*Tony Kelly battles with Adam English and Cathal O’Neill. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
Championship hurling brought to you in association with McKeogh’s Ballina
CLARE and Limerick have often brought the best out of each other in the senior hurling championship in recent years and their upcoming knockout showdown could mark the end of an era for either side.
Conor Cleary and David McInerney are the chief injury concerns within the Clare camp. David Reidy has recovered well from a high-challenge that left him temporarily unconscious during Clare’s thirteen point quarter-final win over Dublin a fortnight ago and is expected to be named among the substitutes this weekend.
Both Cleary and McInerney are also pressing for inclusion in the matchday twenty six having been forced off with injuries in the quarter-final.
Cleary sustained a head injury which has interrupted his preparation for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final but the presence of the Miltown Malbay native in the Banner defence would certainly strengthen the cause against a formidable Limerick attack.
Similarly Tulla’s McInerney who has always brought the fight against the Shannonsiders will be needed in the backline. He picked up an ankle injury in the closing stages of the Dublin game with East Clare sources confident that the two-time All Star will be taking to the field and leading the battle in Croke Park.
Mark Rodgers and Ryan Taylor returned to action in the quarter-final following injuries picked up against Tipperary in the third round of the Munster SHC, five weeks previous. The duo are likely to be back in the starting fifteen as Clare aim to qualify for a first All-Ireland final since lifting the Liam MacCarthy in 2024.
Indeed Sunday’s game will be Clare’s first outing on Jones’ Rd since being crowned All-Ireland champions two years ago.
From the outset, the 2026 campaign has been defined as a potential last dance for many of the Clare hurlers who have given tremendous service and dedicated their lives to representing the county. As the year has progressed, it has also been speculated that Limerick will have a very new-look set-up next year with the jubilant reaction of John Kiely and Paul Kinnerk after winning the Munster title heightening this rhetoric.
Munster and league champions so far this year, Limerick have without question been the form team of 2026. This factored with the manner in which Clare’s defence has struggled with the concession of seven goals in the Munster championship and the seven big saves made by Eibhear Quilligan versus Dublin has underlined the need for a bolstered Banner defence and potentially the deployment of a ‘plus-one’ or sweeper but such a tactic is one that manager Brian Lohan is known to be strongly opposed to. Ironically the counties last met in Croke Park in 2013 when Clare won 1-22 0-18, a result that was influenced by the deployment of then captain Patrick Donnellan as a sweeper.
It will be the ninth time that Lohan and Kiely face off in championship, the record is currently 5-3 in favour of Kiely with one draw in 2022.
Waterford’s Thomas Walsh will take charge of Sunday’s semi-final which throws-in at 16:00 on Sunday evening and is preceded by the meeting of Clare and Tipperary in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-final.
