Finalists. Finally.

Clare produced a comeback for the ages as they beat Kilkenny at the third time of asking to reach their first All-Ireland SHC decider in 11 years.

The Cats led from the first to the 68th minutes in the sides' third semi-final meeting in as many years but couldn’t hold on against the men in blue, who were a shadow of themselves in the first half and superb in the second.

A terrific tennis-smash of a goal from Eoin Cody had put the Cats 1-10 to 0-08 up at half-time and it could have been more but for some heroics by Clare goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan.

Clare cut the deficit back to two before Quilligan was at fault for a Billy Ryan major but they rallied again, Eoin Murphy denying Aidan McCarthy what would have been an equalising goal midway through the half.

The Cats kept their noses in front until the 64th minute when Mark Rodgers equalised and the roars of the Clare fans made a half-full Croker sound like a packed Maracana when a McCarthy free edged them ahead with two to play.

TJ Reid had a chance to force extra-time with a 70th-minute free but it trailed wide and Tony Kelly added the insurance point with this third of the half.

Kilkenny’s desperate attempts to find a third goal were foiled and the Clare supporters danced with delight in the stands as they celebrated a first victory at Croke Park since their 2013 All-Ireland triumph.

Clare's Shane O'Donnell attempts to escape the clutches of Huw Lawlor

Kilkenny should have been more than five points ahead at the interval in a low-scoring, mostly low quality first half.

They were more aggressive and finding space from the start, TJ Reid winning and converting a free after just 12 seconds.

The first of Cian Kenny's two scores came after a TJ block and it was the sixth minute until McCarthy got Clare on the board as men in stripes swarmed all over everything between the 45s.

The Banner were thrice indebted to goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan, who made a double save to deny Kenny and then Adrian Mullen in the 10th minute. The best of the bunch then came after wing-back Mikey Carey was able to run clean through on goal from 50 metres.

Carey’s chance had come after a streak of three unanswered Kilkenny points from Kenny, captain Paddy Deegan and David Blanchfield, who claimed a long puck-out and fired it over after an exchange with John Donnelly.

Clare stuck at it and scores from McCarthy - one free and one from play after an incorrectly penalised hand-pass - and David Reidy meant they were only two down by the 21st minute, despite having been mostly outfought and outmanoeuvred.

Three minutes later though came Cody’s moment of genius. He took Adam Hogan on down the end-line but the corner-back looked to have defused the danger by forcing the Ballyhale man back into traffic. Surrounded by three Clare men and having already caught the ball once, Cody, who must have been watching Wimbledon, flicked it up in the air for himself and smashed the sliotar one-handed, tennis-style off the ground and past Quilligan.

Ryan quickly added another but Clare settled with a McCarthy free and inspirational score from David Fitzgerald after Diarmuid Ryan had blocked down and turned over Mullen, who was held scoreless today after 0-07 against Dublin.

Cody was fouled when bearing down on goal again and looked to have thrown away a certain point when he reacted by shoving Hogan but Billy Ryan came away with the ball following the throw-in and popped it over for a 1-10 to 0-08 half-time advantage.

Clare needed a fast restart and they got it, scoring three in a row through a McCarthy free, a brilliantly won long ball and conversion from Peter Duggan, and Shane O’Donnell’s sole point of the day.

The full-forward's peerless ability to win possession is worth so much more to his team though. He set up Fitzgerald for a second, after Carey got forward again to get on the scoresheet, but TJ had stretched the lead back to three from a sideline before disaster struck for Quilligan.

The Feakle man, who had been so good until that point, tried to control a shot that fell short on his hurl in the 47th minute and was pounced on by Cody, who forced the ball free for Ryan to smash to the net – 2-12 to to 0-12.

Clare could have been forgiven for feeling like it was 2023 all over again but there was still plenty of time left and they showed admirable composure in knocking over four of the next five points, including first scores for Tony Kelly – anonymous in the first half – and Rodgers.

David Reidy took his tally to three before TJ landed his only effort from play. Then came another huge save in the 53rd minute, Aidan McCarthy’s effort perhaps a little too close to such an accomplished shot-stopper as Murphy.

Clare were on top but still shooting themselves in the foot and it started to feel like Kilkenny had weathered the storm when Hogan was turned over for Donnelly to score his second and TJ nailed a 58th-minute free.

That put them 2-16 to 0-18 ahead but Derek Lyng’s men didn’t score again.

Duggan set up Kelly, now making his influence felt, as Clare started to turn the screw. Points from sub Ian Galvin, a McCarthy free and then Rodgers tied it up before the McCarthy, flawless all day after a shaky Munster final, put his side in front with a tricky free from right on the sideline.

TJ had dropped a couple of ambitious efforts from deep in his own half short but was presented with a golden opportunity with another free in the final minute of normal time.

Everybody expected the sport's all-time record scorer to to tie it up but Reid's attempt from 55 metres out, in front of the Hogan Stand, tailed wide to gasps as the clock ticked towards three additional minutes.

Clare worked it to Kelly to loft over the score from half-way that meant Kilkenny needed a goal but the lobbed balls in were dealt with and the majority of the 39,421 in the ground screamed with a mixture of joy and relief at the final whistle.

An 11-year drought at HQ ended and an All-Ireland final date booked against old friends Limerick or Cork.

Clare had only beaten Kilkenny once in nine championship meetings before today. That was the 1997 semi-final and things ended pretty well for Brian Lohan and his team that year. They’ll hope it’s an omen.

Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; David Blanchfield (0-01), Richie Reid, Mikey Carey (0-01); Cian Kenny (0-02), Paddy Deegan (0-01); Adrian Mullen, TJ Reid (0-07, 4f, 65, s-l), John Donnelly (0-02); Martin Keoghan, Billy Ryan (1-02), Eoin Cody (1-00).

Subs: Walter Walsh for Keoghan (57), Tom Phelan for Mullen (63), Conor Fogarty for Ryan (67).

Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney; David Fitzgerald (0-02), Cathal Malone; Tony Kelly (0-03), Mark Rodgers (0-02), Peter Duggan (0-01); Aidan McCarthy (0-11, 9f), Shane O'Donnell (0-01), David Reidy (0-03).

Subs: Ryan Taylor for Malone (49), Ian Galvin for Fitzgerald (56), Aron Shanagher for Reidy (60), Darragh Lohan for Duggan (73).