Gavin Cummiskey talks to Clare captain Niall Gilligan about his side's semi-final chances

Niall Gilligan and Eoin Larkin were in town yesterday having their mugs snapped down by the Grand Canal. Liam MacCarthy was with them. No county colours on the old jug yet, just some Guinness ribbons.

The two scoring machines of Clare and Kilkenny had to run the interview gauntlet. Radio got their pound of flesh, then TV. Then more TV. Then a Sunday paper interview.

Finally the daily hacks encircled their prey. Alas, this pair are wise to us by now. Very little blood was split.

Cork await the winners of Sunday's meeting on a dodgy Croke Park surface. The match is a rehash of the drawn 2004 All-Ireland quarter-final, famous for the last ever Jamesie O'Connor gem. Kilkenny ruined manager Anthony Daly's debut season in the replay.

"After half-time it was looking like Kilkenny would go away and win it," Gilligan remembers. "We came back into it when Tommy Walsh was sent off. Kilkenny got a penalty near the end and it looked like they were going to win it. Jamesie O'Connor got the leveller near the end. A great finish to Jamesie's career.

"Definitely in the replay, Kilkenny were the better team but we could've won that day."

Clare, as we know them, were supposed to be finished. The old guard were to check into the graveyard for hurling giants. Two years on, the plots of men like Brian Lohan, Seánie McMahon and Colin Lynch remain unfilled.

"There are only so many years in any man," continued Gilligan. "I suppose you are talking about Seánie McMahon and Brian Lohan mostly. (But) you are talking about two colossuses of men who have gone and proved people wrong time and time again over the years. In particular, Seánie McMahon. Players do often doubt him in training. Things would be going bad but then he would come out on Sunday and give a man-of-the-match performance. You can't write off these type of players.

"It's just a mood people get in. A vibe. Sure there's only three or four players on the wrong side of 30. That's not that old."

Kilkenny and Clare arrive at this juncture via markedly contrasting routes.

Clare lost to Cork but have since received very little credit for three solid victories against fading powers.

"I dunno what the other lads on the team think but, personally, we're in a semi-final and I'm happy about that. No matter what way you get there.

"The games have turned out easy enough against Offaly, Limerick and Wexford but we had to still go and win them. We're there as rank outsiders but we think we have a chance.

"It just didn't happen for them (Wexford)," said Gilligan of the drab quarter-final.

"I spoke to one or two of the Wexford players after the match. I know them and they're not that bad. Whatever's wrong, whether it's organisation, down there something is missing."

Meanwhile, the club-versus-

county debate is still an issue in Clare. Gilligan added: "I didn't want to mention the club games as it would cause trouble down home. We have only one round of club championship played. They are hanging around since.

"Same everywhere. I don't think there is much the county boards can do but I think Croke Park are going to have to look at it. It's very unfair on the average club player in his early 20s who has to hang around for the whole summer. No competitive games and then the whole thing is run off in two to three weeks.

"Hurling can't improve under the current system."