*Liam Corry rises the sliotar under pressure from Ryan Taylor and John Conneally. Photograph: Ruth Griffin.
TWELVE YEARS on from making his Éire Óg senior hurling debut, Liam Corry was now able to call himself a county champion.
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.
A primary school teacher in St Senan’s NS, Kilrush, Liam put all the lessons of the past to practice on Sunday to play a pivotal role in Éire Óg’s long-awaited success in the senior hurling championship.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Liam tried to describe the feeling of getting over the line with his beloved Éire Óg. “It is unbelievable, we’re absolutely thrilled, it still hasn’t sunk in because it is a bit frenetic after the game but we’re absolutely delighted to have finally brought it back, it is a long time since the Canon has been in Ennis so we’re absolutely buzzing with it and we’re looking forward to celebrating”.
Injuries have become a more common part of his sporting life in recent years, the most serious of which was an inguinal hernia that he played through the pain barrier with in 2021 before undergoing an operation. “I wouldn’t be able to run for a few days now because I’m fairly sore but you always have some kind of an injury and if you get the reward at the end it makes it all worth it, you don’t mind it one bit and you’ll get through the pain,” he remarked of how the body was holding up following Sunday’s success.
With fifty one minutes played it appeared as though Liam made a save on the line to stop Martin Duggan from getting a goal for Clooney/Quin, the former Clare U21 dual player was unsure on who actually was responsible for the block. “To be honest, I don’t think I blocked it, I think Darragh blocked it. I don’t think I blocked it so I’d like to watch it back, the ball fell to my feet and I was able to clear it out the side, I’d like to watch it back because I think Darragh Stack blocked it but I will take the credit”.
Heavily involved at wing back, Liam got on his fair share of possessions during their five point victory. “In the backs sometimes you need a bit of luck that you read the ball and anticipate it, sometimes if the ball in is good enough then it doesn’t matter how good a back you are because you won’t get on the ball, it is a bit of luck today to get on the ball, a couple of blocks here and there, you’re trying to cause a bit of carnage back there sometimes and just hope one of the other lads will knock it down and you can get on the breaks. I got on a few balls but it is all about the scores at the other side, I know we had wides but I’m just delighted we got scores on the board and got over the line, I can’t really put it into words”.
Part of the side since 2013 when he made his debut against Ruan, Liam was quick to point out that the likes of Darren Moroney who joined the panel this year cannot expect to be lifting the Canon Hamilton every season with the Townies. “Darren will probably think this will happen every year but that is most certainly not the case, we will enjoy it, the footballers have a county final against Doora/Barefield so they will have to circle the wagons for that after today”.
