Clare's two-time All-Ireland winner John Conlon still learning by moving back and forth for club and county

What a year it has been for John Conlon.

Last autumn saw his club Clonlara end a 15-year wait for a Clare county title and then come the height of summer the Banner, after again losing a Munster final to Limerick, found renewed life in the All-Ireland series to bring Liam MaCarthy back to the county for the first time since 2013.

In between a Division 1 league crown was won.

Much satisfaction then for the veteran defender, who is still going strong.

On Friday evening, Conlon was named the Gaelic Writers' Association Hurling Personality of the Year for 2024. He was not present for the awards, supported by the Dalata Hotel Group, which took place in the Iveagh Garden Hotel in Dublin. The now customary team holiday for the All-Ireland winners and the fundraising trip to New York in advance has Conlon elsewhere. That said, the 35-year-old did sit down with the media prior to his departure to reflect on the last 12 months.

On Clonlara coming out on top again in a most competitive championship, he said: "After we won in 2008, everyone thought we'd go and win a few more.

"We got to a lot of semi-finals and finals but just never seemed to be able to get over the line. That elation to be able to, relief I suppose, to get back to the winning enclosure and just to see the joy.

"It was like a new team that had come in the last year or two. And great work by Donal Madden and his management team. It was just amazing for the club, and just that feel-good factor.

"And we kind of went on a bit of a crest of a wave then with the semi-final of the Munster championship and getting through that in Thurles and and then getting on to play Ballygunner. That was a great experience for everyone to see how good the Ballygunner team are."

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