All about the Banner friendships for sentimental Reidy

Clare hurler David Reidy. Pic: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Maybe David Reidy, 33 this year and in his 13th senior season with Clare, is getting sentimental in his old hurling age but he is in reflective mood.

“I’ll tell you, if I didn't win the All-Ireland, if I didn't win in 2024… I came into the panel in 2014. Would the journey be different, or the satisfaction I had playing inter-county hurling for 11 years with no All-Ireland medal in my pocket? 

"That friendship, team-mates, that bonding you get, is a lot more important than an All-Ireland medal.

“If I had to give one (medal) back, it would be the All-Ireland. What I've made in terms of the friendships, the lads I've played with for 12-13 years on an inter-county basis, where you're not growing up with a lot of them, it's special.” 

It’s relationships like the one he has with John Conlon that Reidy cherishes. 

The Clonlara man almost lost a finger last July jumping over a fence to retrieve a stray ball at club training.

 

Through leech therapy, the digit was reattached and the 36-year-old made a welcome return to action in February. 

“When we heard, we were worried first of all, and again it's more than hurling. It's someone's life, how it's going to affect his life, his young baby, his partner, but then the resilience that he shows, it can only inspire you or the team.

“And again, I'm not even talking about hurling here. The resilience he has, to get back from the injury in terms of getting the finger moving, but then to have a hurley in your hand, to play inter-county hurling, it's an inspiration more than anything. I'm so pleased for him with the amount of work that he's done, he's been a team-mate for a long number of years.

“But that's just John as a person, he always wants to push himself to be the best he can be, and if hurling wasn't there, he was going to be at something else, be it business, be it helping others. That's what he does best – he brings everyone else around and improves everyone else.” 

It’s clearly the voyage that sustains Reidy. This season has been mentioned as a last dance for some of Clare’s elder statesmen but not for him. 

“I wouldn't classify it as that. I think Brian (Lohan) is going to have to kick me off the panel before I retire. I'm the same age as Tony, (Conor) Cleary, Peter (Duggan), so that’s externalised probably.” 

The provincial title has alluded Clare for 28 years but if it ultimately evades Reidy so be it. 

“If we keep focusing on the Munster championship being 28 years, 27 years, 26 years, or whatever it is, you're going to skip a step in the process, so we have to start with Waterford. Once that game is finished, then we can refocus, and the refocus is for two weeks after that.

“I've played in five Munster finals. I've lost five Munster finals. But that doesn't define me, or it doesn't define the team either. 

"The fact that we were able to regroup shows what the group of players, what the group of management have, and have resilience in abundance, is probably more impressive than having a medal in your pocket.” 

Reidy is his own man but that type of clear blue thinking is what performance coach and former Clare hurler Tony Griffin is likely bringing to the set-up this year too.

Keeping out the noise would be a recommendation of Griffin's too. Reidy doesn’t need much schooling on that count. 

“I'm on the road for my job (medical and mobility equipment sales), so I have loads of time to listen to podcasts, but I do make a conscious effort not to listen to GAA ones. Football ones, I listen to football.

“Most of the hurling podcasts are what's happening this weekend or what's happening last weekend, and that's the reason that I don't listen to them. I just don't need it put into my mind. I can watch Limerick and Cork and make my own opinions up. I don't need someone else telling me.” 

Reidy’s 2025 season ran into late November thanks to Éire Óg, Inis’ run to a Munster final. Lohan was happy to give his time off but it came with a caveat.

“I was off for six weeks and then I was over in Tenerife for a week in January. I didn't pick up the hurley for six weeks and I consciously didn't pick it up for six weeks. Came back after the week in Tenerife and then I was back in.

“It was funny because when I told Brian that I need to go for a bit of sun… I went to the Dominican Republic there a couple of years ago and the one thing Brian said was, ‘Yeah, you can go, there's no problem, but don't come back the way you came back after the last time.’ And in fairness that was a fair comment by him as well. I've been exceptionally well managed.”