Having lost five Munster finals and three All-Ireland semi-finals since 2017, Clare folk would no doubt concur with Denis Walsh’s view that “the championship is full of suffering that often leads to nothing except more suffering”. But after all that agony, Sunday brought a large dollop of ecstasy, Clare in dreamland after that epic triumph over Cork. As Tony Kelly told Denis, “the hardship makes you appreciate it as you get older, definitely”. For now, it is Cork who are suffering. “We’re heartbroken,” as Patrick Horgan put it when he spoke to Gordon Manning in the team hotel on Monday morning. Need it be said, Paul Keane found a somewhat contrasting mood over at Clare’s base, Shane O’Donnell reflecting on a game that he thought he might miss after suffering a hamstring tear in training the Tuesday before.
O’Donnell recovered sufficiently, though, to play his part ... and what a part. His performance capped a season that had Denis, Gordon, Seán Moran and Malachy Clerkin all choosing him as their hurler of the year in their review of the season, although there wasn’t as much consensus when it came to selecting the game, moment, biggest disappointment and biggest surprise of the year.
The focus now switches to Sunday’s football final, Gordon hearing from Armagh’s Rory Grugan, who is hoping the county can recreate the magic of 2002 when they won their first – and only – senior All Ireland title. Michael Murphy has some advice for both the Armagh and Galway players on how to manage the build-up to the game – high on the list is deleting their social media apps.
In soccer, Gavin Cummiskey previews Shamrock Rovers’ Champions League qualifying meeting with Sparta Prague in Tallaght this evening. A tall task it will be too – Rovers are ranked 148th by the Uefa coefficient, 77 places lower than Sparta.
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On the eve of the Olympic Games, Ian O’Riordan hears from showjumper Shane Sweetnam who is aiming to improve on a disappointing Tokyo experience, while Shane Lowry will also be heading for Paris after a family holiday, the Offalyman talking to Philip Reid about his Open showing and his Olympic hopes. And in horse racing, Brian O’Connor weighs up Auguste Rodin’s prospects in Saturday’s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
TV Watch: Eurosport continues its build-up to the Olympic Games this afternoon with ‘Athletes to Watch’, a look at some of the potential medallists in Paris (5.0). Shamrock Rovers’ Champions League qualifier against Sparta Prague isn’t, alas, on TV, but you can watch it live on the LOITV subscription service (kick-off 8.0).
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