Carmody fast forwards to May

WHEN the story of 2006 is being stitched together, April 9 won’t merit a mention, says Tony Carmody. May 28 is where the tale will begin.

Clare might have finished two points to the good against Cork on Sunday, but it was scant consolation for the All-Ireland semi-final defeat of last August and it will be meaningless when they clash in the Munster SHC late next month.

“May 28 is the main focus and winning (on Sunday) has no bearing on that game,” said the Inagh attacker, named Vodafone hurler of the month for March.

“They were missing a good few players.

They were without the two O’Connors, Joe Deane, Kieran Murphy and Niall Ronan as well. I don’t know were they injured or just not showing their full hand. I’m sure they’ll all be playing in a few weeks.”

Clare, too, lined out in Páirc Uí Rinn with something of a bluff hand, Tony Griffin, Brian O’Connell and Carmody all beginning on the bench.

Despite that tinkering, Anthony Daly has gone on record to say he would love a league trophy, but Carmody isn’t overly concerned about NHL honours.

“We’re playing the winners of Waterford and Limerick (in the semi-final) and the way Waterford were playing yesterday you don’t know what they’re at. Limerick seem to be the form team. They seem to be going all out at the moment. We’ll try and win the game and, if we get to a league final we get to a league final, but the main thing will be the championship.”

This tunnel-vision for the summer sod is a commonplace attitude around the hurling counties by now, but Carmody and Clare have more reason than most to view the final stages of the league with some suspicion, having been badly burned by Kilkenny in last year’s decider.

“We were going so well until the final against Kilkenny. They nearly peaked on the day and we were doing well just to lose by as much as we did. We didn’t perform as well as we liked at all against Tipp in the championship after that and maybe the way we played against Kilkenny in the league final put us back a few games.”

As ever with Clare, the championship looms into view with talk of a final fling for men like Brian Lohan, Davy Fitzgerald, Colin Lynch and Seanie McMahon

The manager said during the recent “Loughnanegate” this would be his last year too, but Carmody doesn’t see the former All-Ireland winning captain handing in his bainisteoir’s bib until he negotiates Clare’s path up the steps of the Hogan Stand one more time.

“I think last year Daly said it was his last year as well. I think he mentioned that alright, but the thing with Anthony is that, when he took on the job, it was to win the All-Ireland. I’d say he won’t go until he achieves that. Hopefully it will be this year.”