The 2024 Munster Senior Hurling League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League, was an inter-county hurling competition in the province of Munster, played by all six county teams in January 2024.
Clare played Limerick in their opening match of the competition on 10 January in Clarecastle on the AstroTurf pitch. Limerick won the game on a 2–21 to 1–19 scoreline.[6]
In the second match on 14 January, Cork defeated Clare by 1–24 to 0–24 at Páirc Uí Rinn.[7]
After the postponement of multiple games due to inclement weather, the tournament was unfinished.[8]
The 2024 National Hurling League (NHL), known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz Hurling League (AHL), was the 93rd season of the National Hurling League, an annual hurling competition held in Ireland for county teams.
On 6 April, Clare defeated Kilkenny by 3–16 to 1–20 to win the final and a fifth league title. Conor Cleary was captain and lifted the cup as Tony Kelly was injured and missed the match.
[9][10]
D Conroy 0-5 (0-3f), I Galvin 0-4, P Crotty and D Reidy (0-2) 0-3 each, S Meehan, K Smyth (0-2f) and S Morey 0-2 each, R Hayes and P Donnellan 0-1 each.
A McCarthy (0-8, 6 frees, 1 65); D Fitzgerald (1-3); M Rodgers (frees), D Reidy (0-3 each); K Smyth (0-2); D Ryan, D Lohan, A Hogan C Malone, C Galvin (0-1 each).
E Cody (1-4, 0-3 frees); M Keoghan (0-4); A Mullen (0-3); C Kenny (0-2); B Drennan (free), S Murphy, B Ryan, L Blanchfield, R Reid, J Molloy, J Donnelly (0-1 each).
Pts: Aidan McCarthy 0-10 (8fs), Mark Rodgers 1-6 (1f, 1 sideline), David Fitzgerald, Shane O’Donnell 1-1 each, David Reidy 0-3, Peter Duggan, Diarmuid Ryan 0-2 each, David McInerney 0-1
Pts: David Fitzgerald, Mark Rodgers (1’65) (1-4 each); Aidan McCarthy (0-5, 4f); Darragh Lohan, Tony Kelly (1-0 each); Shane O’Donnell, Ian Galvin (0-2 each); David Reidy, Cathal Malone, Diarmuid Ryan, Peter Duggan (0-1 each)
Pts: Aidan McCarthy 0-9 (6fs), Diarmuid Ryan 1-1, David Fitzgerald 0-3, Mark Rodgers 0-3 (2fs), Shane O’Donnell and Tony Kelly 0-2 each, Darragh Lohan, Peter Duggan, David Reidy, Ian Galvin 0-1 each
The All-Ireland final was played on 21 July at Croke Park in Dublin, between Clare and Cork. Clare won the game by 3–29 to 1–34 to claim their fifth title.[18]
Pts: Shane O’Donnell 1-4, Mark Rodgers 0-6f, Tony Kelly 0-6 (1f), Ian Galvin 1-1, David Reidy 0-3, David Fitzgerald 0-2, Diarmuid Ryan 0-2, Aron Shanagher 0-1, Conor Leen 0-1, Shane Meehan 0-1, Aidan McCarthy 0-1 (65)
Pts: TJ Reid 0-7 (4fs, 1 65, 1 sideline), Billy Ryan 1-2, Eoin Cody 1-0, John Donnelly and Cian Kenny 0-2 each, David Blanchfield, Mikey Carey, and Paddy Deegan 0-1 each
Pts: Aidan McCarthy 0-11 (9fs), David Reidy and Tony Kelly 0-3 each, Mark Rodgers and David Fitzgerald 0-2 each, Shane O’Donnell, Ian Galvin, and Peter Duggan 0-1 each
Referee: L Gordon (Galway) Attendance: 39,241 TV:RTÉ One / BBC NI
Gls: A McCarthy 1, T Kelly 1, M Rodgers 1 Pts: A McCarthy 7 (3fs, 1 '65'), T Kelly 4, M Rodgers 3, D Ryan 3, D Fitzgerald 3, P Duggan 2 (1s/l), D Reidy 2, S O'Donnell 2, R Taylor 1, I Galvin 1, S Meehan 1
Gls: R Downey 1 Pts: P Horgan 12 (10fs), S Harnedy 4, T O'Mahony 4, M Coleman 3, B Hayes 2, S Barrett 2, D Fitzgibbon 2, S Kingston 2, E Downey 1, A Connolly 1, C Joyce 1, R O'Flynn 1
Cork had two points scored in the first minute and added another before Mark Rodgers scored for Clare in the fifth minute. In the 12th minute Rob Downey won the ball on his own 65 and got away from Peter Duggan on the left before firing the ball high to the net straight off his hurl to put Cork into a seven-point lead. In the 18th minute Shane O’Donnell won the ball out on the left before passing to Peter Duggan and retaining the ball again before passing to Aidan McCarthy who scored with a finish to the right corner of the net past the advancing goalkeeper. The scores were level at half-time on 1–12 each.[20]
Clare got a second goal in the 40th minute when Mark Rodgers picked up a breaking ball before stepping inside Mark Coleman from the right and scoring with a low finish to the net. In the 52nd minute, Tony Kelly ran in on goal from the left before flicking the ball over Seán O'Donoghue’s head, touched it on the Hurley before flicking it past Patrick Collins into the right corner of the net to put Clare into a 3–15 to 1–18 lead. Clare were still leading by three with two minutes to go before Cork came back with Patrick Horgan sending the match to extra-time by scoring a free in the 76th minute.[21]
Highlights of the final were shown on The Sunday Game programme which aired at 9:30pm that night on RTÉ2 and was presented by Jacqui Hurley with match analysis from Brendan Cummins, Jackie Tyrell, Ursula Jacob, Joe Canning, Shane Dowling, and Anthony Daly. On the man of the match award shortlist were Tony Kelly, Conor Leen and Rob Downey with Tony Kelly winning the award which was presented by GAA president Jarlath Burns at the post match Clare function at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Dublin.[25]
The Observer's architecture critic Rowan Moore wrote in praise of hurling, though also suggested it was "unexportable" and, were this not so, then it would be "a global sport".[26]
Homecoming
The Clare team arrived back in Ennis at 9pm on the day after the game on an open top bus. There was a reception held at Tim Smyth Park in Ennis with an attendance of over 35,000 people. They had previously visited Wolfe Tones GAA club grounds in Shannon, before going thru Clarecastle on the way to Ennis.[27]
The players and manager were introduced on stage by RTÉ's Marty Morrissey.
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