The Na Piarsaigh clubman is coming out of inter county retirement after four years away while new faces have also emerged
Former All-Ireland winning forward Shane Dowling is set to make a stunning return to the inter-county scene with Limerick next year.
Rumours of Dowling’s comeback were confirmed when John Kiely and his management team released their 46 man pre season panel for 2025.
Dowling, now 31, originally retired from the green of Limerick back in 2020 after an extended period of degenerative knee and cartilage issues. However, the former All-Star forward is now set to rejoin John Kiely’s squad as a goalkeeper, where he has been plying his trade for Na Piarsaigh in recent times.
Kiely will have a selection headache following the serious injury to talismanic shot-stopper Nickie Quaid, with Jason Gillane, brother of Aaron, Conor Hanley Clarke and Dowling now set to battle it out for a starting berth.
There are plenty of new faces in the Limerick set up this year.
Additions include Eddie Stokes, Chris Thomas (both Doon), Vince Harrington, Dylan Lynch (both Na Piarsaigh), William Dore, Cian Scully (both Dromin Athlaca), Oisin O’Farrell (Askeaton/Ballysteen), Sean Casey (Bruff), Evan O’Leary (Ahane), Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret), Hugh Flanagan (Garryspillane), Conor Hanley-Clarke (Kilmallock), and Con Hayes (Newcastlewest).
Notable absentees from last years squad includes Conor Boylan, Oisin O’Reilly, Aaron Costello, David McCarthy and the recently retired Graham Mulcahy.
All star goalkeeper Nickie Quaid is included in the squad despite the recent knee injury that is expected to see him have a long spell on the sidelines.
Dowling will be hoping that his second stint with the treaty county is as successful as his first. An All-Star in 2014, Dowling led Limerick to 2 Munster titles and that famous 2018 All Ireland final victory over Galway, where the sharpshooting forward scored a crucial goal ending Limerick’s 45-year wait for Liam McCarthy’s return.
Dowling also had a glittering club career with Na Piarsaigh, topped off with an All-Ireland club title back in 2016.
Since retiring from the intercounty setup, Dowling had moved into punditry and coaching. Most notably he has worked with RTÉ on The Sunday Game. He made a return to Na Piarsaigh back in 2022, after over 30 months on the sideline, starting off as goalkeeper for their intermediate side.
Should Dowling feature, he still maintains a strong free taking repertoire, as well as nearly a decade of experience with the team.
Limerick Senior Hurling pre season panel 2025
Declan Hannon (Adare), Dan Morrissey, Tom Morrissey, Evan O’Leary (Ahane), Oisin O’Farrell (Askeaton/Ballysteen), Colin Coughlan, Aidan O’Connor (Ballybrown), Sean Casey, Sean Finn (Bruff), Cathal O’Neill (Crecora/Manister), Adam English, Richie English, Barry Murphy, Darragh O’Donovan, Eddie Stokes, Chris Thomas (Doon), William Dore, David Reidy, Cian Scully (Dromin/Athlacca), Nickie Quaid, Fergal O’Connor, Patrick O’Donovan (Effin), Seamus Flanagan (Feoghanagh/Castlemahon), Hugh Flanagan (Garryspillane), Kyle Hayes (Kildimo/Pallaskenry), Micheál Houlihan, Conor Hanley-Clarke, Shane O’Brien (Kilmallock), Darragh Langan, Ronan Lyons, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh (Monaleen), Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret), Mike Casey, Peter Casey, Shane Dowling, Vince Harrington, Dylan Lynch, William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh), Con Hayes, Ethan Hurley (Newcastlewest), Diarmuid Byrnes, Aaron Gillane, Jason Gillane, Cian Lynch (Patrickswell), Barry Nash (South Liberties), Gearoid Hegarty (St. Patrick’s).