GAA REIDY’S READY
CLARE ACE DAVID WANTS SILVERWARE KILKENNY v CLARE
WHEN David Reidy first came into the Clare panel in 2014, they were arguably never better equipped for success at senior level.
They had just won an AllIreland much sooner than might have been anticipated and had picked up two Under-21 titles in succession to go with another in 2009.
The defence of the senior All-Ireland didn’t go so well but they completed the threein-a-row at Under-21 with Reidy at corner-forward.
But, now in his 11th season, the only senior medal he has to show is from the League title won in 2016, with Clare having suffered four defeats in Munster finals across that time and another three in All-Ireland semi-finals.
Reidy has his latest chance to double his medal haul tomorrow in the Allianz League final.
“That’s the reason I go year in, year out, it’s to try to be successful and to try to claim some medals,” he says.
“Any medal that we do have, we’ll cherish.”
Now 30, his career will feel somewhat underwhelming if he doesn’t gather more silverware before it finishes.
“Yeah, definitely. You play the game, you play at the highest level you can to try to win. And if you don’t win you kind of have to look back and ask yourself did you do everything to get you to the pinnacle.
“In a team aspect, did you do everything to try to get us there? If we can answer yes then we can’t have any regrets really. We just have to take it on the chin.”
Clare’s Munster SHC opener against Limerick in just over two weeks’ time casts something of a shadow over this League final amid speculation as to where their priorities lie but Reidy is satisfied with the scheduling.
“We had a two-week break between the semi-final. I’m not sure if it might be media or outside forces who want a longer lead-in to the Championship. But as players we just want to play games week in, week out.
Situation
“If you’re not playing games you’re going to be training. And you’ll be training as hard, if not harder, to try and replicate a game situation.
“As players, we’re definitely happy to be playing as good as a Championship game and then to have a two-week leadin to the next game. We’re prioritising Saturday evening at the moment and that’s the way we’re going about it.”
Clare’s last League title came via a replay with
Waterford but there will be no such provisions this weekend as, like the football final last Sunday, it will go all the way to penalties in Thurles if necessary.
“I suppose looking back on 2016, we played Waterford in the replay and then Waterford in the first round in Munster as well. We won the replay and I suppose once you win, that’s the one you prefer.
“If you lost the replay you’d prefer if it finished on the day. That’s just the way it goes. Personally I definitely prefer finishing on the day.
“It’s the Allianz League final, finish it on the day, and then have the two weeks into the Munster Championship for preparation. I’d be happy enough finishing on the day.”
Clare beat Kilkenny in Ennis last month but have lost to them in the last two All-Ireland semi-finals.
Reidy played down the relevance of those Croke Park ties ahead of this clash.
“We kind of focused on every game as it came during the Allianz League. We played Kilkenny at home already and we took more learnings from that. We get to meet them again in the final and we’ll look forward to it.
“We take learnings from the Championship games but I wouldn’t consider it as a score to settle.”