It was so long ago that it pre-dates when Canon Michael Hamilton donated a cup in his own name for Clare senior hurlers to fight over as a parting gift when leaving the county for parishes new in Tipperary in the mid-1950s.

This talk of the 1946 county final revisited between that part of hurling folklore in the Sliabh Aughty Mountains and still talked about gathered even more momentum the Monday after the quarter-finals when both sides were kept apart in the draw.

It would be 1946 all over again, with Feakle looking to finally gain revenge on a Scariff team that, they say, only brought an end to their glorious run of five titles in just over a decade because Fr Tim Tuohy, Fr Kevin Hogan, and Flan Purcell were missing from the team.

This weekend, however, both Clonlara and Crusheen will be out to pen a different county final line-up, and when it comes to county final pedigrees they have much better recent histories.

Crusheen are the most recent champions left standing, having won back-to-back titles in 2010 and ’11 with Michael Browne as manager. Browne is back at the helm, with Galway All-Ireland winner Aidan Harte as coach, while they’re still backboned by players like All-Ireland winners Donal Tuohy and Cian Dillon, as well as former Clare captain Gerry O’Grady, Jamie Fitzgibbon, Conor O’Donnell, and Fergus Kennedy, who shared in those triumphs.

These stalwarts, supplemented with young guns like Breffni Horner, who has hit 2-18 in a four-game run to the penultimate stage, Eanna McMahon, Tadhg Dean, and Ross Hayes will make them a tough nut to crack for a Scariff side that just 12 months ago contested a relegation decider.

They won that game against Smith O’Briens from Killaloe because Mark Rodgers, whose late grandfather Mickey was a stalwart of the last Scariff side to win the championship 70 years ago, hit a remarkable 4-12 over the hour.

This year the Young Hurler of the Year nominee is even better and if Sacriff are to bridge a 28-year gap by reaching their first county final since 1995, he’ll be the man to do most to carry them there.

He has been the stand-out player in the entire campaign, proving unmarkable as the side coached by former Clare senior manager Dónal Moloney has soared to new heights.

His scoring stats have wowed crowds and brought supporters through the turnstiles — he has 5-48 to his name so far, while his tally of 3-12 in an epic quarter-final win over Kilmaley was the best so far as Scariff started dreaming of that marquee final against their neighbours.

Put simply, to reach a first county final since 2014 Crusheen need to do what every other defence hasn’t managed this year — it’s a very tall order, and could prove impossible after 60 minutes in which Rodgers will be looking for help from other scorers like Patrick Ryan and Patrick Crotty to get them walking behind the band on the big day.

Feakle have just as big an assignment against Clonlara after the South East Clare side’s statement performance in the quarter-final when John Conlon’s heroic display at centre-forward carried them to a three-point win over last year’s defeated finalists Éire Óg.

Clonlara last won the title in 2008 when Conlon was again the driving force in helping them bridge an 89-year gap, but since then, despite being talked about as potential champions, they flattered to deceive in losing finals in 2009, ’15, and ’16.

They look different this year, however, with the experience provided by Conlon, the Galvin brothers Colm and Ian, as well as younger players like Dylan McMahon, Aidan Moriarty, and Colm O’Meara proving very potent.

Feakle have a similar mix, however, with Adam Hogan and Eibhear Quilligan being their county stalwarts, while other quality players like Shane McGrath and Con Smith, as well as Óisín and Fiachra Donnellan, sons of the club’s last winning captain Val in 1988, means they won’t be lacking in confidence or belief.

Clare SHC semi-finals 

Crusheen v Scariff - Cusack Park, Saturday, 4pm 

Clonlara v Feakle - Cusack Park, Sunday, 1pm