Gabriel Clarke will be a reluctant spectator when Down face Carlow in tomorrow’s Christy Ring final in Croke Park.

Only rarely do Down hurlers get an opportunity to sample the delights of the GAA’s premier stadium.

But the 27-year-old Ballygalget clubman suffered a compound fracture of his leg in the Ulster senior hurling championship semi-final against Derry four weeks ago in Casement Park.

He will be on crutches for another two or three months and then it will be hours of physio as he sets about the long haul back.

He’s blessed with a very positive nature and a lively sense of humour that will serve him well in the long days ahead.

He can can even manage to take some positives from that fateful afternoon at Casement Park.

“It was bad, but it could have been far worse had it happened in north Antrim or somewhere that would have required an hour or more to get to hospital.

“All I can recall about the incident was having my eye locked on the ball.

“Next thing there was a collision and I found myself hitting the

ground. From what people told me I somehow spun around in the air. It’s not the kind of injury you expect to get in hurling,” he said.

Hurling runs in the Clarke family — brother Stephen is in the Down squad for tomorrow’s big match while keeper Graham and Eoin are both cousins.

Injury or no injury Gabriel continues to lend his support. He was at the Ulster final when Down lost to Antrim and he’s managed to make it to training as well.

“I was lucky enough to have been involved in the last Christy Ring Cup when we lost to Westmeath.

“Hopefully we can go one better this time. We’ve managed to step up on last season once players realised they had to make a much bigger effort,” added Clarke, who works in IT with Eircom in Belfast.