Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Joe Cooney, is predicting a special atmosphere on Sunday as old foes face off.
As CATHAOIRLEACH of Clare County Council, I want to wish the best of luck to both teams and sets of supporters ahead of Sunday’s much-anticipated Munster Senior Hurling Final in Thurles.
Clare and Limerick will contest their third Munster Final in a row, and I am sure this game will be as fiercely contested as the previous two.
At Semple Stadium in 2022 the match went to extra time after Tony Kelly’s sideline cut levelled the play with the last puck of the game, with Limerick proving stronger thereafter.
Last year’s match in Páirc na nGael was every bit as tight and might have just as easily gone to extra time and beyond.
All Clare people are hoping it will be third time lucky as we go back to Thurles once again in search of our first Munster crown since 1998.
As we know all too well from our defeats these last two years, and from our 26-year wait, Munster medals are not just handed out for showing up on the day.
Clare are facing the five-in-a-row Munster champions and the four-in-a-row All-Ireland champions and perhaps one of the greatest teams in the history of the GAA.
We acknowledge and congratulate Limerick for their recent success but still we are hopeful that we can turn them over on this occasion.
Most importantly, I wish the teams, management and supporters a safe and enjoyable trip and day out in Thurles.
With the Final a complete be a sell-out, there will be a special atmosphere around the town and the grounds.
One thing is for sure, another chapter in the healthy rivalry between our two counties will be written.
Ádh mór to the Clare hurlers and to all the supporters from both Clare and Limerick, if you’re the last to leave the county, won’t you please turn out the lights.
