By John Harrington

Former Clare hurler James McInerney will do all in his power to stop Brendan Cummins winning a tenth M.Donnelly Poc Fada All-Ireland on July 30.

Ex-Tipperary custodian Cummins is the King of the Cooley mountains whereas McInerney is competing for the first time.

So the Newmarket man knows he has a big challenge on his hands to knock the crown from Cummins’ head.

“That's the thing. I wouldn't mind bringing it home to Clare. But being inexperienced on the mountain, I don't know. I'll be doing my best and hitting it hard," said McInerney.

“This is my first time up the mountain and I’m looking forward to it, it’s a serious challenge, a technical challenge, more of a marathon I hear than the Clare and the Munster Poc Fada – twice in the length. But I’m really looking forward to it.”

McInerney will definitely be an outsider to knock Cummins from his pedestal, but he showed good form in the Clare and Munster Finals to earn a shot at it.

“The Clare one was held in The Burren, a fabulous location there, really good, really challenging, you have to be fit and strong, it’s not about being able to hit it the furthest, it’s more technical because you have to size up everything and the terrain comes into play. It’s much better than hitting it down a field.

“The Clare one took me 17 shots and I only won by about 5 centimetres, and when we came to the Munster one, it was also held in the Burren and I won that by a full shot and that was 27 pocs, so it was longer again. I beat Aaron Shanagher from Limerick who won Munster last year and that was a good achievement for me.

“I was playing Clare for a good number of years and this year was the first time I had the full year off so I said, look, I’ve always wanted to do it because the competition always attracted me.

“I liked it and Christy Ryan, who promotes it, is from my own club and he said, ‘Look, sure give it a shot this year’. And I did, so here I am.”

McInerney hurled for Clare from 2005 to 2013 before his career was cut short by a chronic disc-injury in his back so he will watch Sunday’s All-Ireland Quarter-Final against Galway from the stands.

He was coached by Davy Fitzgerald with LIT as well as with Clare, and he believes the Clare players will want to produce a big performance for his former mentor after Fitzgerald underwent minor heart surgery this week.

“I suppose Clare is number one to Davy, his health comes second! Maybe it might spur them on if he's not in the best of health. He mightn't be on the line, I don't know. But it should help them to drive it on and make sure they get the best result possible for Clare and for themselves.”

McInerney hurled in LIT with Galway’s Joe Canning and knows the Portumna man’s skill-set represents a huge threat to Clare’s hopes of qualifying for an All-Ireland semi-final.

“His physical strength, his overall talent, his handling, his striking. Pick out a pass, a hand pass, his overall peripheral vision. He has everything,” said McInerney.

“It's maximum concentration as a defender. Anyone marking him has a tough job. You just can't give him an inch. I played with him a lot, LIT Fitzgibbon. Marked him a bit, marked him a bit in training. Always hard, always have to watch him, can't give him an inch.

“He'll be marking Cian Dillon I suppose at the weekend again. Tough challenge, we'll be hoping to keep him quiet.”