ALL-IRELAND winner Niall Gilligan has turned down an initial approach to link up with the Clare senior hurling panel for the 2010 campaign.

THERE was frost on the ground in Clare yesterday morning, a genuine feel of Christmas in the air as Ger O’Loughlin headed off to his day job as Director of Sales with the Burke Shipping Group.

CLARE’S All-Ireland U-21 winning manager John Minogue claims some of the gloss has been taken off a landmark season because of the bitter dispute that led to Mike McNamara’s resignation as senior boss.

DUBLIN senior hurling manager Anthony Daly has hailed the imminent appointment of Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin in his native Clare.

Tony Considine (TC): “You two have both been involved with Clare teams at various levels over the years, how does this team compare with those?”

MIKE McNAMARA remains in situ as Clare senior hurling manager following last night’s lengthy meeting with his players – but sources within the Banner County expect McNamara to walk away in the next day or two.

THE GAA’s pleas to supporters to stay off the Croke Park pitch fell on deaf ears once again on Sunday after Clare’s emotional victory over Kilkenny in the All-Ireland U21 hurling final.

JOHN MINOGUE was in a hurry by the time he finally made it to the press centre.

THE FIRST thing to say was how fantastic to see Plan B going up in lights at Croke Park again yesterday.

Clare 0-15 Kilkenny 0-14

Senior star Richie Hogan has been named to start for Kilkenny in tomorrow's Bord Gais Energy All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling final against Clare, despite concerns over an ankle injury earlier in the week.

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.

THERE have been three outstanding hurling games this year.

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.

KILKENNY are sweating on the fitness of senior star Richie Hogan ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland U21 decider with Clare.

Clare forward Darach Honan is a major doubt for the All-Ireland U-21 Hurling final against Kilkenny on September 13, after injuring his hamstring while in action for his club Clonlara at the weekend.

JOHN F Kennedy produced a line for the ages in his inauguration speech as US President when he told his audience to “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

LONG after the final whistle, Clare manager John Minogue was still struggling for words.

Clare 3-23 Galway 5-15 (after extra-time)

Clare manager John Minogue has made two changes to the side which claimed the Banner's first Munster Under-21 title for tomorrow's Bord Gais Energy All-Ireland U-21 Hurling Championship semi-final against Galway at Semple Stadium (throw-in 2.30pm).

LAOIS duo Colm Parkinson and Darren Rooney played a telling role in Parnells 0-12 to 0-11 win over St Mark’s Tallaght in round three of the Dublin SFC in O’Toole Park last night.

TONIGHT it’s a Munster U21 hurling decider with a twist. The heavyweights of Cork and Tipperary are both marked absent ensuring the first final without either of the Old Firm in fifteen years. It promises to be a unique evening in Dungarvan.

Clare cantered through to the Bord Gáis Energy Munster Under-21 Hurling final with a superb display against Limerick in tonight's semi-final at Cusack Park.

AFTER the dejection of Saturday night’s All-Ireland qualifier loss, Clare hurling looks to get back on track at Cusack Park, Ennis tonight (7.30pm) with the Bord Gáis Energy Munster U21 HC semi-final against Limerick.

WE HAD another stumble at the Munster U21 Hurling Final last Wednesday night. Tipp and Clare, not for the first time, served up a thriller before a massive crowd of 12,000 people. Everything was totally sporting and the hurling was excellent.

Clare 1-20 Cork 1-11

Ex-Clare star Ger 'Sparrow' O'Loughlin has got the nod to replace John Minogue as Cyril Lyons' third selector.

AFTER all the speculation surrounding the potential appointment of Anthony Daly, it came as a surprise when former forward star Ger O’Loughlin was named as the third senior selector, to replace the outgoing John Minogue on the Clare management team.

WHILE the appointment of Conor Hayes as the new Galway senior hurling manager over the claims of incumbent Noel Lane will have come as a surprise to many outside the county, according to long-serving hurling secretary Phelim Murphy, it had been well flagged locally.

WHEN you first individually meet with the three members of the original Clare management triumvirate, the men who orchestrated the breakthrough in 95, the most striking thing about them IS their individuality.

THE Waterford selectors are expected to name the team for Sunday's All-Ireland hurling semi-final against Clare after training tonight.