*Tony Kelly and Ryan Taylor chase Will O’Donoghue. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
TWO OF CLARE’S top hurlers are facing lengthy spells on the sideline.
Injury ended Ryan Taylor’s involvement in the three-point All-Ireland SHC semi-final defeat to Kilkenny with thirty three minutes on the clock in July.
Subsequent scans have confirmed that the pacy Clooney/Quin midfielder has sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
It rules him out of the Allianz National Hurling League and the entirety of the Munster senior hurling championship next year. All going well with his recovery and should Clare as hoped return to the All-Ireland series, the NUIG graduate will be back in contention for a place in the team.
Clare captain Tony Kelly also joins Taylor on the injured list. The four-time All Star is understood to have fractured a bone in his ankle which will rule him out of the remainder of the club season, serving as a major blow to Ballyea in their bid to win three consecutive titles for the first time in their history.
Kelly underwent surgery in October 2021 on his ankle which involved reconstruction on the outside and inside, the latest injury is reported to be the ankle that was not operated on.
A teacher at St Flannan’s College, Tony has been wearing a protective boot and crutches since the diagnosis was confirmed. He had been due to line out in the hurling for cancer research 2023 charity game in aid of the Irish Cancer Society which took place this week.
His absence will be a major loss to Ballyea who face Scariff in Dr Daly Park, Tulla in a must-win encounter in the TUS Clare SHC this Sunday.
An exact timeframe on when it is hoped that Kelly can return to action is unknown.
Another leading light of Clare’s attack, Shane O’Donnell is reported to be considering his inter-county future. The Éire Óg man who once again was one of the top players for Brian Lohan’s side as they reached successive Munster finals and All-Ireland semi-finals did not feature in this season’s National Hurling League before making a scintillating return for the championship.
O’Donnell is currently concentrating on his club action with Éire Óg and no decision on his Clare future will be made until their involvement in the race for the Canon Hamilton concludes.
