What a year 2024 was for Clare hurling. Winning the National League and All-Ireland titles in a double success never before achieved by the Banner County is not something to be taken lightly or forgotten but such is the sporting landscape these days – particularly in the case of Gaelic Games – that you can hardly rest on your laurels before you are thrown back into the fight again.
And so it is, we are back on the brink of the return of the National Hurling League and inter-county action for 2025 where Clare will enter the newly revamped Division 1A grouping as defending champions six months after lifting the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the fifth time, and the celebrations around the county will be put to the back of the mind for the management team going forward.
“It does bring its distractions I suppose,” said Clare senior selector Ken Ralph on the celebrations since Tony Kelly lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup in July.
“Between schools and clubs and everyone looking for a picture with the cup. Players were going around…
