*Ger Quinlan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
A Clare midfielder for over a decade Ger Quinlan is well versed on what is required facing into championship action.
While he didn’t get the opportunity to play in a Munster senior final, he did face Kerry in championship on a numbers of occasions.
Acknowledging that Kerry will carry the favourites tag he says, “Clare have nothing to lose. They are at home and it is an advantage for them to be playing in Cusack Park. They shouldn’t fear Kerry. No one is giving Clare a chance so, if anything, this should make them more motivated”.
O’Currys clubman Quinlan is currently manager of the Ennistymon senior footballers, having coached them to win the Cusack Cup last year and reaching the Clare SFC final in 2022.
Quinlan expects more than 15,000 will attend Sunday’s final in Ennis. “There was an attendance of 11,000 in Limerick last year and with home advantage this year that figure should increase. The team deserves such support.
He is strong in the view that “Clare shouldn’t fear Kerry. If they do it will be game over before they start. There is always a chance. Kerry seemed to be a little off form last time out and this is unusual for this team. They might be looking ahead and they might be coming off a hard block of training. Our fitness levels are good, we are a young team”.
Quinlan accepts that many predicted that Clare might struggle this year given the number of changes to the panel. “Mark Fitzgerald (manager), Seanie Buckley (coach) put their shoulders to the wheel and they have given confidence to the squad and that will have boosted the players”.
“Anything can happen on a given day, we will all be behind them. People will travel from neighbouring counties to see players like the Cliffords and Seanie O’Shea but Clare people will travel from all over to support their team. It’s been a long time since there was a Munster football final in Cusack Park,” he added.
Ger believes that “kickouts will be hugely important the way the game has gone. We will need to break even at midfield. Brian McNamara will have confidence from his display against them at under 20 level last year when he delivered a man of the match performance and this will also boost the lads around him”.
“Clare have nothing to lose, we have nothing to fear. Let’s go and have a cut. It can be done, it’s all about belief. Don’t stand back, let’s get stuck in. Playing Kerry is always a game players look forward to”, he concluded.
