*eir ambassador and hurler John Conlon of Clare, pictured at the launch of the third annual ‘eir for all’ Poc Tapa Challenge. Photograph: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
JOHN CONLON and the Clare senior hurlers are expecting “a massive challenge” from Cork this Sunday in the opening round of the Munster SHC but it is one they are “really looking forward to”.
Anticipation is building for the first round of the Munster championship with tickets in scarce supply such is the appetite for Sunday’s clash in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Cíosóg.
Speaking to The Clare Echo ahead of the encounter with Cork, centre back John Conlon outlined, “These are the times as a hurler you get excited. You’re working towards that bunch of games that are coming up in the Munster Championship, you know it’s just week in week out and there’s a different storyline around the corner each day. We know that the first game is a massive challenge and we’re really looking forward to it”.
Conlon said that preparations are in full swing for Clare’s All-Ireland defence, despite a poor league campaign that saw the Banner relegated from Division 1A and only picking up one win against Limerick.
After the Limerick game, the Clonlara club man said the team were in “championship mode now” before being hammered 6-20 to 0-23 by Cork and a further loss against Tipp. Conlon gave no excuses for the way Clare limped out.
“The Limerick game was the first game that we were going to that felt like a championship game. There was a very big crowd inside, there was great anticipation, there was a great buzz and intensity in that game. We were really disappointed to go out against Cork in the next game the week after and be very, very poor. We didn’t get to the pitch at all or come with the same intensity we played the week before and Cork came with that massive drive and hunger that we weren’t expecting”.
After winning a first All-Ireland title since 2013, Clare enjoyed a holiday to the United States of America where they visited Nashville and Miami. Manager Brian Lohan “put the foot down once December and January came” according to Conlon. “Over the last number of weeks things have really stepped up, obviously the weather has improved and you have the extra hour in the evening as well so there’s a lot more work going into training. You’re not training under lights anymore, you’re training in daytime”.
First coming onto the panel in 2008, Conlon now has the record for the most championship appearances by a Clare hurler, winning All-Irelands under Davy Fitzgerald in 2013 and Brian Lohan in 2024. Now aged 36 and coming into his seventeenth season as a Clare senior hurler, the former captain is showing no signs of slowing down. “You watch Patrick Horgan, TJ Reid, all these lads are still able to perform really highly for Cork and Kilkenny. At 36, my body feels as good as it’s ever been feeling. As one of the managers said last year I’ll be long enough sitting on the couch watching on and above in the stand in Cusack Park in the years to come so if you can still add value why not play”.
A Munster Championship is the only medal Conlon is yet to claim in the county colours, having won two All-Irelands and two National Leagues. Clare have not been champions of Munster since 1998 but the primary school teacher insists that it’s not weighing heavily on the minds of the squad. “Every year you go out I suppose the main goals are to win either a Munster Championship or an All-Ireland. Every year it’s a goal, we’re obviously disappointed. We’ve had five finals and a few opportunities and we just haven’t come out on the right side and had near misses. As I’ve always been asked, would you give up an All-Ireland for a Munster title, well you wouldn’t at the end of the day.
“Every player that goes out on the field or that wears any jersey at inter county level, your main goal every year is to win an All-Ireland and they’ll be the medals that you’ll be remembered for. At the end of the year, if we were to go and win an All-Ireland and not win a Munster again, I’d be quite happy with that. If we can win a Munster along the way then we’d be delighted to do so and tick it off the list,” he added.
John was speaking at the launch of the ‘eir for all’ Poc Tapa Challenge. Eir is calling on GAA clubs across the country to take part in the ‘eir for all’ Poc Tapa Challenge to be in with a chance to win up to €5,000 for their club and play on the hallowed turf of Croke Park on All Ireland Semi-Final Day. For further information on how to enter follow @eir.ireland or visit eir.ie.
