Clare Hurling Results 2026: League Champions and the Road to Munster

Clare’s 2026 hurling season reached its first peak on April 5th at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick when the Banner defeated Dublin 2-26 to 3-20 in the National Hurling League Final to claim the Division 1B title in front of 44,000 supporters – a double header that also saw Limerick face Cork in the Division 1A decider. It was a statement result, a statement performance, and confirmation that the All-Ireland winners of 2024 had not lost their appetite.

Here is the complete record of Clare’s 2026 hurling campaign, with statistics, scorers, and what each result tells us about what is coming in the Munster Championship.

Clare’s results this season have made them one of the most backed teams in the Munster Championship betting market. Check the latest odds across all top licensed bookmakers here:

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Clare Hurling 2026 – Season Statistics
League title	Division 1B Champions
League Final	Clare 2-26 Dublin 3-20 (April 5, TUS Gaelic Grounds)
Total goals scored (league)	8
Total points scored (league)	83
Goals conceded	2
Different scorers vs Down	12
Debutants used	6
Top scorer	Mark Rodgers – 1-50
League Final hero	Diarmaid Ryan – 3 decisive points
Goalkeeper clean sheets	Éibhear Quilligan – 3

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The League Final – Clare 2-26 Dublin 3-20

Clare’s win over Dublin in the League Final was not a comfortable afternoon. Dublin pushed the Banner hard across 70 minutes, and at various points in the second half the deficit was inside three points. What settled the game was Diarmaid Ryan’s three decisive scores in the closing stages – a contribution from a wing-back that exemplified everything Brian Lohan has built in terms of total team contribution and players performing beyond their positional remit.

Diarmaid Ryan’s emergence as a scoring threat from the half-back line has been one of the tactical developments of the 2026 league campaign. His ability to carry from deep, arrive late into scoring positions, and execute under pressure adds a dimension to Clare’s attack that is difficult to plan against because it comes from an unexpected direction.

Shane Meehan’s goal at a critical moment in the final gave Clare the cushion they needed to see the game out. Quilligan in goal was composed throughout, and his season record of three clean sheets in the league puts him firmly in contention for goalkeeper of the year recognition.

The “8-83” Campaign

The statistic that defines Clare’s league campaign – 8 goals and 83 points scored, just 2 goals conceded – tells the story of a team that has solved the attacking efficiency problem that plagued them at various points in recent seasons. Twelve different scorers in the win over Down is the number that most impresses opposition analysts, because it means there is no single defensive solution to stopping Clare. You stop Duggan and Rodgers scores. You stop Rodgers and Kelly scores. You stop Kelly and Ryan arrives from the back line.

The 2 goals conceded figure is equally significant. Quilligan and the Clare full-back line have given Lohan a defensive foundation that makes Clare extremely difficult to beat even on days when the forwards are not at their most fluent.