LIAM MacCarthy has resided in Munster for the past six seasons, first in the hands of Tipperary (2019) and then for four straight years in Limerick.
On Sunday, the most prized possession in the world of hurling will make a familiar trip south, but the green and white streamers of the all-conquering Treaty county have been put into storage, though possibly only temporarily.
It will be the red and white of Cork or the yellow and blue of Clare that will be draped over the famous trophy for the next 12 months.
Cork are out to end a 19-year wait for a title, while Clare haven’t won it since their smash-and-grab victory over tomorrow’s opponents in 2013.
No All-Irelands since 2005 constitutes a famine from a Rebels’ perspective, especially considering the one previous to that was the year before, and they have now been beaten in their last three finals, the defeat to Clare sandwiched between losses to Kilkenny in 2006 and Limerick in 2021.
Clare are nowhere near their Munster rivals on the roll of honour, having won it just four times in their history and been losing finalists another three times. Having finally got over the line against Kilkenny in the semi-final, following back-to-back defeats against the same opposition at the same stage, Brian Lohan’s men are ready to collect their reward on the biggest day of all.
Cork are the favourites, having dethroned a Limerick side that had their sights on a historic five-in-a-row, but the Banner county got the better of the Leesiders in the round-robin stages of the Munster Championship, so won’t lack belief or confidence.
