*Clare’s contingent of Tony Kelly, Patrick Crotty, Brian Lohan, Aidan McCarthy & Mark Rodgers.
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS in 2024 to relegation to the second tier following the 2025 campaign represents a dramatic turnaround in fortunes for Clare’s senior hurlers.
It’s not the be all and end all but there are plenty of lessons to be learned from Allianz National Hurling League so far as Clare are concerned.
In their six league outings, Clare won one game and lost five meaning they will drop down to Division 1B for 2026. Clare scored 3-123 and conceded 9-132 in their five games.
Don’t press the panic button:
First things first, league form can be an indicator or a guide but it is thrown out the window when it gets to the cut and thrust of championship. Clare’s supporters should remain faithful, even though plenty of worries emerged during the six encounters so far, the bear-pit that is the Munster championship is a different ball game and one in which Clare under Brian Lohan have proved to be quite efficient at emerging from, Clare’s ability to qualify for the All-Ireland series from the provincial round robin over the past three seasons gives reason to be confident.
Ring rusty element:
Celebrations were long parked by the time the league commenced for Clare on January 26th, their trip to the States having occurred a full month earlier. However, an element of rustiness remained a constant during Clare’s league run, this caused by such a high injury count (15 were injured for the first round) with players returning in dribs and drabs and taking a bit of time to readjust back to the pace of senior inter-county hurling. This is definitely a factor for some of the poor displays and results witnessed.
Transparency is key:
Most definitely it was an outing to forget when Cork ran riot in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Cíosóg on March 9th. This was the first senior hurling tied played at the renamed county grounds. Detail provided by the County Board on the deal in place for the naming rights is scant. In an interview with The Clare Champion’s Owen Ryan where he was asked on the commercial nature and finances of the deal Clare GAA Chairman Kieran Keating stated “the people who need to know know”. Clare supporters who travel the length and breadth of the country supporting the county surely fit into that bracket but transparency only seems to apply when it suits the top brass. Keating did a tremendous job in driving the fundraisers to Win a House in Lahinch and Roslevan, do the people who supported such ventures not fit into the bracket as “people who need to know”. The Saffron and Blue strategic review put a big focus on good governance, transparency and accountability, Keating and Co would do well to remember that it also applies to them.
Fringe players don’t grab the chance:
With a high rate of absentees for the first round where only three members of the All-Ireland winning first fifteen finished the game, there was plenty of opportunities given to non-established players to put themselves in the reckoning for championship. Sadly, very few did and it’s why management are likely to opt for the tried and trusted in the bulk of positions. In their defence, it can be harder to make a breakthrough when the players surrounding you are also of the inexperienced variety.
Who has put themselves in contention:
Very few of the fringe players did manage to put themselves in the mix with Clare failing to produce the spirit that has been an almost ever-present during Brian Lohan’s six year tenure as manager. Cian Galvin at wing back was a bright spark for the opening three rounds of the league but missed out on the conclusion due to injury, while he has returned to training, the timing of his absence is a pity given that he was putting himself in contention. Overall it was a mixed run of games from Seán Rynne but the Inagh/Kilnamona man finished strong to have himself as a contender to see game-time and make a championship debut, in Salthill he seemed over-eager to offload the ball but as the league progressed he grew in confidence and as a potential option in the half-forward line.
Who goes where if things go wrong:
One of the main concerns to emerge following Clare’s league campaign is the strategy or lack of it appears on what happens if things don’t go according to plan. Clare were without both Conor Cleary and John Conlon at different stages of the league, the two experienced men occupy the central roles in the Clare defence and it is abundantly clear that there is no alternative to the duo at full back or centre back respectively in the case that they are unavailable or not playing well. This is not a new issue and the failure to plan for the future in identifying long-term options in these positions is a worry.
Responsibilities of the role:
With any role there can be perks and responsibilities. When it comes to inter-county management one such requirement is dealing with the media. Brian Lohan’s refusal to speak with the assembled media following Clare’s seven point loss to Galway was an example of neglecting such duties. The media has been utilised well by Lohan to get across messages and viewpoints on decision making, it may not be his favourite part of the job but it is particularly pertinent to answer questions on the bad days, the least Clare supporters deserve is to hear from their manager following a game.
Ability to adapt:
Lohan and his management should be praised for their ability to adapt on certain issues, most notably the case of Jack O’Neill. The Clare U20 forward has emerged as one of the most promising young hurlers in the county, there’s high hopes for the Clooney/Quin livewire. His positioning at wing-back for the Kilkenny and Galway games raised a lot of eyebrows as it appeared that one of the players to be moulded for a role in attack was wasted in a different guise. The experiment was done and management rightly didn’t persist with it, O’Neill had a blinder in attack versus Limerick and is certainly a player that can lead the Clare attack in years to come.
Bright starts and switching off:
For the first two outings, Clare started tremendously well. They went 0-9 0-2 ahead of Kilkenny by the eleventh minute while they were 0-4 0-1 in front of Galway by the fifth minute. Slumps in the second quarter followed and proved costly while when it came to the Limerick game, Clare’s only win, it was more of a subdued start and a powerful finish which saw them over the line. Finding the consistent performance is essential when it comes to peaking for championship.
Irreplaceable SOD:
Nobody could have put it better than David Fitzgerald following Clare’s victory over Limerick when he said Shane O’Donnell cannot be replaced. The Hurler of the Year is an incredible loss for the county as an appearance in the provincial campaign looks very unlikely. Not alone does Shane himself possess a huge attacking threat but his selfless approach which seems him bring his teammates into the game will be keenly missed. One thing is for sure, the 2025 championship will be a poorer one if the Ennis man doesn’t feature.
Forward fire power:
O’Donnell’s absence leaves a gaping hole in the Clare attack. It’s very unfortunate that Ian Galvin was unavailable for the entire duration of the league as the Clonlara man has plenty to offer when given the time and opportunity. Clare’s return of three goals in the league is very poor so big championship campaigns will be needed from Mark Rodgers and Aidan McCarthy to name but two to try provide a strong goal threat.
Forgotten champions:
Cork claimed the National Hurling League title with a convincing victory over Tipperary on Sunday and will head to Zimmer Biomet Páirc Cíosóg on April 20th full of confidence and gusto. They are now the favourites to lift the Liam MacCarthy and their leading contenders tag is merited. Though we won’t complain up here, it seems to be quickly forgotten by those writing off Clare that Liam MacCarthy is indeed residing in the Banner County following while prior to the Rebels Clare were the league champions. The best way to counteract the short memories is by producing a performance and picking up a result on Sunday week.
Clare perform when their backs are to the wall:
Written off following first round losses to Limerick (2024) and Tipperary (2023), Lohan’s Clare bounced back to not alone qualify from Munster but also reach the provincial final. When they need to give a response Clare’s cast of Tony Kelly, David McInerney, John Conlon, Cathal Malone and Co have not been found wanting. They have shown to be at their most dangerous when their backs are to the wall which is why the work they’ve done behind the scenes since the conclusion of the league will be fascinating to view on April 20th as Clare issue their response.
