FOR THE THIRD successive year the Clare hurlers experienced that sinking feeling after a Munster final against Limerick on Sunday.
This one felt a more decisive defeat, six points in arrears by the final whistle. After pushing Limerick to the brink in 2022, losing by three points after extra-time, and in 2013, pipped by a single point, this was a more subdued showing by Clare.
For their talisman Tony Kelly, the nature of their display is what grated most.
“Losing is obviously disappointing in itself but it’s the performance bit that would eat at you more so. The 2022 final, it was just a helter-skelter final and anyone could have won it. Last year, we felt we left chances after us coming down the home straight but we performed relatively well.
“But the last day we didn’t play well enough in general. We got a bit of a purple patch, eight, nine, 10 minutes of the second half and we didn’t even capitalise on it. Feeling like we didn’t force them to win it if you get what I mean whereas the two previous years we felt we did. We could have no complaint at the weekend. They were the better team from start to finish.
“We’re trying to win the Munster championship – but the performance is the thing that would eat at you, really.”
The setback brings to five the number of Munster final losses that Kelly has now experienced since 2017.
Suffering that provincial pain does not get any easier.
“It’s a huge motivation for ourselves individually, collectively,” said Kelly, speaking yesterday at the Michael Cusack Centre in Carran, Clare, as the 2024 All-Ireland hurling championship was launched.
“It’s a huge thing within the county as well. There’s no getting away from it. The county is starved of Munster success. It’s not that we’re not getting to the final, it’s not getting over the line and actually winning it is the frustration thing. It’s obviously something we want to achieve but we have to park it now until next winter. It’s all about next Saturday week for us.”
That mention brings into focus Clare’s All-Ireland quarter-final against the winners of this Saturday’s game between Laois and Wexford in Portlaoise.
After a season marred by injuries, Kelly is eager to attack the rest of the campaign.
“When you’ve come back from that kind of a break you’re mad to get going and get into it. I would say myself, even the lads who are the periphery and not saying much game-time, it’s on them lads and the panel members to really drive it on.
“You’re heading into an All-Ireland series coming off a loss and there are probably a couple of places up for grabs. They’re the kind of lads that drive the energy. You can’t wallow and feel sorry for yourselves because if you head into Thurles on Saturday week or if you’re lucky enough to get to Croke Park you’ll be found out as we were in 2022. We didn’t recover from it so that’s the big focus for us this week.”
