Curran hopes Clare shed tears this time

PAUL CURRAN is the current All Star full-back, a tough, uncompromising position for tough, uncompromising hurlers, and on Sunday in the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick the Mullinahone stalwart will again man that critical position as Tipperary face Clare in the Munster SHC semi-final.

And yet, there was a time when the sight of that Clare saffron-and-blue was enough to reduce Paul to tears. However, he was only a young fella and he had good cause, Tipperary beaten in an All-Ireland final by Clare and a clubman of his own, the great John Leahy, missing a ‘goalden’ chance at the death to win it.

“I remember 1997, the All-Ireland final, coming home crying after it, John (Leahy) missing that chance — you could feel the rivalry up in the stands. I was 15 or 16 (just short of 16, actually, a November baby).”