*Clooney/Quin’s Ryan Taylor. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
COUNTY FINALS at senior level have been a rare phenomenon for Clooney/Quin so it’s important to relish the occasion is the viewpoint of midfielder Ryan Taylor.
Fresh-faced Ryan noted for his engine and speed in the middle third is one of the more experienced players within the Clooney/Quin side. It may come as a surprise to some that he is indeed thirty years of age.
An addition of young players has totally refreshed their side, he felt. “We were the young lads back in 2017, the young lads coming in at the moment have given a great injection of youth, they have been performing really well, it is great to have them in”.
Adapting to the senior ranks for the likes of the McNamara twins and Jerry O’Connor has been aided by playing in the A grade for underage, he said. “Their hurling is top class, they bring a lot of pace to the team, they have been playing at a high standard of hurling all up along at underage and minor, they are very mature, they play with a lot of confidence and they have brought a lot to it”.
Some of his teammates are the holders of two Minor A championships while with the club success has been rarer for Ryan. “My sole win was an U21B, I think I was only 16 or 17 when I was playing in that, we wouldn’t have won a huge amount underage, the young lads coming in now are of a different calibre to what we were, they are contesting finals at the A grade which is great to see, they have a lot of hurling behind them”.
Peter Duggan, Keith Hogan and Jimmy Corry were also part of that U21B winning side. Ryan made his senior debut for the club back in 2012 and noted that the time “flew” by. Over this time, he has emerged as one of the more experienced members in their dressing room and has of course nailed down a starting position on the Clare team. “Back in 2017 I know I wasn’t that young but I was still one of the younger members of the panel so you’re looking to the likes of Fergal Lynch and the senior members of the side, we’re in their shoes now this time so you feel like you are one of the older heads and you carry a lot of experience and knowledge, if any of the young lads do ever have any questions, you would like to point them in the right direction”.
Time does a habit of just whizzing by, he observed. “It is hard to believe it is eight years since we were in the final, it doesn’t feel that long ago but the years fly by fairly quickly, we’re delighted to be back in a final. It will be very much the same approach as 2017, it is a final but at the end of the day it is just another game of hurling so you have to be fully focused on the match, we cannot wait, we’re really looking forward to it”.
Occasions like county finals must be relished, Ryan maintained. “It is great, our club doesn’t get to this stage very often, it is great to be at this stage of the competition, we’re really looking forward to the challenge”. He added, “A final always brings that attention and noise, you have to embrace it, there’s no point hiding or shying away from it, you have to embrace it, our club doesn’t get here very often so we will really enjoy the build-up”.
His midfield partner Jimmy Corry will captain the side and lead them as they walk behind The Tulla Pipe Band on Sunday, the big moments are ones he enjoys. “I like to embrace these times, it is a great occasion to be part of, you should relish and embrace it, there’s no point shying away from it, we don’t get here too often so we’re going to enjoy it”.
Close encounters have been a feature of Clooney/Quin’s run to the final. “We’ve had some really close games which have come right down to the wire, our resolve to dig out wins in tough games has been the biggest thing, we’ve had some great battles and we’ve come out on the right side, we’re finishing games really strong”.
Mentally he feels they are a tougher outfit in 2025. “We took a lot of experience from last year, we had a really tough group against some tough opposition, that has helped us to perform this year, we’ve taken a lot of learnings from that and put them into practice, we feel like we’re in a really good position”.
Going from a relegation semi-final last year to contesting the county final is a sign of huge progress. “The group we had last year was an exceptionally tough group with some of the top teams in Clare, we weren’t just there yet and we’ve learned a lot from that, being in the relegation semi-final against the Mills last year was a very tough game, they are the games that you build character from and they are high pressure games, we’ve taken a lot of learnings from that, a lot of young lads have given us a great injection of life”.
Beating Inagh/Kilnamona in round two was a big statement, he said. “Inagh/Kilnamona are an excellent team with players throughout every line of the field and of great calibre, early in that game we went down and had a poor start but we turned it around, we kept chipping away at it, it was a very narrow victory, we’ve had many narrow victories this year, only a couple of points in most games so we’ve shown good character so far. When you’re contesting tight games and coming out the right side that is the big positive, we’ve played some really good teams who have given us some serious battles, we’d like to think it will all stand to us. We’ve won some tight games this year, it shows that we have good character, hopefully we’ll keep those performances up, we’ve been very happy with how the year has gone”.
It was Clooney/Quin’s last final appearance in 2017 and his performances along the way that earned him a call up to the Clare senior panel who ironically were managed by current Éire Óg manager Gerry O’Connor and Donal Moloney. He has become a regular starter during Brian Lohan’s tenure and was nominated for an All Star in 2022.
As a county player, he told The Clare Echo there is more pressure to perform when he returns to the club. “We’re lads that are playing with the county so there is more expectation when you come back, we’ve a lot of experience and young lads too, they do look to you as the elder players, we feel that they do look up to us, they’re mature for their age, they do look to you but they are well able to hold their own”.
Even when he is in with Clare, he tries to attend as many Clooney/Quin sessions and matches as he can. “When you’re in with Clare you are fully focused on training and trying to help your county but you do try get down to as many trainings or Clare Cup games as we could to see the lads play and train. Once we got knocked out with Clare this year, we turned our focus fully to the club, we were straight back into it”.
An ACL injury in 2023 and his long recovery from the dreaded knee injury has made him appreciate being on the field. “It was a fairly major injury so you miss a lot of time on the field, it makes you enjoy it that bit more being back, I’m really enjoying being back”.
To face off with friends on an opposing team is nothing new for Taylor and his county teammates. “You’d be close with a lot of lads on many club teams, you are playing them every couple of weeks during the summer so it is nothing new, they are a great opposition, they are a well-balanced team with youth and experience, they are an exceptional team and we are looking forward to taking them on”.
Having shared a dressing room with Fergal Lynch before his retirement, Ryan said ‘Bruiser’ has brought the same leadership to the role of manager. “From my playing days to him coaching us, he is a real leader, he loves the club as much as anyone I’ve ever seen, he really wants the best for the club, he is very selfless in that regard, he is an excellent leader on the pitch and now that he is coaching us he is as much of a leader”.
Lynch compares favourably with all the managers Taylor has played under. “He is exceptional, he has been brilliant, I can’t fault him in any regard, he looks after us with anything that needs to be done, we’re all delighted with how it is going, we’re really enjoying our hurling under him, we come training with a smile on our face which is great”.
Taylor’s Bar in the Market in Ennis is one of the town’s most popular establishments with Ryan working alongside his family. He won’t shy away from hurling talk this week with many of the Townie clientele. “We’ve the pub inside in Ennis, I’d only be happy to chat to everyone and meet the customers, it is nothing new at this stage, we’ve been doing battle in championship for the last few years to it is nothing new”. A past pupil of Ennis NS where Shane O’Donnell was a class above him, Ryan quipped, “I’m familiar enough with the town” but said they’re likely to opt for the village of Quin for their post final beverages.
