Brennan believes Clare can deliver

Peter O’Connell previews Clare’s opening match in the Munster Football Championship against Cork on Sunday

IF the Clare footballers are to cause one of the biggest upsets in GAA history this weekend, Gary Brennan will have to be the county’s main man in the middle of the field. The St Flannan’s Irish and PE teacher has developed into one of the most complete midfielders in Munster in recent years and will never be more needed than from 3.30pm in Pairc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

This week, Brennan’s thoughts will stray occasionally from the classroom and fast-forward a few days to the weekend. It would be impossible to block off all thoughts of playing against the best team in the country.
“When you’re growing up, they’re the days you dream of; playing for your county in Munster championship in Pairc Uí Chaoimh. It doesn’t get much bigger. They’re the All-Ireland champions and I suppose that adds that extra bit to it. It’s a huge test but we’re looking forward to it,” the Clondegad clubman told The Clare Champion.
Every Clare man on the panel will surely convince themselves they can do it. Brennan says there is some hard evidence available to suggest it could happen. Clare don’t need to rely exclusively on empty talk to persuade themselves they can stun Cork.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in a couple of teams where we have beaten Kerry at U-21 level and ran Cork close at minor. I was half involved in the minor panel that beat Cork one year as well.
“We’re drawing on those kinds of things and that sort of belief. It is at a different level but if you don’t believe, you’re not giving yourself any chance. We’re confident in the work we’ve done that we can go down and we’re ready to do a job.
“That belief has to be there and while others mighn’t feel that’s possible, we’re fully confident in our own ability,” Brennan states.
If the Clare players were to lend an ear to the talk on the GAA street, they would not bother going to Cork.
“We’re focusing on the things that we can control. We can’t control how other people view us, that’s up to them. We’re confident in our preparation and in the morale of the team. That’s what we’re drawing on for belief and on the potential we know we have within the team,” he maintains.
Ideally, Clare would love to settle early in Pairc Uí Chaoimh and use that springboard to drive at Cork.
“In any game, you’re looking to try and get on the front foot. Hopefully, we can just settle down early and maybe get a few scores on the board and stay competitive in the first few minutes.
“I’m sure Cork will be hoping to blitz us early on but we’ve got to try and take the game to them. There’s no point in sitting and waiting for them to come at you. They’re the All-Ireland champions. They’ll do that anyway. We’ve got to go at them,” Brennan, whose brother Shane is also on the panel, reiterates.
Clare must go at Cork early but, equally, they must withstand the home county, when they have a period of dominance.
“Any game you play teams are going to have a phase where they’re dominant. But if you can hang in there and keep the scoreboard ticking over and keep doing the things that we can do well, we definitely have the potential to come out of that phase and get our own hold on the game,” Brennan says.
There is no doubt in Gary Brennan’s mind but that Clare can and will compete with Cork. Otherwise, why spend seven or eight months preparing for championship? For the next couple of days though, Brennan will try and conserve energy before sapping every ounce in pursuit of a sensational result on the banks of the Lee.
“There’s no point in losing a load of energy, thinking about it today and tomorrow. Sunday is the day everyone wants to play and everyone wants to play their best,” Clare’s totemic midfielder concludes.