ECHOES of last June's epic Munster championship match between Limerick and Clare can be found in Sunday's club meeting - also at the provincial semifinal stage - which throws together the counties' respective champions, Patrickswell and Wolfe Tones of Shannon.

The Clare club's first senior, county championship has helped - dilute the disappointment of losing both Munster and All Ireland titles for Wolfe Tones's best known inter county performers, the Lohan brothers, Frank and Brian.

Frank, the younger brother, has had a particularly eventful year. In March, he captained UCC to the Fitzgibbon Cup and has since added - with Brian - county medals in hurling and football (intermediate). He also impressed when coming on for the Clare footballers in their replayed semifinal against Cork to the ironic extent that UCC drafted him in for their Cork county championship campaign.

Although he hadn't trained with the college's footballers all year, Frank Lohan was used in the matches when UCC's Kerry contingent was missing. He made an appearance in the surprising final defeat by Clonakilty, but in the eyes of most, was brought into the fray a bit too late and missed out on the chance of a Cork medal to complement the year's haul.

Wing back on the Wolfe Tones team, he is now chasing the year's final honour - a Munster club medal. Opposition on Sunday comes courtesy of Limerick's most successful club in recent times, Patrickswell. Famous for the exploits of Ciaran Carey and Gary Kirby, they beat Adare only last weekend in a replayed county final.

Although it is Wolfe Tones's first season in the Munster championship, the team - managed by Alan Cunningham - has been boming into view for a while. Senior since the mid 1980s, the club has also been laying impressive foundations at under age level.

"It was our first senior and first year in the final, but we all had success at under age level and the club won three Feile in a row," says Lohan. "Most of the guys had won medals all the way up, but it took us a while to get it, together at senior.

"It's been a good year already, but having said that, who knows when we're going to win again in Clare so we're taking it seriously. There's been a good break since the county final and we've had plenty of time to focus on it. Everyone's looking forward to it. It'll be a great day for the club. The attendance at the county final was the best in a while and that was, mostly down to Shannon.

Beating Clarecastle in the county final was a slight surprise but the team has a solid defence with the Lohans and Sean Power in good form. So well supplied is the club at the back that Paul Lee, full back on the Clare minors that won the 1989 Munster title, has moved up front - as did Lohan himself during the first round victory over Kerry champions Ballyheigue.

Wolfe Tones will have home advantage as their ground has been passed for a capacity of 9,000 by the Munster Council. Patrickswell may be only a few miles away, but Lohan isn't particularly familiar with them. "I don't think we've played them in a challenge for a while, but they're very close to us. There's no point worrying about the other team.

At the start of the year, the Fitzgibbon was a brilliant success and I was delighted with that, but then I went out (of the championship) with the county. Winning with the club made a big difference after that the enjoyment and the thrill is just as great."