If next Sunday's All-Ireland hurling semi-final between neighbours Limerick and Clare is half as good as the one witnessed at headquarters last weekend, then hurling fans are in for yet another treat.
Since May 5th when this championship began, the season has served up thrilling spectacle after thrilling spectacle.
On Sunday next, newly-crowned Munster champions Limerick and dark horses Clare square up to win the right to a rematch with Cork in the All-Ireland final on Sept 8th.
If the current trend of epic games is to continue, then the meeting of these old rivals is a mouth-watering prospect.
Clare midfielder and ace marksman Colin Ryan is considered one of the elder statesmen amongst Davy Fitzgerald's youthful squad – despite still being a few weeks short of his 25th birthday!
The Newmarket-on-Fergus clubman made his championship debut in 2007 and two years later played a vital role when the Banner captured U-21 All-Ireland honours for the first time. A further U-21 title was added last year by Clare and this season they’ve already recaptured the Munster crown.
The bulk of Fitzgerald’s senior panel have tasted success at underage level, suggesting that a new golden age for Clare hurling has arrived. Talk of a re-emergence, harking back the glorious era for the Banner in the mid- to late-90’s is rife.
But Ryan is unconvinced. "Like everything else, it's not a golden age unless you reap the benefits at senior level," he says. "Look at the Limerick treble U-21 champions," he adds, to emphasise his point.
Highest echelon
Limerick captured three-in-a-row U-21 All-Irelands in 2000, 2001 and 2002, yet couldn't translate that into success at the highest echelon.
“Unless you get the rewards at senior level, you’ll always be talked about as an underage team and not a senior team,” says Ryan.
“Hopefully for us, it will bear fruits and we’ll get senior success at some stage, whether that’s this year or next year or down the line.
In spite of losing to Cork in the Munster semi-final after defeating Waterford in Thurles in the opening round, Clare got back on track with victories over Laois, Wexford and Galway to reach the semi-final.
Up until this summer the Banner hadn’t won a Munster championship game since 2008. So progress has been made. Throughout the year gone by and especially during the National League campaign, Clare’s management team have been criticised, especially from inside the county, for employing, what is perceived as a short passing game plan.
What are Colin Ryan’s views on the subject? “People can say what they like,” he replies. “
The lads go out and hurl with freedom and that's all you can expect. There are systems in place. But at the end of the day when you have the ball and when you are trying to score, you still have to make decisions yourself on the field. He (Davy Fitzgerald) gives us the opportunity to do that and that's exactly what we do."
Maths teacher
As a Maths teacher at Salesian College, Pallaskenry in Co Limerick, Ryan is all too aware of the keen rivalry that exists between the counties.
“There’s friendly rivalry down there, so it’s something to look forward to.
“Hopefully I’ll be going in with a smile on my face,” he quips.
“I’m sure there’ll be great craic on the trains going to Dublin this Sunday. I’m sure Limerick won’t be long letting the Clare supporters know that they are Munster champions.
“Rivalry is rivalry but I suppose it’s all talk at the end of the day. When you go out on the field is when it matters,” adds the accurate midfielder who has amassed 40 points thus far in this championship.
