Tony Griffin had only just landed in Halifax City in Nova Scotia last September when he found just what he was looking for. Citadel Hill was just half a mile from his house and it had that steep incline perfect for stamina training. It was certainly a lot higher than the infamous hill in Shannon and it had the added bonus at the summit of a panoramic view of the whole city, Halifax Harbour and the North Atlantic Ocean.

For three days every week, Griffin would leave his house in College Street, jog to the hill and then punish his muscles before they threatened to desert him. It was a lot easier before the snow began falling hard in early December, but a Tai Chi group used to practise their art at the base of the hill 365 days a year, so Griffin saw no reason to break his routine. He had to crawl the last 30 yards to the top on his hands and knees but it was ideal for cardiovascular conditioning.

When Griffin began studying for a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics in Dalhousie University last September, he couldn’t have imagined how bad the snow would get. After one snow storm last month, he opened the window of his room on the second floor and just stepped outside.

Sometimes the temperatures dropped as low as -40C, but the hardship didn’t sanction an amnesty from his commando training regime. His nature couldn’t accept that possible pardon because success in sport for Griffin is primarily based on the limits to which he can push himself and the degree to which potential is realised.

He could have studied in Ireland or England, but Dalhousie’s reputation as a hothouse for producing Olympians granted him a level of exposure to a range of professional sports that he couldn’t have attained on this side of the Atlantic. He has secured access to observe Bill Standish, one of the top knee surgeons in Canada, and he is also studying sports medicine, biomechanics and sports psychology. But outside of his course, he offered himself as a vessel to be filled with knowledge from the cutting edge.

He joined the track and field club in the college for the first six weeks to improve his explosive power. He does a specialised plyometrics session every Saturday morning and he spars three days a week with one of the best boxers in the college.

Along with his stamina training on Citadel Hill, he completes a core and strength work programme in the gym for three days of the week and he hurls in a squash court for three more days. It is easy to forget that he is studying for a degree.

“I often bring the hurley into lectures and I’m known as the Irish guy who goes around with the big stick,” says Griffin. “Guys are constantly coming up to me saying, ‘hey man, what are you doing with that stick?’ “Going away was very hard but it has really strengthened my resolve. It has given me a chance to reflect on things and I’ve become a lot more confident in myself. And I’ve never had such a hunger for the game as I have now.”

A new year brings renewed hope but the climb back up to the summit isn’t getting any easier for Clare. The instability of their form last season reflected the difficulties the team have had and their narrow League win over Laois last weekend highlighted the inconsistency that has dogged them.

Talk of winning All-Irelands is no longer the popular subject of debate it once was in the county, but Griffin has no problem discussing the prospect.

“I believe in the players that we have and I believe we can win the All-Ireland this year,” he says. “People will call me mad for saying that after last weekend but why am I training six days a week? Unless I thought we were going to win the All-Ireland, I wouldn’t be running around in snow.

“Sometimes we don’t believe in ourselves enough and we limit our targets. Why should we? We’re afraid to say it but I want the young players to know what I believe. There’s no point in all the other lads working hard as well if we didn’t think we were going to do it.”

It is in Griffin’s DNA to be positive and he will probably specialise in sports psychology when he finishes his three-year degree. His mentality doesn’t allow outside assessments about Clare to contaminate his belief system.