The win means Instonians will face Leinster Senior Cup Champions Lansdowne in the decider on the first weekend in January with the chance to lift the trophy for the first time in 97 years.
A tight opening period in Limerick was broken by Instonians, who capitalised on a stolen lineout. Quick ball out wide found fullback Bradley McNamara, who crossed for the game’s first try right in the corner, taking the score to 5-0.
Garryowen responded swiftly, with flanker Des Fitzgerald finishing off a well-executed team move to level the scores.
Instonians regained the lead through David Whitten, who dotted down after a penalty advantage and a powerful driving maul. Josh Eagleson’s conversion extended Inst’s lead to 12-5.
The rest of the half remained a tight affair, with both teams trading penalties. The score remained at 12-5 as the whistle blew.
HT: Garryowen 5 - 12 Instonians
The second half continued the intense battle, with Instonians using their powerful maul to good effect. Hooker Neil Saulters powered over for an unconverted try, taking the score to 17-5.
However, Instonians would begin to feel the pressure. Prop Liam Kaprigiannis received a yellow after a high tackle and was soon followed by fellow prop Oli Clark for an accumulation of scrum penalties, taking Inst down to 13 men. With both starting props in the sin bin, Garryowen capitalised on the numerical advantage, scoring two penalty tries. To add to Instonians woes, they received a third yellow card, to centre Bevan Prinsloo, leaving the Belfast side trailing by two points.
Despite the setback, Instonians fought back. With 9 minutes to go, the side were back to 15 men, and a patient build-up from their own half culminated in winger Mark Keane crossing in the corner. Eagleson’s accurate conversion from a difficult angle secured a lead of 24-19 with four minutes to go.
The final minutes were tense, with Garryowen piling pressure on Instonians’ line. However, a resolute defensive effort from the Belfast side held firm, securing a thrilling victory.
FT: Garryowen 19 - 24 Instonians
Instonians have had to beat Ballynahinch, City of Armagh, Queen’s and Garryowen to reach the final and now they are relishing a crack at Lansdowne, who they beat 16-8 to lift the trophy in 1927.