THIRTY-FIVE seconds that will haunt Limerick and will never be forgotten by Dublin.
The 14-man Sky Blues claimed an awesome victory over the Treaty, ripping up the script to return to the All-Ireland semi-final for the first time since 2013.
After losing captain Chris Crummey to an early red card, Dublin got in front and crucially, summoned an incredible work rate and showed plenty of quality to get over the line.
Two goals in a minute from brilliant half-time sub John Hetherton and Cian O’Sullivan proved key, coming at a time when Limerick had forged ahead.
Hetherton’s clinical 53rd-minute strike shook a densely populated Hill 16 into life and 35 seconds later, O’Sullivan pounced on Treaty indecision to put the Leinster side five points clear.
John Kiely’s Limerick were shellshocked as their predicted stride into a last-four meeting with Kilkenny was scuppered.
Instead the Dubs will take on Munster champions Cork, while the Cats will face Tipperary.
Crummey was dismissed in the 15th minute, when the Lucan Sarsfields man connected with Gearóid Hegarty, who jinked inside, only to be met with an elbow from the Dublin skipper.
After a brief consultation with sideline official Michael Kennedy, referee Liam Gordon produced a straight red card to a distraught Crummey, who is set to miss the last-four clash with the Rebels.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Boys in Blue kicked on as Limerick struggled to make use of the spare man.
The underdogs outscored the Treaty by ten points to five until half-time, with Seán Currie leading the charge.
Around the middle, Brian Hayes and Conor Burke were immense and while Limerick had moments from Adam English and half-forwards Hegarty and Tom Morrissey, there was no clear pattern to their play.
It is Limerick’s earliest Championship exit since 2017 — Kiely’s first season in charge.
And it is a third consecutive win over the Treaty for the Dubs, albeit the most recent was a 2015 qualifier.
The early running was even, with Morrissey and Crummey swapping points before a run of four in a row put the favourites 0-6 to 0-3 ahead after ten minutes.
Aaron Gillane and Aidan O’Connor looked dangerous but Paddy Smyth and Conor McHugh eventually got to grips with the duo.
After Crummey’s dismissal, which was unsurprisingly booed by the home support, Currie clipped one from play and a free to level matters at 0-7 apiece.
The belief was still with Niall O’Ceallacháin’s charges.
Hegarty pointed on 24 minutes but then Limerick hit a dry spell of more than ten minutes against the wind.
In reply there were five excellent points for Dublin with Ronan Hayes notching a quick brace, which sandwiched Fergal Whiteley and Burke scores.
Currie then punished a Barry Nash high challenge and there was four points between the sides.
Morrissey and Limerick captain Lynch helped to cut the gap and the expectation was that this was the first sign of the All-Ireland four-in-a-row champions returning to form.
Having blitzed Cork in mid-May, an understrength Treaty slumped to a dead-rubber loss to Clare.
That Munster final defeat by Cork, decided by penalties, was a thriller but Kiely’s side were unable to hit those levels and never looked comfortable in the second half.
Hetherton’s half-time introduction gave Dublin a direct-ball option, especially for Conor Burke and McHugh who hoovered up loose ball around the middle.
Despite hitting 16 wides over the 74 minutes, the winners were not shy in shooting.
That posed a real problem for Limerick when they coughed up cheap possession and every score was met by an even greater vigour from the Dubs support, which was growing as the big-ball fans began to make their way into HQ.
A run of seven of the next eight points saw Limerick dominate and move back in front for the first time, 0-19 to 0-18. Gillane, Hegarty and English were all on target while Aidan O’Connor added two fine efforts.
However, in the 53rd minute when Ronan Hayes won the puckout, he fed O’Sullivan, who handpassed to Hetherton and from a near-impossible angle, the St Vincent’s man dispatched a bullet beyond Nickie Quaid to turn the momentum Dubiln’s way.
And within the minute, Hetheron turned provider and O’Sullivan bagged the second.
A long delivery broke off Hetherton and full-back Dan Morrissey allowed the wing-forward the space to find the net.
Limerick got the margin back to a point, twice.
But Currie and Brian Hayes had the next say on both occasions and the Dubs pulled four clear with two late frees.
On 60 minutes, Seán Brennan denied Gillane with a point-blank save, with the sliotar flying over the bar for a point instead of the intended goal.
The dying of the Limerick light saw Peter Casey cut the gap to three, before Diarmaid Byrnes went for the leveller with a 25-metre free, but the ball was cleared.
English tried to deliver the ball one last time, but over-cooked his effort for a point — symptomatic of the Treaty display.
Dublin held on for the most dramatic and deserved win they have enjoyed for more than a decade.
DUBLIN: S Brennan; J Bellew, P Smyth, C McHugh; P Doyle, C Crummey 0-1, A Dunphy; C Burke 0-5, B Hayes 0-2; R McBride 0-2, F Whitley 0-1; C O’Sullivan 1-1; S Currie 0-9; 5f, R Hayes 0-3, D Ó Dúlaing. Subs: J Hetherton 1-0 for Ó Dúlaing h-t; D Power for Whiteley 52 mins; D Burke for McBride 64; C Currie for R Hayes 69; D Lucey for McHugh 75.
LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, M Casey; D Byrnes, K Hayes, B Nash 0-1; A English 0-5, W O’Donoghue; G Hegarty 0-4, C Lynch 0-2, T Morrissey 0-2; A Gillane 0-9, 5f, 1 ’65, A O’Connor 0-3, D Reidy. Subs: C O’Neill for Hegarty 15-16 mins; C O’Neill 0-1 for T Morrissey 22-23; C O’Neill 0-1 for T Morrissey h-t; B Murphy for Casey h-t; D Hannon for Nash 51; P Casey 0-1 for W O’Donoghue 58; S O’Brien for O’Connor 65.
REFEREE: L Gordon (Galway).
