Clare star Conor Cleary hails influence of schoolmate Shane O'Donnell on a Banner generation
"If that was to happen to anyone you could meet, it couldn’t happen to a more grounded, humble fella," said full-back Cleary of the then teenager's 2013 All-Ireland final hat-trick against Cork
Conor Cleary says that watching school pal Shane O'Donnell star in the 2013 All-Ireland final replay lit a fire under a generation of Clare hurlers.
O'Donnell didn't feature in the drawn decider against Cork but started the replay - and repaid Davy Fitzgerald's faith by scoring a famous hat-trick.
Cleary watched from the top of the Hogan Stand as his Clare underage and St Flannan's school team-mate seized the day for the Banner and, as the counties gear up for Sunday's All-Ireland decider, the full-back reflected on O'Donnell's special day.
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"I was 19, just out of minor, I would’ve been the same age as Shane O’Donnell," he smiled. "My main memory was after the game being absolutely delighted because I would’ve been on development squads with him at 14, 15, 16, and if that was to happen to anyone you could meet, it couldn’t happen to a more grounded, humble fella.
"We were in secondary school together only the previous year. It was crazy at the time but it’s a testament to him as a person and his mindset how he dealt with it and the career he’s had after it. He’s been brilliant.
"I was delighted for everybody. I would’ve been in secondary school with Tony (Kelly) and those lads as well. "It did light a fire under a lot of lads to push to get onto the panel and come through to play hurling."
Clare have already beaten Cork in this year's championship but when asked if that gives them a psychological edge for Sunday, Cleary points to the Rebels' two summer victories over this era's dominant team Limerick.
"So they’re a team that’s really on form and they’re probably playing at a higher level again from last year," he stressed. "If we perform the way we did in the semi-final (against Kilkenny), Cork will have an easy day. Watching the Sunday semi-final, it was a level up from our performance. But it was great (to progress), and we’re happy to be there."
The Banner recovered from a five-point half-time deficit to beat the Cats at the third time of asking in the last four of the championship, having lost in the 2022 and '23 semi-finals.
"It's hugely encouraging," Cleary said. "There’s a maturity there in the squad now. There’s a lot of lads around here nine or 10 years that have encountered those situations before. Unfortunately, more often than not, we’ve been on the wrong side of them. It’s just nice to get on the right side of a result like that.
"We were under no illusions. We went up to Croke Park in '22 and '23 and were beaten by a better team. The first year they destroyed us, really, and the second year even though we played a bit better, we still didn't get over the line.
"If we had dwelled on those defeats it probably would have been a different story, but the management were very good in the sense that 'right, the last day is done'.
"That was especially the case after this year's Munster final, we had a huge amount to learn from it and I think we brought that into the last two games. '22 and '23 hasn’t really been mentioned at all this year. It’s about the '24 performances and trying to build on them."
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