Galway must crack the Kiely code on Sunday if they are to become All-Ireland champions, because Limerick have yet to lose a championship final in normal time under their current manager.John Kiely has a staggering 18-1 win-loss record in league and championship finals during his time as Limerick senior and under-21 manager, with the only defeat in 19 deciders coming against Cork after a penalty shootout in the 2025 Munster showpiece.If you include the Munster Senior Hurling League (SHL), Kiely’s record reads: 24 finals, Won 22, Lost 2. The only Munster SHL final Kiely lost was also to Cork, by a single point, in his maiden season at the helm with the seniors in January 2017. So, he has never lost a final as Limerick senior boss to any team other than the Rebels. And the only decider he has lost in regulation time was the guts of a decade ago.Should Limerick beat Galway on Sunday, they will have won all four competitions they entered in 2026 – matching their 2020 achievement. Given their lack of silverware in the years before he took charge – not forgetting they hadn’t won the Liam MacCarthy since 1973 – Kiely’s record in finals is a fantastic feat of consistency.Limerick manager John Kiely (second from right) and coach Paul Kinnerk watch the penalty shootout as Limerick fell to a rare loss in last year's Munster SHC final against Cork at TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho “We have that approach to every game – we go out to win every game, we have a good win ratio no matter what competition we’ve been in,” says Tom Morrissey.“No matter what level the game is, whether it’s the pre-season competition or whether it’s the league or whether it’s the Munster championship or a final, we approach them all the same.“I know that’s maybe a boring answer. We got over the line in that first one in 2018 against Galway, which probably has helped since. It just gives you that belief that you can win – and win finals at that level.”Records are there to be broken, though, and Morrissey knows Limerick’s recent undefeated streak in All-Ireland finals will not count for anything on the scoreboard when the game starts this weekend.“It would give you confidence that we have been there and done that, through league finals, Munster finals, All-Ireland finals, but at the same time it does not guarantee you anything come All-Ireland final day. “Galway are a good team. We are going to need to prepare. What we have done in the past counts for nothing; we are going to have to be focused and to deliver a very good performance.”The 2018 All-Ireland final win over Galway does indeed appear to have been the catalyst for what has become a golden era for Limerick hurling, though.Tom Morrissey scores a goal for Limerick during their victory against Galway in the 2018 All-Ireland SHC final at Croke Park. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Morrissey scored 1-1 in that decider against the Tribesmen on what was a landmark day for the Treaty County.“It was unreal. Growing up I’d never seen Limerick win an All-Ireland,” continues Morrissey. “They were in the 1996 final but I was only born that year. I’d only seen them in 2007 in an All-Ireland final. “You’re probably growing up where you know you’re a competitive hurling county but you haven’t won it. That was maybe the psyche in Limerick at the time, I suppose we were always the bridesmaid, maybe. “So to actually do it, it’s just realising your dreams really at that stage. The feeling was absolutely unbelievable.“Once you get one, you want it again. I think keeping that hunger has been something this team has been good at doing. “It feels like a long time ago now. Obviously they had that last free then that dropped in around the square (in 2018). You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘trust the process’ – that was maybe a moment you were looking up and hoping for a higher power just to be on your side that day. You were saying, ‘please don’t let it go over, let it go wide’.“And then it’s dropping into the square. You’re like, ‘just please let a Limerick man get his hand on this or let us get it out’. I remember having those feelings for the last 20, 30 seconds as Joe Canning was standing over that free.”Morrissey has come in off the bench in all except one of Limerick’s championship games this summer – with the Ahane man starting against Clare in round three of Munster.Limerick's Tom Morrissey gets to the sliotar ahead of Clare's Diarmuid Ryan during the All-Ireland SHC semi-final earlier this month. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho But he made a big impact when introduced against the Banner in the All-Ireland semi-final and remains a clutch player for Limerick.“I know, personally, I love those moments coming down to the end of a game, the last 10-15 minutes when every possession is that bit more valuable and every score is that bit more valuable.“That’s what you play for, those heightened pressure moments and you want to excel in those moments too. I know we feel comfortable in those situations as a team and I think that’s what helped us in the semi-final.”JOHN KIELY’S RECORD IN FINALS AS LIMERICK U21 & SENIOR MANAGERCONTESTED 24; WON 22; LOST 22015: Munster U21 final win over Clare; All-Ireland U21 final win over Wexford 2017: Munster Senior Hurling League final defeat to Cork2018: Munster SHL final win over Clare; All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship win over Galway2019: National Hurling League final win over Waterford; Munster Senior Hurling Championship final win over Tipperary2020: Munster SHL final win over Cork; NHL final win over Clare; Munster SHC win over Waterford; All-Ireland SHC final win over Waterford 2021: Munster SHC final win over Tipperary; All-Ireland SHC final win over Cork2022: Munster SHL final win over Clare; Munster SHC final win over Clare; All-Ireland SHC final win over Kilkenny2023: NHL final win over Kilkenny; Munster SHC final win over Clare; All-Ireland SHC final win over Kilkenny2024: Munster SHC final win over Clare2025: Munster SHC final defeat to Cork (after a penalty shootout)2026: Munster SHL final win over Waterford; NHL final win over Cork; Munster SHC final win over Cork