Tag Archives: All-Ireland hurling qualifiers

CLARE face Cork for the first time under Brian Lohan this weekend after this morning’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Round 2 Qualifier draw threw up an All-Munster encounter, writes Eoin Brennan. The game takes place in LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick with throw-in at 4.30. It’s the first time since 2019 that the counties have met in what was to be Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor’s last match in charge as the Banner bounced back from heavy losses to Tipperary and Limerick to overcome the Rebels in Cusack Park by 2-23 to 2-18. Ironically, despite defeat, Cork would squeeze through to the All-Ireland series on score difference at the expense of Clare. https://twitter.com/noelm300/status/1417035427953975298?s=20 More significantly for Clare, however, it halted a five match championship losing streak (including Munster Final reverses in 2017 and ’18) to the Rebels since the 2013 All-Ireland Final Replay. A repeat of the 2017 All-Ireland decider will also take place this Saturday between Waterford and Galway, with …

Three of the players that filled key positions when Clare ensured promotion to division 1 A at the expense of Limerick as the end of March will play no part in Saturday’s qualifier meeting of the Shannonside neighbours at Thurles. Conor McGrath, Conor Ryan and Pat Kelly are all out of action due to injury. McGrath, one of the game’s leading forwards, contributed 0-5 from play in that game and his absence is certainly a blow to clare hopes of beinhg involved in the latter stages of the championship. Both McGrath and Kelly are keeping their fingers crossed that they will be ready for quarter final action on July 25 as is Ryan but the defender/midfielder may have to wait a little longer b efore he is ready to return to action. “Limerick won ‘t be afraid of us. It’s do or die now. We know the great young talent that they have. They have only been beaten three times …