Shane O'Donnell plans to continue playing with Clare in 2026

Michael Bolton

Shane O'Donnell says it is his plan to continue hurling with Clare in 2026, should he stay clear of injuries.

After helping Clare win the All-Ireland in 2024, it was a difficult season for O'Donnell, as Clare were unable to get out of Munster.

The Clare forward missed the beginning of the season due to a shoulder injury, but returned ahead of schedule to face Tipperary.

It looked like 2025 could have been the last season for some of Clare's All-Ireland heroes, including O'Donnell.

However, speaking to Breakingnews, should be is fit and wanted by manager Brian Lohan, he will be back for Banner County in 2026.

"It's down to it physically, whether I can get my body right. If Brian will have me back, the intention is to play next year.

"It really is a question of whether I'm able to clear quite a number of injuries that have accumulated this year.

"I think chasing the shoulder, I'd probably have to try it again, but it was not the right decision, really. I ended up coming back into the championship undercooked a small bit on everything else, even though my shoulder technically passed the test to get back.

"Quite a challenging year, in terms of staying fit, keeping fit for the matches I had. At the same time, I don't think I'd be able to avoid trying to chase getting back for that Tipp game. That's just the situation.

"It's gonna be a long off-season when it comes to try and get things right. If I can get them right, and they react well to the rehab, then I intend to play next year."

The 2024 Hurler of the Year was determined not to end his time with Clare in disappointment, a feeling that was shared with several of the Clare panel ahead of their last game in the championship against Limerick.

“Coming out of 2024, there was a number of us in the Clare panel that were saying we'll do one more year and then that's it, really.

"I think coming to the end of the Clare campaign this year, when we realised we were out the week of the Limerick game, I was still under the impression that we were all kind of wrapping up.

"I kind of accepted that this was going to be my last game, and then I turned to, I think it was Davey Mac (David McInerney) and I said something to the effect of 'God, it's tough to do your final Clare session, isn't it?'

“And he was just like, 'no, no, I'll be back next year.' He had told me 100 per cent under no circumstances he was going again, so then I kind of had to re-evaluate if all the players of my vintage were going to be going again, that maybe there was another year in it.

“And, yeah, after the disappointment, it just would have been really difficult to leave it at that. Now, like I said, there's a number of physical kind of barriers and hurdles I have to get through to actually be able to put myself in contention to be in any way useful for next year, but the intention is there anyway to be involved.”

It has been a different story for his club Éire Óg Ennis, as they were crowned county champions for the first time in 35 years earlier this month.

Followed up by the success of the footballers, the community is full of excitement.

After the celebrations have quietened down, attention will turn to the Munster club championship, but for now O'Donnell is taking in the success of the side.

“I think the young lads are running out of flares, or maybe the country's running out of flares based on the amount of them they've pulled out.

“The club has been unbelievable. There are so many people around the clubhouse at the moment. You can just wander down there, and there'll be just swarms of people just around because everybody's enjoying the energy of being there so much.

"There’s been a total outpouring of emotion from not just the players, but everyone around the club. I think a couple of years ago, when we lost in the 2022 final, I probably realised how much it meant to people.

"A lot of old lads were coming up to me in tears. And then it was the same story, just with more positive kinds of things to reflect on this year.

"The last couple of weeks have been just incredible.”