A relatively rare Munster final pairing today. It's just the seventh time that Clare and Limerick will face off in the provincial hurling showpiece and the first in 27 years.
But there was a time when the counties, divided mostly by the river Shannon, were both regular attendees at the big bash, one or the other reaching every final from 1992-1999.
Like many neighbours, they have a love-hate relationship. Every so often, a Limerick City politician blithely suggests annexing some of the Clare-based suburbs on the north bank of the river. Many Clare people work in the city but are already horrified enough at having to remind people what county the airport is in.
Clare were a coming team in 1994. The previous year they had beaten Limerick and Cork before being humbled by Tipperary - when Nicky English had the temerity to smile at a team-mate after scoring – but they had now beaten the Premier en route to the final at Semple Stadium.
Limerick hammered them, even two late Clare goals failing to make a 0-25 to 2-10 scoreline any prettier. The winners went all the way to the All-Ireland final but had their pocket picked by Offaly.
It was Len Gaynor’s last match in charge. Selector Ger Loughnane, soon to be manager, knew something had to change: "They just played at a different pace to us. That was the message for Clare hurling. We weren't physically ready."
They soon would be. Clare spent that autumn and winter running themselves into the ground in Crusheen and up it at Shannon. They topped the National League Division 1 table but lost the final to Kilkenny.
Ollie Baker’s injury-time goal edged them past Cork in the Munster semi-final and then Limerick awaited in what was Clare’s third decider in a row. Another defeat would stretch the wait for provincial silver to 64 years at least and perhaps fatally crush confidence.
"I think everybody on the panel realised that this was the day and that we had to stand up and be counted," recalls two-time All-Star forward Ger 'Sparrow’ O’Loughlin.
"In 1995, we were a mature team. We were able to beat Cork, Tipperary and Limerick every so often but it was getting the monkey off our back, the Munster title that hadn’t been won since 1932.
"We had a very good run under Len Gaynor, despite not winning anything. When Ger Loughnane came along in '95 we focused heavily on the training, as well as the league."
An alleged comment to Anthony Daly by a Limerick player that Clare were only a "league team" helped fuel the fire in their bellies. It was a time before Sunday Game slow-mo inquests.
"Depending on who we were playing, Ger seemed to be able to bring up a different story, that this fella had said something or that fella had said something.
"Anything that might gives us a little bit of an edge. It did the trick a lot of the time.
"It was a very keen rivalry. You could probably count on one hand the amount of people that were sent off in the 90s from any county."
It was a tight affair in the first half. Davy Fitzgerald took and scored his first ever penalty (because Seánie McMahon was carrying an injury) for a 1-05 to 0-07 interval lead. But Clare cut loose in the second half, running out 1-17 to 0-11 winners.
"PJ O’Connell, Conor Clancy, James O’Connor really played well and we opened them up," says O’Loughlin. "As a unit we played well defensively.
"I think our fitness stood to us and we wore them down in the second half. All the hard work came to the fore that day.
"To beat Limerick in Thurles in 95 was probably one of the greatest days ever."
Clare rightfully toasted a triumph six decades in the making but the belief that they could go all the way and claim Liam MacCarthy in September was also cemented on that day.
"We had four or five days, where we went around with the cup to the schools and it was only the following Friday we put our heads down again. They’re probably back in the gym on Monday morning now!"
"It was celebrated but at the same time we were very conscious that this was a great opportunity.
"It probably brought us to another level, getting over the line in the Munster championship. For three or four years after that, we never looked back.
"I’m sure Limerick (now) feel the same at this stage, that they’re capable of beating anyone at any time."
On 16 June 1996, Clare and Limerick met again in a Munster semi-final held on the hottest day of the year.
The reigning All-Ireland champions led by three points with as many minutes left but were pegged back as Gary Kirby racked up 1-07. A replay looked certain. And then Treaty centre-back Ciaran Carey took off on a run that Daly later called "the most agonising four seconds of my life."
"I got the ball, a gap opened up and I was probably waiting for someone to take me out and win a free or else pop it to somebody," Carey tells RTÉ Sport of one of hurling’s iconic points.
"As I was going, the grass was there so when I got to a certain point I said ‘Yeah this could be on’."
Carey jokes that he didn’t feel too tired making the run forward but "There was black smoke coming out of me trying to get back for the puckout.
"That game was flat to the mat from start to finish. The game two weeks ago in Ennis was probably the closest I’ve seen to that in the last few years.
"You could say it was revenge but when you’re taking part you just see it as ‘the All-Ireland champions are here on our turf’.
"It was nice it finished the way it finished."
There have been many historic moments between @gaaclare & @LimerickCLG over the years! Here's one of them! Remember this Ciarán Carey point? pic.twitter.com/xS6j0qANtS
— The GAA (@officialgaa) June 1, 2017
O’Loughlin felt Clare should have won but that exit (it was the last year before qualifiers) sharpened their desire to go again in 1997 – against a Tipp team that both men ranked just as highly in terms of rivals.
