CHRISTY O’CONNOR

Lessons of past show how Clare must change to avoid three-in-a-row

Different mindset is key for Clare as they face threat of a third successive All-Ireland semi-final defeat, with Kilkenny standing in the way once again
Christy O’Connor
The Sunday Times
Shane O’Donnell shows his dejection after Clare’s defeat by Kilkenny in the 2022 semi-final, a result that was repeated a year later
Shane O’Donnell shows his dejection after Clare’s defeat by Kilkenny in the 2022 semi-final, a result that was repeated a year later
JAMES CROMBIE/REX
Christy O’Connor
The Sunday Times

TJ Reid had never known anything like it, especially in Croke Park — and for all the wrong reasons. Successive All-Ireland semi-final defeats with Kilkenny in 2020 and 2021 were followed by a devastating All-Ireland club final loss to Ballygunner with Ballyhale Shamrocks in February 2022. Shocking. Unnatural. Unprecedented.

The trend was completely at odds with so much of Reid’s career, particularly in All-Ireland semi-finals; of the first eight All-Ireland semi-finals Reid played with Kilkenny, they had won all eight. Successive defeats was a shock. Three in a row with Kilkenny was unconscionable. And unacceptable. “No way was that happening again today,” Reid said when accepting his man-of-the-match award after Kilkenny defeated Clare in the 2022 All-Ireland semi-final.

Kilkenny had never lost three successive semi-finals,