27-05-2025
‘That's all we can do' – Ryan Taylor insists Clare will learn from ‘stop-start' All-Ireland defence after early exit
IF there is one positive for Clare to take out of 2025, it is the form and fitness of Ryan Taylor.
The Clooney-Quin speedster missed most of last year due to a cruciate injury, but returned in time to clinch the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
2
Clare rounded out their Championship campaign with a win over Limerick
Credit: Tom Beary/Sportsfile
2
Ryan Taylor scored two goals against the Treaty
Credit: Tom Beary/Sportsfile
This season, he started all ten games in an ever-present midfield pairing alongside Cathal Malone.
Prior to Sunday, Taylor's only Championship goal arrived on his first start, back in 2020, against Limerick at an empty Semple Stadium.
At the Gaelic Grounds, his superb second-half brace ensured Clare
It was not the All-Ireland title defence the Banner would have wished for, but Taylor believes they can return stronger next year.
Read More on GAA
He said: 'It was a really tough year. Some years you win, and some years you build character. You learn from it and that's all we can do.'
A collection of injuries was the primary factor in derailing Clare's Munster hopes.
Taylor reflected: 'Last year went nearly perfectly to plan. Everything seemed to come quite easily to us. But this year we were stopping and starting, it was just one of those years. We did have a lot of injuries throughout the year, particularly in our back line.
'It was nice to get a lot of lads back on the field.
Most read in GAA Hurling
'The Munster Championship is so difficult that if you're a bit off it or you have a couple of injuries, you can get beaten. It is what it is.
'Sometimes you just need a bit of luck to not pick up injuries at the wrong time.
'Like something out of the French Revolution' - RTE GAA pundit Donal Og Cusack slams Dublin star's reckless swipe
'It didn't go our way this year. We weren't good enough to progress and that's it.'
It was a strange fortnight for the Banner panel following the defeat to Tipperary.
For the first week, they remained alive in the Championship as they hoped for Cork to beat Limerick.
But when that result did not materialise, it meant their Shannonside trip was a dead-rubber game.
Taylor added: 'It's been a very disappointing year for us, but it's nice to finish on a high and get a win. We played some good stuff, but obviously it's been a disappointing season.
'All we could do was try to put on a performance and I think we did that.
'We owed it to the supporters as well. They've been very, very good to us over the years and we owed them a performance.'
