FOR Clare hurling manager Ger O’Loughlin, the outcome of Sunday’s National Hurling League Division 2 opening-round clash with neighbours and arch rivals Limerick at Cusack Park could define his season.
“It’s the start of the league and we want to get a good start so collecting the two points is very important for us,” the Clarecastle man said.
A groin injury will keep Clare captain Pat Vaughan out of the tie.
“Pat will be a loss but the injury hasn’t cleared up and it will probably be the end of February before he is ready to play,” according to O’Loughlin who confirmed that the starting line-up won’t be named before this Thursday evening at the earliest.
“There are a lot of our panel involved in colleges action on Wednesday and we will wait until those are over before finalising the team. Hopefully all will be available. We have plenty of games played and a lot more hurling done this time. We have no excuses. We are well prepared as are Limerick who also have a lot of games played. It should be a good game,” O’Loughlin said.
For both sides, there is a lot at stake as they attempt to get back into the top flight and become serious challengers for honours in league and championship.
Last season wasn’t a good one for either county but for different reasons.
Having being relegated to Division 2 at the end of the previous campaign, Clare went into 2010 under new management after a players’ revolt had led to Mike McNamara’s resignation from the role of manager.
With a lot of the squad experiencing senior inter-county hurling for the first time, Clare struggled throughout the league but managed to get to the Division 2 final where they failed to Wexford. Another year in Division 2 isn’t what they wanted and they have made it quite clear that their aim is to win promotion this season.
A revolt against Justin McCarthy’s management saw the majority of Limerick’s 2009 panel withdraw their services from the county side last season. With a very inexperienced and new-look outfit, the Shannonsiders suffered defeat after defeat in the league and were duly relegated.
During the summer, McCarthy departed and was replaced by former Cork player and manager Donal O’Grady, whose backroom team includes former Limerick greats like Ciarán Carey, Pat Heffernan and TJ Ryan.
Surprisingly, they did not enter the Waterford Crystal Tournament, which concluded last weekend. Instead they concentrated on training and played a series of challenge games throughout the month of January.
Whether the fixture happened by accident or design, the fact that these Shannonside neighbours will face each other in the opening round of the league is sure to raise plenty of interest.
Once the Limerick management issues were resolved, all of the regulars from the previous seasons made themselves available for action so Sunday’s line-up looks set to include Damian Reale, Seamus Hickey, Stephen Lucey, Wayne McNamara, Donal O’Grady, Brian Geary and Niall Moran along with Graeme Mulcahy, Gavin O’Sullivan and Gavin O’Mahoney from the county champions, Kilmallock.
Many of those who were in the starting line-up when Clare played Cork last Saturday are expected to feature in Sunday’s team. In addition to team captain Vaughan, Clarecastle’s Jonathon Clancy is likely to miss the game. He only rejoined the squad this week after a spell overseas.
Experience is a key factor for all sides and Clare will be looking to the likes of Brendan Buglar, Pat Donnellan, Diarmuid McMahon and Gerry Quinn to help provide this. In addition, it is likely that Cratloe’s Conor McGrath and Cathal McInerney and Tubber’s Patrick O’Connor will make their league debuts while Clonlara’s John Conlon, Nicky O’Connell, the O’Donovan twins, Seán Collins, James McInerney, Conor Cooney and Fergal Lynch are just some of those expected to see some action.
On paper, it would appear that Limerick have the more experienced team but the fact that they haven’t had a competitive game since O’Grady and his management team took over could prove a disadvantage. That said, they have played a lot of challenge games and there is no doubt but that they will want to make a winning start given the turbulant year they had in 2010.
While it is true to say that neither team is short listed for honours this season, it is safe to suggest that this meeting will provide plenty of entertainment. Any Clare versus Limerick hurling tie tends to produce plenty of talking points and Sunday should be no different. At the end of 70 minutes play, there is likely to be little between them and while a win won’t guarantee promotion, it should provide a vital boost. Clare will be determined that they will get that injection and that they will be travelling to Belfast a week later on the back of an opening-round victory.

Injured Vaughan to miss opening-round clash

RECENTLY appointed Clare senior hurling team captain, Pat Vaughan would love to be leading his side into action on Sunday but injury will confine him to the dugout.
“We want to build a bit of momentum so that come summertime, we will have a good squad built up for the championship. We struggled throughout last year’s league and it showed when we came to the championship. Everyone wants to get off to a good start and we are no different,” the Crusheen man told The Clare Champion.
“Playing Limerick in the first game in Cusack Park is likely to bring the biggest attendance. There is a great rivalry between the counties and when they come to Ennis, it is always a huge occasion.
“A win this week would be a great boost for our season. We struggled through our matches last year but I would hope that we can get a few wins under the belt early this year,” the Ennis national school teacher said.
The team captain believes that Clare got a good bit out of the Waterford Crystal tournament. “A lot of new players were blooded as a lot of last year’s team were playing colleges hurling. We had good wins in early games while against Waterford on the day, we were unlucky not to win. There were a good few positives from the competition for Clare,” he said.
“There are no easy games in this league. Look at Antrim last year when they beat Dublin, one of the best teams in Leinster, in the championship. Carlow drew with Offaly last weekend in a Walsh cup tie. These teams are on the way up,” Vaughan warned.
Vaughan hopes to be available by the end of the month. “The groin injury I picked up last year is still niggling but I hope that things will be cleared up by the end of the month,” he concluded.