By Kevin Murphy

Public Relations expert Mark Dunphy has confirmed that he has been advising the Clare County Board and manager Davy Fitzgerald.

The Clare hurlers have been involved in a number of

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The county board confirmed that it had discussions with Dunphy following a statement he released on behalf of the team.

Manager Davy Fitzgerald came in for heavy criticism following the departures of Nicky O’Connell and Davy O’Halloran from the panel earlier in the year.

“Basically I was contacted by the chairman; it’s a matter for them as to why they brought me in. I’m a Clare GAA fan and it was all done in a voluntary capacity,” Dunphy told the Irish Independent.

Board chairman Michael McDonagh and county secretary Pat Fitzgerald confirmed the meeting took place but denied hiring the media expert on a professional basis.

Fitzgerald is the father of the Clare manager and revealed the context of the discussions with the communications expert: “We have not hired any PR expert”.

“We couldn’t afford anything like that. Not at all, he gave advice to some people on the board but we don’t have money for that sort of thing.”

Fitzgerald was involved in a tense interview with RTE’s reporter Clare McNamara following their narrow defeat to Limerick in the Munster Hurling Championship.