Limerick look to have the edge against Clare

THIS sporting prediction business is a serious enough job, but one of the many positives of the job is that you get to meet characters like Gary Kirby.

One of the many positives about Gary Kirby is that he so obviously enjoys life and particularly his role as a selector on the Limerick senior hurling team.

As a star player with the county for well over a decade he enjoyed the cut and thrust of championship play, never went over the top in terms of foul play, but never gave less than his best either. He always held his own even against the best.

Now, on the sidelines it is the same deal. Admittedly it is a different kind of cut and thrust, but cut and thrust nevertheless.

“I was just talking to Tony Considine,” was the opening shot for this interview, “And he was saying that Limerick must be regarded as favourites on Sunday.”

Considine is a man well versed in the kind of psychological games that precede a game like tomorrow’s All-Ireland quarter-final.

“He would say that, wouldn’t he?” laughs Kirby, “And did he say which was the team in the last two All-Ireland semi-finals, Clare or Limerick (it was Clare, obviously)? Fair play to Tony, he’ll tell you what he wants you to hear!”

Limerick are the team with form, coming into this game in a strong position, after several impressive performances in Munster, while Clare were well beaten by Cork in the first round.

Said Kirby: “We were going well until our setback in the Munster final, but we’ve won only one match, while Clare have beaten Antrim, Galway and Laois,” he counters (Limerick took three games to get over Tipperary in the Munster semi-final).

“But the team is in good form; losing the Munster final was a huge disappointment for the players especially. They knew themselves that they hadn’t hurled the way they can hurl, and it took the week to get over that. But they’re fine now.”

Clare too are looking forward to this one, and with just as much optimism.

The manner of their defeat to Cork was a major disappointment as they never got off the starting blocks. Since then, however, they have regrouped, and the away win against Antrim, when they were seriously depleted, the home win over Galway, has them back on track. So, who to go for?

Neither is ranked very highly nationwide, both have doubters within their own borders, both are desperate to reach the semi-final stage, so there is plenty of motivation, plenty of raw material for both Tony Considine and Gary Kirby to use.

For the decisive edge, however, I think we have to go back to their last championship meeting, last year which Clare won 2-21 to 0-10.

Books to be balanced tomorrow, though not with anywhere near that margin.

Verdict: Limerick.