Ever since Cork and Clare advanced in two pulsating All-Ireland senior hurling semi-finals, both managers Brian Lohan (Clare) and Pat Ryan (Cork) have been hammering home to their squads that no Celtic Crosses are handed out merely for reaching a final.
Cork in particular must feel they have the hard work done following that epic win over Limerick, but Clare too showed tremendous team spirit in fighting back to beat a Kilkenny side that has had the Indian sign on them in recent championship clashes.
Sunday’s showdown is a case of the winner taking it all. The upcoming encounter is a re-run of the 2013 All Ireland final when the Banner, managed by Davy Fitzgerald, got the better of Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s Rebels after a replay.
They’ll have a chance to correct that statistic on Sunday – and also to give Patrick Horgan, who had a great second-half of point-taking when his side needed it in the semi-final after a poor first half, his chance to bow out with a winner’s medal, and the record for scores in hurling, at 36 years of age.
So who is going to win this big game? The bookies have Cork at money on 8/11 while Clare are pitched at 6/4 for the encounter with the draw trading at 8/1.
Those practitioners of waging the odds are more often right than wrong and certainly if Cork replicate the sheer hunger and elan of the semi-final showing, it will be hard to bet against them.
However, Clare love being written off and the fact that they enter this game as underdogs will suit them perfectly. Brian Lohan will hammer home the lack of respect they get by homing in on this point and you can be sure they will die for the Banner cause come half three on Sunday next.
I’m torn in this instance because while I want Patrick Horgan to finally get that Celtic Cross that has so far eluded him in his 18 years playing for Cork, as a person from a so-called weaker county, I love to see the underdog winning on such occasions.
Cork have the added incentive of seeking revenge both for the earlier loss in the Munster round-robin series and of course the final of 2013, so there are added reasons for the Rebel reds to drive on to victory. I take them to do it by a few points but if you are the betting type, the draw looks appetizing, doesn’t it?
Cork Superstar: Patrick Horgan
Talismanic Rebel forward Patrick “Hoggie” Horgan stands as one of two most prolific scorers in the history of hurling alongside Kilkenny’s TJ Reid.
In Sunday’s final, he can surpass the great Ballyhale Shamrocks star in the scoring immortals list if he manages to score three points or more against Clare in Croke Park.
Both players are now in their 37th year and while it is possible, it is unlikely we will see them in county colors when 2025 rolls around.
It has been his misfortune that despite winning four All-Stars over his career, he has come along at a low watermark period in Cork hurling as the team haven’t won an All-Ireland since 2005.
The great Glen marksman is Cork's leading scorer in the league and championship over the current campaigns. He's amassed 5-62 in the last seven games, 3-12 from play.
Himself and Cork have experienced a few near misses and heartbreaks along the way - none more so than when Clare snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by winning in 2013 after a replay.
Manfully, season after season since including another final loss to Limerick in ‘21, he has poured his heart into every game and while often in contention, Cork have managed to come up short. However, his dedication has earned him widespread respect from fans across the hurling globe.
Horgan’s longevity is remarkable, even more so that he has managed to maintain such high scoring standards despite being one of the most closely marked hurlers currently playing the game.
An All-Ireland medal would be a fitting way to round off a great career in red and just reward for the years of dedication ‘Hoggie’ has put into playing for the Rebels.
Clare Superstar: Shane O’Donnell
Shane O’Donnell had one “out of this world experiences” in the 2013 All-Ireland hurling final replay when at 19 he was called up to play at the last minute and ended up the man of the match with 3-3 to his credit.
In fact, such was his form that he had scored three goals in the first 20 minutes to totally undermine a shocked Cork outfit, who in truth should have won the game the first day but were caught by a late sucker punch.
Clare’s Shane O'Donnell is still starring for Clare 11 years after his dramatic introduction to All Ireland hurling.
Clare’s Shane O'Donnell is still starring for Clare 11 years after his dramatic introduction to All Ireland hurling. [Inpho/James Crombie]
Now he’s one of the team’s veterans at 30 and admitting that he is probably in his last season as a Clare player, but the vociferous Banner supporters are hoping that lightning can strike twice in the same place with O’Donnell finding the avenues for his side to beat Cork again.
His journey from hurling hero to wannabee astronaut is, to excuse the pun, also more than a little out of this world. Possessing the nous of a top-tier hurler and the brainpower of an astronaut, O'Donnell is a once-off in this interstellar cosmos location anchored somewhere between sports superstar and space traveler.
As the countdown to the big match begins, all eyes will be on the Éire Óg star as he spearheads the Banner attack with his clever runs, positioning, passing and speed of thought and action.
He has already left a trail of stardust in his wake in the last All Ireland between these two sides – will there be more of his cosmic dust as he jets through the Rebel defense looking for winning scores this Sunday?
Brian Lohan, Clare Manager
“The place to be is an All-Ireland final, that's what we’ve been aiming for. For the last couple of years, the aim was to get back up to Croke Park and maybe it was too easy a goal.
“When we got to Croke Park, we didn’t perform as well as we would like to. It’s a chance for us to reset now so we’re really delighted with our bunch."
