This wasn't one of County's most memorable evenings at the office as on another occasion, they could have had the points wrapped up by half time. John Ryan's outfit started much the better and after just eight minutes, Darren McKenna got in behind the home defence to be left with just goalkeeper Noel Money to beat but the striker took the wrong option in not shooting before Mooney managed to close down his effort.
On 11 minutes, Dave Scully then latched on to a Stephen Cooling pass to volley on goal but Mooney did well in keeping out the effort. The hosts got a better grip on the game after the opening quarter and Colm Heffernan looked to have broken the deadlock but Scully somehow managed to prevent the effort from reaching the County net.
The visitors continued to play the better football and after McKenna was off target with a snap shot on 33 minutes, County nearly went into the half time interval with the advantage but Cooling's sweetly struck left foot shot was just inches wide of Mooney's left hand post.
Kildare started the second half pretty much in the same way they finished the opening period and John Reilly looked to have slipped the home defence but Pat Purcell just got back in time to clear the danger.
After Alan Byrne came very close with a header from Thomas Morgan's 56th minute corner, Limerick had their best spell of the game and on 70 minutes, they struck home for the only goal of the game.
It was County's Barry Clancy who was the culprit when his mistake allowed Derek McCarthy to set up the Limerick attack and after he successfully completed a neat exchanges of passes with Robbie Kelleher, McCarthy fired past Brendan Kennedy to the left corner.
Instead of the expected County retaliation, it was Limerick who had the next chance of the match and Paul Rose looked certain to double his side's lead only for a superb Ian Malone challenge to keep Kildare's chances alive.
For the final quarter, that County resurgence was evident and both Stephen Cooling and John Reilly wasted good opportunities before a last gasp Derek Delaney chance rattled the home defence. However Limerick managed to hang on for a vital win, which was followed by a victory over Finn Harps three days later.
County: Kennedy, O'Mara, Clancy, Malone, A. Byrne, Scully, Cooling, McCrossan, Reilly, Morgan, McKenna. Subs: Delaney for Morgan (71 mins), Gibbs for Malone (83 mins), Slattery for Scully (87 mins).
Limerick: Mooney, Molan, Buckley, Wolfe, Purcell, Barrett, Kelleher, Lester, McCarthy, Rose, Heffernan. Subs: Waters for Kelleher (87 mins), Guerin for McCarthy (89 mins).