Shane O’Donnell fought hard to keep his emotions in check as he reflected on his Clare career following the Banner’s heartbreaking All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Limerick.

Clare looked set to book their place in the Liam MacCarthy Cup final after opening up a six-point lead in the second half, only for Limerick to produce another trademark comeback and snatch a 1-19 to 1-17 victory at Croke Park.

The defeat came just days after Shane O’Donnell revealed that this would be his final season with Clare, making Sunday’s loss all the more poignant.

Shane O’Donnell’s Emotional RTÉ Interview Leaves Anthony Daly With Perfect Tribute

Speaking to RTÉ after the final whistle, the two-time All-Ireland winner first reflected on Clare’s approach to the game.

“You’ve been a hero for us all” 💛💙

An emotional moment for Shane O’Donnell, after his last time playing in the Clare jersey.#TheSundayGame pic.twitter.com/AnuX5p5WCj

— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 5, 2026

I think it’s been a whirlwind of a couple of weeks maybe, but at the same time it’s a whirlwind preparing for an All-Ireland semi-final.

We just tried to focus on the game.

A lot of the talk coming in was just to make sure that we were aggressive and meet them at the pitch of it.

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The interview then took a more emotional turn as Joanne Cantwell asked O’Donnell to reflect on his remarkable Clare career.

It began 13 years ago when he made his championship breakthrough before announcing himself to the hurling world with an unforgettable hat-trick in the 2013 All-Ireland final replay against Cork.

Shane O’Donnell has won two All-Ireland titles, been crowned Hurler of the Year and collected three All Stars.

But immediately after such a painful defeat, he admitted he was not yet ready to look back.

It’s kind of hard to answer maybe directly after.

It’s been an honour to be able to wear a Clare jersey and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

I’ve always had a somewhat trite response when people ask me about my career, that I’ll reflect on it when it’s done.

So I don’t have an answer for you right now.

Maybe in time I’ll be able to look back on it.

But yeah, I’ve loved every minute of it.

O’Donnell then paid tribute to every teammate he has shared a dressing room with during his inter-county career.

The guys in the dressing room, every player I’ve ever played with in the Clare jersey, I’ve been proud to stand beside them.

They showed that out there today and I’m always proud of wearing this jersey.

As the interview drew to a close, former Clare captain Anthony Daly delivered a fitting tribute to one of the county’s greatest modern hurlers.

From a proud Magpie to a proud townie, thank you for absolutely everything.

If Sunday’s defeat does prove to be the beginning of the end of O’Donnell’s Clare career, it marked the close of one of the most beloved and admired inter-county journeys of the modern era.

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