IF DEFENCES WIN championships, then in Clare and Dublin, there are two teams needing to find the right combinations and fast.
Saturday will be a fair barometer in that regard as Banner versus Metropolitan clashes tend to bring goals and plenty of them.
Brian Lohan wasn’t sure how the Division 1B route would affect his side this summer, but a league final against the Dubs exposed some defensive holes which they are yet to fully resolve.
Conor Cleary and Rory Hayes started the championship in possession of jerseys, David McInerney and John Conlon were introduced in a spinal fusion midway through the round-robin, and now Conor Leen has been named at full-back for his first championship start of 2026 in place of the Clonlara veteran, with McInerney moving to the No.6 jersey.
All the while, they were opened for four goals by Waterford and taken for 2-30 and 1-30 in double-digit beatings by Limerick and Cork, while finding a masterful performance in between to send Tipperary packing.
It has been feast or famine for the Dublin defence in the past two years. In 14 championship games under Niall Ó Ceallacháin, they have kept seven clean sheets, but conceded 27 goals across the other seven games.
They have leaked four or more goals in five of those matches; against Wexford, Kilkenny, and Cork last year, and Offaly and Galway this term.
Goalkeeper Eddie Gibbons had gone 230 minutes without allowing a green flag before the four-goal Leinster final onslaught.
Dublin's Liam Rushe and Eddie Gibbons dejected after losing the Leinster final to Galway. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
“There was definitely an issue there last year, and you could even see it against Galway,” says Gibbons. “You’re not going to win many games conceding that much.
We did put a lot of work into our shape and our structure at the back. In fairness, you could see that work earlier on in the championship. But I was disappointed to see us concede four there.”
The manner of those goals, with three coming after the 65th minute, offers some mitigation.
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From a county which often utilised a sweeper, the Dubs feel they need to go into these games with a man-on-man approach.
When asked about that style, Gibbons added: “Yeah, against Galway, two of the goals came when we fully pushed up, when we were kind of chasing the game there towards the end, so I wouldn’t be as worried about them because of the situation of the game.
“But going forward into the championship, we’ll need to be much tighter back there, and we can’t be conceding that amount.”
It was a similar sentiment from Lohan after the league final, a 2-26 to 3-20 victory.
The Boys in Blue got plenty of joy from long balls into the square. All three goals originated from those scenarios. Two came direct from long-range frees pumped into the mixer on top of John Hetherton.
Dublin also caused Clare trouble in the air in the 2023 All-Ireland quarter-final with Danny Sutcliffe and Paul Crummey an imposing two-man inside line.
“It’s never good to concede three goals, and you’ll find it very hard to win matches if you’re conceding three goals, so that’s an area that we need to work on,” said Lohan after April’s league success.
The second goal that they got was a really soft goal from our defence to give away. Just not watching the runners at all. It was a really poor goal. They had one or two other opportunities as well. It’s an area that we have to work on.”
Clare also had their opponents under the cosh at the back. In just 35 minutes of game time, they were able to isolate Shane O’Donnell in space as the 2024 Hurler of the Year hit the net and was fouled three times, forcing a change of marker.
Even with Dublin grabbing an early two-point lead and a temporary numerical advantage, the 14-man Banner outgunned them by 2-5 to 0-2 across a 10-minute black card period.
Dublin’s issues against Clare’s mobile attackers date back to the 2023 quarter-final where Tony Kelly ripped them for 3-4 while roaming from centre-forward to create gaping holes down the middle. All five goals came via that central route. The Ballyea star has 4-7 from play in his last two games against the Dubs.
In 2023, the Westerners had their five goals inside 38 minutes, by which juncture they led 5-10 to 1-9. In the league final, it was a 2-15 to 2-5 half-time lead before Dublin charged back into contention.
Dublin need, in the first instance, to keep themselves in the fight at Semple Stadium.
They didn’t cope with Galway’s movement, but this is the type of task for which Liam Rushe, who is fit enough to be included on the bench, would’ve been brought out of retirement. Paddy Doyle, who was left isolated against Kelly in 2023, is named at six opposite the former Hurler of the Year. Late switches can’t be ruled out and might even be probable if Rushe and Cian O’Sullivan can start.
Dublin’s Paddy Doyle gives chase to Tony Kelly of Clare in the 2023 quarter-final. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
There are equally questions at the other end. Hetherton lines out at full-forward with no Cleary or McInerney listed on the inside line to square up to him. Which of Adam Hogan, Leen, or Darragh Lohan would match up, if they do stay as selected?
While we focus on defences here, attacks will equally be burning to show more after both teams raised just 14 white flags last time out, albeit the Dubs pocketed a few extra goals.
With both teams on the rebound, Dublin feel their belief is less shakeable than it was in 2023.
Dublin's Fergal Whitely scores a goal despite Diarmuid Ryan's attempted block in the Division 1B final. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
“We left a good few chances behind us in both games against Clare this year. We need to start coming out the right side of these games more often,” says Gibbons.
“We’ve done so already this year in the championship with Kilkenny and Galway, but it just needs to be something that happens more often with us.
