Shane O'Donnell: 'It is just incredible'

By Cian O'Connell

"It is just an incredible day," Shane O'Donnell says about Clare's All-Ireland SHC Final win over Cork at Croke Park.

Clare's passion and persistence was rewarded at GAA headquarters with O'Donnell, once again, occupying a central role for Brian Lohan's outfit. "I think you slog away for a long number of years, hoping you might get the opportunity like today," O'Donnell adds.

"Then, for it to come, all of a sudden, it is hard to put into words."

Initially, Clare were in significant distress as Cork struck 1-8 from nine attempts to accumulate a seven point advantage. The complexion of the match altered when O'Donnell created an opportunity for Aidan McCarthy to net a tonic Clare goal. "We just settled into our stride a small bit, got a little bit more defensive to get a bit of structure, actually," O'Donnell reflected.

"That allowed us to open up a bit of space and for the forwards to get moving. We got a nice five or 10 minutes, where we played these triangles, to get a few shots away.

"We got a bit of confidence from that. So, it just built our way into the game, really."

O'Donnell, who overcame a serious head injury in recent years, was delighted to win a second All-Ireland medal. "It is incredible, I did not know if I was going to be back here," O'Donnell says.

"To get this opportunity, it is just unbelievable, it is hard to put into words. It definitely trumps anything I've ever experienced before."

In the Brian Lohan era, Clare's resilience and willingness to respond following setbacks has been crucial. "I think Tony (Kelly) mentioned it in his speech," O'Donnell remarked.

"The crowd has been unbelievable with us, they've always believed. Brian and the management team have always believed in us. I think after a certain amount of times that they say it, that just kind of rubs off on you and you hear this narrative. After the Munster final where we lose three in a row, there is this narrative that they'll never be able to come back.

"It never felt like that in the camp. That is testament to the management and the atmosphere they've built. There was never that kind of panic or concern that we had lost.

"Each game is really difficult out there, so when you lose, it is like, okay, fine, move on to the next one. So, I think this year we just broke down that semi-final that we were struggling with, and today could have went any way."

Clare, though, did enough to secure a valuable victory.