Birr’s Claffey ready to ‘greet’ neighbours

THE island of Ireland covers an area of almost 33,000 square miles but, with Birr just half an hour down the road from Portumna, the St Patrick’s Day Club hurling final will be very much a local affair this year.

From Bridge Road in Portumna to John’s Place in the Offaly town across the border, it is just over 22 miles down the N65 and N22.

The two sides are so close they have used the same training pitch in recent months.

Not at the same times, obviously and it has to be said that, despite their proximity, the Leinster and Connacht sides will be relative strangers to one another when they take to the field in Croke Park in a fortnight.

“They are only 20 minutes away from us but I can only remember playing them once or twice in a practice match and that was six or seven years ago,” said Birr full-back Niall Claffey.

“They could either play it in Birr or Portumna and save people the journey. It is novel enough. There will be a few bets going on in workplaces and banter between the kids in schools. It should be a great atmosphere.”

With four national crowns to their credit, Birr have a stronger heritage in the competition than Portumna but the Galway side, whose sole success was three seasons ago, has been more prominent of late than Birr.

Though Birr’s dominance inside the Offaly border has gone largely unchecked, they have had to sit and watch a trio of Kilkenny teams represent Leinster in the All-Ireland series since their last national title in 2003.

Their return to the big stage has been achieved on a foundation of old hands and a smattering of new blood and Claffey has seen himself the visible lift their achievements have given people in the town.

“The day after the Dunloy (semi-final) I got chatting to a guy down the town and he was saying it was a great lift for the area. With the economy and all that, everything seems to be doom and gloom.”

Having won the Leinster Club Player of the Year award, Claffey’s success since switching from wing to full-back this season is obvious and has prompted suggestions that he may yet return to the Offaly colours.

Left off the county panel last year by John McIntyre, Claffey has yet to decide whether or not to link up with Joe Dooley after March 17, adding he had enough to worry about with the club.

He is not wrong. Claffey’s brief on St Patrick’s Day will be Joe Canning who was his usual irrepressible self in the semi-final against Loughmore-Castleiney when he scored a total of 1-9, 1-3 of which came from play.

“I haven’t thought too much about it,” he laughed. “He seems to be on hot form altogether, even with LIT.

“Boys have been texting me saying, ‘I don’t know how you’re going to handle him’.

“It’s going to be a huge challenge. He is a lot younger than me so I’d say he might have the legs on me.”