On the weekend when neighbours Limerick and Clare were due to meet in the Munster senior hurling championship, John Duggan looks back on their 1990s rivalry with Jamesie O'Connor and Joe Quaid.

Despite the increased competitiveness in the Leinster championship in recent years, Limerick's Joe Quaid believes that there's nothing like Munster hurling:

"Look, there's a huge bias that we have, probably for the Munster championship down here and I know it doesn't go down well in Leinster, but I think Jamsie you'll agree that going out on Munster championship day, there's nothing like it.

13 April 1997; Joe Quaid of Limerick during the National Hurling League Division 1 match between Limerick v Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

"The buzz, the excitement, it's almost like playing with your club, in a county final. You have everyone behind you, you know an awful lot of the supporters, you know the players personally.

"There is nothing better than it. Until the day I die, I'll never forget my debut against Cork in 94 - and John it wasn't always sunny, it was pissing rain that day," the former-goalkeeper told OTB's John Duggan.

6 May 2001; James ' Jamesie ' O'Connor, Clare. Hurling. Picture credit; Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE

Jamesie O'Connor added that the 1990's straight-knockout format only added to those occasions.

However, with the sides playing in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 - but never clashing again during his career, O'Connor believes that the new round-robin format which ensures more meetings between local rivals has been a welcome change.

Quaid believes that the threat of an early exit pushed his side to secure victories, where he thinks they may have been beaten if the prospect of being knocked out was not hanging over them.

16 June 1996; Brian Lohan of Clare in action against Owen O'Neill of Limerick during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Limerick and Clare at Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by David Maher/Sportsfile

He highlights their win against Clare in 1996 as one of those games, and admits that at one point when they were trailing he found himself, "looking up at the stand going, 'Where am I going on holiday?'"

10 July 1994; Damien Quigley, Limerick, in action against Anthony Daly, Clare. Munster Senior Hurling Final, Limerick v Clare, Semple Stadium, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Picture credit: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE

Joe Quid also remembers a rousing halftime speech when they met Tipp in the Munster final. After a speech from Ciarán Carey at halftime, they managed to pull off a dramatic comeback:

"They [Tipperary] said it was like facing into Béal na Bláth - it was an ambush!" he reflects.

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