Podge Collins praises Clare for overcoming past disappointments to win All-Ireland

Former Clare hurler Podge Collins praised his county for overcoming previous defeats to win this year's All-Ireland hurling championship.

In a final that will live long in the memory, Clare ended an 11-year wait for Liam McCarthy when they defeated Cork after extra time in Croke Park.

After close semi-final defeats in 2022 and 2023, and losing the Munster final this year to Limerick, Collins admitted morale was not high in the county.

Looking back on Clare's success, the former All-Ireland winner says this made the Banner county's achievements all the greater.

"It was unbelievable. I didn’t think, leaving the Munster final this year, talking to a few people, they were disappointed with how we went in that Munster final. The atmosphere was sucked out of that game after five or ten minutes.

"It was a bit like, ‘Is this gonna go the way it’s gone for the last few years?’ For those lads to turn that around from that game and just play some exceptional hurling and produce the performances they produced. As a Clare fan and as a Clare person it was just unbelievably enjoyable.

"I know you have to take very year in its merits, but form being around the lads and being from Clare and seeing years where things didn’t go tat well and being involved in teams that didn’t go that well, to achieve what they did this year, it is special."

Collins was involved in the years that followed the 2013 win, which saw years of Clare not in contention come the business end of the season.

As a player, he says it feels different coming into the season as defending champions, but backs Clare to learn from the mistakes of previous teams.

"“It is different. We obviously didn’t respond to it too well back then, and I just think the experience Clare have