi-final on 10 August 2014 saw Kilkenny enter the game as Leinster champions, while Limerick were the defeated finalists in Munster.

45,478 spectators witnessed a tense game that was punctuated buy heavy downpours of rain, with the floodlights coming on well before half-time.

Limerick opened up a three-point lead as the interval approached, however, Kilkenny finished the half with an unanswered 1-2 as Michael Fennelly and Padraig Walsh flashed over points before a Richie Hogan goal.

Kilkenny cut loose with a crucial Eoin Larkin goal and two pointed T. J. Reid frees to secure a 2-13 to 0-17 victory.