By beating Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds tonight (3-12 to 0-6), classy Clare claimed silverware and also advanced to the business end of the 2019  Munster MFC.

The emphatic winners of this one-sided Phase One final, played in front of 1,180 spectators, took home the Darrel Darcy Cup and will also entertain Cork in their opening Phase Two outing next week … and then Kerry eight days later.

Dermot Coughlan’s charges took control of proceedings from the off, goals from Diarmuid Fahy and Dara Nagle helping them build up a commanding 2-6 to 0-2 half-time lead.

Fahy’s sixth-minute major had the Banner County in the ascendancy early on after Shane Meehan (Clare) and Kyle Shelly traded the opening points. Ben Comerford’s effort was cancelled out by Meehan’s second and Tipp wouldn’t score again in the first half.

Leading by example, Banner captain Meehan registered his third point on 20 minutes to make it 1-3 to 0-2, Nagle netting the winners’ second three-pointer, followed by a converted James Stack free as the gap rose to eight, 2-4 to 0-2, with five minutes left in the first half. Stack and Cillian McGroary also found the target for the winners before the break.

Comerford grabbed his second at the start of the second half but Meehan replied and Conor Hassett pushed the gap out to eleven on 39 minutes, only for Liam McCormack to reply from a free.

Brendan Rouine and Meehan added to the winning tally, McCormack pulling another one back, only for Rouine to hit rampant Clare’s third goal eight minutes from the end, Conor Shanahan replying with Tipp’s sixth point. McGroary added to his tally in the 57th minute and it was all too easy for the Banner as they beat the Premier County for the second time in the competition to advance to Phase Two, where bigger tests await this exciting team.

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