January - the busiest time of the hurling year. The workload is so heavy down south that Clare are contemplating giving Cork a walkover in the Munster Senior Hurling League on Wednesday night.
Clare beat Waterford by three points in a topsy-turvy game in Fraher Field on Sunday. After the game, their managerial duo of Gerry O'Connor and Donal Maloney sounded off about the fixture pile-up.
No fewer than 13 members of the Clare panel are on Fitzgibbon Cup duty on Tuesday night. And the Munster Council in their wisdom had decided to schedule Clare's next Munster Hurling League game with Cork for Wednesday night.
Maloney told the Irish Times that the Clare management have no intention of torturing their players.
We have stated from the start that we cannot play on Wednesday night. We’re not doing it, maybe we’ll be forced into it but that’s where we’re immediately at right now.
We cannot ask some players to play five games in 10 days; Fitzgibbon is on Tuesday and we have 13 Fitzgibbon players . . and if the fixture isn’t changed, we’ll have to fight it. We’re not going to torture our players.
When asked if they would offer Cork a walkover, Maloney replied "Maybe."
Munster GAA are not for turning. Clare can do what they like but the Munster Senior League game between Cork and Clare is being fixed for this Wednesday night in Sixmilebridge, as planned.
CONFIRMED - Co-Op Superstores.ie Munster Hurling League - Clare v Cork - Wednesday January 25th at 7:30pm in Sixmilebridge
— Munster GAA (@MunsterGAA) January 23, 2017
Clare are already shy a number of players, most notably Tony Kelly, due to Ballyea's long run in the All-Ireland club championship. There is a full round of Fitzgibbon Cup games on Tuesday with NUIG meeting DCU the following day.
Maloney's managerial colleague Gerry O'Connor says that if 13 players are involved in Fitzgibbon Cup action on Tuesday then it will be extremely difficult for Clare to field a "meaningful team" on Wednesday.
Time will tell whether any game is played at all on Wednesday.
One suggestion is that Clare could field their U21 side, as other counties have done in January competitions in both football and hurling.
