The evenings are long. The ground is hard. The tar is bubblin'.
It means only one thing in Clare. Championship hurling is back.
This weekend, another journey begins in what many regard as the greatest and most fiercely competitive county championship in the country. Over the next three months, dreams and reputations will be built and shattered in equal measure and somewhere along the way, one club will earn the right to lift the Canon Hamilton Cup and become the 139thSenior Champions in the Banner County.
Predicting who that will be? Well, good luck with that.
Éire Óg begin their defence having finally ended a 35-year wait for senior glory last October. It was a triumph that released generations of expectation around the county town. A townie with confidence is a terribly dangerous thing, and the champions now carry themselves with the swagger and assurance that only winning can bring.
The frightening prospect for everyone else is that the story may only be beginning. While the established names continue to sparkle, there is an exciting wave of talent emerging behind them. Are the shackles off? Is this the beginning of another golden era in the capital?
Yet for all of Éire Óg's celebrations, they know just how close they came to seeing their championship dream unravel on a wet and blustery evening last September. Kilmaley were a puck of a ball away from stopping the eventual champions in their tracks.
Brian Culbert has made no apologies for changing the mindset within the blue and white camp. Kilmaley have always possessed stylish hurlers, but championship-winning teams require steel as well as skill. Over recent seasons they have added that backbone, that resilience and, when necessary, that edge. They look every inch genuine contenders and many believe this could finally be their year.
Their neighbours Inagh-Kilnamona have grown tired of hearing the same question every summer: Which Inagh-Kilnamona will turn up?
Championships are not won on potential. They are won through consistency and delivering at every single championship round. Eugene Cullinan has no shortage of talent at his disposal. Few squads can match the quality that exists inside the ‘Combo’s’ dressing room. If they can consistently produce their best hurling when it matters most, they have every ingredient required to travel all the way to the final Sunday.
If you’re a Clooney-Quin fan, you may well ask why your club hasn’t been mentioned already?
Apart from Éire Óg's remarkable success, they were undoubtedly one of last year's great stories. Their exhilarating run showcased a perfect blend of seasoned campaigners and fearless youth. They now return a year and a big day wiser - battle-hardened and carrying the belief that comes from discovering just how close they are to the summit.
Never, under any circumstances, discount Ballyea.
Having Tony Kelly in your ranks guarantees relevance in any championship conversation, and the magician's performances during last year's knockout stages served as another reminder of his extraordinary influence. But opponents who focus solely on stopping Kelly do so at their peril.
The men in stripes have quietly rebuilt through their underage system. Exciting talents such as Dara Kennedy and Eoin O'Connor stand ready to make their mark, while few managers know how to extract championship performances quite like Robbie Hogan, who has already guided Ballyea to three of their four senior crowns.
Clonlara, champions as recently as 2023, possess enough quality to beat anyone on their day. Donal Madden oversees a squad blessed with experience, athleticism and no shortage of marquee players. Should their star names hit top gear together, few teams would relish standing in their path.
And that's before mentioning reigning Clare Cup and Intermediate champions The Mill’s, or Sixmilebridge, or Scariff, Cratloe, Feakle etc etc etc.
The remarkable reality of the TUS Clare Senior Hurling Championship is that almost every club can build a convincing case for success. Equally, every club knows how perilously thin the line is between chasing the Canon Hamilton Cup and becoming embroiled in the battle for survival.
No county championship has as narrow a tightrope between the honours and the drop than Clare's.
The Canon Hamilton has found 11 different homes over the past 20 years. Nine of those champions line out at the starting post once again across the four senior groups this weekend. Such unpredictability is virtually unmatched anywhere in the country and is precisely what makes this championship so captivating.
Over the coming weeks, the championship roadshow will roll through some of hurling's most treasured heartlands — Sixmilebridge, Ruan, Broadford, Tulla and, of course, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg. Every venue will produce its own stories. Every game will carry consequence. Every score could shape the destiny of a season.
If the Senior Championship is impossible to predict, then the TUS Clare Premier Intermediate Championship is every bit as intriguing.
The campaign roars into life tonight in Gurteen as two of Clare hurling's proudest traditional powers, Clarecastle and Tulla, renew acquaintances in a meeting worthy of any championship stage.
For decades, both clubs were fixtures at the highest level. Both carry proud histories. Both crave a return to where they believe they belong.
Clarecastle arrive with one of the youngest and most exciting squads in the competition. While last year's intermediate final defeat to O'Callaghan's Mills was a chastening lesson, the Magpies' performances throughout the knockout stages showcased the enormous potential within their ranks which includes the Ralph brothers, Paul and Rory O’Connell, Colin Brigdale and county man Cian Galvin. Another year's experience could prove invaluable.
Standing in their way are an equally determined Tulla side.
The 'Windswept' enjoyed an outstanding league campaign, finishing top of Division Two before falling just short in a thrilling, high-scoring final. With experienced campaigner David McInerney back in their ranks, belief is growing that 2026 could be the year they force their way back into the senior ranks. Few teams combine physicality and championship know-how quite like Tulla. The only side to take points from the eventual champions last season they have armoury in Ryan Hayes, Tony Leydon, the Withycombes and Emmet Mulcahy making tonight's opener an early contest that could set the tone for the weeks ahead.
Elsewhere, Group Two promises little respite.
Ruan have been knocking persistently on the promotion door over recent seasons and once again look capable of mounting a serious challenge. Last month's dramatic Division Three league final victory over a talented Bodyke side only reinforced the growing confidence within the camp.
The same Bodyke, however, will feel they have unfinished business of their own. Possessing plenty of attacking flair and proven championship performers, they will expect to feature prominently in the race for the knockout stages. Completing a fiercely competitive group are newly promoted Smith O'Brien's. Guided by Barry Hennessy, momentum is a dangerous weapon in championship hurling, and Smith O'Brien's have plenty of it.
Group One appears no less unforgiving.
Many observers have installed Corofin as early favourites to bounce straight back to senior level following last year's relegation. The talent within their panel is unquestioned, the O’Loughlins, Conor Leen, Gearoid and Diarmuid Cahill et al are a formidable sight on any team sheet but nothing comes easily in this championship.
Whitegate remain one of the county's most resilient and difficult sides to overcome, while 2024 finalists Tubber know exactly what it takes to navigate a championship campaign deep into the autumn.
Parteen-Meelick have come agonisingly close in recent seasons and will once again believe their breakthrough is within reach, while Sixmilebridge's second string bring a wealth of experience and championship pedigree well accustomed to the demands of pressure hurling.
As always, there are no easy weekends in the Premier Intermediate Championship. The road to senior status begins tonight in Gurteen.
There really is nowhere else a hurling supporter would rather be.
There really is nowhere else a hurling supporter would rather be.
This weekend’s LIVE action below.
