Clare v Cork: Our eight experts weight in on Sunday's All-Ireland SHC final
MUNSTER'S BALL: The Liam MacCarthy Cup is up for grabs on Sunday. Will it be a fifth title for Clare or a 31st for the Rebels? Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Cork.
very little between teams but feel Cork might just have edge in few positions this time around. Momentum behind them off the back of Limerick win is massive also.
They have to curtail the impact of Shane O’Donnell. If he’s not scoring he’s creating havoc in defences with his direct play.
: The battle between Conlon and Barrett will be huge, if Conlon picks him up. Barrett caused Limerick a lot of issues with direct running. Conlon needs to deal with that and also be on top of breaks from the long ball to full fwd line from Collins.
O’Donnell if Clare win and could be Shane Barrett or Darragh Fitzgibbon if they have big final.
: Adam Hogan. Brilliant season so far and his battle with Eoin Cody in semi final cemented his reputation as one of the best corner back in country.
Offaly. The crowd that arrived in Kilkenny for U20 final was incredible and the scenes afterwards were special. A county united at this moment in time.
Cork v Limerick All-Ireland semi - the game had literally everything. Skill, incredible scores, physicality and two teams who just left everything out on the pitch. Limerick showed once again what a great team they are, refusing to give in and fighting right to the end.
The game is in strong place overall but I feel the GAA could be doing so much more to support it. Genuine support for “tier 2” counties to really support grass roots development of hurling. Officiating standards, overall, need to improve with assessors having too much influence. Not sufficient training and support in place for referees and umpire throughout.
The GAA could be doing so much more to promote the games, at all levels, but particularly at semi final and finals. This is the “Super Bowl” of our season but it’s not marketed like as such.
Cork.
: They have more players in-form. Clare players have been taking turns to pick up the slack and will be buoyed by Limerick being out but Cork have rediscovered the momentum they left behind them after the Munster championship.
: Alan Connolly or Brian Hayes inside. One of them wins their duel with Conor Cleary or Adam Hogan and Cork have a foothold inside where they can be lethal. Hogan is giving inches to Hayes so Clare will be tempted to switch Cleary onto him.
: Midfield. Darragh Fitzgibbon and Tony Kelly both have the ability to make the game their own so much will depend on how Cathal Malone and Tim O’Mahony negate them respectively. Clare have shown they can win without Kelly. Cork haven’t really proven they can without Fitzgibbon.
Shane Barrett. Shane O’Donnell has been unmarkable and Fitzgibbon is in exquisite form but Barrett is as electric a forward as there is right now. Led Cork through their bout of sickness.
Conor Leen. An U20 two years ago, he has jumped ahead of Rory Hayes and Paul Flanagan to be a starting corner-back. A young hurler of the year (U22) candidate with Eoin Downey.
The mantle of the Limerick legions’ mantle has been taken by Cork who have been turning up in their throngs. They are an asset and should have an edge on Clare’s faithful on Sunday.
Cork v Limerick in May. As enthralling a game of hurling as they come. I didn’t so much drive home as float after it. The twist in the end took almost everyone by surprise. How many times did Cork fly by the seat of their pants this summer?
There are challenges in how easily and perhaps cheaply scores are coming from rapid puck-outs. It’s sharpness on the part of the attacking team and the defending side has to be ready but it’s reducing the contests. Also, the hand-pass remains an issue irrespective of players’ sleight of hand in transferring the sliotar. If there isn’t a clear parting between ball and hand, it should be blown for a free.
Cork.
: Cork’s performance against Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final suggests they’ve arrived. But they’ll need a couple of goals and it is critical their in-form forward line capitalise on their speed and direct running. Dare we say another Alan Connolly hat-trick.
: John Conlon v. Shane Barrett (unless Brian Lohan pulls a rabbit out of the hat and positions Conlon elsewhere). The Blarney man has been superb all season, especially against one of the most experienced centre-backs in the country in Declan Hannon.
: Breaking down the Downey brothers Eoin and Robert who fill the two pivotal positions with such authority. Hard to believe Eoin is only turned 21 and how could we forget Robert’s late goal against the Banner in the Munster Championship, he loves to attack as well.
From a Cork perspective Darragh Fitzgibbon, the scorer of 0-22. But he does so much more. Clare danger man Shane O’Donnell is also in the running with his vision for goal.
Ethan Twomey missed out due to concussion but coming off the bench for Cork is a big plus for Pat Ryan. Clare’s Adam Hogan has already been nominated for Young Hurler of the Year and An All-Star at the age of 20.
: Maybe I’m biased here but we will never forget the scenes in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh last May when Cork stunned the All-Ireland champions with Patrick Horgan’s late goal. They never gave up on them.
Cork and Limerick in the Munster Championship (3-28 to 3-26. Relentless from start to finish and the energy from both teams was incredible. There was quality all over the field, it was simply breathtaking.
