Tag Archives: Clare Senior Hurlers

There was pride and loads of it, but after the fall and after coming out on the wrong side of a hurling epic it was hard to find some words to explain the depths of Clare’s disappointment.  The hurt; the regrets, because there’s always more than a few in any losing dressing room. But Brian Lohan stepped out to talk the talk — as a player he had no truck for losing and as a manager, he’s the very same. It cuts to his core, as a man, as a hurler and as a manager.  Munster finals are for winning — he won three of them as a player and wanted this one for his players. He wanted it as badly as he wanted it when he had number three on his back, when Munster finals had all their distinct motivations — to beat Limerick in ’95 for that first one; Tipperary two years later because they were whipping boys …

On sporting occasions such as Munster final day, one can find themselves looking back and reminiscing on past glories. With Clare going for a first Munster title since 1998, the county’s fans will be dreaming of celebrating an historic provincial success as fans flock to Semple Stadium for a blockbuster sell out that has all the ingredients to be a modern day classic. The pairing of Clare and Limerick naturally draws back memories of 1995 and the former’s ending of a 63-year wait for provincial honours. With Ger Loughnane in charge, he, alongside a now iconic group of players showed the established order of the game little respect as the Banner County came from nowhere to usurp the traditional kingpins of the game in spectacular fashion.   Heading in to the final in ’95, Clare were without a provincial crown since 1932 and were hurting, especially considering the anguish suffered in the two previous Munster final defeats to Tipperary and …

Patrick O’Connor won’t be lining out for his third Munster Final this Sunday due to his continued rehabilitation from a cruciate injury. However as the captain of Clare’s last two provincial deciders, he would be only too delighted to see the Banner finally bridge a 24-year gap to their last title in Semple Stadium. “I’m in a different place now in that I’m currently transitioning from running straight to twisting and turning and in that current condition, I’d have no place out on the field. It might be different six or eight weeks further down the line but for the moment, I’m happy to be supporting the lads from the sideline. “Look, there are so many lads out there that I’ve soldiered with for a long long time that there would be no happier person in Thurles on Sunday to see John [Conlon], Tony [Kelly] or lads like that get their just rewards for sticking with it and driving things …

ON THE week of the 1995 Munster Final a flag pole was planted on Dr Tommy Daly’s grave on the hill of Tulla — it wasn’t windswept that week because it was a long, hot and benign summer like it was 40 years earlier when Clare and Limerick also crossed sticks in the provincial final. Still, there’s always enough of a wind on that hill for flags to flutter and so it was that the saffron and blue did its thing ahead of the big game. Many times it had been planted, in hope and expectation and a nod to the ‘greatest goal man to ever clutch a ball’, that he might send something Clare’s way. In ’55 until Dermot Kelly took a wrecking ball to Clare history; in ’67 when they came again; on four separate final occasions in the 1970s and all the way to 1995 when the habit of hurling lifetimes wasn’t about to be broken. In …

Pulses are racing ahead of the Sunday’s Munster final, particularly in the high pressure zone along the borderline where families are divided, yet united, between Clare and Limerick as hurling ties run very deep, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh. IF you were a hurling man and wanted away from the banter on the borderline separating Clare and Limerick, you’d think that Tipperary would be a good place to go — a refuge where they’d be loath to talk hurling because the blue and gold’s travails this year. Scion of Clonlara Jim Gully, who in 2008 brought the first senior title to the club in 89 years, goes to Newport, where he owns a shop in the village square. But, there’s no getting away from the ties that bind Clare and Limerick, whenever big championship clashes come around. Not that Gully really wants to escape the hoopla — he’s too much in hurling’s thrall for that and automatically defaults to a nugget …

BEFORE a sliotar was struck in the 2022 championship, an easy way to fill some space before any battle was joined was to do a round of the pundits, be they ex-players or ex-managers who have been there and done that, or the GAA hacks who actually do this thing for a living. See what they think. See what their expert predictions are from the hurling ditch, for good or for ill, and why. See what shall come to pass after all the ash has been clashed — not forgetting the bamboo too — and the dust of hurling’s late spring and high summer campaign has finally settled. What’s it to be lads, and lassies too as we’re well down the road to having gender quotas [and there’s nothing wrong with it] in the world of GAA punditry? Who will the movers and shakers be? Or, parsing it down to the bare facts, who is going to come out of …

While the county’s fingers and toes were crossed in anticipation of Shane O’Donnell getting back in time for the Munster Championship, behind the scenes the marquee Éire Óg forward was actually contemplating not being able to return at all. Not dissimilar to Clare ladies football captain Laurie Ryan’s prolonged absence a few years back, a concussion injury sustained at training in June 2021 further demonstrated just how debilitating the condition can be. As a result, O’Donnell’s first taste of championship action in 17 months against Tipperary last month was much more triumphant than just long-awaited return to the fold. “It was tough to come back into it to be honest.” Admitted the 2013 All-Ireland winner in front of the dug-outs in Cusack Park on Sunday. “I definitely had a long few months thinking whether I would be back on the pitch at all and it was a major milestone getting back on the pitch, togging out with Clare again.” “It …

Clare finished at the summit of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship table after overpowering Waterford in their final home match of 2022 to complete an unbeaten group campaign and yet despite the contrasting form guide, it was still seen as a surprise. From the outside looking in, Clare, having blazed a trail safely through to a Munster Final showdown with Limerick with a game to spare, didn’t appear have much to play for outside of giving valuable game-time to new and recovering players. For Waterford however, off the back of two successive defeats, a stirring response was simply a prerequisite to back up their National League winning form and just stay alive in the championship. From the inside looking out though, nothing could be further from the truth as captain Cathal Malone, deputising for the rested Tony Kelly, outlined immediately afterwards. “Every match you get to play for Clare is valuable. You want to play every single game and win …