Tensions between Clare and Limerick have simmered along nicely in recent years as the rivalry continues between the great Munster rivals.
The latest instalment may not have the same consequences as a championship joust, but once again both players demonstrated that even league games can operate on the edge.
Diarmaid Byrnes was given his marching orders after a melee broke out at TUS Gaelic Grounds, swinging his arms as a cluster of Clare players jostled the fomer Hurler of the Year towards the sideline.
David Reidy's goal proved to be the dfference between the sides in the end, but could referee Thomas Walsh have sent others to the line?
Mikey Casey made contact with the helmet of Clare's Jack O’Neill, while Tony Kelly did likewise on Adam English that saw the Doon man leave the pitch as a blood sub.
Speaking on Allianz League Sunday, Joe Canning and Ursula Jacob discussed the three incidents.
While one red card was shown, could there have been more given out in the Clare-Limerick match?
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) March 2, 2025
Joe Canning scrutinises some of the main flashpoints
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While former Galway hurler Canning said Casey "mistimed" his challenge, he felt Kelly was fortunate to remain on the pitch.
"Tony Kelly was very lucky," he said. "As he said himself afterwards, on another day he might have went.
"Unfortunately, Adam English had to go off with a blood sub. Tony wasn’t going to injure him that way or anything like that."
Jacob added that the different outcomes for both players would be a bone of contention for some.
"The frustration for people might be consistency," she said. "Mike Casey didn’t get any card, Tony Kelly was probably lucky to only get yellow."
