Three-time All Star Dan Shanahan says that the 2004 Munster championship win over Clare (3-21 to 1-8) was the best Waterford display he was ever part of. Justin McCarthy's side went in as underdogs after losing the league final to Galway seven days earlier. Shanahan scored 1-3 that afternoon and followed that up with a hat trick against the Banner men.
"We were written off going into the championship against Clare. No one gave us a chance against a fantastic Clare team, we were written off. We believed going into training that Tuesday and that Friday what we had in the dressing room was well capable of beating Clare. I’ll be honest with you, it was the best team performance I was ever involved with. Everything went right for us. Every player did his part. A lot of emotions that day because we were written off. John Mullane got the first ball and got his first score within 17 seconds. He lifted the crowd and the whole lot of us bought into it after that.”
On his eighteenth appearance, Shanahan netted his first championship goal after fourteen minutes. “Tony Browne probably mishit the ball, I ventured in from number ten. I caught the ball over Conor Plunkett’s head and Brian Lohan and I just shortened the hurley and flicked it past Davy Fitzgerald. When you’re around the square, after making the run, you have a chance whether it’s a breaking ball or you can catch it. Would I have scored it after not having the confidence from the week before? I don’t know.”
Goal number two was made in Lismore as club mate Dave Bennett sent the ball in his direction. “Brian Phelan sold a lovely dummy and Dave Bennett got the ball, an unsung hero was Dave Bennett, he was one of the most skilful hurlers around, he could do anything with a sliotar, he could make it talk, he drove it as far as he could. I was around that area with big Seamus Prendergast, another unsung hero, he flicked it up and it just happened to break for me and I finished it past Davy again. To get a second goal was unbelievable. It really took the pressure off me. I could let the hair down, be myself and enjoy it. After getting the second goal, I went to the fans and I probably over celebrated! It was more in relief than anything else if I’m being honest with you.”
For his hat trick, he pulled to the bottom corner of the Clare net after Michael Walsh hit the post with a point effort. Like all good strikers, Shanahan followed the ball in. “It was habit I always had. Whether it came off the post or the crossbar, I was around the square. Half backs love coming out with the ball but they don’t like going back towards their own goal. I always tried to turn wing backs if I got a chance, follow the ball in. I had a bit of pace at the time, I was able to get in and get out or else John Mullane would cover me and I’d slip in to his corner for a few minutes to get a breather. The Brick actually mishit the ball, it was easier to put it over the bar than hit the post. It wasn’t the best struck ball on the ground but it went in past Davy. He dived full length but he just wasn’t able to get it. I nearly hopped the wire below in the Town End in Thurles after getting the third goal!”
Waterford v Clare will be the George Corbett Big Match on Sunday. Join Kieran O'Connor and Eoin Murphy for live coverage from 3 o'clock.
Listen back to the full interview with Dan Shanahan from WLR's weekly GAA show Lár Na Páirce. Listen to "Dan Shanahan Waterford v Clare 2004" on Spreaker.
