Seamus Flanagan Feels Internal Ban For Nasty Cork Jab Was Unwarranted

As it was in 2024, one of the stories of this hurling season has been the rivalry between Munster neighbours Cork and Limerick.

Last year, the sides met twice in the championship, with Cork prevailing on both occasions and famously stopping Limerick's charge to a five-in-a-row with victory in the All-Ireland semi-final.

This year's championship meetings both came in Munster, with Limerick annihilating the Rebels in the round-robin before Cork prevailed in the final on penalties to end the march to seven provincial titles in a row for their rivals.

However, the first major Cork v Limerick story of the year came in February's drawn Allianz League clash in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoímh.

Footage from the stands appeared to show Limerick forward Seamus Flanagan jabbing his hurl to a sensitive area of Cork defender Niall O'Leary.

The incident brought huge criticism, with GAA veterans condemning the violent action.

Seamus Flanagan. A classy man. Of course the referee and his officials missed it. To be fair, they seemed to make it their business to ignore plenty of Limericks shite off the ball last night. #corkgaa #limerickgaa #cork pic.twitter.com/ll5LAJ997b

— James O'Donoghue (@odonoghuejames) February 2, 2025

Flanagan was not sanctioned by the GAA, but an internal suspension from the Limerick team left him on the sidelines in the weeks after the draw in Cork.

The Feohanagh-Castlemahon forward spoke on the incident for the first time at a live show in Belfast this week.

Though Flanagan expressed serious regret for the jab, he admitted he felt his internal suspension had been unfair.

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Seamus Flanagan avoided a suspension from the GAA for his actions against Cork, but found the Limerick management less forgiving.

The All-Star forward was a special guest at a live recording of the BBC's GAA Social podcast this week, and was asked to comment on his jab at Cork man Niall O'Leary.

Flanagan admitted his serious regret over the incident, suggesting it had started his "downfall" for the season.

However, he felt the Limerick management might not have needed to intervene when he avoided any sanction from the GAA.

"It's one of the moments throughout my career that I regret the most," Flanagan said.

I got a retroactive ban internally from John [Kiely]. I couldn't play the next league game.

I suppose I maybe lost touch with management a little bit. Did they lose faith in me, thinking that's a side to my game? I don't think it is, I wouldn't class myself as a dirty player, I really wouldn't.

We've had success in Limerick for the last number of years. Scrutiny is on you as a manager in John and his management team to deal with matters.

Personally...it's not that you're victimising [yourself], you're really not and I don't want to play that card. I did a stupid act and I regretted it immensely.

But I don't know, was there a little bit of it that was 'We'll deal with this ourselves and we'll be seen to deal with it ourselves'? I don't know if I agree with that.

If the GAA aren't going to deal with it and nothing's happening there...okay, I know I've done wrong. It would be different if I came and thought I'd done nothing wrong. I held my hand up and apologised to the team.

I'm gonna say, whatever management do that's okay...I didn't think it was warranted. I really didn't.

I held my hand up, said sorry, and that it wouldn't happen again.

Flanagan did say that he understood he had brought the team's reputation into disrepute with the nasty incident, and accepted fault for the aggression displayed.

However, he implored to podcast host and Armagh legend Oisín McConville that these kinds of incidents can happen regularly on the pitch without being penalised.

It will be painful for Limerick to watch on as their provincial rivals Cork and Tipperary take to the field in the All-Ireland final this Sunday.

For Seamus Flanagan and his teammates, it will surely only be further motivation to bounce back in 2026.