Banner won it on the line as well as on the field

Hats off to Davy Fitzgerald and his management team for the job they’ve done with this Clare team, in the last few weeks especially.

In stark comparison to what was happening across the Shannon, there was no hype in Clare, with a lid kept on all the expectation. That doesn’t mean there isn’t expectation, because there is. People are beginning to realise there’s the makings of an exceptional side here. As I said on Saturday, youth is a reason to hope not an excuse for failure and that showed again. The Clare youngsters absolutely blossomed in Croke Park yesterday.

I was in Limerick and the hype was unbelievable. I’m not talking about the players. But the supporters were even writing songs about winning the Liam MacCarthy Cup. What use is that to your team? Do you really think you’re doing your own players a favour by carrying on like that?