Six degrees of separation: The ties that bind Clare and Limerick
FAMILY MATTER: Paul Flanagan of Clare in action against Séamus Flanagan of Limerick. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Clare against Limerick is the most intimate rivalry in inter-county GAA, never mind hurling. As battle lines are drawn on Sunday, families, friendships, and county allegiances will be put on hold. Just how intertwined are the two panels? Omitting interesting if impertinent facts like Limerick defender Mike Casey living in Meelick, the following “six degrees of separation” should explain the ties that bind them:
Not that there is radio silence but relations might be a little quieter in the O’Brien household in Kilmallock this week as father and son look for different outcomes this Sunday. Father Adrian, who was appointed Clare’s strength and conditioning coach last November, is used to awkward situations having coached both Ballyea and St Finbarr’s who faced off against each other in last year’s Munster senior club semi-final.
Due to U20 commitments, starlet Shane wasn’t on the Limerick panel when Clare won the counties’ round-robin meeting at the end of April but should be among the substitutes again this weekend.
A coach to Davy Fitzgerald for half of his time managing Clare, the five-time All-Ireland SHC winner famously won his first with The Banner 10 years ago. Of the team that started the final replay win over Cork, four are expected to begin this weekend – David McInerney, John Conlon, Tony Kelly and Shane O’Donnell. Seadna Morey, a used substitute that day, should also be involved.
Conor Cleary, Peter Duggan, David Fitzgerald, David Reidy and Aron Shanagher were on the 2016 Division 1 winning panel when Kinnerk was coach. The son of west Clare parents, Kinnerk has been John Kiely’s head coach since he was appointed in September 2016.
A Wolfe Tones club-mate of Clare manager Brian Lohan’s, Cunningham was his manager when the club reached the All-Ireland club final in 1997. He was also his Clare coach alongside Anthony Daly and, after Lohan retired, assisted Mike McNamara. Alongside Kiely from 2017, the year previous year Cunningham coached Na Piarsaigh to an All-Ireland title.
“Alan became very close with everybody and when you have that bit of success, the bond grows tighter,” said former Limerick forward and Na Piarsaigh man Shane Dowling. “He’s a great head on his shoulders. You know what they say, common sense isn’t all that common, but Alan has a lot of it and it stands to him.”
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At this stage, facing his own is old hat for the Ahane man, older brother of fellow ex-Limerick players Ollie and Niall. Working with Lohan since he took over Clare, they and fellow selector Ken Ralph had previously combined their efforts in charge of UL, leading them to the Fitzgibbon Cup title in 2015. “He is a Limerick man to the core,” said Niall before last year’s Munster SHC round-robin meeting.
“He had a huge career from under-age right through to senior with Limerick and his first love is always his native county, but we’re under no illusions that because he has put so much time and effort into Clare his loyalties are with Clare on Sunday.”
The Broadford man’s ties with Limerick go back at least 10 years. He was coach to the Limerick minors when Barry Nash’s point was ruled a wide by HawkEye and they ended up losing to Galway after extra-time in their All-Ireland semi-final. As well as Nash, that Munster-winning panel featured current senior players like Richie English, Seán Finn, Darragh O’Donovan, Cian Lynch and Tom Morrissey.
O’Brien worked with Kinnerk in Fitzgerald’s Clare set-up in 2016 when they won the Division 1 title before joining Limerick from the 2019 season when he and Donal O’Grady replaced Jimmy Quilty and Brian Geary. O’Brien featured on a number of Clare teams during the 2000s and early 2010s.
The cousins marked one another for a brief spell in last year’s Munster final when Seamus was named man of the match and looked set to lock horns again in April only for Paul to be named among the replacements. Both All-Star nominees last year, Seamus is almost five years younger than Paul who might be considered to start in TUS Gaelic Grounds if Conor Cleary’s shoulder issue prohibits him from starting.
“I find the game goes so quickly and you have too much to worry about, (but) I definitely noticed it at the time,” said Paul of last year’s fleeting duel, “and obviously Seamus had a great Munster final, but it probably moved so quickly that not a whole pile happened after that.”
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