This article is from page 4 of the 2009-09-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
FOR saffron and blue supporters it was a venture into the unknown — a first All-Ireland Under 21 final for them as well as for Clare as a hurl- ing county.
And, as with all dawns there was excitement — it was new and some- thing different and that’s why Clare Supporters out-numbered their Kil- kenny counterparts by two or three to one.
It was 1995 and ’97 all over again — and like those years Clare support- ers expected.
“We’re definitely going to do it,” said Michael Brennan from Killaloe beforehand.
‘“We’re not up here just to make up the numbers and become anoth- er mouse killed by the Cats. These players have bottle and that’s what will win them their medals. Kilken- ny won’t know what has hit them.”
James Murphy from Ennis was more cautious, but still confident. “It’s going to be a tough one. There is no denying that. There are two great teams fighting for this honour and I can’t see more than a couple of scores separating them at the end. It might even be a draw. Clare by one or two I’d say!”
Murphy nailed it and seconds after the final whistle, he and thousands of others were storming the field. “Amazing, absolutely unreal,’ ex- claimed Barry Corbett from Cloon- OMe “It was a brilliant performance from all of them but especially Tuo- hy and the full-back line. Conlon up front as well. The serious discipline the whole team showed entitled us to this win,’ he added.
He echoed the thoughts of all eve- ryone in saffron and blue, as the Clare Shout, for so long silent ech- oed around Croke Park for the first time in a dozen years.
“The Cats couldn’t stop Clare making history. Great win,” roared Stephen McNamara from Kilmaley, before more Clare Shouts again ech- oed around him.
And, like 95 there was talk of Bid- dy Early too — the curse that’s been a crutch to bear in recent years was banished once more.
And, in its place was a bright new era with a nod to the past achieve- ments of Clare teams made by Inagh farmer Tom Mackey when he pro- claimed loudly to everyone around him that “there’ll be no goats milked for the week”.