*Kilmaley’s Eoin Enright. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. UNBEATEN KILMALEY have very high competition for places on their starting team with players “absolutely mad” to break into the first fifteen while Scariff are determined to roll over despite the end of their championship aspirations.
*Ger O’Connell. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill AN ALL-IRELAND minor winner in 1997, Ger O’Connell is bidding to become the first Clare man to taste success at the grade as a player and manager.
*Head coach with the Clare minor hurlers, Damien O’Halloran. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill COACH Damien O’Halloran has had a central role in Clare’s run to a second All-Ireland minor final in three seasons.
*Robbie Hogan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill ROBBIE HOGAN has returned as manager of the Ballyea senior hurlers for the third time while former Clare manager Donal Moloney has taken charge of his native Scariff.
*Seadna Morey gets away from Declan Dalton. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill TWO-TIME All-Ireland winner Séadna Morey has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling.
*Paul Flanagan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. TWO-TIME All-Ireland winner Paul Flanagan has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling.
*Brian O’Connell. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill BRIAN O’Connell and Dermot Coughlan are stepping down as managers of the Clare minor hurlers and footballers.
*Keelan Hartigan of Scariff. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill AFTER an impressive run which saw them reach the semi-final last year, Scariff go into this season’s senior championship hoping that the experience they gained will benefit the club as they seek to end a seventy one year wait for senior honours.
*Paul Flanagan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill ONE irritating stigma that has consistently been thrown at Clare nationally over the past decade is that this team peaked in 2013 and were almost lucky to claim that crown as they failed to back it up ever since.
*Clare manager, Brian Lohan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill BRIAN LOHAN is bidding to become the fourth man to lead Clare’s senior hurling team to All-Ireland glory.