THE ALL-IRELAND final might be billed as a grudge match by the media but Clare captain Pat Donnellan says talk of revenge will be counter-productive for the Banner.
Cork were eight-point winners when the sides met in the Munster semi-finals in June but since then Clare have gone on a four-game winning streak, culminating in Sunday’s comprehensive win over Limerick.
Now the two will meet again on 8 September in the first all-Munster decider since 1997 — a final which Clare won, beating Tipperary.
“Revenge is a word that’s thrown around no matter what you’re doing,” Donnellan said after Sunday’s win.
It’s something that will make you play in a way you don’t want to play. It will make you play with a sense of aggression that might be over the top and cloud your mind in some ways.
“We don’t want to do that at all, we want to play as cool as we can and as calm as we can. We want to make sure that we’re being aggressive and that we’re playing to a certain tempo but revenge is nothing because you’re going to get sidetracked.”
Next month’s final will only be the eighth in Clare’s history and the county’s first since 2002 when they were beaten by a Kilkenny side who were just beginning to establish themselves as the game’s preeminent force.
As soon as the final whistle went on Sunday, manager Davy Fitzgerald was faced with questions on how he will manage the hype and protect his young squad.
“We’ll handle it the same way that we always handle it,” Donnellan said, echoing his manager. “We’ll look after the game and we’ll look after the performance.
The enjoyment of the All-Ireland final is for the fans to a certain extent. We just have to make sure that we’re training well and preparing well.
“We’re going to be meeting people in the streets but it’s great to have that, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I wouldn’t like to be up in the stands looking on the next day.
“We’ll take it with a pinch of salt and make sure that we’re not getting carried away.”
