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Preview: Clare and Cork can conjure another classic All-Ireland hurling final

Updated / Sunday, 21 Jul 2024 08:13
Will Cork's Patrick Horgan (r) or Clare's Conor Cleary become an All-Ireland winner today
Will Cork's Patrick Horgan (r) or Clare's Conor Cleary become an All-Ireland winner today

All-Ireland final day and new champions to be crowned.

Just six years ago, hurling fans rejoiced at the romance of Limerick ending a 45-year drought. Now they revel in the novelty of a big day without them.

Such is the price of greatness. Today's finalists have spent long enough in the neighbour's shadow and have their own bare cupboards to worry about.

Cork, second in hurling’s roll of honour with 30 titles, have not brought Liam MacCarthy home since 2005, their longest ever wait eclipsing rivals Tipperary’s 18 from 1971-89.

Clare won just their fourth All-Ireland in 2013, after a replay against the Rebels illuminated by eight goals, including the then-19-year-old Shane O’Donnell’s hat-trick.

O’Donnell is among five Banner survivors from that day, alongside David McInerney, John Conlon, Tony Kelly and sub Seadna Morey.

Cork have three: Veteran forwards Seamus Harnedy, Conor Lehane and Patrick Horgan, the 36-year-old who is three points away from retaking the all-time scoring record from TJ Reid but would settle for scoring one and ridding himself of the unofficial 'best current player not to win an All-Ireland’ belt.

They have taken the long road to get here - it is the first final in either code between two sides already beaten twice in championship.

Both had to rebuild after opening-day trauma in April.

For Cork, it was the surprise defeat to Waterford in round one of Munster that led to manager Pat Ryan performing emergency surgery.

Out went Lehane, Damien Cahalane, Mark Coleman, Ger Millerick, Tommy O'Connell and Seán Twomey. In came Niall O’Leary, Eoin Downey, Tim O’Mahony, Ethan Twomey, Declan Dalton and Brian Hayes.

Coleman, for Twomey, is the only one to have regained his place for today, among just nine of the XV that started the 2021 final thrashing by Limerick.

Meanwhile, Clare had been cruising against the five-in-a-row chasers, nine points up after 52 minutes until three soft goals heralded a horrible collapse.

They put any despair behind them quickly, winning a thrilling 3-26 to 3-24 shootout in round two that left Cork improved but still on the brink of elimination.

The Rebels needed an unlikely-looking first win over the champions since 2019 to survive and they got it – Páirc Uí Chaoimh a rapture of red after Horgan’s injury-time penalty.

Tipp were hammered, goal-machine Alan Connolly grabbing his first championship hat-trick, and Cork were into the knock-out stages.

Labouring past Offaly and then Dublin didn’t exactly raise expectations that they could repeat the trick over the Treaty, especially in a knock-out game at Croke Park, though a superb second-half display sealed a shock but deserved triumph.

Clare had beaten everyone else in Munster but lost their third provincial final in a row to Limerick, in a manner that suggested they were regressing. They were ruthless enough against 14-man Wexford but a third consecutive semi-final heartbreak at the hands of Kilkenny loomed after a dismal first half.

Not this time, Clare shaking themselves to life to catch the Cats in the home straight. In Brian Lohan’s fifth year in charge, he was relieved to no longer be "the nearly team".

"Cork are like a Ferrari convertible: Red, fast and thrilling but open at the back. Clare are tortured artists: prone to both brilliance and self-sabotage"

Lohan might not admit it but he will be happier to be playing Cork. Logic suggests the team that beat the standard setters twice are better than the team that lost to them twice but Clare have had the Rebels' number in three consecutive Munster shootouts.

Never by more than two points but 14-man Cork needed two late goals to get that close three months ago.

Will they be able to perform to the same level as they did against Limerick? As Tipp in 2010 and the 2021 footballers of Mayo learned, the final is a better time to topple a dynasty than the semi.

Cork are like a Ferrari convertible: Red, fast and thrilling but open at the back. Clare are tortured artists: prone to both brilliance and self-sabotage.

Limerick couldn’t handle the deep running of Shane Barrett and the excellent Darragh Fitzgibbon, who has scored 0-22 points from midfield, or the direct threat of Connolly and Brian Hayes.

Clare might not be able to either, despite holding Kilkenny to 18 scores, but one thing they will do that the champions rarely did is go for goal: they scored three against Cork in April and two last year. One brilliant save from Aaron Gillane by Patrick Collins aside, Limerick relied on their trusted formula of building a big points tally, which had usually been enough to get them over the line.

O’Donnell, having the best season of his career, Aidan McCarthy, Mark Rodgers and David Fitzgerald are all capable of testing Collins.

His opposite number, Eibhear Quilligan, kept his side in the game against Kilkenny with three superb first-half saves, then gifted the Cats a goal in the second. They can’t afford any morale-sapping mistakes like that today.

Cork captain Sean O’Donoghue was dismissed for two yellow cards in the Munster defeat - the second for an unnecessary body check on O’Donnell – and was given the run-around by Gillane so Cork might try Niall O’Leary on Clare’s playmaker. Will Ciaran Joyce be able to hold his own against target man Peter Duggan on puckouts?

Adam Hogan has had a great season but will have his work cut out with Connolly, as will Cleary with 6’4 Hayes and Conor Leen with Horgan. David McInerney nullified Adrian Mullen and could be assigned to Barrett, with Conlon taking Harnedy, just a year younger at 34 but irrepressible against Limerick when he scored four points and won several puckouts.

28 April: Cork 3-24 Clare 3-26

Neither side would appear to have a big advantage on placed balls. McCarthy was flawless on the frees against Kilkenny after a shaky Munster final. Rodgers or Kelly are able deputies.

Horgan missed a short one against Limerick but recovered his composure in the second half. Dalton is also accurate from long range, from both free or play.

It might be a good idea to have a nominated third free-taker this time, confusion reigned in the closing stages of the semi-final when they had both gone off. Though that did conveniently burn a minute.

Both have potential game-changers on the bench: Ryan Taylor, Aron Shanagher and Ian Galvin for Clare, Shane Kingston, Robbie O’Flynn and Jack O'Connor for Cork. Morey and Lehane would love to make cameos in what could be their last finals.

What does all that mean? Scores galore and a close classic hopefully. Providing the Irish summer behaves.

Cork are deserving slight favourites but Clare have more room to improve. Kelly was instrumental to the Clare comeback against Kilkenny and could have regained confidence and full fitness at the right time.

It’s the hardest to call final in years. Extra-time or a replay would not be a huge surprise. But whoever takes their goal chances can settle it today.

Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney; David Fitzgerald, Cathal Malone; Tony Kelly, Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Aidan McCarthy, Shane O'Donnell, David Reidy.

Subs: Cian Broderick, Rory Hayes, Paul Flanagan, Cian Galvin, Darragh Lohan, Ryan Taylor, Seadna Morey, Aaron Shanagher, Ian Galvin, Shane Meehan, Robin Mounsey.

Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O'Leary, Eoin Downey, Seán O'Donoghue; Ciarán Joyce, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Tim O'Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Declan Dalton, Shane Barrett, Séamus Harnedy; Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.

Subs: Brion Saunderson, Damien Cahalane, Ger Millerick, Tommy O’Connell, Luke Meade, Ethan Twomey, Conor Lehane, Jack O’Connor, Shane Kingston, Pádraig Power, Robbie O’Flynn.

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)

Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship final, Cork v Clare, on Sunday from 2.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1

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