Tuohy, who has been on the Clare panel since 2009, said that the recent Aer Lingus Fenway Hurling Classic helped focus their minds on the new season.

“It was the start of the season for us last year when we won it and again this year we saw it as the sort of line in the sand.

“As far as we were concerned 2018 was over and done with and there was no point dwelling on it anymore and that we needed to concentrate on next season.” Clare did not retain their title in Boston last month but used the occasion to set targets for 2019 and the Crushee clubman said that the one thing they learned from the new championship format this year was the need for a big squad.

“There are a few tweaks to the format for next summer but the fact remains that you are going to be playing a lot of games in a short length of time and you need a squad for that.

“Even without injuries, the demands of those games takes a big toll and that’s why the league is much more important now. That’s the only chance you get to build a squad.”

Clare will open their league campaign away to Tipperary in less than five weeks and Tuohy, an All-Ireland winner in 2013, said they are looking forward to new season.

They have put the heartbreak of their All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway behind them and with Moloney and O’Connor in charge again, Tuohy believes they will go into 2019 in good shape.

“It’s great the lads stayed on, we didn’t expect it to be any other way and we know we can build on a lot of what we did last year.

“Nobody needs to be reminded just how close games were last year and it won’t be any different this season. It will come down to one or two things either going for you or against you.

“You just have to prepare as best you can and hope you get those breaks,” said Tuohy, who works as a financial advisor with Dell Ireland in Dublin and Limerick,” he said.