This gives us an opportunity to mention the referee. With Limerick out of the equation, Johnny Murphy gets his chance on Sunday and we wish him well. The throw-ball and quick puck-outs are under scrutiny. How quickly will the puck-outs be allowed? Remember John Kiely's criticism of Cork’s quick puck-out that led to the game-defining penalty in the Munster Championship.
: Cork.
: Cork twice produced when stood opposite the champions and their season on the line, whereas Clare have not soared to any similar heights. It’s too lazy an analysis that there has to be one stirring performance in Brian Lohan’s side. Cork will take confidence from having ticked that box and who they ticked it against. If Fitzgibbon, Barrett, or Harnedy are stifled, Cork have match-winners elsewhere. If O’Donnell, TK, or Rodgers are stifled, who has the form to drive Clare?
: Puck-outs. Patrick Collins hit his half-forward targets in the opening half of the semi-final. But his targets were poor in their handling. As a direct consequence, Limerick mined 0-5 off Cork restarts, whereas Cork mined only 1-0. Cork’s pace and movement in the third quarter saw that puck-out return transform. Collins’ first five restarts after the break resulted in five white flags. This is an area where they have the potential to seriously hurt the Clare half-back line.
That directly in front of Eibhear Quilligan, as they did at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh at the end of April. Adam Hogan started on Hayes that afternoon, they’ll likely match up again, with Conor Leen shadowing Connolly. Curb this pair and it increases the pressure on those out the field to rise above their scoring average.
We are certain of the three nominees: Shane O’Donnell, Darragh Fitzgibbon, and Shane Barrett. We are not so certain of who gets the nod. O’Donnell’s ability to trap possession hurtling towards him at ferocious speed, while having the opposition’s outstanding man-marker wrapped around him rash-like, defies dexterity. Fitzgibbon’s 0-22 from play, meanwhile, defies midfield protocol.
Brian Hayes. Debut championship start against Clare was not kind. But he moved on undeterred. As Pat Ryan has said on loop this summer, he offers them variety and something different inside. Semi-final pyrotechnics showed his temperament for the big occasion.
Cork, for the sheer numbers they travel in. Unlike Kerry and their recent football semi-final, Cork can never be accused of staying at home. They are by no means perfect, mind. What Tadhg Coakley wrote on this website before the Limerick round-robin game applies to Sunday too. If Cork win, they’ll be “insufferable again”.
Opening half of Cork-Limerick semi-final broke whatever speed limit Croke Park operates under. We saw a rough calculation during the interval that day that between scores, wides, point attempts dropped short, attempts off the post, and attempts blocked out for 65s, there were 45 shots in 38 minutes.
Offaly’s U20s success, with a team the majority of which will still be underage next year, continues their closing of the gap to the game’s market leaders. Galway and Tipperary have moved to the back of that group. A treasure chest of underage success in either county over the past decade, but it is not translating. The link between the Joe McDonagh and Liam MacCarthy needs to be revisited, but what absolutely needs to be left alone is no more than three counties emerging from the provincial round-robins. Speaking of which, RTÉ need to revisit and revise up the number of those round-robin fixtures that are part of their 31 live broadcasts, at the expense of dead-weight provincial football championship games.
Cork.
: Their recent form is stronger. Clare got an awesome result in their semi-final win. Cork put in an awesome performance. Neither outfit were hugely convincing in the quarter-final. Clare finished strongly but that was only after Rory O’Connor’s red card.
: SOD and TK. The first step is getting the matchup right. Shane O’Donnell is a creative force for Clare’s attack. Tony Kelly is capable of a sensational showing. In truth, winning that matchup is about the battle elsewhere. In that Cork can look to Limerick and Kilkenny. They kept both stars quiet for stretches by dominating the restart and winning the battle in centre field.
: The puckout. It has become the primary weapon in Cork’s arsenal. A remarkable passage for Patrick Collins came after half-time in the semi-final. He went long with his first eight puckouts in a row. Cork won six to score 0-6, Limerick won two and scored nought.
Shane O’Donnell. He has scored 2-11 and assisted 2-27, including being fouled for converted frees. It means he has hit or created a quarter of Clare’s total scores in championship.
Few true rookies outside of Conor Leen, who has had an exceptional breakthrough campaign. 21-year-old Eoin Downey has been a fine solution to a longstanding problem for Pat Ryan.
: Generally inter-county fans are fickle. Every team in the country has a cohort of hard core diehards but they are not the majority. Losing teams will always be abandoned. The best attraction is a likeable side primed to succeed or give it all in trying. Clare and Cork both have that.
Cork v Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final. Remarkable as an occasion and as a contest.
Two things can be true. Hurling is in a great place. Hurling has plenty of problems. It has been a middling championship but at its best, the sport is still magnificent. It can’t afford to forget about the controversy around lower-tier counties and the growth of the game either. The National Hurling Development Committee, which includes Brian Cody, Martin Fogarty, Neil McManus and Lizzy Broderick, will be crucial.
