Jamesie O'Connor says while Clare players like Tony Kelly, Shane O'Donnell and John Conlon would love to win a first Munster championship, they would still choose an All-Ireland title 'every day of the week.'
Clare have endured a long Munster championship famine having failed to win a provincial crown since 1998 though they've won two All-Ireland titles since 2013.
It's been a trying start for the reigning All-Ireland champs in this year's NHL campaign, losing their first three games to Kilkenny, Galway and Wexford.
They have a long injury list with the likes of David McInerney, Peter Duggan, Conor Cleary and Diarmuid Ryan all out of action, while Shane O'Donnell hasn't played league in the league for the majority of the last number of years.
23 February 2025; Ross Hayes of Clare is tackled by Simon Roche of Wexford during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A match between Clare and Wexford at Cusack Park in Ennis, Clare. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
O'Connor says that relegation to Division 1B wouldn't 'be the end of the world' for Clare given that they tasted league glory last year and will be focusing mainly on the championship this year.
Clare have given chances to a number of young players this year, particularly in their first outing against Kilkenny when only four of their All-Ireland winners started.
Brian Lohan fielded a similarly experimental side against Galway, with younger players such as Keith Smyth, Patrick Crotty Ian McNamara, Jack O'Neill, Paddy Donnellan and Ross Hayes all playing, and they were well beaten by 2-21 to 0-20.
Jamesie O'Connor was on the GAA Social this week when he discussed Clare's form so far this year, mentioning how Lohan has discovered some of his younger players 'aren't ready for it yet.'
"They've a horrendous injury list," O'Connor said. It's not the end of the world if they go down.
"Four of the All-Ireland winning team started against Kilkenny on day one and gave a really good account of themselves.
"Disappointing against Galway, after a really good start but once Galway went up through the gears we were found wanting, and Brian found out that night that one or two of the young players clearly aren't ready for it yet."
Clare have games against Tipperary, Cork and Limerick coming up to round off their league campaign and O'Connor says he has sympathy for the young players coming into an inexperienced team.
"Last year it was a different story, you were bringing in players but with a settled core, with nine or ten of your starting fifteen playing most of the time.
"It's much harder to come in when you have ten or eleven trying to make a name for themselves and to cement places in the squad," he adds.
Worryingly for Clare, O'Connor says that of these key players will 'earn it' to make it back in injury in time for the Munster championship which begins on April 20, when they host Cork in Ennis in the first round.
