HIS SIDE MAY have been crowned Leinster champions but the weight of tradition means Anthony Daly feels next Sunday’s All-Ireland opponents Cork won’t fear his Dublin team.
Dublin are the marginal favorites to land the Liam McCarthy Cup after a novel and brilliant summer but Cork have gathered momentum on the back of toppling Kilkenny in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
“A Cork team is never going to really fear a Dublin team in an All-Ireland semi final. Tradition-wise down there, all their supporters will be saying, ‘surely you’ll beat Dublin’.
“Cork against Dublin in hurling, Cork win – that’s the way they’ll see it. But we’d be thinking, Wexford would have been saying that, Kilkenny certainly would have been saying that, so it’s just another challenge for us.”
Daly did not share the widespread sense of surprise at Cork’s victory over Brian Cody’s side and believed Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s team may have studied Dublin’s earlier win over Kilkenny in Leinster.
“I just think they looked at Dublin drawing and beating them in a replay. And Cork said – ‘we mightn’t beat them but we’d have a chance, and we’re as good as Dublin’.
“We do an oul thing at Clarecastle, a fanzine thing in our club page. Six of us who were on the All-Ireland panel in ’95, they’ve asked us our predictions on the Clare games every time they come on and I said get on the double, 9/1, Cork and Clare.
“I just thought Kilkenny, the best team ever, but they had to go to a replay with us, massive night against Tipp, Waterford bringing them to extra-time again. How much can you stay going on?
“But you have to say Kilkenny were probably running on a bit of empty this year with the injuries. I just felt Cork were maybe hurting a bit over the sending-off (in the Munster final).”
Banner Challenge
While Daly is plotting for next Sunday’s meeting, Clare and former teammate Davy Fitzgerald are getting set to face Limerick on Sunday week. But the 1995 and 1997 All-Ireland winning captain isn’t focusing yet on a potential final showdown with his native county.
“There’s a great buzz in Clare. And its all about Clare as well, so its grand. The odd but of a slagging just in case we meet. But there is a lot of water to flow under the bridge before that can happen.
“We’ve plenty to worry about with Cork. And Davy has plenty to worry about with Limerick.It’s hard to detach yourself from the championship anyway. Whether you’re in it or not, its the championship. Its what we love and it’s a great time of the year.”