: Because for the first time in nearly two decades they have a team who have earned the right, ticked all the boxes away from and under the lights. Such as: Workrate of forwards? Check.
: Not so much win but break even: curb Shane O’Donnell or the supply into him like Limerick did in the Munster final and Liam Mac is Cork’s.
: The sideline, which includes their bench. Clare to their credit won it the last day against Kilkenny. In each of the last four Cork-Clare games, a puck of a ball has separated the sides. Who makes the best in-game adjustments and gets more from the bench will win.
A Shane. O’Donnell is in poll position but a Cork victory and another quality performance from their centre forward and it’ll be Barrett.
: Brian Hayes. Has brought a boldness, physicality and star quality reminiscent of Con O’Callaghan in 2017 – and Setanta in 2003.
Cork. For their colour – and numbers. Now that Dublin and Mayo are exhausted from all the winning and near misses, there’s no other team in the GAA that’s a bigger draw.
It’s a case of which Cork-Limerick game to go for (with Clare-Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh winning bronze). We’ll give the nod to the All Ireland semi-final.
: As good as it’s ever been. Yeah, we’ve the odd quibble, like why should teams be worried if a referee’s individual style is to allow fast puckouts or not. But that’s only a quibble.
Clare.
: Their time is now. They have the recent championship edge over Cork and their victory in Supervalu Pairc Ui Chaoimh earlier this summer was massive. Brian Lohan and this team are on the road longer. They have been in the league final, Munster final and All Ireland final in 2024.
: The managing and marking of Shane O’Donnell. He will move between the lines and he makes things happen every time he is on the ball. He has scored from play in all seven games this year, wins frees every game and has high scoring assists every game. Hugely influential player.
Their full back line must get to grips with this new 3 up full forward line. The match ups will be interesting too. If Clare win this difficult battle, they will win the game. The long puck outs and deliveries dropping on them will have to be dealt with too.
: Darragh Fitzgibbon and Shane O’Donnell are the two front runners. The winning team will take this award I believe. A Shane Barrett man of the match performance from centre forward along with a Cork victory is the only other one I can see at this point.
Brian Hayes looked the real deal in the semi final. A tall and pacy inside forward with the capacity to cause havoc. I have to give a shout out to Shane O’Brien for his Munster final performance and also his scores when coming on in semi final. Lovely inside starting forward prospect for Limerick in 2025.
: Bias will always say Limerick as we always travel. Huge mention for Cork here though, in 2024 after losing the opening two rounds of championship when needed most in the Pairc, they turned up.
Both Cork versus Limerick games in 2024 were exceptional. Full house in the Pairc and full house in Croker. The possibility and pressure of Cork exiting the championship at home with late penalty drama versus putting the champions out in HQ. The one in the Pairc, marginally.
In excellent shape in the strong counties. There is no better spectacle in the sporting world than a brilliant game of hurling. We could do with a Minister for Hurling though. There are times through the season when hurling needs that voice. That role would bring responsibilities and in turn would lead to improvements in all aspects of the game throughout the country. We have the product.
: Clare.
: Cork have serious firepower but Clare have just as much weaponry at the other end of the field. Clare also have a better last line of defence than Cork do.
: Seán O’Donoghue on Shane O’Donnell. O’Donoghue was put under serious pressure by Aaron Gillane in the semi-final but O’Donnell is just as big a threat. O’Donnell is nearly unmarkable, especially when his contribution from assists is just as big as what he contributes on the scoreboard.
The puckout battle, especially on the Cork long puckout. Cork have done most of their damage this summer on their long restarts, mining a colossal 4-19 from that source in both Limerick games.
At the moment, the three leading contenders are Shane O’Donnell, Darragh Fitzgibbon and Shane Barrett. All three have been outstanding but this game will decide it. O’Donnell could secure it here.
Conor Leen. The frontrunner for Young Hurler-of-the-Year. Impressed during the league, especially in the league final and was outstanding when coming on to make his debut against Cork. Ultra-consistent ever since. Like Adam Hogan, Leen attacks the ball like his manager used to.
: Cork. They bring something completely different and unique to the game when they are behind the team, by sheer force of numbers as much as anything else. More importantly, they stuck with the team when the players really needed them against Limerick in May.
Cork-Limerick in May. It could be argued that the semi-final two weeks ago was just as pure and authentic but there was something magical and eternal that night in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. A night of absolute nights.
Hurling is still in a great place but that doesn’t mean more can be done to make the game even better. The ball is being carried too much. Hurling needs more man-on-man contests. Possession is nine-tenths of the law but a compromise must be reached; either the steps rule must be enforced more rigidly, or else a rule needs to be introduced whereby the ball can only be handled once in each possession. It would certainly discourage players from over-carrying the ball. It would also promote more 50-50 contests and return the game to more of its original personality.
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