PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for July in hurling, Tony Kelly of Clare, with his award in Ballyea GAA in Clare. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
By Cian O’Connell
Tony Kelly kept the faith and remained a believer.
Following the glory of 2013, Clare endured setbacks and harrowing defeats. Between 2013 and 2018, the Banner didn’t hurl in the Championship at Croke Park.
Gradually, though, Clare became relevant on the national stage again. Brian Lohan reconnected the team and supporters. It culminated in an epic All-Ireland triumph last month.
Kelly was adamant good days would be sampled again at GAA headquarters. “You have to believe that you can compete or get to the business end of the Championship,” Kelly replies.
“From the start of the year, that is what the goal is - to put yourself in that position. Whether it works out or it doesn't - for one reason or another - every year is different. You've no guarantee next year that we are going to get to the business end of the Championship.
“We've been fortunate the last few years, that we've been knocking around Munster finals and getting to Croke Park. In those years from 2013 to 2018 we hadn't been back, for one reason or another.
“We didn't play well enough, we didn't have enough lads playing well enough, we were beaten by better teams. That Galway team, Tipperary, Cork. So, you have to believe.”
Perseverance is required according to Kelly. “Whether you can get enough lads playing well on a particular day on a Championship day, that is probably what is going to determine whether you win those big games or not or get to the business end of the Championship,” Kelly adds.
“Since Brian has come in, we've been relatively consistent in getting to that latter end of the Championship, and this year was the first year that we make inroads, in actually winning it.”
Under Lohan’s guidance Clare have shown an ability to respond following defeats. “That word resilience is probably thrown around a lot, but you don't really have an option or any other choice,” Kelly says.
Clare's Tony Kelly pictured following the 2024 All-Ireland SHC Final at Croke Park. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
“If you're coming back in January, December or November for the following year, you're coming back to improve, you're coming back to be better than you were the year before. The resilience piece over the last number of years, a lot of people say we have shown resilience or kept coming back, the way I look at it is we've no other choice.
“Unless you're walking away from the game, you're going to come back. That is just the nature of inter-county hurling. Every county will be no different next year, they are all going to come back to show it - resilience. Unless you're winning the All-Ireland, every team has shown resilience the following year, coming back.”
Kelly stresses Lohan’s willingness to afford emerging players opportunities as being a factor. “That is the big thing for Brian - finding new players, finding younger players, what he feels are better additions to the panel, and trying to up the standards,” Kelly says.
“From when he came in back in 2020, he changed and brought in the likes of Adam Hogan, Mark Rodgers, Conor Leen, this year. You always have players to improve the panel and to improve the team. It is up to us to put ourselves in the shop window, to be picked, and to be selected.”
As a teenager, Kelly was part of Clare’s successful campaign in 2013. The recent success, though, has been viewed through a different lens by the Ballyea clubman. “Definitely, the big one I'd use is that you've more of an appreciation for it,” Kelly reflects.
“When you're 19, you win an All-Ireland, you think this is great. After underage you think we are going to go on to win another one or a couple more.
“Obviously, it doesn't work out like that. When you're older you become more experienced and more knowledgeable about the game, in terms of that just doesn't happen. You have to take each year as it comes.
“Look at Limerick in terms of the last few years, winning four in a row, the Kilkenny team when we were underage too. You look at them and you give them solid respect for their work and the time that goes into it, the work that goes into it.
“The maintaining of performance levels, whether it be individually or collectively, those teams were able to sustain it over a number of years.
“So, you definitely have more of an appreciation for the game and an appreciation for winning now, too. Some of us won one when we were 18 or 19, and are now winning one again in our 30s, that is just sport, too. We are lucky now to have the two.”
