*Darren O’Brien. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill HAVING witnessed Clonlara finally break their fifteen year championship-winning hoodoo last October, Éire Óg are undoubtedly next up when it comes to claiming overdue dividends in the race for the Canon Hamilton.
*Newmarket-on-Fergus defender, Colin Guilfoyle. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill IT’s not quite on a Biddy Early scale but the ‘Clare Cup curse’ has been a strong feature since reverting to a pre-championship finish.
Shane O’Donnell tries to shake off the challenge of Seadna Morey. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill THERE is hunger rather than a pressure to end the wait for hurling honours in Éire Óg while Sixmilebridge are determined to make amends for a disappointing 2023 campaign.
*Crusheen defender, Diarmuid Mullins. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill CRUSHEEN’s remarkable run to a first county senior decider in nine years last October is almost worthy of a book in itself.
*Leo Doyle. BODYKE’s Leo Doyle is well versed on Clare hurling, attending games across all grades a few times a week both as a keen follower of hurling and in his role as a commentator with Scariff Bay Community Radio.
*Feakle’s Shane McGrath. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill BEATEN semi-finalists twelve months ago, it won’t come as any surprise that followers of Feakle hurling want to see their side take the extra two steps this year and bridge a thirty six year gap to the last time that the Canon Hamilton trophy spent the winter in the …
*Clonlara’s Micheál O’Loughlin. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill HAVING taken fifteen years to finally nail down a merited Canon Hamilton sequel, Clonlara can be forgiven for not wanting to let it go without an almighty fight.
*Kilmaley captain, Daire Keane. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill KILMALEY will be going all out to start the TUS Clare SHC on a high note.
*Caimin Morey. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill HAVING unquestionably proved themselves to be the team of the last decade with five senior hurling titles in just eight years maximising what has been Sixmilebridge’s most fruitful generation.
*Cormac Murphy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill BLOOD may be thicker than water but the villages of O’Callaghan’s Mills and Broadford are thankful that the lakes of Lough Gar and Doon Lough separate them as their East Clare derby rivalry is elevated to unprecedented heights in Clonlara this Friday evening (7.30pm).