Tony Kelly at 32: Why Clare’s Captain Is Still the Best Hurler in the Country
In the 71st minute against Dublin on January 25, the game was level for the sixth time. Clare needed something special. Rory Hayes intercepted a Dublin sideline ball, delivered it over the top, and Tony Kelly did the rest — sidestepping the last defender and crashing the ball into the roof of the net. Game over. Clare 3-18, Dublin 1-22. Vintage Tony Kelly.
That moment — the composure, the timing, the pure nerve — is why Tony Kelly is still Clare’s most important hurler at 32. He’s the captain, the heartbeat, the player Brian Lohan trusts above all others when everything is on the line. And in 2026, as Clare push for promotion back to Division 1A and another crack at the Munster Championship, Kelly remains absolutely central to everything they do.
Tony Kelly Career Stats: Five All-Stars and Counting
The numbers behind Tony Kelly’s career are staggering.
Five All-Star awards (2013, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024) — more than any other Clare hurler in history. He surpassed legends like Seamus Durack, Anthony Daly, Davy Fitzgerald, and Seanie McMahon, who all had three.
Two All-Ireland medals (2013, 2024). He won the first at 19. He captained the second at 30. Eleven years apart. As Kelly himself said: “Some of us won when we were 18 or 19. Won nothing in our 20s. And we’re winning again now we’re in our 30s.”
Hurler of the Year 2013 — the youngest player ever to win the award at age 19. He also won Young Hurler of the Year the same year, the only player in history to hold both awards simultaneously.
By mid-2023, Kelly had made over 55 championship appearances for Clare, scoring 14 goals and over 310 points. His career average exceeds five points per championship game — and a significant chunk of those are from play, not frees.
He also teaches Business at St Flannan’s College in Ennis and coaches their senior hurling team. The man is as Clare as the Cliffs of Moher.
Tony Kelly 2026 League Form: 1-8 From Two Starts
Kelly’s 2026 has started exactly as you’d expect — delivering when it matters most.
Round 1 vs Dublin (Home, Jan 25): 1-3 The headline performance. Kelly started at midfield alongside Darragh Lohan and was involved throughout, but it was his injury-time goal that defined the game. With the scores level in the 71st minute, Kelly took on the Dublin defence and crashed home a goal that won the match. His three points were typical Kelly — taken from tight angles, under pressure, when lesser players would have played it safe. Clare won 3-18 to 1-22.
Round 2 vs Antrim (Away, Feb 1): 0-5 A different kind of performance. Kelly started at number 11 (centre-forward) and was in superb scoring form, landing five points. The Clare Echo described his late finishing as “terrific” — finding “tight-angled scores with ease” as Clare closed out a comfortable win at 2-30 to 1-19 in Cushendall.
Round 3 vs Down (Home, Feb 8): Rested With Clare already dominant and the game against Down a chance to blood newcomers, Lohan wisely rested Kelly. He was named as substitute number 20 and wasn’t introduced. The result? Clare won 3-35 to 0-15 with six debutants, twelve different scorers, and Tony Kelly preserved for the games that matter more.
Total 2026 league stats: 1-8 from 2 starts. Still delivering at the highest rate.
Tony Kelly’s Greatest Moments: A Timeline
2013 All-Ireland final vs Cork. Kelly scored 0-8 across the drawn game and replay. Just 19 years old. Won Hurler of the Year, Young Hurler of the Year, and All-Star. The start of something extraordinary.
2020 Munster Championship vs Limerick. Kelly scored 0-17 in a single championship game — one of the greatest individual scoring displays in hurling history. Clare lost 1-23 to 0-36 against the eventual All-Ireland champions, but Kelly’s performance was otherworldly. He followed it with 0-13 against Laois and 1-15 against Wexford.
2021 League vs Dublin. Kelly hit 0-20 (fifteen frees, one 65, four from play) to almost single-handedly beat Dublin 0-34 to 2-23 at Parnell Park. One of the great league performances.
2023 All-Ireland quarter-final vs Dublin. A hat-trick of goals as Clare destroyed Dublin. Three goals either side of half-time, Kelly finishing with 3-4. He was unplayable.
