Excitement builds ahead of 137th All-Ireland SHC final

July 21, 2024

Cork's Sean O'Donoghue, referee Johnny Murphy and Tony Kelly of Clare during the coin toss ©INPHO/James Crombie

All roads lead to Croke Park this afternoon as Clare and Cork get set to cross swords in the 2024 All-Ireland senior hurling championship final (throw-in 3.30pm).

In repeat of the 2013 final, which Clare won after a replay, the Banner men are looking to lift their first Liam McCarthy Cup since that day, while Pat Ryan’s Rebels are bidding to end a 19-year wait for their county.

Both sides have named the same starting teams (see below) which were victorious in their respective semi-finals two weekends ago, with Clare having four players (John Conlon, David McInerney, Tony Kelly and Shane O'Donnell) which remain from the squad that were victorious on this same stage 11 years ago.

Cork have three players (Seamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan and Conor Lehane) involved today that were part of the group which lost out in the 2013 final replay. Incidentally, Horgan (29-617) can become the All-Ireland SHC’s top-scorer by notching three points today that would see him overtake Kilkenny marksman TJ Reid (34-604).

The referee for today’s final is Limerick’s Johnny Murphy who takes the whistle for his first Liam McCarthy Cup decider, having previously refereed the 2018 All-Ireland minor hurling final, the 2021 All-Ireland U20HC decider as well as that year’s Leinster final.

The sell-out crowd attending at Croke Park can expect cloudy but dry conditions around throw-in time, according to the latest Met Eireann forecast, and, in the event of a draw, both teams will battle it out again in a replay on Saturday, August 3rd.

All-Ireland SHC final
Clare v Cork, Croke Park, 3.30pm - RTE2 / BBC2 NI

Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney; David Fitzgerald, Cathal Malone; Tony Kelly, Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Aidan McCarthy, Shane O'Donnell, David Reidy.

Subs: Cian Broderick, Rory Hayes, Paul Flanagan, Cian Galvin, Darragh Lohan, Ryan Taylor, Seadna Morey, Aaron Shanagher, Ian Galvin, Shane Meehan, Robin Mounsey.

Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O'Leary, Eoin Downey, Seán O'Donoghue; Ciarán Joyce, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Tim O'Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Declan Dalton, Shane Barrett, Séamus Harnedy; Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.

Subs: Brion Saunderson, Damien Cahalane, Ger Millerick, Tommy O'Connell, Luke Meade, Ethan Twomey, Conor Lehane, Jack O'Connor, Shane Kingston, Pádraig Power, Robbie O'Flynn.


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