Clare begin their National Hurling League campaign this weekend with an away trip to Salthill to take on Anthony Cunningham’s Galway.
Davy Fitzgerald enters his fourth year as manager of the Clare Senior hurlers. In each league campaign, a sign of what was to come for the year ahead was evident in the league. 2012 saw Clare escape from Division 1B but it was the beginning of a new era as the Banner refused to be bullied as they had been under previous managements as they overcame Limerick on not one but two occasions to secure promotion to the top flight of the NHL along with being the first team to stay competitive with Kilkenny in the NHL semi-final.
2013 followed and results in the group stages of the NHL were mixed. Waterford travelled to Ennis for the opening game and pointed a late free to take the two points. Immediately this had Clare with their backs to the wall and in a position of fight or flight. Arguably one of Clare’s most important games in 2013 was in the Gaelic Grounds when it took extra time to defeat the Rebels and secure their status as a Division 1A team. This game showed the fight, tenacity and skill that would capture the entire country for the rest of the year.
Last year, a strong performance in the group stages of the NHL saw Clare advance to the knockout round. False hope was given in the league opener when the Cats came to Cusack Park but couldn’t get their hands on the cream as a Colin Ryan inspired Clare ran out victorious in front of a packed home crowd. Unfortunately a lackadaisical win over Laois in the last eight gave a taste of what was on offer for 2014. Clare seemed tired but refused to give in, flash forward to July 12th and it was the same thing. A tired but heroic Clare let Liam McCarthy slip through their fingers as the Model County enjoyed their greatest day since Michael Jacob got than infamous hook in 04 and buried the sliotar past James McGarry to book their spot in the Leinster Final.
So, what will we see from Clare in the NHL campaign of 2015 is the big question. It’s about learning from past mistakes from both a management and player’s point of view. In the past week Louis Mulqueen has said Clare will be giving a host of players an opportunity to impress in this year’s league. Should they do that, it will show that Fitzgerald is always learning in the job. Rotation is something that doesn’t always work but for new players to be blooded in, it is essential. The likes of Seadna Morey, Aaron Cunningham, Davy O’Halloran, Jamie Shanahan, Bobby Duggan, Cathal ‘Tots’ O’Connell and David Reidy need to impress if given the opportunity. As always Clare will be taking each game seriously but reaching the knockout stages is ideal for preparing for a championship opener with near neighbours Limerick on May 24th.
Anthony Cunningham is in his fourth year in the hotseat just like his Clare counterpart. His focus during the winter months was on getting re-appointed manager, it would have been far more beneficial to Galway hurling if Cunningham was re-appointed automatically instead of having to apply for his position and beat off competition. Continuity is an important factor in management and for this reason he deserves another year at the helm. However at times freshness can do a time a world of good. One would feel there is more than continuity and freshness required to fix the problems of Galway hurling but one thing is for sure it’s now or never for this Galway team.
After claiming the Walsh Cup last week, the Galway panel will have received a positive lift, a minor lift but the slight injection of positivity can do the team no harm. The objective now is to maintain that winning streak. Dublin were defeated by two points in the Walsh Cup decider and make no mistake new Dubs boss Ger Cunningham wanted to win silverware early on in his tenure.
Joe Canning and Conor Cooney have been ruled out of Sunday’s league opener and while some Galwegians may view this in a negative light, the truth is far from it. Other players are now forced to step up to the plate which is what they need, the Tribesmen have been too dependent on Joe Canning in recent years and the Liberty Insurance employee hasn’t been delivering on a consistent basis. Portumna’s Damien Hayes has called it a day in the maroon and white and his loss cannot be underestimated as he added a sort of flair to the attack.
Iarla Tannian’s return is a timely one for Cunningham and Co, nonetheless he has opted for an interesting lineup with six of last year’s U21 semi-finalists making the starting fifteen. Surprisingly Johnny Coen is omitted from the team, but it is more than likely the former UL student is carrying a knock. In defence, Cunningham has gone for experience down the centre with Fergal Moore at full-back and David Collins at centre-back. It is a big chance for a number of players such as Jason Flynn, Cathal Mannion, Pádraig Mannion, Ronan Burke and John Hanbury to put their hands up for a position on the Galway championship team.
Pearse Stadium hasn’t been visited by a Clare team since the massacre of 2011 when Galway defeated a Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin managed Clare on a scoreline 4-25 to 0-20. That defeat has yet to be avenged despite Clare beating Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-final in 2013. One would feel Davy Fitzgerald and the experienced Clare players certainly haven’t forgot about it. It is expected Clare will name an experienced outfit and that should see them to a four point win in their NHL opener.
Galway Team:
1: Colm Callanan (Kinvara)
2: John Hanbury (Rahoon/Newcastle)
3: Fergal Moore (Turloughmore)
4: Ronan Burke (Turloughmore)
5: Gearóid McInerney (Oranmore/Maree)
6: David Collins (Liam Mellows)
7: Pádraig Mannion (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
8: Iarla Tannian (Ardrahan)
9: Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields)
10: Pádraig Brehony (Tynagh Abbey-Duniry)
11: Jonathan Glynn (Ardrahan)
12: Dean Higgins (Castlegar)
13: James Regan (St Thomas’)
14: Jason Flynn (Tommy Larkins)
15: Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh/Fohenagh).
