Clare v Limerick: a rivalry by the numbers 

The sides face off in the Munster final once more on Sunday. 

Limerick’s Cian Lynch with fans during the Treaty's Munster campaign. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

Off the bat, we’re discounting the 2020 quarter-final meeting of Clare and Limerick. Brian Lohan’s first year as manager was deeply affected by the pandemic and the 10-point defeat to Limerick was an outlier considering what was yet to come in this enthralling rivalry.

Ahead of Sunday’s latest episode, numbers such as 13 - Limerick’s flawless final record under John Kiely - have to be considered. Beat Clare on Sunday and Limerick will move to one behind Dublin footballers whose marvellous unbeaten final record ended at 15 when they lost to Derry in this year’s Division 1 showdown.

Also, Clare are striving to avoid being the provincial bridesmaid for the seventh consecutive occasion. That is still short of the 10 times they finished as runners-up between 1932 and ‘95. And yet it’s worth pointing out that Clare have won five of their last six championship fixtures in Thurles, the exception obviously being the classic extra-time provincial final two years ago.

The numbers we’re largely concerned with here are those associated with the neighbours’ last five Munster SHC clashes when there has never been more than a score between them:

1 - player sent off in their five SHC meetings since 2022. Gearóid Hegarty was dismissed by Colm Lyons for a second bookable offence. Limerick were keen to challenge it but as it didn’t result in a ban, they couldn’t.

1.2 - the measly average margin between the counties since the 2022 round game in Cusack Park. In favour of Limerick, of course, after two Munster finals wins and this year’s comeback Round 1 victory in Cusack Park. The average difference at half-time - 1.4 points - is only slightly larger and in Clare’s favour. They have been ahead at the break in the last two clashes.

2 - Limerick have scored 1-44 from frees compared to Clare’s 0-37 in the five matches, an average of two more converted frees more per game. Diarmaid Byrnes’ long-range goal in Ennis this year and Clare’s difficulties at times in sending over placed balls have to be factored in but the difference is interesting.

2 - players retrospective sent off. Peter Duggan and Rory Hayes were each handed one-match retrospective bans arising from incidents in the 2022 Munster final. Both penalties were overturned on a technicality raised by Galway relating to a similar suspension for Cianan Fahy at the time, a loophole which has since been closed by the GAA.

3 – The amount of times Limerick have won the third quarter against Clare, which given it is Munster and All-Ireland champions’ power period, isn’t overly impressive. Twice Clare have scored more than them in that 17/18 minute period after half-time: the 2022 round game (one point) which the sides drew and this year’s opening fixture in Ennis (one point) when it was Limerick’s stirring finale that transformed the game. Limerick’s best third-quarter was a six-point advantage in last year’s Munster final.

3 – Limerick have lost four players to serious injuries in their last three championship outings against Clare. Seán Finn came on for Mike Casey in April having gone off with his cruciate tear in last year’s round-robin meeting on the Ennis Road. In between that, captain Declan Hannon played the entirety of last year’s final but his knee injury he sustained ruled him out for the rest of the season.

4 - forwards have been named the official man of the match over the past three provincial championships - Tony Kelly (2022 round game), Seamus Flanagan (‘22 final), Aaron Gillane (‘23 final) and Hegarty in this year’s meeting in Ennis. John Conlon was the exception when Clare edged out Limerick in TUS Gaelic Grounds in April of last year.

8 - Should Clare field the same team that beat Tipperary for Sunday, almost half of their team will have changed from Lohan’s first round-robin battle against John Kiely in 2022. That could grow to 11 if Hayes, David McInerney and Kelly return to the starting 15. For Limerick, even without Flanagan who has started all of Limerick’s last five SHC meetings with Clare, they should begin with 11 from the ‘22 game in Ennis.

15 – All-Stars set to start on Sunday: 11 for Limerick (Nickie Quaid, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash, Byrnes, Hannon, Kyle Hayes, Will O’Donoghue, Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey and Gillane) and four for Clare (Conlon, Duggan, David Fitzgerald and Shane O’Donnell). Limerick’s figure excludes injured Peter Casey, Richie English, Finn, Flanagan and Darragh O’Donovan and The Banner’s total omits Kelly and McInerney.

53.6 - the average number of aggregate total points scored by both counties across their last five championship meetings. Limerick have averaged 26.4 points and Clare 25.2 points. Limerick’s three goals in Ennis in April greatly improved their goal average to 1.6 per meeting in contrast to Clare’s 0.6.