One of the biggest talking points ahead of the 2025 intercounty season regards how Limerick will combat losing star goalkeeper Nickie Quaid, who fell foul to the dreaded cruciate injury this winter.
Quaid has been a colossus for Limerick over the last decade but manager John Kiely has had to take drastic action to combat his absence.
Kiely shocked the hurling world by recalling former outfielder Shane Dowling to his panel for 2025. Dowling has reinvented himself as a goalkeeper with his club Na Piarsaigh in the last few years.
Dowling, key to their 2018 All-Ireland title success, has come out of retirement after being forced to call time on his career in 2020 due to a knee issue.
Despite that retirement, Dowling made a successful return to the sport at club level - albeit between the sticks - having packed in his outfield duties.
A prominent pundit on TV screens in recent seasons, Dowling could well find himself as Limerick's first-choice goalkeeper as they look to reclaim the Liam McCarthy Cup next season.
John Kiely explains decision to bring Shane Dowling back as a goalkeeper
Kiely spoke in depth with Luke Liddy of Limerick's Live 95FM when he explained the reintroduction of Dowling as a goalkeeper.
Shane has gone and gotten involved with his own club over the last three or four years playing in goals and anyone that has been attending the club games in that period will know that Shane has had a huge impact with Na Piarsaigh and has played exceptionally well in that role,” Kiely said.
“Not only in terms of his puck-outs but his distribution of the ball in general, his ability to come out and take long-range frees and his shot stopping has been exceptional as well.
"Shane is a superb goalkeeper and that's the reason that we spoke.
“It was a huge decision for him to make to come back into the group to have a shot off this but we wouldn't be true to ourselves if we didn't go and explore every single avenue that we have as a management team.”
Dowling - who scored a goal in their All-Ireland final win vs Galway in 2018 - is still just 31-years-old and at 6'0" tall, is the same height as the absent Quaid.
Quaid was in top form last season, winning a third All-Star of his decorated career despite their All-Ireland semi-final exit at the hands of Cork.
