Clare comfortably see off Galway to land All-Ireland U20 hurling title

At the same venue as the minor decider of three years ago, Clare once again had the measure of their maroon counterparts.

CHAMPIONS: Clare captain Eoghan Gunning lifts the James Nowlan cup. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile.

CLARE 4-20 GALWAY 2-16

The Clare kids did not fatten on their minor success. The attitude never slipped. The appetite never waned. Their collection now includes U20 All-Ireland honours.

At the same venue as the minor decider of three years ago, Clare once again comfortably had the measure of their maroon counterparts.

Ten players from the 2023 class featured here. Their development continues to be accentuated by important pieces of underage silverware. Confidence continues to grow that this group is Clare’s future and will offer the foundation of the Banner rebuild that is coming in the next couple of years.

The county’s perfect record on All-Ireland final afternoon of this championship has been preserved. Five from five. A first in 12 years.

Three goals in a 10-minute period either side of half-time removed all suspense from the outcome. In front by 2-8 to 0-9 at the break, an unanswered 2-2 pushed Terence Fahy’s charges into an uncatchable 4-10 to 0-9 advantage on 38 minutes.

The points came from the corner-forward pair of Marco Cleary and 2025 minor Paul Rodgers. The latter was a splendid sideline cut, albeit the sideline call from linesman Johnny Murphy was incorrect.

The third member of the inside line, Thomas O’Connor, doubled his goal count on 36 minutes. Fred Hegarty's free came back down off the post. The towering O'Connor reacted quickest. Possession was snapped up and pistoled to the net. This inside trio delivered a decisive 3-5 from play.

Marco Cleary scores his side's fourth goal. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile.

Two minutes later, a long ball was gathered by Cleary. He got around his marker Michael Fallon. Cleary’s initial shot was hooked, his whipped second attempt reached the desired destination.

Galway had introduced Aaron Niland by this juncture. He entered the fray on 33 minutes for his first piece of U20 involvement since their Leinster opener of April 4.

He and fellow senior starter Jason Rabbitte never stopped trying to conjure an unlikely comeback. Rabbitte, for his part, was making his first U20 start since April 4.

He and Brian Callanan found final quarter goals. Munster final hero Mark Sheedy stopped three more.

Momentum swung fiercely in the final two minutes of the first half. Galway had closed to within a point. It was the third time they had closed to within the minimum after falling three behind inside six minutes.

Although trailing on the scoreboard, there was no real sense of chasing from the young Tribes. They were instead growing in assertion and confidence.

They blinked and found themselves five behind sitting in the dressing-room at half-time.

Clare’s second goal to create that gap was a superb individual effort. The Galway half-back line took half the day to clear their lines in the final minute of the 30. The lines never ended up being cleared.

Paul Rodgers pocketed the turnover and slipped a forward pass to the onrushing Jamie Moylan. From outside the 45-metre line, the Clare half-back galloped all the way inside the cover. The stinging shot matched the run.

Rodgers picked off his second point in the first minute of injury-time for a 2-8 to 0-9 interval Clare lead.

For all the successful cleaning of the Galway full-back line, Luke Kennedy’s work-ethic and dispossessions in the maroon half-forward line, and the respective pair of points from the inside pair of Jason Rabbitte and Brian Callanan, the conclusion to the half ensured the opening period was a Banner story of bookending green flags.

O’Connor and Clare’s opening goal was a fifth-minute finish. Rodgers kicked possession to Cleary. His shot was saved, O’Connor pulling on the loose ball.

It moved them 1-1 to 0-2 ahead. They were never caught thereafter.

The minor champions of 2023 are now the U20 champions of 2026. We await their next chapter.

Scorers for Clare: F Hegarty (0-7, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘65); T O’Connor (2-0); M Cleary (1-2); J Moylan (1-1); P Rodgers (0-4, 0-1 sc); R Kilroy, M Collins (0-2); S Boyce, G Ball (0-1 each).

Scorers for Galway: B Callanan, J Rabbitte (1-2 each); J Shaughnessy (0-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘65); A Niland (0-4, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘65); M Burke, C Killeen, C Leen (0-1 each).

CLARE: M Sheedy (Sixmilebridge); E Gunning (Broadford), R Loftus (Éire Óg Ennis), M O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge); J Moylan (Cratloe), J Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), R Hayes (Tulla); D Costello (Ballyea), G Ball (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield); M Collins (Clonlara), R Kilroy (Banner), F Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona); P Rodgers (Scariff), T O’Connor (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), M Cleary (Éire Óg Ennis).

SUBS: D Moroney (Éire Óg Ennis) for Costello (48); R Keane (Killanena) for Hayes (50); S Boyce (O Callaghan’s Mills) for O’Connor (57); S Arthur (Newmarket-on-Fergus) for Cleary, J Mescall (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Collins (both 60).

GALWAY: C Callanan (Clarinbridge); T Blake (Oranmore-Maree), E O’Reilly (Liam Mellows), M Fallon (Clarinbridge); D Campbell (Cappataggle), J Donnellan (Padraig Pearses), G Maher (Loughrea); M Burke (Skehana-Mountbellew/Moylough), C Killeen (Loughrea); L Kennedy (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), D Counihan (Clarinbridge), J Shaughnessy (Loughrea); J Rabbitte (Athenry), B Callanan (Ardrahan), V Morgan (Loughrea).

SUBS: A Niland (Clarinbridge) for Killeen (33); G King (Castlegar) for Campbell (37); S Moran (Castlegar) for Burke (43); C Leen (Craughwell) for Kennedy (47); R Cahalan (Killimordaly) for Maher (53).

REFEREE: T Gleeson (Dublin).