Cork boss Jimmy Barry Murphy has praised Clare counterpart Davy Fitzgerald ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final when they will lock horns at Croke Park.

Clare were beaten by Cork in the Munster championship earlier this summer but the Rebels boss has nothing bur praise for his opposite number.

Barry Murphy said, “I have great time for Davy, he’s very passionate. You need characters in the game. The way he produced his team against Limerick was testament to his skills as a coach.

“Clare’s performance that day was phenomenal and tactically they were superb. You could not but be impressed.”

Cork went on to lose the Munster final to Limerick after their Clare win, but Barry Murphy says the subsequent win over Kilkenny in the quarterfinals will stand to his team on Sunday.

He added, “After the loss to Limerick, beating Kilkenny was a big feather in our cap. They are a super side, perhaps the greatest of all time. All round they have hurlers of great stature. Their massive reputation is well deserved.

“For us to beat them was important; to get over that psychological barrier gave the team so much confidence. You could see a spring in our step after that game and it helped us in our preparation for Dublin.”