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2023 Electric Ireland Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship Final – Clare 1-19 Cork 0-15

May 9, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Clare defeated Cork by 1-19 to 0-15 in the Electric Ireland Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship Final on Tuesday May 9th at FBD Semple Stadium Thurles.

Second-half scoring burst key as Clare land first minor hurling title since 2011

Clare 1-19 Cork 0-15

Report by Eoghan Cormican for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Part one of the Cork-Clare May trilogy has gone the way of the saffron and blue.

Tuesday evening’s Munster minor hurling final was the first of three occasions over a 12-day period where Cork and Clare will collide inside the whitewash.

Next up is the Munster U20 decider on Monday, followed six days later by the Round 4 Munster senior fixture.

Three games that will go a distance in defining the respective counties’ hurling summer.

Given the claustrophobic nature of the Munster round-robin table, that third and final Cork-Clare get-together on Sunday week will have a significant say in the top three fortunes of either county and whether their summer extends beyond the end of this month.

As for the minor and U20 finals, their purpose was and is to capture the health of the respective underage structures in either county.

On that front, the picture painted on Tuesday evening – and in keeping with the county’s rising graph of the past year or so – was of a rapidly improving Clare production line.

Cork’s 40-point hammering of Clare at this grade two years ago seems like a lifetime ago now.

Clare’s minor class of 2022 showed Cork the exit door at the Munster semi-final stage. As for the current crop, their five-point round-robin win over Kieran Murphy’s Cork outfit was backed up here with an even more impressive seven-point winning margin.

The result, at the end of an error-heavy provincial final, delivered the county only a fifth Munster minor hurling crown, and first since 2011.

In front by the minimum at the break, a third quarter where Clare struck 1-4 and Cork struck nothing was decisive. 1-14 to 0-9 read the scoreline. It was an eight-point gap Cork were unable to meaningfully eat into.

The goal was swept home by corner-forward Eoin Begley after Marc O’Brien’s initial effort had been saved by Cork ‘keeper Fionn Murphy.

O’Brien, Begley, and the half-back pair of Matthew O’Halloran and James Hegarty (free) added the four white flags to complete the unanswered 1-4.

Eoghan Gunning was the third Clare defender who got among the scorers, the Clare captain and corner-back turning in a superb showing.

Barry Walsh sent over Cork’s first point of the second half on 46 minutes. Walsh time and again carried the fight against Clare’s dominance.

The Banner, as mentioned, had led 0-10 to 0-9 at the break. It was a first half where they were never led.

Clare shot three in front inside four minutes. Centre-back Hegarty (free), Marc O’Brien (free), and O’Halloran were the first names on the scoresheet. They would, however, add only three more in the ensuing 21 minutes.

Cork had a monopoly on possession during this period. They were very slow to make use of it.

In a series of plays inside the opening 10 minutes, Cork had consecutive point attempts sail wide, drop short, blocked down, drop short, and again drop short.

Clare goalkeeper Mark Sheedy was commendably composed under those point attempts that lacked the necessary legs.

James O’Leary had Cork’s first from play and second overall on 12 minutes. Their total should have been far, far greater even at this early juncture.

Barry Walsh was responsible for 0-7 of Cork’s first half 0-9. His fifth and final free of the opening half brought Cork level for the first time at 0-8 apiece two minutes into injury-time.

Michael Collins provided an instant Clare response. Walsh, with his second from play, tied matters once more. The final say of the half, though, went to Clare. Collins was fouled, O’Brien converted.

Clare’s next score was the Begley goal that sent Brian O’Connell’s charges down the road to victory.

Cork’s outstanding shot at a green flag had arrived late in the first half. Brian Lynch was hooked as he pulled the trigger. His rebound crashed against the post. It simply wasn’t to be Cork’s evening.

Scorers for Clare: M O’Brien (0-8, 0-7 frees); E Begley (1-1); J Hegarty (0-2 frees), M O’Halloran (0-2 each); E Gunning, J Mescal, S Arthur, M Collins, Ó Fanning, F Hegarty (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: Barry Walsh (0-9, 0-5 frees); B O’Flynn, J Casey (0-2 each); J O’Leary, Z Biggane (0-1 each).

