By Cian O’Connell

On a gorgeous morning in Waterford, less than 48 hours after a chaotic Munster Final, Adam Hogan sits back for a moment. It is a brief pause because high stakes matches are arriving thick and fast.

The ultra promising Clare hurler wouldn’t have it any other way. Something is stirring in Clare again, Hogan is simply delighted to be part of the adventure.

“It is special, it is for my family too,” the Feakle clubman acknowledges. “They have days out, they have been bringing me to matches since I was younger. Only two years ago they were bringing me to every training. It is special when you think about it.”

That sense of place and the relevance of sport in people’s lives is understood by Hogan, who is emerging as a key performer for Brian Lohan’s outfit.

When Hogan first arrived into the Clare set-up his childhood heroes were helpful, but he quickly realised that the challenge had to be embraced. “At the start it was a bit strange, you'd be looking up to Tony Kelly,” Hogan says.

“In 2013 I was only a young lad, but you'd be looking up to the likes of him and Shane (O’Donnell). You have to deal with it pretty quickly, you are there for a reason.”

Hogan flared to prominence during St Joseph’s Tulla’s remarkable Harty Cup triumph last year. “It was very important,” Hogan reflects about his development in the competition.

“Winning something means your confidence was up, Terence (Fahy), who was involved with the U20s, he had a massive part and Tomas (Kelly), they had a massive part in my development, and I couldn't thank them enough for it.

“At the start we really weren't expected to win it. We had never won a game in the schools history, but we took it game by game. It was very special, the final whistle of the Harty Cup, I couldn't even explain how I was feeling.”

Clare’s improvement at minor and U20 level recently too is another encouraging sign. Momentum is being generated. “We hadn't won a game at U20 since 2015 for a while, I think after the Cork game when we lost by 40 points at minor it was a bit of an eye opener and something had to be changed,” Hogan remarks.

The response, though, has been positive. “To be fair everyone on the County Board got the right people in,” Hogan adds.

“Seeing the minors this year, the seniors look at them, and thrive off their success. They are very good, they brought in the right men, and they have unbelievable players, we really got a boost from it.”

The harrowing provincial decider loss to Limerick hurt, but Clare are striving to make an impact in the All-Ireland series with a quarter-final against Dublin next on the agenda.

“It was hard to take, straight after the game, it was very hard to take, but then Brian said in the dressing room that we are still in this,” Hogan states. “We are still in the All-Ireland Championship, it was tough to take, but at least we are still in the All-Ireland Championship.

“That type of a defeat is very hard to take, especially after last year. We have to right the wrongs from last year and get to an All-Ireland Final hopefully.”

Relishing these types of occasions is critical. Gary Brennan, the accomplished former Clare footballer, is involved in Lohan’s backroom set-up. Hogan remembered his words at TUS Gaelic Grounds. “It was a bit surreal at the start, but you have to take it by the way it comes,” Hogan responds when asked about being involved in a game of such magnitude.

“Playing in a Munster Final was a bit surreal, with all of the crowd. The parade - it was the first time I think I ever did a parade.

“You have to take those moments in. Gary Brennan told us to look into the crowd, to enjoy it. Some people say don't look into the crowd, but he told us to look into the crowd, to enjoy it because they don't come around too often.”

The Clare team and supporters have reconnected. “It is special and even the last day to see the Clare End on the terrace,” Hogan says. Walking past that in the parade was special.”

Hogan walks back into the same theatre this weekend with a determined Clare team.