Speaking to Hot Press at the launch of Littlewoods' sponsorship of the All Ireland hurling championship, and its Style Of Play campaign, Limerick star Tom Morrissey has been emphasising the ferocious competition his team are set to face as they look to retain the Liam MacCarthy cup.

"There's only a puck of the ball between nine or 10 teams," said Morrissey, as Limerick look ahead to their opening Munster championship game against Cork, at home in the Gaelic Grounds on May 19. "They can all beat each other on any given day. We're here today for the launch of the All Ireland championship, but right now, we're only focused on Munster. Even in that competition alone, it's incredibly competitive between the five teams."

Morrissey was joined by fellow inter-county stars, Gearoid McInerney of Galway and Clare's Peter Duggan, in launching Littlewoods' Style Of Play campaign, which brings together the worlds of sport and fashion in an innovative way. As the championship continues this summer, the campaign will showcase the unique style and skills of the players representing their counties.

Looking ahead to the mouthwatering action on the horizon, Limerick will be striving to build on a spectacular 2018, which saw them capture the Liam MacCarthy cup for the first time in 45 years. Reflecting on the emotional scenes that followed their historic win – when the team's Croke Park celebrations were memorably soundtracked by The Cranberries – Morrissey notes that the squad rode the wave of euphoria for quite some time afterwards.

"It was an amazing buzz," he reflected, "both for ourselves internally and for the Limerick public. There was a good vibe wherever you went around the county. It was probably at its height in the first week, because it was so new to all of us. It was unbelievable to witness. Going into the game, with Limerick not having won for so long, we knew that it would be big. But it wasn't until it actually happened that we realised the magnitude of it."

Of course, Limerick duly secured the National Hurling League title in the spring, meaning they could scarcely be in better shape going into the summer.

"Winning the league was absolutely fantastic for us," noted Morrissey. "Winning a national title so soon afterwards, it proved that we're not just happy with what we have. We want to drive on."