Shane O’Donnell insists that Clare’s 2013 All-Ireland SHC final replay victory over Cork holds no relevance as the counties prepare to do battle for the Liam MacCarthy Cup once again on Sunday.

O’Donnell was the baby-faced assassin who memorably bagged a hat trick of goals in the opening 20 minutes to leave the Rebels reeling after playing no part in the drawn game.

“Cork are a very different team, even from when we played them two months ago. So things change very quickly and we’ll have to do a lot of work to prepare for that game,” the Éire Óg clubman said at Clare’s All-Ireland final press night last week.

“There is very little that is the same as 11 years ago. For myself, it’s so different in terms of how I prepare and how I think about these games.

“Even the position I was in, I didn’t think I was starting that game. So the preparation and build-up was completely different. There isn’t really that much inspiration I can draw from it.

“The only thing that is similar is the opposition and the size of the occasion. It never stops being something you’d be so delighted to win.

“It would certainly be a nice way to… I won’t say bookend, because I don’t plan on retiring this year, but it would be a nice way to stagger... Winning one at the start of your career and then one towards the end.”

Tweet

Most Read Stories