Championship silverware up for grabs

Junior B Football Championship Final
Parteen v Kilrush Shamrocks at Éire Óg, Sunday 3pm

Jilted at the penultimate stage of last year’s championship, both Parteen and Kilrush will be determined to make the most of their opportunity for some much-needed championship silverware in Ennis on Saturday.
Amidst contrasting stages of development, it’s an intriguing final pairing as Parteen have had to start from scratch in order to rebuild their footballing wing from the bottom up, with several years of underage development finally coming to fruition at adult level in what is only their third season back in the Junior ranks.
The experience of Eanna Mulvihill and former Michael Cusack’s talisman Colm Davoren are crucial to what is very much a youthful side that includes current Clare Under 20 hurler Jack Kirwan, Gavin Higgins, Tom Egan, Eoghan O’Connell and the lively Ewan O’Brien.
2019 was also a significant year for Kilrush who lost their long-held Junior A status, with the Shams’ second string centred around senior experience, led by captain Steven Sweeney, Padjo McGrath, Con Prendeville, Neil Cullinane along with the injection of youth such as Cathal McMahon and Ewan Kelly.
Remarkably, the last time Kilrush contested a Junior B decider was back in 1993 when they also faced East Clare opposition in Scariff who actually prevailed over the Shams in Roslevan. Ironically, Kilrush native Joe Meaney who played in that final is now one of the key drivers of Parteen’s underage revolution, with that appetite to make a historic breakthrough a considerable factor for Sunday’s showdown.
Verdict: Parteen