Just like a year ago for Galway's first All-Ireland title win in 29 years, tickets were in huge demand for 2018's All-Ireland hurling final.
Micheál Donoghue was looking to join Cyril Farrell in managing Galway to back-to-back All-Ireland titles while his counterpart on the Limerick sideline was hoping to end an even longer championship drought than Galway had endured. 1973 was the last time Limerick had claimed Liam MacCarthy.
Some well-known faces turned out at Croke Park on Sunday for one of the biggest says in the sporting calendar.
Pictures: Sportsfile
Former Limerick manager TJ Ryan
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAxOFxcXC8wOFxcXC8xOTE1MjM0M1xcXC8xNTU5NDE5LmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjc2OFwiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI0NjdcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6IjhjMDgxMzJlODJlZjQ1OWIyMDQ4NWIwMmQ0Y2Y4MmVmMzY4NzNkOTcifQ==/all-the-celebs-politicians-and-sportspeople-at-the-all-ireland-hurling-final.jpg)
Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAxOFxcXC8wOFxcXC8xOTE1MjYzN1xcXC8xNTU5NDEyLTEuanBnXCIsXCJ3aWR0aFwiOlwiNzY4XCIsXCJoZWlnaHRcIjpcIjUxOVwiLFwiZGVmYXVsdFwiOlwiaHR0cHM6XFxcL1xcXC93d3cuYmFsbHMuaWVcXFwvaW1hZ2VzXFxcL2JyYW5kLWltYWdlLmpwZ1wiLFwib3B0aW9uc1wiOntcIm91dHB1dFwiOlwid2VicFwiLFwicXVhbGl0eVwiOjk5fX0iLCJoYXNoIjoiMDViMWI4MTc5NWU1YTgwODVlYjAxODE2Yzc1YjE1MDM1MmMyMWZkMCJ9/all-the-celebs-politicians-and-sportspeople-at-the-all-ireland-hurling-final.jpg)
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAxOFxcXC8wOFxcXC8xOTE1MjYxN1xcXC8xNTU5NDEwLmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjQ3OFwiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI3NjhcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6IjJkZmJjMmFkOWNlYzU3Yzk0MmQ2MmNjZjQwM2RhODI4NDI0OTE3MTkifQ==/all-the-celebs-politicians-and-sportspeople-at-the-all-ireland-hurling-final.jpg)
Former Waterford player Dan Shanahan
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAxOFxcXC8wOFxcXC8xOTE1MjcyMFxcXC8xNTU5NDAxLmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjU3M1wiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI3NjhcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6ImZiODZiMjBlNDBhYzU2ZDQzOTM5N2QzYTRkMzk1OTQwYTM0NTliNDAifQ==/all-the-celebs-politicians-and-sportspeople-at-the-all-ireland-hurling-final.jpg)
Former Republic of Ireland international Stephen Hunt
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAxOFxcXC8wOFxcXC8xOTE1MjgyNFxcXC8xNTU5NDAwLmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjUyN1wiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI3NjhcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6ImM2MTFkZjUxNDE2MmFjZjU1OTlhNTQ5NzM1MzU1MjVkOTNiMjVkMDIifQ==/all-the-celebs-politicians-and-sportspeople-at-the-all-ireland-hurling-final.jpg)
Businessman JP McManus and wife Noreen
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAxOFxcXC8wOFxcXC8xOTE1Mjg0OVxcXC8xNTU5MzgzLmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjc2OFwiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI3MzdcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6IjVmN2NhNjdlMzQ2NTIxMDcyODQwNTM2OTI1NDAxNTA1Y2E5ZDYyMzUifQ==/all-the-celebs-politicians-and-sportspeople-at-the-all-ireland-hurling-final.jpg)
Comedian Tommy Tiernan and wife Yvonne
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAxOFxcXC8wOFxcXC8xOTE1MjkzMVxcXC8xNTU5MzgxLmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjc2OFwiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI1NjVcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6IjExZDM5MzNjYjM2MTUwMjUxZjcxN2YyZWI5NDBlODM1NDZiMDU2ZGMifQ==/all-the-celebs-politicians-and-sportspeople-at-the-all-ireland-hurling-final.jpg)
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAxOFxcXC8wOFxcXC8xOTE1MzA1MFxcXC8xNTU5MjkyLmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjc2OFwiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI1MTJcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6ImVlMGUxMGQ5ODNjN2FlNzc1YTI3NWYyODE3YjkwZDM3YzM1MzY2NjkifQ==/all-the-celebs-politicians-and-sportspeople-at-the-all-ireland-hurling-final.jpg)
Kilkenny senior hurling manager Brian Cody
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAxOFxcXC8wOFxcXC8xOTE1MzEyMVxcXC8xNTU5MjkwLmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjc2OFwiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI1MzFcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6ImEyMjFiZmZiODg5YWU2Njk1NDA0MjEyZWFiNWIyMWIyYWUyOTVhNzkifQ==/all-the-celebs-politicians-and-sportspeople-at-the-all-ireland-hurling-final.jpg)
Pat Hartigan one of the men to last win an All-Ireland for Limerick in 1973
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAxOFxcXC8wOFxcXC8xOTE1MzQxOVxcXC8xNTU5NDQzLmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjc2OFwiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI3MzlcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6IjU4MjJiZTJlNzUyNmViZDQ4YzU2YmY2YjE5MGYyY2ZlZTViYmNmNmMifQ==/all-the-celebs-politicians-and-sportspeople-at-the-all-ireland-hurling-final.jpg)