Bugler answers Clare’s call to arms

Brendan Bugler is only just reaching his peak as a hurler but when he looks around the Clare dressing room, he’s beginning to feel old, at 27. Why? Because of all the fresh faces filling those saffron-and-blue shirts.

“Pat Donnellan is the same age as myself, a couple who are a year or two older, but then there’s a big gap down to the bulk of the squad — the likes of Tony Kelly and Seadna Morey aren’t long out of minor,” says Bugler.

Because of that, and echoing the sentiments of so many other counties at the development stage, Clare’s game against Cork in the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday in the Division 1A relegation final takes on a huge significance.