A different ball game

With three Munster crowns and two All-ireland titles, the period 1995-98 was the golden era of Clare hurling. It could all have happened nearly two decades earlier, however.

In 1977 and 1978 Clare won NHL titles but Vork prevented them from breaking their Munster SHC hoodoo. Cork goal-scoring corner-forward Deanie O’Leary, and veteran Clare corner-back Jackie O’Gorman recalled those days. Diarmuid O’Flynn listened in.

JOG: It was a different game then. It was far more of a hobby thing, you played just for the craic. It was a player’s game, but sure now it’s a media game, a supporter’s game, the player is only the pawn in the middle of the whole lot. Isn’t it analysed to death?