All the spiky elements of an edgy local rivalry

I got a text from a good buddy before yesterday’s game in Ennis which neatly set the scene for what followed. My mate was walking in to the ground when he passed a couple of disgruntled Limerick supporters, frustrated about the crowds and the stuffy access to the ground. Drawing on my words from Saturday, my mate said to one of the Limerick supporters: “Welcome to hell.” I assumed he didn’t get jumped on and beaten up by a mob of angry Limerick fellas when the text arrived.

He may have just kept running after dropping the incendiary comment, but the desperate weather added to the misery of Limerick’s task, as they came looking to hoist their flag on top of Clare’s fortress after hoping to sack it. This had all the spiky elements of a real edgy and local rivalry. It was damp and miserable, but the hail of sleet and snow didn’t quench the sparks that were flying on the field before the ball was even thrown in. There was a great buzz in the ground. Despite the conditions, the crowd of over 8,000 really got value for money, as the two teams went at it hard from the word go.