Near neighbours and fierce enemies
Clare and Limerick not only share a border but a mutual distrust of each other, especially when it comes to GAA.
In areas such as Killaloe, Clonlara, Cratloe and Westbury there is a daily war being fought between members of the Banner and those who proclaim themselves free citizens of Limerick.
This weekend tensions are set to be even higher between both county’s as their respective football and hurling sides clash twice in less than 24 hours in both the Munster football and hurling championships.
So in order to settle the age old question of who’s the better county, we’ve taken a look at some of the characters who’ve emerged from both and rated them in our own special way.
Clare’s most illustrious sons and daughters will be given a special ‘Davy’ rating out of 10 while those who claim Limerick heritage will be examined in terms of ‘POC’ rating out of 10.
Let battle commence
Michael Cusack
Hey Limerick – if it wasn’t for Clare, Saturday’s and Sunday’s clashes wouldn’t be fought with bits of leather and hurls. No, it would probably be full on pitched battles down the Ennis Road with burning sods of turf used to inflict injury on your despised enemy across the banks of the Shannon.
The founder of the GAA is a heavy hitter and Limerick will have to fight hard to recover from this early blow as he scores highly on our very *scientific* scale
RATING: Eight Davy’s out of 10
Willie O’Dea
The Fianna Fail man knows everyone and everyone knows him. Basically he’s the moustachioed version of Brian Boru this country has always looked for.
His incredible base of contacts means that there is a strong possibility of spies behind enemy lines under the direct control of the man who knows a thing or two about defence.
Would you want to meet Willie on the dock road with just an O’Neills for protection? Not us either. It’s the perfectly pressed suit and that voice that terrifies.
Rating: Nine POC’s out of 10
Eamon De Valera
Ok, so not technically a Clare man but he did represent Clare in the Dail and if Limerick are going to whip out Willie, then Clare are going to dig up Dev.
Purely by the fact that he founded Fianna Fail means that he’s trumped Willie by about 100 years.
Rating: Seven Davy’s out of 10
Rubberbandits
Despite rumours that they get their plastic bags from shops in Clare, these two lads are the very definition of 21st century Limerick sophistication.
Mr Chrome once had trials for the Limerick u16’s but did not agree with the oppressive one-man structure of management, and felt more at home with a communist style GAA where the players would all be the manager and the ball would be passed equally among everyone.
Limerick GAA chiefs are still looking into this possibility 12 years later.
Rating: Nine POC’s out of 10
Ger Loughnane
Forget Kieran Donaghy’s 2014 dig at Joe Brolly.Some enterprising lad from Miltown Malbay made a fortune out of this phrase in the years following 1995 selling t-shirts at Willie Clancy week and the Spancil Hill fair.
Rating: Nine Davy’s out of 10
Richard Harris
Not only an incredible actor but also the man who inspired Russell Crowe to go absolutely mental in Gladiator and a frickin’ wizard as well. If only he was around to sprinkle some magic dust on TJ Ryan’s hurlers or any Limerick side that gets to Croke Park.
Pity about the dodgy statue in the city that loses him two marks. Also he spent a huge amount of time in Kilkee so loses some cred for fraternising with the enemy
Rating Eight POC’s out of 10
Biddy Early
The woman who made it all not happen, and simultaneously not happen, for Clare hurling until 1995.
Everyone knows the real motivation behind Ger Loughnane’s oddessy was this famous lover of witchcraft from the Banner county.
On record as the first GAA supporter to wear face paint to a game. Even if it was the wrong colour.
Rating: Eight Davy’s out of 10
John Galvin
The best man never to win a Munster senior football title. The king of midfield in the province for almost a decade he enjoyed nothing more than slaying Clare in Ennis or the Gaelic grounds.
Speculation that he may have got frostbite from climbing so high into the sky for some ball are as yet unconfirmed
Rating: Eight POCS out of 10
Result
It was a close one but Limerick’s star power just edges the banner by 34 POC’s to 32 Davy’s.
We could have included Kieran Fallon or Sharon Shannon for the Banner, but equally John Kenny or Mick Mackey may have made the cut.
Ultimately it will all boil down to the action on the field so lets hope the celeb supporters on both sides get the result they want.
Well the one’s that are still alive anyway.
