Banner’s hard work getting its rewards

Building, building, building, that’s Clare hurling over the last few years under Davy Fitzgerald, according to midfielder Nicky O’Connell, as a new generation of top-class hurlers are coming through.

The breakthrough All-Ireland U21 win of 2009, in which Nicky first came to prominence, was key and last year’s success at the same grade was further consolidation. Even at club level there has been revolution in Clare, starting with his own club, Clonlara.

“Yeah, we came up from intermediate a couple of years ago with a very young side, most of us were only 18 or 19 when we then won the senior county. Same thing in Cratloe, a young team and Newmarket-on-Fergus too are youth-based,” he said.