Anthony Daly: Forget All-Irelands, Midleton in the Harty jangled the nerves most

The first time I ever saw St Flannan’s play was the 1982 Harty final against North Monastery. I was still in sixth class in Clarecastle NS but John Hanley, my old school teacher, brought me. I was transfixed by everything about the event, which was clearly more than just a match; the noise, colour, the Flannan’s and Mon students singing and chanting, the whole buzz around the place in Emly. Long before I entered Flannan’s, I was hooked on the Harty Cup.

At that time, I probably didn’t think I’d ever be good enough to play at that level but watching Flannan’s win that match certainly inspired me to try. It was a culture shock going from Clarecastle NS in through those big gates but the 1st year leagues were nearly more daunting, especially when you saw the calibre of hurler you were coming up against – particularly with boarders from other counties.

Hurling was, and still is, an institution in the college but the Harty got everyone excited; some of my best memories from my early days was getting a half-day on a Wednesday to go off on the bus and shout for the lads. In my first year, Flannan’s beat the Mon in the Harty final before going on to win the All-Ireland. It was an electric occasion.

Everything about the experience was magical. When the team would be first put up on the noticeboard ahead of a game, you’d nearly need binoculars to spot the names because there was such a scrum of lads in front of you trying to get the first look. The following class was a waste of time because all fellas would do was talk about who was on the team – and who wasn’t.

It was dream stuff for young hurling fanatics. Before a Harty final, there would be choir practise out in the yard, where you’d learn the words and the chorus of the chants. In my third year, Flannan’s got to the Harty final, which was all the more exciting again with five Clarecastle lads involved. The day was a disaster, with Flannan’s conceding five goals, but I still sung my heart out.

As I got older though, the goal was to be inside on the field, not outside it. I was lucky enough to play in an U15 decider and a Dean Ryan final in my first three years but I wasn’t exactly tearing up trees to suggest that making the Harty panel was a done deal in my Leaving Cert year. I played corner-forward in that Dean Ryan (U16.5) against Midleton and was poor.

I just focussed on the club afterwards where we were lucky to win successive minor titles in 1986 and ’87. My form in the ’86 campaign really set me up and I was privileged to make the Harty team in ’87, which is still recognised as one of the college’s greatest sides; Fergie Tuohy, outstanding for Clare in the 1995 All-Ireland final, couldn’t make that ’87 team.

Anyone who has played with Flannan’s always has that special connection with the college after they leave. The support they get around Clare is massive because everybody has always appreciated what Flannan’s has done, and continues to do, for Clare hurling; 19 of the Clare panel that won last year’s All-Ireland were former Flannan’s students, while Brendan Bugler, the Clare coach, is also part of this Flannan’s management alongside Tony Kelly, Jamesie O’Connor and Michael Donnellan.

I think that connection is much stronger now than it was in my day because it’s all Clare lads on the team. The affiliation is even greater again around mid-Clare because the 20 players which featured in the semi-final were represented by clubs from, or close to, Ennis; Éire Óg, Banner, St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield, Inagh-Kilnamona, Ruan, Clarecastle, Ballyea, Kilmaley, Clooney-Quin. In my time, the school always drew students from east and south Clare but many of those lads now go to Tulla, Scarriff or Ardscoil Rís.

I haven’t been to any of the Flannan’s games yet this year but I watched every one of them – bar the match against Tralee CBS – on Clubber. Flannan’s have had a great campaign, but this is going to be a tough match now against a really good Thurles CBS side. That was obvious from their first encounter back in October, when they drew, but it was clear too that day that both sides would be in the shake-up.

After Flannan’s lost to Thurles in the quarter-final last year, I texted Jamesie and gave him a bit of stick about the character the lads had shown. I just didn’t think it was good enough for a Flannan’s team. Jamesie certainly didn’t disagree with me.

After the quarter-final three weeks ago though, I texted Jamesie again and told him how impressed I was with the battling qualities of the lads that day against Midleton. They’ll need to show even more of those characteristics again today, but if they can, and they show the same composure they did against Midleton, the blue and white will flutter highest on the battlefield afterwards.

Cork v Limerick has life of its own

Elsewhere, it’s another big hurling weekend but there is only one game that has generated any real discussion this week. That may have been more to do with whether or not the public would get to see the match, and all the hype around that discussion, but some league games just take on a life of its own, which is only natural after the two epic contests Cork and Limerick served up last year.

Cork have already shown how sharp they are this year – even if Wexford were poor last week - whereas nobody has any real idea where Limerick are at when they didn’t play last week – and when they’ve been lying so low since last July.

Still, there’s no way that John Kiely will want to lose to Cork three times in a row. On the otherhand, a Cork win would strengthen their conviction that they have Limerick’s number.

I’m expecting Limerick to come with an edge – and for John Kiely’s men to shade an entertaining match.