‘Will it ever happen?’ - Cleary relief at finally getting over the line with Banner

The Clare full-back was a key part of Brian Lohan's championship winning panel in 2024. 

GOOD GOING: Conor Cleary is enjoying a golden era for Clare hurling. Picture: Eamon Ward

Conor Cleary would be lying if he said he never had doubts about scaling the All-Ireland heights.

The full-back was brought into the Clare panel soon after they captured the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 2013 and save for a Division 1 title in 2016 there was no silverware.

Defeats in three consecutive provincial deciders came before The Banner defied the latest of those reverses against Limerick with All-Ireland glory last year.

At their medals presentation earlier this month, manager Brian Lohan spoke of Clare having lost but not being losers. Cleary recalls how his predecessor at full-back revived the group from the depths of previous disappointments.

“I suppose in 2019 you were kind of thinking ‘will it ever happen’ because you were at such a low ebb having been well beaten by Tipperary and Limerick in the Munster championship.

“But I suppose a lot of the credit has to go to Brian. Not a lot of people would have taken us at that stage in 2019, 2020 and he just brought a huge amount of energy and responsibility and I suppose even when he first came in, there was a lot of work to do and we lost to Limerick heavily in the Munster championship in 2020 and it would have been hard to believe… 

“You always tried to believe but I suppose within four years that you actually would win an All-Ireland, so there was a lot of tough years but it just shows the value of perseverance and keeping going as well.

“It’s definitely something I’ve learned from the year anyway because at times when you’re playing you think it might never happen, all you can do is keep going and keep giving your best. I suppose Brian did drive a lot of that with the responsibility that he’s put on players since he came in and the standards he’s drove.” 

As Clare enjoy a bye round in Division 1A this weekend, Cleary is on the mend after his shoulder operation in September. The 31-year-old feels the rest has been beneficial and he isn’t considering heading into the sunset any time soon.

“The break has really refreshed me. No, things like that haven’t come into my head at all, to be honest with you. I’m genuinely really enjoying at the moment going to training, playing the games and I suppose it is the greatest period to be a Clare hurler at the moment with the standard of player that we have in the panel and the opportunities that we got over the last couple of years.”