Limerick are Munster senior hurling champions for the fifth consecutive year after a one point victory over Clare this afternoon on home soil at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
The All-Ireland champions produced another clinical performance to win the Mick Mackey Cup once again in front of over 40,000 people.
Aaron Gillane walked away with the Man of the Match award after notching up 1-11 on the day.
The difficult task of marking Gillane was left to Cian Nolan who replaced Conor Cleary in the starting team. Cleary missed out due to a shoulder injury sustained against Cork last month.
Nolan had his work cut out all day and was eventually substituted after 55 minutes.
The Sunday Game pundits Shane Dowling, Anthony Daly and Joe Canning expressed their thoughts on Brian Lohan's handling of the situation after the game.
The panel debate the selection of Cian Nolan and what impact it had on the Banner in losing by a single point, with opinions vastly differing
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RTÉ pundits on Cian Nolan
"It's very easy for us to stand up here in a fancy box and talk about the game that we love but Clare got it wrong today," ex-Limerick player Dowling said.
"Cian Nolan, it's his first day out, throwing him in to a Munster final and then leaving him there for 55 minutes...
"The change should have been made earlier. He (Gillane) had one of those days that we'd all love to have on Munster final day."
Former Clare manager and player Anthony Daly agreed with his colleague.
"I wouldn't mind starting Cian Nolan because he has played a good lot but he should have been gone at that stage (when Gillane got his goal).
"The young lad is only there to do his best but he should've been gone.
"The change was there. We had Séadhna Morey, we had Paul Flanagan. They both did really well when they came on."
Canning was more sympathetic towards Nolan.
"In fairness to Cian Nolan if you had any corner back in there...if you had Sean Finn in there he couldn't have handled Aaron Gillane today," the Galway man said.
"The ball going in is so good. There's only so much a corner back can do.
"I know they can gamble but Gillane is so good in behind as well that if they change it up and hit it in long he's under pressure.
"The problems happened out the field. I wouldn't neccasrily blame Cian Nolan."
Limerick now advance to an All-Ireland semi-final, while Clare will have to pick themselves up for a quarter-final in less than two weeks time.
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