Railway cup hurling champions Munster's limp exit from this year's competition was overshadowed by controversy as none of the four Clare players selected turned up for the match against Leinster at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny.

Munster manager and Clare trainer Michael McNamara denied that the withdrawals constituted a boycott and that the players had genuine reasons for not playing.

Niall Gilligan and Davy Fitzgerald were in Ulster at a shinty tournament with their club Sixmilebridge. Captain Anthony Daly is believed to have sustained a knock playing intermediate club football last weekend. Liam Doyle is the fourth player in question.

McNamara said he had been informed by the players that they were not turning up and all, he felt, had made legitimate excuses.

However, when pushed that the defections could be seen as a snub to the province, McNamara countered that the players wouldn't do that to fellow players in Munster.

He added that Clare might have a grievance with the Munster Council, but not with any county or player in the province.

Several other players from the county were involved in the Clare semi-final on Saturday and doubts had existed about their availability although a vacancy had been left at full back in the hope that Brian Lohan might make himself available yesterday.

Clare manager Ger Loughnane was originally put in charge of Munster, but claimed during the week that in the light of his two-year re-appointment to the Clare post, he would not be in a position to assist the province as club matches in the county over the weekend would command his priority.

One of Loughnane's appointed selectors, Munster Council secretary Donie Nealon, stepped down almost immediately after a summer of controversy between Clare and the provincial council which culminated in Clare hurler Colin Lynch receiving a three-month suspension.

In a separate incident last week, Loughnane was summoned before the Games Administration Committee later this month to explain comments he made on Clare FM local radio during the summer. There has, accordingly, been speculation that the en bloc withdrawal of Clare players was a response - although in that case, the continuing involvement of McNamara would be incongruous.

"The timing of that letter was ridiculous," said McNamara. Loughnane, apparently got the letter the morning after he helped pick the Munster team. "That was ridiculous, a joke," McNamara added. He said that he was left to pick up the pieces and take over the management of the team when Loughnane stepped aside.

"As a Clareman, I would have preferred if there were Clare players involved with Munster," he added.

Munster Council chairman Sean Kelly confirmed that McNamara had received notice that the players were unavailable. Nonetheless, he said the council would check out the circumstances of the withdrawals.

Munster were chasing a fourth successive Railway Cup win, but they never looked like winning a game that fell asunder during the second half. It was a further embarrassment for the Railway Cup with the competition's cause hardly being advanced by a paltry attendance of around 500.