Kilkenny 1-15 Clare 0-04

Clare 1-12 Cork 0-11

It was refreshing to hike up to Shannon in Clare a couple of weeks ago to spend some time with Fr Harry Bohan, who’s written a memoir of his varied career, Swimming Upstream — Finding Positives in a Negative Ireland.

Having won this year’s All-Ireland senior and U21 hurling double, and with Sixmilebridge in Sunday’s Munster Club final, Clare hurling is on the crest of a wave.

Fra Moloney’s sitting room wall is lined with the usual snapshots — family portraits, communions, confirmations, baptisms and weddings.

Growing up in Shannon, Rachael English had heroes on her doorstep. Well, in the class next door at primary school.

SPARE a thought for Conal Keaney today.

THE angry man in the queue for chips last Saturday night wasn’t sparing the blame.

NIALL MORAN recalls a November afternoon from 2008. He took an Árd Scoil Rís team to Tipperary Town that day for a Dean Ryan Cupsemi-final against Blackwater CS.

GER LOUGHNANE has launched a blistering attack on former Clare players Tony Griffin and Tony Carmody, accusing the former attacking pair of letting their county down.

Clare SHC Final: Clonlara 1-9 Cratloe 3-5

LONG before Joe Canning, John Fenton and other hurling artists acquired cult status for their skill in taking line balls, a certain Michael Moroney from Crusheen was an expert at it.

LATE in 2006, when they came together for the first time, the Clare U21 hurling management would have had the obvious ambition of bringing a first ever Munster title to the county.

THERE is much talk this week of the last NHL Final meeting of Kilkenny and Clare in 1995 and how the Banner went on to win the All-Ireland championship, their first in over eight decades.

WITH the hurling managerial positions still to be filled in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, speculation is rife about the successors to Dave Keane, Cyril Lyons and Michael Doyle.