*Ronan Lanigan chases after Killian Spillane. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE’s showing in the Munster senior final was “unacceptable” and the side must respond by taking “a scalp” in the All-Ireland series, defender Ronan Lanigan stressed.
Lanigan was corner back for his third Munster final appearance in as many years with Kerry once again coming out on top in the battle of the counties. Sunday’s eleven point loss was not as heavy as their fourteen point defeat in 2023 but it was a step back on their showing in the 2024 decider where only seven points separated the teams come the final whistle.
Letting the game slip from their grasp so early on when they conceded 2-2 by the sixth minute is far from the standards Clare aspire to, Ronan said. “We’re hugely disappointed, that is not how we wanted to play and not how we wanted to go out. To be fair to the lads I thought we battled back in the second half but when you let a game get away from you like that it’s too late and it’s unacceptable really”.
Kerry raided for goals too easily, he felt. “We let them in too easily for goals, they were popping balls in and had runners off the shoulders, they are very good at that but we knew that coming in and we should have adapted to it better but we just weren’t good enough”.
Use of possession allowed Kerry to be so clinical, the Ennis native believed. “I think they move the ball really well, they play heads up football, as soon as they get the ball in hand they are looking to kick the ball inside and get runners off, they are just exceptional at that but we should have been tighter on it, especially in the first half, we adapted well in the second half but it was too late at that stage”.
This was without question Clare’s toughest assignment of 2025 and Lanigan felt the jump from their league standings was noticeable. “Obviously it is a massive step up when you are playing a Division 1 team, I feel like we’re not far off Division 2, we arguably should have been there only for a few lapses in games, we need more consistency, we need to really up it and take a scalp in the All-Ireland series”.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, the chartered physiotherapist with Excel Physiotherapy signalled the intent within the Clare camp to make their mark in the All-Ireland series. “We need one now, we’ve been in the All-Ireland series for the last two years and we haven’t won a game so we need one and we’re looking for one”.
“It would be great to be back into a quarter-final, there was a great buzz around when we got there in 2022 and we want to bring that back,” he concluded.
