Clare and Cork are set to do battle in the eagerly anticipated 2024 All Ireland Hurling final at Croke Park at 3:30 pm EST on Sunday.
The two sides last faced off against each other in an All Ireland decider in 2013, with Clare prevailing in a thrilling replay on a score of 5-16 to 3-16 after an equally thrilling drawn final had ended 3-16 to 0-25.
Clare looked to be down and out after conceding three goals in the drawn final, only for Domhnall O'Donovan to pop up deep into injury time and score his first-ever point in championship hurling to send the game to a replay.
Clare have not contested an All Ireland final since that memorable victory, while Cork have appeared in just one showpiece event in the last 11 years, with the Rebels comprehensively beaten by Limerick on a score of 3-32 to 1-22.
Despite being the second-most successful hurling county in All Ireland history with 30 titles to their name, Cork have not won an All Ireland hurling title since 2005 when they triumphed over Galway.
The Rebels looked to be heading for another fallow year in 2024 when they lost their opening two games of the Munster championship against Waterford and Clare, the latter of which ended in a thrilling Clare victory on a score of 3-26 to 3-24 at Pairc Uí Chaoimh.
But a stunning 3-28 to 3-26 victory over Limerick followed by a comprehensive victory over Tipperary booked Cork a place in the preliminary quarter-finals, where they easily overcame Offaly to set up a quarter-final date with beaten Leinster finalists Dublin.
A relatively comfortable five-point victory over the Dubs set up another date with a Limerick side vying to become the first-ever team to win five All Ireland hurling titles in a row.
Cork once again prevailed after a thrilling, booking their place in the All Ireland final with a 1-28 to 0-29 victory.
Clare, on the other hand, recovered from an opening-day defeat against Limerick in the Munster Championship to beat Cork, Waterford, and Tipperary and book their place in the Munster final for the third year in a row.
For the third year in a row, however, Clare lost out to Limerick in a Munster final as their 26-year wait for a provincial title goes on.
Clare beat Wexford in the quarter-final to set up another semi-final date with Kilkenny, a team they have lost to at the semi-final hurdle in each of the past two years.
The Banner endured slow starts in both 2022 and 2023 and that appeared to be their undoing again in 2024, with Kilkenny leading by five at the half-time break.
That scoreline flattered Clare, but Brian Lohan's side rallied in the second half to run out 0-24 to 2-16 winners and reach the All Ireland final for the first time in 11 years.
Sunday's final is almost impossible to predict.
Cork come into the game with serious momentum having dethroned perennial All Ireland champions Limerick, but Clare have enjoyed the edge in recent meetings, with Clare winning each of the last four meetings in the Munster Championship, including wins in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Each of those wins has been by two points or fewer, however, indicating just how close the two sides are to one another.
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