"We came out of the Gaelic Grounds scratching our heads wondering how in the name of God did we lose that.
"We were up bar the last puck of the ball. If anything, we brought on a few lads to give them a run and got caught.
"Limerick left an All-Ireland behind them that year."
The final was lost to Wexford, despite Clare helping them prepare with a fierce challenge match that almost sidelined forward Damien Quigley for the big day.
That great Clare team eventually won two Celtic Crosses, Limerick had to wait another two decades.
"We would have listened to a lot of that going down through the years," Carey says of unflattering comparisons with Clare.
"But looking back, with the team we had in the 90s, we underachieved. We didn’t win an All-Ireland but in my opinion we weren’t a million miles away from three. I think if we won in 1994 we would have been up for the 1995 Munster final.
"But that’s sport, that’s the way it goes. If we were good enough, we would have won it.
"It was the proudest moment watching Limerick eventually jumping the fence in 2018. What’s happened over the last couple of years is a joy to watch. And the present crop are acutely aware that this train won’t continue at the same speed so they’ll do everything in their power to win as much as they can in the next few years.
"They’re making their own history either way but they could make bigger history before they slow down."
After 1996, the draw and decline conspired to keep the teams apart in championship for 10 years.
Though there was still the occasional heated league encounter, it took until the 2013 All-Ireland semi-final for tensions to really start bubbling again.
O’Loughlin feels that the thriving college scene means opposing players are more likely to be friends these days - "We would only meet them on the field more or less" - and that the rivalry means more to supporters.
Carey agrees but saw signs of the old passion coming to the surface in the keenly contested draw three weeks ago.
"When you're meeting someone fairly regularly, as Limerick and Clare did in 93, 94, 95, 96, there will be some kind of consequences. It helps you, you need the likes of those games.
"As you saw in Ennis, that rivalry, that little spite is still there. But it might not be coming to the surface as quickly as in our time. I think they’re a small bit more professional and civil now!
"You could do a few things on the field you might not be able to do now. In fairness to Clare, they worked it to their advantage the last day."
A rejuvenated Clare were the first team not to lose to Limerick in championship since Kilkenny in 2019. But they needed a result more than the three-in-a-row chasers, who were all but guaranteed their place in the knockout stages. A first Munster title since 1998 and place in the All-Ireland semi-final would be a big statement.
"From what we’ve seen so far, you would have to say that Clare are probably best equipped to give Limerick a good challenge," says Sparrow, referencing the form of the returning Peter Duggan, Shane O’Donnell and David McInerney, and stalwarts like Shane Golden and Cathal Malone
"That’s been a huge bonus because at the start of the season we weren’t certain. Everybody is thrilled so far. They’re really working hard as a group and the spirit seems to be very good in the camp.
"This is the real big test and will give us a gauge as to where we’re at. Fingers crossed it will be good enough to cause an upset because Limerick have set the bar really high over the last three or four years. It’ll be some feat for them if they can win the All-Ireland again.
"The question mark is that they drew with us in Ennis and the pressure wasn’t on them. Bar Cian Lynch, Limerick will have a full squad to pick from. If they get to where they have been, and they haven’t shown it so far, would Clare be able to live with that? Most will for 50 minutes but it’s the last 20 that is the test. Hopefully we’ll still be in the game with 20 minutes to go and all of that work-rate and desire to get one over our nearest neighbours will come to the fore.
"Limerick have shown they can wear down teams, through their physicality, skill levels and tactics. They seem to be able to generate a lot more time on the ball and pick out guys who seem to have loads of space. That comes with confidence and the high level of intensity they play to. Clare have shown a lot of those capabilities this year but on Sunday they’re coming up the best at that type of game. They’re at the peak and we’re knocking on the door.
"Hopefully the result will go our way but even if it didn’t, if we were able to mix it with them, you’d have another day out and you’d be thinking you could be in the shake-up come July. We could meet them again of course.
"The provincial title would be fantastic for this group of lads and the whole county. The fact that there will be 40,000 there tells you it still means a lot to Limerick and Clare supporters."
"Limerick don't really mind what colour jersey comes to Thurles"
Carey acknowledges Clare have "a nice bit of momentum" but expects his county to stretch their Munster streak to four – a feat they last accomplished in 1936.
"They got a result against Limerick and backed it up against Waterford. They have changed their system slightly. The one thing Brian [Lohan] will bring to the table is that every player will not only empty the tank but empty the spare tank as well.
"That was their All-Ireland [against Limerick], they had to get something to stay in the championship, they jumped the fence and they’re in the provincial final.
"I’d say Limerick don’t really mind what colour jersey comes to Thurles. They will be treating this no different to any provincial final of the last two or three years. I’d expect them to win it."
It’s 90s nostalgia with a modern twist. Let’s hope for a hit.
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