BOOM TIME. The traffic tailed back so far out of Ennis that it was hard to believe that we have only reached the third round of the league. Victims of hurling's rising popularity were catered for with a twelve minute postponement of the throw in as stewards shoehorned fans into the main stand. Inside Cusack Park, Clare and Offaly produced a drama which just about met with expectations.

Clare find themselves sharing tenancy at the top of the table with a Limerick side with whom they divided the points just over a week ago. Offaly find themselves supplanted and John McIntyre will take his team's change of status as a chance to illustrate to them how far they have yet to come. There is greater distance between these sides now then when they met in the All Ireland final two years ago.

Offaly hurled gamely yesterday, particularly in the second half when they got themselves stoked up, but Clare always had something in hand. For long periods it looked as if everything which Offaly held in their repertoire was easily stored in Clare's.

Much Offaly attention for instance cent red on the performance of young Ger Oakley at centre field. For two thirds of the time Oakley coped with the confidence we would expect of any young fella who takes the field with a bright yellow helmet and a ponytail, but for those periods when the game hurtled along at breakneck pace he was anonymous.

During those periods when the game touched upon championship intensity it was the Clare defence which coped most gracefully.

Sean McMahon had a towering game. Brian Lohan was superb, one 30 yard dash, catch and clearance prompting a huge spontaneous roar from the 15,500 crowd. Around McMahon and Lohan everyone knew their job.

Clare took an early lead, putting daylight between the sides with points from McMahon, Murphy and Clancy. There is a confidence and resolution to Clare's play this spring which suggests that they will be tough to beat in the dog days of summer.

Not just that but they have options too. Having opted for the muscle and height of Ronan O'Hara and Ollie Baker at midfield against Limerick last week, they switched tack entirely and placed David Forde and Jamesie O'Connor in the middle yesterday.

Forde only lasted twelve minutes before retiring with a couple of smashed teeth but his replacement, Colin Lynch, enjoyed a splendid game scoring three points.

Even with three points to his credit however Lynch's contribution was over shadowed by that of O'Connor who buzzed like a bee around the middle third of the field, his speed and touch keeping him ahead of Johnny Pilkington. O'Connor won't be left standing when big men come stampeding through the middle but the amount of possession he wins and the quality of ball he supplies make him a huge asset.

Yesterday, not suprisingly given the company they were keeping, the Clare half forward line had a quiet afternoon. The quality of play elsewhere meant that it was scarcely noticeable.

Clare picked the scores steadily through the first half. Barry Murphy justified his recall with good involvement and Lynch found plenty of space in midfield to make his presence felt.

Clare led by 0-8 to 0-3 at the break. By then Offaly had tried switching big Daithi Regan into full forward and pulling John Troy out to be the pivot of the attack. The move paid some dividend immediately on the resumption when Regan latched onto a loose ball from the throw-in and took his point confidently.

If Offaly could have taken their momentum from that score they might have made more of a game of it. Clare got the next two scores however, the first a point from a MacMahon free, the second a goal from a beautifully constructed move.

Colin Lynch picked up a loose ball in midfield and drove it forward. Conor Clancy gained possession and flicked on to Barry Murphy who, in a return to the form he was showing eighteen months or so ago, scored the goal at his second attempt having been hooked from behind on his first swing.

Offaly replied instantly, Hughes' puck out squirting past Regan and into the path of Sean Og Farrell who pulled to the net leaving five points between the sides once more.

A slightly unnerved Clare side battened down the hatches not long afterwards. Offaly added two more points, one from Troy the other from a Johnny Dooley free, and Gary Hanniffy had a goal chance blocked down. The final 15 minutes however had a certain finality about them.

Clare continued to dominate in midfield and what got past there was swept up majestically by their half back line. Reward for their perseverance came on 51 minutes when a ball swung over from the left by Fergal Hegarty flew past a line of flailing hurleys and reached the claw of Conor Clancy who finished to the net.

Lynch added the grace note for an eight point margin which just about reflected the difference between the sides.

Clare must have been tempted to put their clocks forward a little more than an hour on Sunday morning. Playing with such swagger and confidence about their hurling, the summer can't come quickly enough for them.