CLARE: M Sheedy (Sixmilebridge); R Keane (Killanena), E Gunning (Broadford), C Rynne (Inagh-Kilnamona); M O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge), J Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), J Moylan (Cratloe); J Mescal (Inagh-Kilnamona), E Price (Clarecastle); S Arthur (Newmarket-on-Fergus), M Collins (Clonlara), R Kilroy (Banner); Ó Fanning (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), M O’Brien (Cratloe), E Begley (Clonlara).
Subs: H Doherty (Clarecastle) for Fanning (31); F Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Kilroy (49); M O’Connor (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield) for Mescal (57); M Power (Newmarket-on-Fergus) for Begley (60, inj), D Neville (Cratloe) for Arthur (64).

CORK: F Murphy (Killeagh); O O’Callaghan (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels), D McCarthy (Passage), C Cronin (Midleton); C O’Callaghan (Dungourney), D O’Leary (Ballincollig), J Galvin (Éire Óg); J O’Leary (Lisgoold), Z Biggane (Charleville); J Murphy (Dromina), C McCarthy (Glen Rovers), Barry Walsh (Killeagh); B Lynch (Youghal), B O’Flynn (Sarsfields), F O’Brien (Erin’s Own).
Subs: J Casey (Youghal) for Lynch (38); R Dooley (Douglas) for O’Brien (46); Ben Walsh (Killeagh) for McCarthy (48); S O’Callaghan (Aghada) for Cronin (50); Conor McCarthy (St Finbarr’s) for Murphy (54).

Referee: A Tierney (Tipperary).

Match Coverage

Ticket Information

Adults – €15
Students / OAPs – €10
Under 16s – Free admission when accompanied by an adult
There will be no cash sales at the venue.

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Team News

CORK (MHC v Clare): O Walsh (Youghal); O O’Callaghan (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels), D McCarthy (Passage), C Cronin (Midleton); C O’Callaghan (Dungourney), Ben Walsh (Killeagh), D O’Leary (Ballincollig); J O’Leary (Lisgoold), Conor McCarthy (Glen Rovers); J Murphy (Dromina), Z Biggane (Charleville), Barry Walsh (Killeagh); B Lynch (Youghal), B O’Flynn (Sarsfields), F O’Brien (Erin’s Own)
Subs: F Murphy (Killeagh), S O’Callaghan (Aghada), J Galvin (Éire Óg), J Casey (Youghal), J O’Brien (Cloyne), P Walsh (Carrigtwohill), Conor McCarthy (St Finbarr’s), R Dooley (Douglas), S Meade (Killeagh).
Extended panel: C Hallahan (Douglas), N Buckley (Inniscarra), L Óg Hegarty (Kilworth), H Grant (Bishopstown), J Austin (Sarsfields), J Huggins (Sarsfields), L Buckley (Mallow), S Molloy (Cobh), J Brosnan (Glen Rovers), J O’Brien (Douglas), E Walsh (Mallow), S Bresnan (Charleville), K O’Gorman (Charleville), C Dineen (Inniscarra), D Cosgrave (Courcey Rovers), O O’Connell (Carrigaline).

Clare: M Sheedy (Sixmilebridge); E Gunning (Broadford), R Keane (Killanena), C Rynne (Inagh-Kilnamona); M O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge), J Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), J Moylan (Cratloe); J Mescal (Inagh-Kilnamona), E Price (Clarecastle); R Kilroy (Banner), M Collins (Clonlara), S Arthur (Newmarket-on-Fergus); Ó Fanning (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), M O’Brien (Cratloe), E Begley (Clonlara).

Details

Date:
May 9, 2023
Time:
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Venue

FBD Semple Stadium Thurles

GAA Units

Clare GAA
Cork GAA
Kerry GAA
Limerick GAA
Tipperary GAA
Waterford GAA
US GAA