"They are magical, they stand apart"

Coaching systems, diet plans and gym programs — integral components of an inter-county set-up, sure, but as Clare joint-manager Donal Moloney put it so bluntly on Saturday, they’re not worth a damn unless the raw talent is there.

The six-point win over Wexford ensured a third consecutive All-Ireland crown for the county’s U21 hurlers, a run of 14 championship matches since 2012 without defeat. Remarkable.

“They are magical, they stand apart,” said Moloney.

“You can talk about coaching and systems or whatever, but they just have everything in terms of athleticism, great leadership qualities, and the right mentality to make the right decisions 99% of the time.

“That’s a rare combination. Only the really, really great hurlers have that. Three-in-a-row is a big achievement. Credit for this …there are a few clubs in Clare, the likes of Ballyea, Clonlara and Cratloe, that wouldn’t have produced huge volumes of players in the past and suddenly they produced a generation of super players. Along with that they have been willing to work ferociously hard and live the lifestyle of an athlete. That is so important because there is only inches in these games. There was only inches there at times on Saturday night. In time they will reflect back and think what an era it was for them. I believe this achievement will stand the test of time because this is a special bunch of players.”

Fellow manager Jerry O’Connor was most impressed by the leadership his charges displayed. On several occasions Wexford roared back into proceedings. Each time Clare issued a swift and decisive response.

“The bottom line about an All-Ireland is…you have to bloody well earn it,” he noted.

“Every time we got a bit of breathing space and we got a bit of momentum and a six or seven-point gap, Wexford – to their credit – kept coming back. But the key point is – and we’ve asked it of these guys all year; ‘have you got the leadership? Can you stand up when it matters?’

“And the real leadership was shown out there … not in the concession of the goals, but in the response to the goals. Every time they scored a goal, Tony Kelly or Peter Duggan or Bobby Duggan demanded the puck-out and scored. What you’ve got to understand is that most of the leaders on that team that are signing off today have been training continuously over the past five years. The traditional underage Clare hurler played one game and that was it. His season was over in April or May. These guys have packed in five incredibly long seasons and they are battle-hardened and conditioned to perform to the level they had to tonight to get over the line.”

Both men singled out Tony Kelly as the stand out performer in this latest All-Ireland triumph.

“Tony was incredible in his response to the three Wexford goals, ” continued O’Connor. “He needed to be though. This was the most difficult challenge we faced all year.”

Added Moloney: “The first time I saw Tony Kelly was back in the end of 2009 at trials. I went home and told my wife that I had seen a new Henry Shefflin and he was going to be wearing the Clare colours. He’s a sensational player and such a team player. He worked so hard for the team. He was tackling, tracking, blocking down and winning ball he shouldn’t have won. He’s just a super guy.”

The pair revealed they will sit down later this year to decide whether or not they remain at the helm.