Podge Collins: ''Limerick and Clare has always been a healthy rivalry.''

GREAT rivals and neighbours Limerick and Clare clash in the opening round robin fixture of the Munster senior hurling championship this Sunday, the fixture holding a high level intrigue for the people on the border of the counties in Cratloe.

Podge Collins says there has been a huge level of excitement and interest around Clare ahead of the big derby showdown.
Former Clare hurler Collins went to college in UL and lived in Limerick for a period of time. In November, 2022 Collins went to Kenya for Plant the Planet Games along with Limerick hurlers Sean Finn and Tom Morrissey.

Collins describes the rivalry between the counties as a ‘healthy one’. “It was never a bad rivalry, I always felt it was a healthy rivalry. There was never any badness in it or it wasn’t a vicious rivalry,’’ Podge Collins said.

The Cratloe clubman said a large number of the players from both counties would know each other very well.
“When you’re playing against them they’re no longer your friends. It’s put to the back of the mind regardless of how you know someone on the field. It’s irrelevant as soon as you can go onto the field.”

The 2013 All-Star is expecting another cracker between Limerick and Clare this weekend and feels that it will be very hard to pick the Limerick and Clare starting XVs for this weekend's big game.

“I’d say until they actually take the field we won’t know who’s playing. I expect it to be a close game. Limerick are favourites at the moment. They haven’t really had a full deck to play with, I know they’ll be without Darragh O’Donovan and Peter Casey.
If you have Sean Finn, Declan Hannon and Kyle Hayes back, it’s a fairly formidable Limerick side.''

“There’s been a point in it either way for the last two years. If you lose your first game in Munster it can be very challenging. It’s a game for both teams to get two points on the board and set themselves up for the group stages of the championship.”

In February Mary Immaculate College won the Fitzgibbon Cup where Podge Collins coached the side alongside his cousin Jamie Wall. The younger players from Limerick and Clare impressed throughout the Fitzgibbon Cup and Collins expects the younger player to get opportunities for their county sides throughout the Munster championship.

“Darragh Lohan, who was with UL, is playing midfield with Clare and is playing well. Mark Rodgers and Adam Hogan are well-established, Shane O’Brien from Limerick had an excellent Fitzgibbon campaign, Jason Gillane getting called in, Colin Coughlan, Fergal O’Connor and Adam English.''

“I’m sure they’ll feature for Limerick. There’s a lot of talent coming through from both Limerick and Clare.’’

After Sunday's opening game with Clare in Ennis, Limerick host Tipperary at the TUS Gaelic Grounds a week later on April 28.