Galway’s loss proved Clare’s gain, twice over

Few understand the Clare v Galway dynamic better than Gus Lohan, who hurled for both counties in the same season. There was county football played too, for Monaghan, and Gus’ switch from Cappataggle in Galway to Newmarket-on-Fergus in Clare paid rich dividend for the Banner a generation later, when sons Brian and Frank won two All-Ireland titles. Today, in Croke Park, a father and son will take some joy whatever the result.

Gus Lohan is admirably content with not remembering everything but he does recall his first score for Clare.

The occasion was a Munster Championship first round against Waterford on May 19, 1968. “I was playing centre-back,” he says. “I caught a puckout, right at the end, and I hit it back over the bar. There must have been a good breeze behind me.”