DAVE CLARKE, just like every young lad who has ever held a hurley, has a dream. It swims around in his head, constantly. "I want to win a Celtic Cross, to hold it in my hand," he says. Only then, as far as Clarke is concerned, will he experience real fulfilment.
Two years ago, Clarke - in much the same manner as his fellow wing back Mark Foley has performed this season - was a revelation on one hurling field after another. Magnificent. His deeds merited an All Star award pocketed on a winter's night when his contemporary Brian Whelehan, of Offaly, was cold shouldered. But even that coveted statuette was small consolation. Clarke's sights were set higher.
"There is just one All Ireland medal in Kilmallock, Mossie Downey's. I've never even seen it would you believe, it's probably locked away in a safe somewhere. But I want to win one, badly, and so do the other lads. Hopefully after Sunday, there'll be four of them in the town," says Clarke.
Clarke, Mike Houlihan and substitute Padraig Tobin represent the Kilmallock contingent in Limerick's quest to reclaim the Liam McCarthy Cup. Sunday's showdown with Wexford presents Clarke and company with a chance to accomplish their sporting goal. Two years late.
"The memories of 1994 (when they were beaten in the All Ireland final by Offaly's extraordinary late scoring burst) are still with us, something, that's in the bank for us. We might not have won the All Ireland then, but the whole campaign was a good experience," recalls Clarke. "Wexford will be tough opponents, though. They have also reached the final the hard way."
The hard way. There were times when Clarke - like some of his fellow countymen - thought they were gone, that the 1996 version of the dream had faded away. "We got out of jail a few times and, at this stage, we have used up all of our `jail cards'," he says.
What a Munster campaign Cork, Clare, Tipperary. All stood in Limerick's way and, apart from Cork, presented them with more hairy moments than even James Bond encounters on a mission. "Cork hadn't been beaten in Pairc Ui Chaoimh for so long that it gave us a tremendous incentive," admits Clarke. "That was probably our best performance of the championship."
The other matches were so different. "We've had close games, needing a bit of Lady Luck at times but, also, this is a team that doesn't want to die. There is plenty of heart, spirit.
"With five or 10 minutes to go against Clare, I thought it was all over. Then, they pocked the ball out to Ciaran Carey - the one man you would never puck the ball out to and he scored that fantastic point." A glint comes into Clarke's eyes. Happy recollections.
Then Tipperary. Again, Limerick's hopes appeared to have sunk beyond the point of repair. "We were supposed to beat Tipperary in Limerick. Everyone said so. But they tore into us with all guns blazing and half time couldn't have come fast enough for us," he remembers. Limerick, 10 points down, couldn't wait to seek refuge in the dressingroom, deep in the bowels of the Mackey Stand. To regroup.
"The halftime break definitely turned things around for us. And, then, when we got back out on to the pitch, the way we brought them back by scoring points, not goals, was a further boost to our, confidence," remarks Clarke.
"Things were a bit ominous when we went two points down again but we survived. Thank God Nicky (English) wanted the glory points."
For the replay, in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Limerick's players and management were in the dressingroom, aware that Gary Kirby would play, when they heard the Public Address announcer start to call out the team. One by one. When he got to the number 11 position - filled on the programme by `duine eile' - they heard an almighty roar, greeting the words that Gary Kirby would fill the jersey.
"That roar made the hairs stand up on our necks, it gave us a great psychological boost," says Clarke. "We went at them from the word go, kept pegging away at them and, lucky enough, we got there at the finish."
After such an emotional roller coaster ride in the Munster championship, the All Ireland semi final encounter with Antrim was a no win situation. The job was to book a ticket to the final. "They wanted to stop us hurling and they stuck to their task very well, right to the end," he says. "Antrim never gave up trying and I respect them for that."
All summer long different Limerick players have come to the fore in different matches. Different heroes for the green and white army to salute.
The competition for places has been most obvious in the Limerick attack (with the same defence lining out throughout the entire championship), but Clarke says the chosen six are aware of other defenders "barking down our shirts".
"There are two or three lads as cover for the backs and we know they are just waiting for the break. Every defender knows he has to perform," he says.
Limerick's feats throughout the championship have brightened up - the Irish sporting summer. Is there one last chapter, to conclude the fairytale?
"It comes down to who is the hungriest. We are hungry. So are Wexford. We both believe we are going to win," says Clarke.
"We want to win for our supporters, for ourselves, for our families. For everybody. We have had since 1973 to think about winning an All Ireland and the whole county is behind us. We have all made sacrifices and our only reward is to get a Celtic Cross. That's what we are after."
