Anthony Daly: Limerick really showed the class and composure of champions against Clare

BIG MOMENT: Aidan O'Connor celebrates his late goal for Limerick, in the 71st minute, during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final match between Clare and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

I’ll admit that I have always had the capacity to get emotional on live TV when Clare are playing, especially in Croke Park. The tears were rolling down my face after Clare won the All-Ireland in 2024. And I had to fight them back again yesterday – especially when Shane O’Donnell came over to the RTÉ panel afterwards to be interviewed.

After the Éire Óg man had played his last match for Clare, I felt compelled to put my arm around him and tell him how much a proud Magpie (Clarecastle) really appreciated all that a townie (Éire Óg) had done for his county. And everyone in Clare knows how heated the relationship is between the Magpies and the Townies.

Shane has had an incredible career. He has been an unbelievable player – and ambassador – for the county. Reaching another All-Ireland final would have been a fitting way to conclude it. You could probably say the same about John Conlon – and maybe a handful of more of Clare’s great warriors. And that’s why coming up short will really haunt those players over the winter.

It was a match of fine margins but you have to give great credit to Limerick in the manner of how they got over the line. They really showed the class and composure of champions.

They got the scores that Clare couldn’t muster in the final minutes but you’d still have to say that the decisive moment in the game was Thomas Walsh’s decision not to issue a black card to Nickie Quaid after he fouled Peter Duggan. Tony Kelly did bury the penalty but being without Quaid – their quarter-back – for ten minutes would surely have been too much of a cross for Limerick to carry down the home stretch.

The rule is really vague and has to be tidied up. Walsh could argue that Duggy didn’t have possession of the sliotar but Nickie completely took Duggy out and he would have scored a goal otherwise. 

Even with the concession of the goal, Limerick responded in a more calculated fashion, managing the endgame far better. Gearóid Hegarty was immense all through but he really led the charge when the heat was at boiling point. Cian Lynch came on and made a difference. So did Mikey Casey. Limerick got the bounce from their bench that Clare didn’t but everything about Limerick in that closing stretch smacked off cold blood and warm hearts.

It was a great game, a battle for the ages. It reminded me of the 2005 All-Ireland semi-final against Cork when Clare were outstanding but were caught with a late surge of scores.

Clare had chances but it will really hurt them that they failed to score after the penalty. I felt Tony should have put that late free over the bar to reduce the margin to one point, instead of passing to David Fitzgerald, because Walsh would have given Clare more time to see if they could manufacture an equaliser.

Still, it’s very hard to be critical of any player, especially when Clare did so much right. Brian Lohan made some really brave calls, most of which worked; Conor Cleary to wing-back, Tony inside in the full-forward line, John Conlon to midfield. Duggy was immense again, causing Limerick problems wherever he went. His point in the first half under the Cusack Stand, when he controlled a long delivery with one hand on his hurley before fighting off a couple of Limerick tacklers and splitting the posts from down-town was as good a score ever seen in Croke Park.

Clare got their match-ups right. The sideline were constantly trying to keep a step ahead of Limerick but you’d wonder too if they made too many changes? Seán Rynne was playing really well and I didn’t feel he needed to be taken off.

Limerick could rightly argue that they made life far more difficult for themselves with their inaccuracy and inefficiency. That was really obvious in the first half when Clare had 16 scores from 20 shots whereas Limerick had only converted 11 of 22. Some of those wides were really un-Limerickesque. But crucially, they found a way when the need was greatest.

When Diarmaid Byrnes came over to the RTÉ panel to be interviewed afterwards, we were complimenting the younger players, especially Adam English and Aidan O’Connor, who engineered and scored the match-winning goal. Byrnes rightly corrected us by saying that they weren’t young lads, that they had been around for a good few years. They have. And look at the education they have got in that time?

A couple of Clare’s youngest players – Niall O’Farrell and Rynne – were really impressive. So was Darragh Lohan, who has taken his fair share of criticism this season. It’s those fellas that Clare will need to drive the ship forward in the coming years.

From day one this year, this really had the feel of a last dance with this group. If it is, I just hope that Brian is around to oversee that overhaul. It’s a big ask but having won an All-Ireland U20 back in May, at least the raw materials are there for Clare to look forward with real optimism.

It just won’t like that this morning. In his post-match interview, Lohan said that his players gave it 110 per cent, but they needed 115 per cent to get the job done.

That’s how much winning at this level demands off players. And against Limerick, you need to make absolutely ever single per cent count.

Everyone from Clare is devastated but very proud of the lads. It was an epic game but it was also an epic weekend for hurling.

And the championship really needed it.