*Clare coach Brendan Bugler with Conor Cleary. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
BOTH Clare and Cork have “come on a long way” since their meeting in the Munster championship earlier this year.
That’s the view of Clare full back Conor Cleary who was speaking ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final clash of the sides at Croke Park.
Having overcome Cork already in this year’s championship will have little bearing on the All-Ireland final, he outlined. “We are under no illusions, they had a man sent off when we met and we got a foothold after that. If they had 15 it might have been different. That game seems an awful long time ago now and both Clare and Cork have come on a lot since then”.
A native of Miltown Malbay, Conor plays his club hurling with Kilmaley and came to the fore with the county when lining out for the minors at centre back.
While Clare have suffered disappointing days when pushing some of the top teams closely during Brian Lohan’s five seasons as senior manager, there has always been a firm belief that Clare were moving in the right direction, Cleary explained. “We had some very poor losses but Brian’s (Lohan) big thing was to get better at every session. With regard to the Munster final losses, we weren’t out of the competition. That’s what he has been driving at, always improving your own game, be it S&C , hurling, fitness, it’s all about getting better. We never saw those games as a final destination, we knew there was another chance. We always believed we could get better”.
Learnings from the Munster final have been put into practice in their two subsequent outings, most recently the semi-final win over Kilkenny, he said. “We were under no illusions. In 2022 we got beaten by a better team while a year later we still didn’t get over the line but we were better. If we had dwelt on those games, it might have been a different story. We had a huge amount to learn from this year’s Munster final and I think we brought that into the last two games”.
“It’s about the next game all the time, everything comes so quick. We lost to Limerick on a Sunday and we were playing Cork the following week. If that game (the loss) is not out of your head by Tuesday, you’re in trouble with another top quality side waiting on the Sunday”, the full-back added.
Reflecting on Clare’s win over Kilkenny, the Rice College secondary school teacher found it difficult to pinpoint what caused a poor opening half display from Clare. “It’s very hard to put your fingers on it when you are on the field yourself. In fairness to the lads, with analysis and things, it was clear to see our use of the ball wasn’t good in the first half. With the six forwards and two midfielders we have the quality of the ball we were getting to them wasn’t good and there is no better team than Kilkenny who will eat it up and send it back out the field.. Our use of the ball was poor and was costing us”.
He was quick to acknowledge the contribution of the man behind him, Clare goalkeeper EIbhear Quilligan for keeping them in the contest with four first half saves against the Cats. “We have to be very grateful to Eibhear Quilligsn who pulled of a few very good saves to keep us in the game. We knew at half time we had a chance, the game wasn’t gone from us. Stats were telling us we had to use the ball a bit better. The introduction of Ian Galvin and Ryan Taylor brought it to a new level and pushed us over the line”.
A member of the senior panel since 2014, Conor said, “There is a maturity in the squad, a lot of the players are there nine or ten years. It was nice to get on the right side of a result like that. Saturday’s win wasn’t perfect but we managed to get over the line. Sunday’s game was a level up on ours”, he said confirming that he watched Cork’s win over Limerick “at home with my girlfriend. It was nice to be able to watch that game having qualified the previous day. We know how good Limerick are and for Cork to beat them twice in the one year, shows how good they are too”.
Limerick’s record was praised by the Miltown Malbay man, “A lot of us are friends with Limerick player having bceen in college with them, You could have nothing but admiration for what they have achieved over the last four or five years, to win 4 All-Irelands on the trot, we had some great battles with them. They are a great team and we have nothing but respect for them”.
That Cork overcame such a strong Limerick team not once but twice this year shows their credentials, the defender flagged. “We are coming up against a Cork team that have beaten the best team of the last ten years, a team who are really on form. They have excellent players. Traditionally Cork forwards are very good stick men with an eye for goal. Look, you are going to be up against the best players in the country at this stage”.
Losing three Munster finals in a row plus back to back All-Ireland semi-final losses has grounded the squad, the thirty year old believed. “Before 2022 we hadn’t played in a Munster final since 2018. There was always a mindset of when we went back training in October that we have to up it a level. There is more maturity there in recent years. The Munster round robin is hugely competitive and any year you get out it’s good. Everyone is in the game to win but maturity of the panel has made it easier to deal with the losses. We know from being up there for the last two years that there is nothing won and there is a huge task ahead of us. The losses have given us a good grounding of where we are”.
As vice captain, Conor got to lift the Allianz National Hurling League title when Clare defeated Kilkenny in this year’s final, winning the league for the first time since 2016. Captaincy of county teams is nothing new in the Cleary household with his twin Eoin having led the senior footballers for many years.
Alongside Ennistymon’s Cathal Malone plus Inagh/Kilnamona trio Aidan McCarthy, David Fitzgerald and Seán Rynne, Diarmuid Ryan of Cratloe, Crusheen’s Ross Hayes and Corofin man Killian O’Connor, Conor is one of seven players also representing their club at senior level in football.
Playing football which he has done from an early age aids his hurling, Conor maintained. “I got an appreciation of what being able to play means when I was out for a time last year after dislocating my shoulder. It’s great to go back and play football with my home club Miltown along with my brother and I believe that it does freshen you up to be able to play another code”.
Eleven years ago, Conor won an All-Ireland U21 medal but was in the stands in 2013 when the senior were crowned All-Ireland champions. “I was 19 in 2013 and was seated in the top of the Hogan, I was the same age as Shane O’Donnell and just out of minor. My main memory was being delighted for Shane, I had been on development squads with him, you could not meet a more grounded, humble fella, I would have been in school with Tony (Kelly). It lit a fire for lads to get on the panel,” he recalled.
No doubt he wants to see Sunday’s final do the same for the current crop of young players in the county.
