PICTURED: Mark Rodgers scored 1-08 for Clare. Photo by Ruth Griffin
The curtain finally came down on Clare’s Munster Senior Hurling Championship campaign but not without a final sting in the tail after inflicting a first defeat on neighbours Limerick in the TUS Gaelic Grounds.
Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 5
Clare 3-20 Limerick 0-24
Indeed, while Brian Lohan’s injury-ridden side endured frustrating title National League and All-Ireland Championship defences, perversely their only two victories of 2025 came at the expense of John Kiely’s side, both in Limerick headquarters.
It was at least some solace to an underwhelming campaign that saw Clare’s exit confirmed ahead of this final round tie as was Limerick’s seventh successive Munster Final appearance.
Consequently, supporters didn’t know what to expect as both sides made changes, with Shane O’Donnell, Eamonn Foudy and debutante Jack O’Neill all making their first starts.
Faced with such a bleak scenario, it would have been easy for Clare to lower their heads and go through the motions but to their immense credit, they demonstrated the superior sharpness and appetite throughout to win the latest Shannonside derby.
A Mark Rodgers goal before the break and timely roofed finishes from Ryan Taylor in the new half proved decisive in securing Clare’s first championship win since last July’s All-Ireland decider which ultimately didn’t alter anything points-wise but at least restored some much-needed pride.
Dogged by injuries to Shane O’Donnell, Tony Kelly, Conor Cleary, Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon and Conor Leen at varying stages, the Banner were predominantly hamstrung but did manage to leapfrog Waterford in the table to finish on a high.
With Mark Rodgers unerring from placed balls, once a wind-assisted Clare hit the front for the second time through Cathal Malone in the 15th minute, they would never be headed thereafter. Captain Kelly and Malone extended that gap to three by the end of the opening quarter at 0-8 to 0-5 and even when Diarmaid Bynes and Tom Morrissey finally reeled them in by the 25th minute, the visitors managed to find another gear.
Straight from the puck-out, Peter Duggan flicked into the path of Mark Rodgers to fire past goalkeeper Shane Dowling, a relieving score that subsequently inspired four of the last five points through a second Peter Duggan lineball, a superb burst and score from Rory Hayes along with a further brace of Rodgers frees by the break at 1-13 to 0-10.
Now facing into the strong wind, Clare’s determined challenge never waned as Rodgers stretched the gap to seven before teeing up Ryan Taylor to cut in from the right corner and billow the net at 2-18 to 0-14 in the 47th minute.
Tony Kelly actually put eleven points between the sides nearing the turn of the final quarter, with a shellshocked Limerick requiring a bench-emptying exercise to revive their flagging hopes.
Substitute Aidan O’Connor was extremely unlucky to see a glorious goal chance drift wide after superb build up play from Gearoid Hegarty and Diarmaid Byrnes.
However, the home side did have far more fortune over Eamonn Foudy’s crossbar as Limerick rattled off six unanswered points including scores for replacements Adam English and Barry Nash to slash the arrears to just five by the 64th minute.
Just as the door of opportunity opened, the growing buzz of the majority Limerick 32,133 attendance was emphatically extinguished by a second Taylor goal in almost identical circumstances as he collected a pass from the returning Diarmuid Ryan to fire over Dowling and put the result beyond any doubt.
It will certainly give John Kiely plenty of food for thought ahead of their Munster Final showdown with Cork back at the same venue next Saturday at 6pm.
Scorers for Clare: Mark Rodgers 1-8 (7f); Ryan Taylor 2-1; Tony Kelly 0-3; Cathal Malone, Peter Duggan (2sl), David Reidy 0-2 each; Rory Hayes, Shane Meehan 0-1 each
Scorers for Limerick: Tom Morrissey 0-6 (4f); Diarmaid Byrnes 0-5 (3f); Cathal O’Neill 0-3; Seamus Flanagan, Gearoid Hegarty, Peter Casey 0-2 each; Adam English, Barry Nash, Aidan O’Connor, Donnacha Ó Dalaigh 0-1 each
Clare
16: Eamonn Foudy (Inagh-Kilnamona)
4: Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones)
2: Adam Hogan (Feakle)
3: Darragh Lohan (Wolfe Tones)
7: David McInerney (Tulla)
6: John Conlon (Clonlara)
5: Cian Galvin (Clarecastle)
9: Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge)
13: Ryan Taylor (Clooney-Quin)
10: Tony Kelly (Ballyea)
15: David Reidy (Éire Óg)
23: Jack O’Neill (Clooney-Quin)
26: Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg)
14: Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin)
11: Mark Rodgers (Scariff)
Subs
17: Daithi Lohan (Wolfe Tones) for Darragh Lohan (13, inj)
24: Ian Galvin (Clonlara) for Reidy (60)
19: Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe) for McInerney (64)
12: Shane Meehan (Banner) for O’Donnell (65)
21: Aron Shanagher (Wolfe Tones) for Duggan (67)
Limerick
1: Shane Dowling (Na Piarsaigh)
4: Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh)
3: Dan Morrissey (Ahane)
2: Barry Murphy (Doon)
5: Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell)
6: Declan Hannon (Adare)
7: Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown)
8: Darragh O’Donovan (Doon)
9: Will O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh)
10: Gearoid Hegarty (St Patrick’s)
11: Cathal O’Neill (Crecora Manister)
12: Tom Morrissey (Ahane)
13: Seamus Flanagan (Feohanagh Castlemahon)
14: Shane O’Brien (Kilmallock)
15: Peter Casey (Na Piarsaigh)
Subs
20: Barry Nash (South Liberties) for M. Casey (31-33, BS)
17: Adam English (Doon) for O’Donovan (44)
20: Nash for Murphy (49, BS)
21: Aidan O’Connor (Ballybrown) for O’Brien (52, inj)
25: David Reidy (Dromin-Athlacca) for Byrnes (59)
23: Donnacha Ó Dalaigh (Monaleen) for Flanagan (61)
24: Paddy O’Donovan (Effin) for P. Casey (65)
Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)
