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All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final Kilkenny 1-25 Clare 1-22 A completely different Clare All-Ireland Semi-Final performance but still the result remained the same as a never-say-die Kilkenny weathered a strong second half Banner storm to tee up a final rematch with Limerick in a fortnight’s time, writes Eoin Brennan. In front of a Banner-dominated 48,360, Brian Lohan’s side brushed off a disappointingly cautious opening period (0-15 to 0-10) to go for the jugular on the restart, with a swashbuckling 0-9 to 0-2 third quarter turnaround, six from Mark Rodgers, catapulting them two clear. However, a defensive lapse provided a lifeline that a wily Kilkenny inevitably snatched with both hands as a TJ Reid interception set up Eoin Cody for the opening goal of the game in the 55th minute at 1-18 to 0-18. Such a sucker-punch was difficult to stomach but a moment of magic regained full parity in the 63rd minute when Diarmuid Ryan’s delivery over the top was …

When Sunday comes Clare’s prospective All-Ireland opponents will already be known and the dizziness among the Dalcassian Army on the long road to Dublin will be such that many will be racing ahead to the Big Dance. The Last Dance. The All-Ireland final. We know that the fourth Sunday in July doesn’t quite have the first Sunday in September ring to it, but it’s pitch-perfect at the same time, and in the minds’ eyes of the supporters it will be opening out before them. It’s because, what ever way the sliotar falls between Limerick and Galway on Saturday afternoon there’ll be a derby to look forward to for Clare — and a famous first. To a man, woman and child, they’re convinced. My 16-year-old says it’s a mix between manifesting and the placebo effect. Kilkenny have met Galway and Limerick in All-Ireland finals on more occasions than anyone from Clare cares to remember, so for Clare why not have something …

Terence Fahy knows better than most how to develop hurlers and cultivate success at underage. Although a proud Clare man, he possesses experience of the underage set up in Kilkenny. Fahy spent nine years working in Castlecomer Community School in the North of the county. The Whitegate man came across his fair share of quality hurlers on Noreside including four time All Ireland champion Conor Fogarty. Fahy feels that the tradition of success has helped Kilkenny players coming through the ranks believe they can win on the big stage. “There is obviously a massive tradition in the place. Life revolves around hurling down there. It’s a small county really but the thing that ignites it is hurling. Hurling is very strong in all areas down there. The tradition is handed down and despite the success they are humble enough.” Where does the culture of success in Kilkenny come from? Fahy’s answer is simple yet well constructed. “The culture comes from …

The deadline for Club Clare membership for 2023 approaches this week, safe in the knowledge that no stone has been left unturned in the pursuit of making Clare a hurling and camogie force once more. With the players guided by their management teams and the county board backing the teams, Club Clare’s direct financial support from its members essentially provide those crucial extra elements that have helped transform the hurling landscape over the past few years. The fundamentals of the game haven’t altered but the unprecedented levels of preparation and meticulous attention to detail on and off the field require a whole suite of supplementary resources that are now considered almost a prerequisite. The additional essential ingredients of nutrition, sports psychology, advancements in Strength and Conditioning, video analysis and recovery ensure that playing at inter-county level is now a lifestyle and not just a hobby. As Clare Senior Manager Brian Lohan admitted himself when launching the current Club Clare set-up …

When Brian Lohan’s men take to the hallowed turf at the GAA headquarters on Sunday, this will be only the third time in six years for the majority of this squad of players. Standing in their way of a first All-Ireland final appearance in a decade, a familiar foe in Kilkenny. This weekend’s opponents dismantled Clare’s dreams of reaching the 2022 decider after a humbling 2-26 to 0-20 loss at the hands of a then Brian Cody led Kilkenny side. However, time has now passed, old wounds have healed and it’s been little over a year and redemption is on the cards for the banner side. Clare fans who are expected to travel in their thousands to the capital will be hoping for an improvement this time round if they’re to see their team reach the 2023 All-Ireland final. David Fitzgerald, who lined out at wing forward for the banner in that defeat, is optimistic that Clare can come out …

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-Final Clare v Dublin at TUS Gaelic Grounds Limerick, Saturday 4pm (Johnny Murphy, Limerick) Not since Tony Kelly made his senior debut and Anthony Daly enlisted and drilled the Dubs through the narrow streets of Ennis have the counties met at championship level, an 11-year gap that makes the challenge all the more novel. However, last year’s post-Munster Final flatness should be sufficient to prevent another hangover while the unknown entity should equally steele Brian Lohan’s side from any complacentiy either as Clare enter a new phase of their development. It would be easy to wallow in self-pity over the injustices and missed opportunities of a second successive provincial final reverse to Limerick a fortnight ago but in reality while it was a bitter pill to swallow as the Banner craved silverware much more than their hosts, they still have a major point to prove following last year’s lacklustre All-Ireland series. Having not experienced the excessive …

When it comes to Dublin hurling successes the contribution from Clare has been huge with all six All-Ireland successes enjoyed by the metropolitans having a strong representation from the Banner County with peerless Dr Tommy Daly standing tallest of all as ‘the greatest goal man to ever clutch a ball’ writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh. The stock placed on past glories in the GAA was given a monetary value recently at a sale of Gaelic Games memorabilia organised by Fonsie Mealy’s auction house in Castlecomer, Kilkenny. A first-ever All-Ireland football medal won by Limerick in 1887 went under the hammer for €32,000, while a collection of medals won by old Tipperary and Dublin hurler Mick Darcy in the 1920s fetched over €9,000. The buyer of the latter haul that included All-Ireland gold was antique dealer Tony Honan from Ennis, who already has the largest private collection of All-Ireland medals of anyone in the county – among them a first All-Ireland hurling …

BALLYEA (hurling) and Éire Óg’s (football) quest for a historic three in a row of senior titles were put into sharper focus on Wednesday evening when the draws for all eleven adult hurling and football championships were made at the June Meeting of Clare GAA in Hotel Woodstock, writes Eoin Brennan. With only two teams to emerge from each group in the senior hurling championship, the back-to-back champions face a difficult title defence when pitted against 2021 finalists Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare Cup holders Kilmaley, Intermediate winners St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and 2020 equivalents Scariff. One of the most intriguing pools was Group 3 which comprises of four neighbours Cratloe, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Wolfe Tones and Clooney-Quin. In the race for Jack Daly, three teams will emerge from Group 1 that involves last year’s semi-finalists Corofin and Kilmurry Ibrickane, Cusack Cup champions St Breckan’s and 2020 intermediate winners St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield. It was also announced that TUS have come on board as sponsors of the …