Stepping out from the shadows of a legend

HOW do you replace a legend? For well over a decade Davy Fitzgerald stood between the posts for Clare as the Banner finally took its place at hurling’s top table.

Last year, failing to see eye to eye with manager Tony Considine, Fitzgerald walked away from the Clare setup and was replaced by his understudy of the previous two years, an unknown youngster from Tulla called Philip Brennan.

That should have been it, end of story, but it wasn’t, and soon the controversy began to rage. As Brennan’s Munster championship debut approached, a tough game against hot favourites Cork in prospect, the airwaves around Ennis were thick with accusation and counter-accusation.