“We’re in this to win the All-Ireland and that’s it at the end of the day. There’d be no point committing so much time to it if we weren’t.
“Backing it up with one game after another isn’t good enough anymore. It’s about building on that again. Where in previous years maybe getting two big wins in a row was great and it did show development in that, but we’re at another level now, so we need to kick on.”
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Stick or twist: Clare and Dublin's need to shore up defences
IF DEFENCES WIN championships, then in Clare and Dublin, there are two teams needing to find the right combinations and fast.
Saturday will be a fair barometer in that regard as Banner versus Metropolitan clashes tend to bring goals and plenty of them.
Brian Lohan wasn’t sure how the Division 1B route would affect his side this summer, but a league final against the Dubs exposed some defensive holes which they are yet to fully resolve.
Conor Cleary and Rory Hayes started the championship in possession of jerseys, David McInerney and John Conlon were introduced in a spinal fusion midway through the round-robin, and now Conor Leen has been named at full-back for his first championship start of 2026 in place of the Clonlara veteran, with McInerney moving to the No.6 jersey.
All the while, they were opened for four goals by Waterford and taken for 2-30 and 1-30 in double-digit beatings by Limerick and Cork, while finding a masterful performance in between to send Tipperary packing.
It has been feast or famine for the Dublin defence in the past two years. In 14 championship games under Niall Ó Ceallacháin, they have kept seven clean sheets, but conceded 27 goals across the other seven games.
They have leaked four or more goals in five of those matches; against Wexford, Kilkenny, and Cork last year, and Offaly and Galway this term.
Goalkeeper Eddie Gibbons had gone 230 minutes without allowing a green flag before the four-goal Leinster final onslaught.
“There was definitely an issue there last year, and you could even see it against Galway,” says Gibbons. “You’re not going to win many games conceding that much.
The manner of those goals, with three coming after the 65th minute, offers some mitigation.
From a county which often utilised a sweeper, the Dubs feel they need to go into these games with a man-on-man approach.
When asked about that style, Gibbons added: “Yeah, against Galway, two of the goals came when we fully pushed up, when we were kind of chasing the game there towards the end, so I wouldn’t be as worried about them because of the situation of the game.
“But going forward into the championship, we’ll need to be much tighter back there, and we can’t be conceding that amount.”
It was a similar sentiment from Lohan after the league final, a 2-26 to 3-20 victory.
The Boys in Blue got plenty of joy from long balls into the square. All three goals originated from those scenarios. Two came direct from long-range frees pumped into the mixer on top of John Hetherton.
Dublin also caused Clare trouble in the air in the 2023 All-Ireland quarter-final with Danny Sutcliffe and Paul Crummey an imposing two-man inside line.
“It’s never good to concede three goals, and you’ll find it very hard to win matches if you’re conceding three goals, so that’s an area that we need to work on,” said Lohan after April’s league success.
Clare also had their opponents under the cosh at the back. In just 35 minutes of game time, they were able to isolate Shane O’Donnell in space as the 2024 Hurler of the Year hit the net and was fouled three times, forcing a change of marker.
Even with Dublin grabbing an early two-point lead and a temporary numerical advantage, the 14-man Banner outgunned them by 2-5 to 0-2 across a 10-minute black card period.
Dublin’s issues against Clare’s mobile attackers date back to the 2023 quarter-final where Tony Kelly ripped them for 3-4 while roaming from centre-forward to create gaping holes down the middle. All five goals came via that central route. The Ballyea star has 4-7 from play in his last two games against the Dubs.
In 2023, the Westerners had their five goals inside 38 minutes, by which juncture they led 5-10 to 1-9. In the league final, it was a 2-15 to 2-5 half-time lead before Dublin charged back into contention.
Dublin need, in the first instance, to keep themselves in the fight at Semple Stadium.
They didn’t cope with Galway’s movement, but this is the type of task for which Liam Rushe, who is fit enough to be included on the bench, would’ve been brought out of retirement. Paddy Doyle, who was left isolated against Kelly in 2023, is named at six opposite the former Hurler of the Year. Late switches can’t be ruled out and might even be probable if Rushe and Cian O’Sullivan can start.
There are equally questions at the other end. Hetherton lines out at full-forward with no Cleary or McInerney listed on the inside line to square up to him. Which of Adam Hogan, Leen, or Darragh Lohan would match up, if they do stay as selected?
While we focus on defences here, attacks will equally be burning to show more after both teams raised just 14 white flags last time out, albeit the Dubs pocketed a few extra goals.
With both teams on the rebound, Dublin feel their belief is less shakeable than it was in 2023.
“We left a good few chances behind us in both games against Clare this year. We need to start coming out the right side of these games more often,” says Gibbons.
“We’ve done so already this year in the championship with Kilkenny and Galway, but it just needs to be something that happens more often with us.
“We’re in this to win the All-Ireland and that’s it at the end of the day. There’d be no point committing so much time to it if we weren’t.
“Backing it up with one game after another isn’t good enough anymore. It’s about building on that again. Where in previous years maybe getting two big wins in a row was great and it did show development in that, but we’re at another level now, so we need to kick on.”
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