*Ian Galvin and Conor Cleary celebrate at the final whistle. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
CONOR Cleary can never be accused of not giving his all when wearing the county jersey and the All-Ireland final was another such example of him giving every last drop in saffron and blue.
Having sustained an injury with seventy minutes on the clock, management had their work cut out to get Conor to leave the field of play, despite his shoulder going out of place and the restrictions this placed on him, the full-back still wanted to stay on the field of play.
Shoulder problems kept Cleary out of last year’s Munster final and an operation is likely which would keep him out of the club championships.
Speaking to the media following the game with his arm in a sling following the injury, Conor reflected, “We probably were under a bit of pressure in the first half, we showed good character to stay in the game and work our way in. It was very physical, Cork bring a different dynamic, they always get good quality into their forwards”.
Part of the Clare senior panel since 2014, he admitted that watching extra time in the Hogan Stand was not too pleasant. “It wasn’t easy to watch extra time, I have a few injections now. I don’t know did I see much,” the Vice Captain said.
Having picked up a yellow card on the twenty third minute, the secondary school teacher had to be cautious not to get a further warning from referee Johnny Murphy. “Look Brian has always said to us that the focus is on the next ball, that’s all you can do, re-set and go for the next ball and I have done that from day one. You have to take yourself out of the moment and re-set quickly and see what you can bring to the team,” he said of his approach.
As the more experienced member of the full-back line, Cleary was full of praise for Adam Hogan and Conor Leen who both delivered fine performances from their respective corner backs. “Conor came into the team late enough this season and he has been outstanding as has Adam. We knew the full forwards were good, amongst the best in the country. They may not have scored much but they created chances as well, when you see what they scored, it can be false. Look you are marked as a back on how your man does and yes we are happy with how we did”.
He believed it was the players blooded during the Allianz National Hurling League that helped them to win the final.
Cleary becomes the first Miltown Malbay man to win an All-Ireland senior hurling championship. Watching the final from Chicago was an “unbelievably emotional”, Eoin Cleary, Conor’s twin brother and the former Clare football captain. Eoin’s description of his brother as “some warrior” is one many of the county’s supporters would agree with.
Unbelievably emotional here in Chicago but so happy for all the Clare lads especially the legend that is @cleary_conor 🙌 some warrior💪💪💛💙 #Upthebanner pic.twitter.com/KppppNJ1g8
— Eoin Cleary (@Smiley_014_) July 21, 2024
David O’Brien who managed St Joseph’s Miltown to win the Clare SFC in 2019 with Conor at midfield remarked “shove over Willie Clancy, there’s another statue going beside you,” when saluting the contribution of his parishioner.
Shove over Willie Clancy, there’s another statue going up beside you….. Congrats @cleary_conor
— David O’Brien (@Dob_MichaelAs) July 21, 2024
Getting over the line was “hugely satisfying,” Conor admitted. “It is hard to describe how happy you are in this moment because there’s been a lot of ups and downs but to finally get over the line is brilliant. It was hard watching extra time, I’m so proud of the lads”.
Success on the biggest stage was labelled as “surreal” by the Kilmaley hurler. “You’re trying to take it all in, the first ten minutes after a game is a blur really but you’re running towards the Hill, you’re first pumping and meeting your family and stuff like that, it is surreal because for years we were going up to these games, you’re in a draw, there’s sixty tickets for each county team and you’re hoping to get two tickets to go up to the All-Ireland final, we’re years here watching it and to actually be part of it and win one is surreal”.
Speaking on Clare FM, Cleary paid tribute to Clare’s manager Brian Lohan, “Brian deserves huge credit, he brought in a style of play over the journey that was very bullish in the way we were playing, some days it worked and some days it didn’t work. Management set out their stall at the beginning of the year that we would go hard for the league, that journey from the league, I was thinking during the week of the league semi-final against Tipperary, they were great wins but they feel such a long time ago but they were all part of the same season, it is a huge journey, we’re back since the end of November, it is hugely satisfying and rewarding to be here but if we lost that game it is a long road back”.
