Championship season has rolled around quickly, with the U-20 hurlers first into the breach for Clare on Wednesday in a new-look structure.
Having been the last bastion of traditional knock-out fare since it inception almost 60 years ago (albeit predominantly U-21), a new group format has pitted the Banner in with last year’s finalists Cork and Limerick, with the Rebels actually aiming for a provincial and All-Ireland three-in-a-row not achieved since Clare in 2014.
More significantly, the Banner’s group rivals are also the last two Munster minor winners, with Limerick claiming provincial honours in 2019 & ’20 while Cork brushed aside all challengers last season to canter to All-ireland silverware.
“The standard is very high in this age group and Cork and Limerick are probably in the top three in the country,” admits Terence Fahy who manages the Clare U-20’s alongside Whitegate club-mate and two-time All Star Brendan Bugler as well as his St Joseph’s Tulla Harty Cup winning mentor Tomas Kelly.
“They were strong last year and they have retained an awful lot of power. Limerick have over ten players still eligible from last year’s team as well as a few subs that came on while Cork have their strong All-Ireland winning minor team coming in to bolster the side that won two-in-a-row. So that’s the big challenge that awaits our lads and having been preparing for a while now, it’ll be great to get them off and have a cut off that challenge. There isn’t going to be pressure on our team so we’re really looking forward to it.”
Clare meanwhile have eight survivors from last year’s 1-27 to 0-17 semi-final reverse to Limerick but are bolstered by the addition of county senior triumvirate Shane Meehan (Banner), Cian Galvin (Clarecastle) and Patrick Crotty (Scariff) for Wednesday’s showdown back at the Gaelic Grounds.
“It would be a big boost if we can get all our four county seniors (Goalkeeper Cian Broderick played in last year’s semi-final) out on Wednesday evening.
“Unfortunately that didn’t happen for the previous management over the past two years mainly due to injury which was obviously a big blow. However, they would be central to our plans so hopefully they’ll be back to drive on our challenge.”
Limerick possess plenty of senior stars of their own such as Cathal O’Neill, Colin Coughlan and Adam English and having edged the Munster Minor Final equivalent over the Banner in 2019, will be favourites to maintain that hold on home soil.
“We’re just striving to deliver a performance to our capacity on Wednesday night,” outlined Fahy.
“The challenge is big but we’d be hoping that we have players that will rise to that challenge and meet it head on.”
Clare U-20 Hurling Panel: Conner Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona) (Captain); Cian Broderick (Clarecastle), Diarmuid Cahill (Corofin), Oran Cahill (Éire Óg), Oisin Clune (Feakle), Jarlath Collins (Éire Óg), John Conneally (Clooney-Quin), Patrick Crotty (Scariff), James Doherty (Clarecastle), Dylan Downes (Sixmilebridge), Senan Dunford (Tubber), Adam Enright (Newmarket-on-Fergus), Cian Galvin (Clarecastle), Josh Guyler (Inagh-Kilnamona), Keelan Hartigan (Scariff), Adam Hogan (Feakle), Darragh Keogh (Clooney-Quin), Jack Kirwan (Parteen), Conor Leen (Corofin), Darragh McDermott (Parteen), Liam McInerney (Tulla), Ian McNamara (Killanena), Shane Meehan (Banner), Diarmuid Mullins (Crusheen), Cormac Murphy (O’Callaghan’s Mills), Liam Murphy (Wolfe Tones), Rory O’Connell (Clarecastle), Oisin O’Donnell (Crusheen), Colm O’Meara (Clonlara), Peter Power (Newmarket-on-Fergus), Shane Punch (Ruan), Sean Ronan (Kilmaley), Sean Rynne (Inagh-Kilnamona), Aaron Shanahan (Tulla), Gearoid Sheedy (Ogonnelloe), Keith Smyth (Killanena), Conor Whelan (Whitegate), Sean Wiley (Bodyke), Sean Withycombe (Tulla)
Management: Terence Fahy, Brendan Bugler, Tomás Kelly; Dave Moriarty (S&C); Andrew Fahey (Goalkeeping Coach); Kieran Connolly (Physio)
Limerick v Clare at TUS Gaelic Grounds Limerick, Wednesday 7pm (Nathan Wall, Cork)