Senior Hurling Final

Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final Clonlara 3-18 Crusheen 2-16 It was the perfect Cinderella story as arguably having suffered more heartbreak than any other team in the county, Clonlara soared to a first Clare Senior Hurling Crown since 2008 in Cusack Park, writes Eoin Brennan. Three agonising final and six semi-final reverses in the intervening 15 years were wiped away by a commanding final performance that saw them lead from Micheál O’Loughlin’s emphatic breakthrough goal in the 18th minute to the finish. Having somehow been denied a hat-trick of goals up to that juncture including a break taking Donal Tuohy stop from Colm O’Meara in only the fifth minute, O’Loughlin’s strike following great work from Aidan Moriarty and Ian Galvin felt like a weight was lifted off Clonlara’s shoulders as they outscored Crusheen by 1-3 to 0-2 for the remainder of the half. Again Moriarty raced through the centre, this time offloading to Colm Galvin to flick to the net from …

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 …

Clare and Kilkenny have clashed at the All-Ireland semi-final stage on four occasions, with the Banner County’s only victory coming at the first time of asking writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh. 10 August 1997 Clare 1-17 Kilkenny 1-13 At Croke Park This was the first championship clash between Clare and Kilkenny in 65 years since they’d crossed sticks in the 1932 All-Ireland final. That final in ’32 was a case of what might have been for Clare as they were left to rue a late missed goal chance by Tull Considine. There were no regrets here though as Clare ruthlessly showed how hurling was singing to their tune as they eased to a four-point victory that was much more comfortable than the margin suggests. And it showed what a difference two years can make — when these two played in the 1995 National League final it was Clare that cut forlorn figures on the field afterwards on the back of a …

Clare Senior Hurling Manager Brian Lohan is relishing a return to Croke Park for only the second time since 2013. He spoke with Ivan Smyth about lessons learned from last year’s trip to GAA HQ. The similarities are obvious. Akin to 2022, Clare face in to an All Ireland semi final against Kilkenny after bouncing back from a Munster final defeat to Limerick. Facing off against the third placed team in Leinster in an All-Ireland quarter-final adds to the sense of déjà vu so far in this year’s journey to GAA HQ. The semi final showdown last year was only Clare’s second appearance in Croke Park since the 2013 All-Ireland final. There is a greater sense of cautious optimism among the Clare hurling fraternity with manager Brian Lohan expressing his view that the squad have gained valuable insights from last year’s journey. “I think we are in a different place to last year. We invested a lot of energy in …

Unquestionably the biggest current rivalry in hurling, the stakes were raised considerably higher for Clare’s latest Munster Senior Hurling Final showdown with neighbours Limerick when opting to play in the lion’s den of the TUS Gaelic Grounds this Sunday (1.45pm). With a Thurles rematch the most logical choice but amazingly not an option presented, whatever the full narrative of what actually occurred behind the scenes, it was a courageous and confident poker move. Initially viewed at a national level as suicidal, it was actually the ultimate regicidal act as not only did it demonstrate that Clare have no fear of playing in LImerick’s own grounds but more pointedly possess no fear of Limerick themselves. Considering that John Kiely’s side are bidding for an unprecedented five-in-a-row of Munster titles, it was a bold statement but one which will undoubtedly make their hosts all the more wary on Sunday. While the result will inevitably dictate the methodology of the location decision, it …