2024 All-Ireland final vs Cork. The crowning moment. Kelly scored 1-4 from play, including a goal that will be replayed forever — a solo run, a pirouette, and a shot that captured everything about his genius. He also scored a breathtaking point in injury time to put Clare ahead before the whistle. Man of the match. Five All-Stars secured. The greatest Clare hurler of all time confirmed.
What Brian Lohan Says About Tony Kelly
After the 2024 All-Ireland final, Brian Lohan summed it up perfectly: “When Tony is playing, there is a different dimension for us. When he’s there, there is always that threat, regardless of what position in the field he plays in, whether he is in the middle of the field, centre-forward or full-forward, there is that threat. And if a team ignores him, they will suffer.”
That quote tells you everything. Kelly’s presence changes the game before he even touches the ball. Opposition managers have to plan for him. Markers have to shadow him. And when they do, space opens for Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan, Shane Meehan, and the rest.
In 2026, Lohan has used Kelly at midfield against Dublin and at centre-forward against Antrim. That positional flexibility is rare. Most players of Kelly’s age are slowing down and being pushed into deeper or narrower roles. Kelly can still play anywhere in the forward line or at midfield and dominate.
Tony Kelly’s Role in Clare’s 2026 Championship Campaign
Here’s the reality. Clare are in Division 1B. They need to get promoted. But the real target is the Munster Championship, which starts in April. And for Clare to have any chance of reaching an All-Ireland semi-final, Tony Kelly needs to be at his best when it matters.
Lohan’s management of Kelly so far has been perfect. Start him in the tough games (Dublin, Antrim). Rest him in the easy ones (Down). Build his fitness gradually. Avoid injury.
Kelly’s workload will increase as the league progresses — games against Kildare, Carlow, and Wexford in the coming weeks will test Clare’s depth. But the championship is where Kelly’s value becomes truly irreplaceable.
In the Munster round-robin, Clare face Waterford, Limerick, Tipperary, and Cork. Every one of those games is a potential knockout blow. And in every one of those games, Clare need Tony Kelly starting, fit, and firing.
The challenge for Kelly at 32 is physical recovery. At 22, he could play Saturday and Tuesday without issue. At 32, every game takes more out of the body. Lohan knows this. Kelly knows this. The smart approach — which Clare seem to be taking — is to peak for championship rather than burn energy in the league.
Is Tony Kelly the Greatest Clare Hurler of All Time?
Wikipedia says he’s “widely regarded as the greatest Clare hurler of all time.” That’s quite a claim for a county that has produced Jamesie O’Connor, Séanie McMahon, Anthony Daly, Brian Lohan himself, and the great Jimmy Smyth.
But consider the evidence. Five All-Stars — more than any other Clare player. Two All-Ireland medals. Hurler of the Year. He captained Clare to the 2024 title, delivering one of the great All-Ireland final performances under the most intense pressure.
Kelly has also been absurdly consistent over a long career. He was scoring 0-17 in championship games in 2020, hitting hat-tricks in 2023, and still winning games with injury-time goals in 2026. Very few hurlers have maintained this level for this long.
The one thing missing is a Munster Championship medal — Clare haven’t won the province since 1998. If Kelly could lead Clare to a Munster title in 2026, his claim to the greatest Clare hurler ever would be beyond dispute.
How Long Can Tony Kelly Keep Going?
Kelly turns 33 in December 2026. He’s part of the group of veterans — alongside Shane O’Donnell, David McInerney, Peter Duggan, and John Conlon — who privately agreed to retire after 2025 before Clare’s poor season convinced them to come back.
O’Donnell has confirmed 2026 will be his last year. Kelly hasn’t said the same — at least not publicly. But the reality is that 32-33 is the twilight zone for most hurlers. Very few play at the highest level past 34.
Kelly’s fitness and desire will determine how long he continues. Right now, based on his 2026 form — a match-winning goal, five points from play in Cushendall, and the trust of his manager to be rested when others play — he looks like a man with plenty still to give.
Clare fans should enjoy every game. Every point from a ridiculous angle. Every solo run that leaves defenders grasping at air. Every moment of that Tony Kelly magic that has defined Clare hurling for over a decade.
Because when he’s gone, there won’t be another one.