Pat Ryan, Cork Manager
“We've nothing won, we're into an All-Ireland final. Lads will celebrate the win over Limerick because you have to celebrate all your victories in amateur sport.
“Fellas will really enjoy it and we'll look after what happens with Clare after that.”
WHERE GAME COULD BE WON… AND LOST
Clare Full-back Line v Cork Full-forward Line
On the evidence of the All Ireland semi-finals, the final could be won and lost in the way the above two lines perform this Sunday.
The Clare full-back line looked in danger of being overrun by Kilkenny early on and had to thank goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan for bailing them out in that first half with a number of brilliant saves.
However, when it was put up to them, the trio of Alan Hogan, Conor Cleary and Conor Leen not only held the Kilkenny marquee names defensively but time and again they were the initiators of attack with Hogan in particular showing remarkable defiance in holding hotshot Eoin Cody scoreless after his magical ‘Wimbledon-like goal’ in the first half.
Cleary too grew into the game to become a colossus when the game was there for the taking in the last 20 minutes while Leen ran man of the match on the halfback line David McInerney close for the top award on the day.
There is no doubt though that the trio they will meet on Sunday - Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolloy and Brian Hayes are a step up again on what they faced in the semi-final and ultimately it will boil down to how they keep tabs on that trio (who scored 1-10 from play against Limerick) as to who will walk up the Hogan Stand to collect Liam MacCarthy.
Final Fact File About Cork And Clare
The only time Cork and Clare met in the final was the 2013 All Ireland Hurling Final and replay when Clare scored a point in injury time in the first game to force a replay, which they won by 5-16 to 3-16, thanks to teenager Shane O’Donnell scoring 3-3.
Many neutrals believe that the replay that year was the finest exhibition of hurling ever displayed on the All Ireland final stage.
The last time Cork appeared in an All Ireland Final was four years ago when they were hammered by Limerick in 2021 on a scoreline of 3-32 to 1-22.
It is now 19 years since the legendary Sean Óg Ó hAilpín lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup as a Cork captain - a serious drought in the annals of Leeside hurling.
Clare have won four All-Ireland senior hurling titles, against Laois in 1914, against Offaly in 1995, Tipperary in 1997 and Cork in 2013.
Cork have won 30 All Ireland SH titles and became the first team to win three-in-a-row when annexing the titles in 1892, 1893 and 1894.
Cork also became the first team to win four-in-a-row between 1941 and 1944 with Kilkenny equalling that feat in 2006 to 2009 and Limerick following in their footsteps between 2020 -2023.
When they last met, Clare defeated Cork by 3-26 to 3-24 in Round 2 of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship on Sunday April 28th last at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
How Cork and Clare lined-out for All Ireland Final replay, and scorers, 11 years ago
Scorers for Clare: S O’Donnell (3-3); Colin Ryan (0-7, six frees, one 65); C McGrath (1-1); D Honan (1-0); T Kelly (0-3); J Conlon (0-2).
Scorers for Cork: P Horgan (0-9, seven frees); S Harnedy (1-2); S Moylan (1-1); A Nash (1-0, free); C Lehane (0-2); P Cronin, L McLoughlin (0-1).
CLARE: P Kelly; D O’Donovan, C Dillon, D McInerney*; B Bugler, Conor Ryan, P O’Connor; P Donnellan (c), C Galvin; J Conlon*, T Kelly*, Colin Ryan; P Collins, S O’Donnell*, C McGrath Subs: C McInerney for Galvin (52); N O’Connell for Collins (59); D Honan for O’Donnell (66); S Morey* for Kelly (71). Blood sub: F Lynch for O’Donnell (50/51): P Duggan* was an unused sub.
CORK: A Nash; C O’Sullivan, S O’Neill, B Murphy; C Joyce*, S McDonnell, W Egan; D Kearney, L McLoughlin; S Harnedy*, C McCarthy, P Cronin (c); L O’Farrell, P Horgan*, C Lehane* Subs: S White for Egan (23); S Moylan for O’Farrell (35); T Kenny for Kearney (38); C Naughton for McCarthy (55); K Murphy for McDonnell (inj. 67).
Ref: James McGrath (Westmeath).
* Players still playing intercounty this year
How they lined out for this year’s semi-finals
Cork:
P Collins; N O'Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue (c); T O’Mahony, R Downey (0-1), M Coleman (0-1); C Joyce, D Fitzgibbon (0-3); D Dalton (0-4, 0-2f), S Barrett (0-3), S Harnedy (0-4);,P Horgan (0-5, 0-3f), A Connolly (0-3), B Hayes (1-4) Subs: E Twomey for O’Mahony (58), S Kingston for Dalton (62), R O’Flynn for Harnedy (66), P Power for Horgan (72)
Clare:
E Quilligan; A Hogan, C Cleary, C Leen; D Ryan, J Conlon, D McInerney; D Fitzgerald (0-2), C Malone; T Kelly (0-3), M Rodgers (0-2), P Duggan (0-1); A McCarthy (0-11, 0-9f), S O'Donnell (0-1), D Reidy (0-3 Subs: R Taylor for Malone (49), I Galvin for Fitzgerald (56), A Shanagher for Reidy (60), D Lohan for Duggan (73).
