Hogan captains U20s against fancied Tipp

by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie

THE race for what is predicted to be one of the most competitive U20 Munster hurling championships for some time begins next Wednesday when Clare will face Tipperary.

Current All-Ireland minor champions Tipperary will have a big number of survivors from the under 20 team which lost to champions Limerick in last season’s championship. In the opening round last year Clare went down by the minimum margin to eventual winners Limerick while they suffered a two-point loss to Cork, another of the fancied sides for this year’s campaign. Those two losses end- ed Clare’s involvement in 2022.

The format is different this year with the five competing counties in Munster (Kerry are not involved) playing in a round robin format at the end of which the top team will go to the final with the next two playing a semi-final.

Whitegate’s Terence Fahy is in his second season as Clare manager and his backroom team includes Tomas Kelly, from Inagh/Kilnamona, Brendan Bugler from Whitegate and Rob Mulcahy who is the squad’s S&C coach.

Feakle’s Adam Hogan, one of a number of players who are also part of the senior county panel, will captain the U20 side. Others who are part of both the U20 and senior panels are Oran Cahill (Éire Óg), John Conneally (Clooney/Quin), Patrick Crotty (Scariff), Keith Smyth and Ian MacNamara (both Killanena) and Oisin O’Donnell (Crusheen) and all are expected to be starting on Wednesday.

There has been a change in relation to allowing players who are part of both the U20 and senior county panels to play at this grade. In recent seasons players who made an appearance with their senior team in the championship could not play at under 20 level. This year any player who is part of both panels cannot play two games in seven days.

Players likely to miss out on Wednesday’s first round due to injury are Oisin Clune from

Feakle, Gearoid Sheedy (Ogonnelloe), Rory O’Connell (Clarecastle) and John Cahill (Clooney/Quin). Players promoted from last year’s minor team include Fionnan Treacy (Éire Óg), Jack O’Neill (Clooney/Quin), Diarmuid Stritch (Clonlara) and James Organ (Corofin) .

The squad has gone through a stiff training programme in recent weeks during which time they played challenge games against Offaly, Galway, Wexford and a number of college sides. Clare’s schedule is; at home to Tipperary at Sixmilebridge on Wednesday next at 7pm; away to Limerick on March 29; away to Waterford on April 12 and at home to Cork on April 19.