Two additions have been made to Brian Lohan’s Clare senior hurling panel.
Cian Nolan of the Smith O’Briens club in Killaloe has been recruited onto the county senior panel for the first time in his career. An All-Ireland U21 winner, Nolan also lined out in the Fitzgibbon Cup at corner back for LIT.
Nolan was one of the standout players in the Clare intermediate hurling championship last year featuring at full-back as Smith O’Briens reached the last four in the county but suffered an extra time defeat to eventual champions Scariff in a thrilling encounter.
His displays throughout the campaign ensured he was unanimously selected in the Scariff Bay Community Radio team of the year announced in recent months and more recently resulted in a senior call-up by the two time All-Ireland winner.
Crusheen’s Ross Hayes has been returned to the county panel. The UL student was surprisingly dropped by Lohan during his first year as manager as preparations for the 2020 campaign began.
Hayes was initially added to the senior panel during Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor’s final year in charge of the Banner. He was a member of the county minor side managed by Sean Doyle that lost out in the 2017 provincial final and also featured at the U20 grade once again managed by the Bodyke man when they failed to progress past Cork in their opening encounter.
At club level, Ross has been handed the free-taking duties taking over the reins from former Clare captain Paddy Vaughan. With 0-16 in two games, he was top scorer for Crusheen in last year’s Clare SHC when the side managed by James Carrig lost out in their championship meetings with Ballyea and O’Callaghans Mills.
Both Nolan and Hayes like all members of the Clare panel are following intensive individual training programmes. Collective training and training in pods is prohibited under current restrictions.
Lohan and his management team are awaiting clarity from Croke Park on a timeline for the 2021 inter-county championship and Allianz National Hurling League.
