Clare have named their side for Sunday’s Munster showdown with neighbours Limerick, and Brian Lohan has opted for continuity. The Banner boss and his selectors stick with the fifteen that opened the campaign at throw in against Waterford, buoyed by the news that Adam Hogan has shaken off his second‑half knock to take his place at corner back. Ryan Taylor is named at no.9 and partners Darragh Lohan at midfield, while Shane O’Donnell is named to anchor a lively full‑forward line alongside Peter Duggan and Mark Rodgers. There’s also a welcome sight on the bench, with Tulla stalwart David McInerney battling his way back into contention after a long road to recovery.

There aren’t many occasions in modern hurling quite like these two going toe‑to‑toe in a heaving Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg. Days like this might possibly be the greatest gift given to us by the Round Robin format. When the Shannonside neighbours collide, form only matters to a point. It makes little difference how high either is flying, neither side carries fear of the other. And these battles carry weight beyond the Munster Championship. Clare and Limerick live in each other’s pockets. They hurl together in school and college, they share workplaces … dammit , they even marry each other. Too much familiarity to give an inch.

Limerick arrive in Ennis carrying a strange blend of pressure and confidence. Their two‑point loss to Cork last Sunday — despite playing a man down — will frustrate them, particularly the spell of untaken chances midway through the second half that ultimately proved fatal. Yet the bookmakers still have them as the second‑shortest odds to claim a sixth All‑Ireland under John Kiely, a tag that brings its own weight as they cross the Shannon.

The thing with Limerick is that they’re a bit like hurling’s whack‑a‑mole.. Quench one fire and a fresh blaze sparks somewhere else. They’ve long been praised as the game’s ultimate sum‑of‑their‑parts outfit, and Sunday will be no different. The absence of Patrickswell duo Aaron Gillane and Cian Lynch is significant, but Clare would be naïve to underestimate the depth ready to replace them. Peter Casey, Darragh O’Donovan, Tom Morrissey, and the rest of Limerick’s supporting cast have repeatedly shown they can shoulder responsibility. Add in the emerging triumvirate of Adam English, Aidan O’Connor, and the slightly more seasoned Cathal O’Neill — all bedded in through a successful league campaign — and Limerick’s middle third looks anything but weakened. Kiely’s faith in the young trio has been repaid in spades.

Further up front, Shane O’Brien impressed on Leeside. He’s a big man who moves like a smaller one — quick off the mark, sharp on the turn, and impressively accurate when he gets a sight of the posts. 

Clare, for their part, may still be trying to fully convince the wider hurling public of their Munster or All‑Ireland credentials. They have an opportunity here. Their attack was nothing short of electric in the win over Waterford a fortnight ago — pace, movement, and a scoring spread across ten different players that lit up the headlines. The dash of O’Donnell, Rodgers, and Kelly married perfectly with the graft of Peter Duggan and Seán Rynne, the latter impressing with five points. But questions lingered after that weekend about the Banner defence. Waterford’s four goals, coupled with the nature of the three conceded to Dublin in the Allianz Division 1B final, have left pundits wondering whether Clare can lock things down when the pressure spikes. Plenty to work with on the training field during the fortnight break. 

What Clare do have this time is something they were frustratingly denied last year: a full hand. The injury misfortune that stripped them of key starters at this exact stage in 2025 has, so far, stayed away. With their panel intact, and confidence sharpened by that Round One win, Clare are a dangerous prospect for anyone — and especially at home in Ennis, where the crowd can turn a tight contest into a surge of momentum.

The aforementioned threats can improve even further with a championship game behind them but Brian Lohan’s trump card maybe the panel he has built since last season’s exit. Shane Meehan had an excellent league for the Banner county but still couldn’t break through to the starting fifteen. His retort was a sublime finish to put the contest beyond doubt against the Déise. Diarmuid Stritch was another to contribute from the bench. The pacey Clonlara man squeezing three second half points into a debut spell of only twenty five minutes.  

And for all the line ups and head to heads. The only predictability in any Clare/Limerick derby is its annual unpredictability. 

It is a fixture that rarely disappoints. Physical, frantic, and full of moments that mean all the more because its ‘them next door’ . 

Throw in on Sunday at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg is at 2:00pm

Up the Banner !

Last Five Clare v Limerick Championship Meetings :

Limerick 0-24 v 3-20 Clare - 25/05/25 – TUS Gaelic Grounds - Round Robin

Limerick 1-26 v 1-20 Clare – 09/06/24 – FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles – Munster SHC Final

Clare 1-18 v 3-15 Limerick – 21/04/24 – Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg – Round Robin

Limerick 1-23 v 1-22 Clare – 11/06/23 – TUS Gaelic Grounds – Munster SHC Final

Limerick 2-20 v 1-24 Clare – 29/04/23 - TUS Gaelic Grounds – Round Robin