Sports editor, Seamus Hayes looks ahead to the U-21 hurlers’ Munster semi-final against Limerick

A PROVINCIAL final date with Cork is the prize on offer to the winners of Tuesday’s Munster U-21 Hurling Championship semi-final between Clare and Limerick at Cusack Park at 7.30pm.
Cork booked their place in the final when they turned in a powerful performance in Semple Stadium last Friday defeating defending Munster and All-Ireland champions, Tipperary.
Cork’s display was particularly impressive but this is something Clare will not be thinking about this week.
“All that concerns us is Tuesday’s game with Limerick. They have a great record in Ennis, at least up to last week’s intermediate final. That result turned the tables on the run they were enjoying in the park. We know how close they came to beating us last year in Limerick,” Clare manager John Minogue said this week.
The team for this tie won’t be finalised until the weekend but Darach Honan, one of the leading forwards in the game at this level for the past couple of years, is out of the starting line-up.
“Darach hasn’t been able to train because of injury and is out,” the manager confirmed.
In addition, both Diarmuid Nash and Declan Morey are battling to shake off leg muscle injuries but the expectation is that both will be available. Tubber’s Patrick O’Connor will captain the team and he will play in defence.
There is much speculation as to who will line out at full-back, with Cathal Chaplin, Stephen O’Halloran, Paul Flanagan and O’Connor all mentioned for duty in this important position.
Éire Óg’s Kevin Brennan, last year’s substitute goalkeeper, is expected to get the number one jersey ahead of the intermediate goalie, Andrew Fahy from Whitegate.
Chaplin, O’Halloran, Flanagan and O’Connor will all be in the starting defensive formation. Cratloe’s Liam Markham could also be in defence but will probably start at midfield. Sixmilebridge’s Shane Golden could be in midfield or in the attack, a sector that is certain to include Cratloe’s Conor McGrath and Cathal McInerney, while Fergus Kennedy (Crusheen), Paudge Collins (Cratloe) and David O’Halloran (Éire Óg) are others pressing for places in the starting line-up.
The panel also includes minor captain, Tony Kelly from Ballyea and there is speculation that his inter-county minor teammate, Jamie
Shanahan from Sixmilebridge, may also receive a call-up.
Limerick will be captained by Kevin Downes from Na Piarsaigh, who has made a huge impact as full-forward with the Limerick senior side this year. Other members of the Limerick senior squad eligible for the U-21 grade are Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock) and Declan Hannon from Adare. All three are expected to be in action in the senior qualifier this weekend against Dublin, so Limerick U-21 boss Leo O’Connor is sure to be keeping his fingers crossed that they will come through without injury ahead of Tuesday’s game.
While thrilled with Clare’s successes at minor level for the past two years, U-21 boss Minogue said, “This doesn’t guarantee success at U-21 level. Look at Tipperary last week, All-Ireland senior champions with a number of that squad in their ranks and they were decisively beaten.”
Tuesday’s contest has the ingredients of a great game and the outcome is likely to be in doubt right to the end. Clare will need to be at their best if they are to win through to the final eight days later.
Tuesday’s semi-final will be refereed by Colm Lyons from Cork and there will be extra time if the sides are level at the end of 60 minutes play. Should the teams be level after extra time, the replay will be played three days later on Friday, July 29 at Limerick at 7.30pm. The final is set for Wednesday, August 3 and if Clare get through to play Cork, the game will be in Cusack Park.

Minogue wary of Limerick challenge

CLARE manager John Minogue is in no doubt but his charges face a major task on Tuesday evening when they take on Limerick.
It is the second meeting of the counties in an important hurling championship game in recent weeks. Clare were victorious in last week’s provincial intermediate title, a result that gave the Banner County their first Munster title at this level. Both sides had players in that game who will again be in opposition this week.
“Limerick have been threatening a breakthrough at this level in recent years and we were put to the pin of our collars in Limerick last year,” Minogue admitted.
Remarkably, a win for Clare on Tuesday will see the county through to the Munster final in this grade for the fourth year in succession. Given that the minors have just recently won the provincial minor title for the second year in succession and the intermediates have just been crowned Munster champions, it’s proving to be quite a successful year for Clare hurling, despite the disappointment of the seniors’ failure to get out of Division 2 in the league and their heavy championship defeats against both Tipperary and Galway.
John Minogue and his backroom team of Cyril Lyons, Alan Dunne and Sean O’Halloran are in their fifth season in charge and, by any standards, they have been quite successful.
In their first season, Clare failed by three points to Cork in the semi-final in Thurles. A year later they were beaten by Tipperary in a controversial final in Ennis on an evening when Donal Tuohy was penalised for stepping outside the square when taking a puck-out. It happened in the closing minute of the game and play was allowed to develop before the referee, Jason O’Mahoney from Limerick, signalled for a 20m free for Clare in front of the posts.
The teams were level at the time and everything pointed to Clare scoring the winning point. However, the match official went back and consulted with an umpire, disallowed the free he had awarded to Clare and awarded a 65’ to Tipperary, which they converted for the winning score.
The match official required a garda escort on his way to the dressing room after the game and, subsequently, Clare were fined heavily over the scenes that followed that final.
Twelve months later, however, Clare finally made the breakthrough and won the provincial title at Fraher Field in Dungarvan when they beat Waterford. They went on to account for Galway in a thrilling semi-final, before beating Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final.
Last year, Tipperary justified favouritism and beat Clare in the provincial final on their way to capturing the All-Ireland crown. They were stripped of both titles in a thrilling provincial semi-final last week by Cork in Semple Stadium.