Limerick lads hoist Fenway Classic hurling trophy

Limerick won the 2018 Super 11’s Fenway Hurling Classic on Sunday, Nov. 18 at Fenway Park in front of an enthusiastic crowd of some 12,000 fans. Goalkeepers Nickie Quaid and Anthony Nash making some outstanding saves for the all-Ireland champs throughout the day, which culminated in Limerick’s 38-30 victory over Cork. Clare was on hand to defend its title against Limerick. Cork and Wexford. The event was sponsored this year by Aer Lingus. “It’s been a great year and this is just a bonus - we were coming here to enjoy ourselves and be part of the occasion,” Limerick manager John Kiely told the Limerick Leader after the win. Photo courtesy Boston Red Sox

Limerick won the 2018 Super 11’s Fenway Hurling Classic on Sunday, Nov. 18 at Fenway Park in front of an enthusiastic crowd of some 12,000 fans. Goalkeepers Nickie Quaid and Anthony Nash making some outstanding saves for the all-Ireland champs throughout the day, which culminated in Limerick’s 38-30 victory over Cork.
Clare was on hand to defend its title against Limerick. Cork and Wexford. The event was sponsored this year by Aer Lingus. “It’s been a great year and this is just a bonus - we were coming here to enjoy ourselves and be part of the occasion,” Limerick manager John Kiely told the Limerick Leader after the win.
It was weekend-long celebration of the sport in Boston, Aidan Browne, chairman of the Boston Friends of the Gaelic Players Association, addressed a packed crowd at the GPA CEO Champions Luncheon, held on Friday, Nov. 16 at the Boston Harbor Hotel. The event drew 300 people to the venue to celebrate the amateur athletes who were in Boston for the third
Fenway Classic. The event featured a keynote address by Dr. David Torchiana, M.D, President & CEO of Partners HealthCare Systems. Special guests included 2018 GPA All Star players and players from the 2018 All-Ireland Championship.
Oh, yes, about those sliotars …
The balls used in the Aer Lingus Fenway Hurling Classic at Fenway Park contained a microchip that can send information on distances and speeds travelled during the games. The innovation could lead to such balls, or sliotars, being used in mainstream hurling in the future with the technology providing a vast array of information.
The sliotar used was bright yellow, and it contained a chip similar to that used in a contactless credit card. The sliotar was developed and manufactured by Green Fields Digital Sports Technology of Kilkenny. Two of the company’s officials, COO Tomas Mullins and CFO Rory Williams, were on hand in Boston for the matches.
“The luminous yellow sliotar is expected to become standardized by the GAA,” the Irish Independent has reported. “The ball contains a readable chip in the core to facilitate pitch-side verification, confirming that the ball complies with standards.”