Darran O’Sullivan of Kerry in action against Martin Mc Mahon and Gordon Kelly of Clare during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
MUNSTER champions Kerry cruised into a provincial final meeting with Tipperary following a very comprehensive defeat of Clare in Killarney on Sunday. The four in a row chasing Eamon Fitzmaurice managed Kerry men finished with 13 players following an injury to Killian Young and a black card for Michael Geaney but it made no difference. They had made six substitutions when Young got injured and couldn’t replace him or the black carded Geaney.
Mick Bohan, Clare coach with his charges before their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
A minutes silence for the late Tom Downes before their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Cathal O Connor of Clare in action against Paul Geaney and Kieran Donaghy of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Jamie Malone of Clare in action against Tadhg Morley of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Mick Bohan, Clare coach, and Sean O Meara, physio treat Keelan Sexton of Clare for an injury during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Keelan Sexton scored Clare’s goal against Fermanagh. Photograph by John Kelly.
David Tubridy of Clare in action against Shane Enright of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Donnchadh Walsh of Kerry in action against Sean Collins of Clare during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Martin Mc Mahon of Clare in action against Paul Geaney of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Dean Ryan of Clare in action against Paul Geaney, Stephen O’Brien and Paul Murphy of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Gary Brennan of Clare in action against Kieran Donaghy of Kerry during their Munster championship game. Photograph by John Kelly.
Jamie Malone of Clare in action against Tadhg Morley of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Shane Mc Grath of Clare in action against Paul Murphy of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Martin Mc Mahon of Clare in action against Paul Geaney of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Sean Collins of Clare in action against Darran O’Sullivan of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Dean Ryan of Clare in action against Paul Geaney of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Cathal O Connor of Clare in action against Paul Geaney of Kerry. Photograph by John Kelly.
David Tubridy of Clare in action against Colm Cooper of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Podge Collins of Clare in action against Brian Ó Beaglaoich of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Dean Ryan of Clare in action against Stephen O’Brien of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Darran O’Sullivan of Kerry in action against Martin Mc Mahon and Gordon Kelly of Clare during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Eoin Cleary of Clare in action against Kieran Donaghy of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Cathal O Connor of Clare in action against Darran O’Sullivan of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Podge Collins of Clare gets treatment in the dugout. during their Munster championship game against Kerry at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
David O Brien, Clare Selector, Colm Collins, Clare manager and Mick Bohan, Clare coach on the sideline during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Keelan Sexton of Clare in action against Killian Young and Peter Crowley of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Killian Young of Kerry in action against Keelan Sexton of Clare during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Pearse Lillis of Clare in action against Bryan Sheehan of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Jamie Malone of Clare in action against Bryan Sheehan of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Pat Burke of Clare in action against Marc Ó Sé of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Cathal O Connor of Clare in action against Kieran Donaghy of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Gary Brennan of Clare in action against Kieran Donaghy of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Pearse Lillis of Clare in action against Jonathan Lyne of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Martin Mc Mahon of Clare in action against Barry John Keane of Kerry during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
X in action against X during their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Shane Enright of Kerry comiserates with Martin Mc Mahon, Eoin Cleary and Pat Burke of Clare in action against X following their Munster championship game at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
A dissapointed Pearse Lillis of Clare following their Munster championship game against Kerry at Killarney. Photograph by John Kelly.
Gary Brennan of Clondegad surrounded by fans after Clare’s Munster championship game against Kerry at Killarney . Photograph by John Kelly.
Clare, who trailed 2-10 to 0-9 at half-time, were hit by a savage blow as the game ticked into its second minute when a Colm Cooper shot for a point drifted over the head of Joe Hayes and full back Kevin Harnett. Within five minutes Kerry corner forward Stephen O’Brien, who scored 1-4 in the opening half, put away his goal after Bryan Sheehan won a contest for a Clare kick out with Gary Brennan. Paul Murphy made a support run and O’Brien finished the home teams second goal. Martin McMahon was in trouble on O’Brien from the opening minutes although he wasn’t offered much protection as Clare did not employ a permanent sweeper.
Clare looked very tentative at times in the opening half. However they did put together some nice moves with Gary Brennan, Cathal O’Connor and Podge Collins pointing impressively.
Unfortunately Podge Collins was black carded in the 27th minute for tripping Tadhg Morley. Collins had been Clare’s most threatening forward up to that point and had the beating of Kerry debutante Brian O’Beaglaoich. It could have been worse for Clare at the interval as only a last ditch Gordon Kelly tackle in the 26th minute denied Darran O’Sullivan a goal chance.
Kerry outscored Clare 0-13 to 0-8 in the second half and while they kicked some good scores, Clare never got close to threatening to pull within distance of their opponents.
One bright spot for Clare was the second half display of Pearse Lillis who kicked 0-3 from play. He had been introduced as a replacement for Podge Collins late in the first half.
Clare lost Gordon Kelly to a black card late in the second half but at that stage the game was well over. Clare now have no option but to prepare for the All-Ireland qualifiers in the hope that they can significantly up their performance levels. Kerry will play Tipperary in the 2016 Munster final.
Clare: Joe Hayes (Lissycasey); Dean Ryan (Éire Óg), Kevin Harnett (Meelick), Martin McMahon (Kilmurry Ibrickane); Seán Collins (Cratloe), Gordon Kelly (St Joseph’s, Miltown), Cian O’Dea (Kilfenora); Gary Brennan (Clondegad-captain), Cathal O’Connor (Coolmeen); Eoin Cleary ((Miltown), Jamie Malone (Corofin), Shane McGrath (Thomas Davis); Keelan Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane), David Tubridy (Doonbeg), Podge Collins (Cratloe).
Subs: Pearse Lillis (Cooraclare) for Podge Collins (28 BC), Pat Burke (Kilmacud Crokes) for Shane McGrath (45), Shane Hickey (Kilmurry Ibrickane) for Seán Collins (52), Seánie Malone (Miltown) for Cian O’Dea (61), Declan McMahon (Cooraclare) for Gordon Kelly (66 BC).
Kerry: Brian Kelly; Shane Enright, Mark Griffin, Killian Young; Brian O’Beaglaoich, Peter Crowley, Tadhg Morley; Kieran Donaghy, Bryan Sheehan (captain); Paul Murphy, Colm Cooper, Donnachadh Walsh; Darren O’Sullivan, Paul Geaney, Stephen O’Brien.
Subs: Marc O’Shea for Tadgh Morley (47), David Moran for Bryan Sheehan (49), Jonathan Lyne for Brian O’Beaglaoich (52), Barry John Keane for Darran O’Sullivan (54), Michael Geaney for Donnachadh Walsh (57), Anthony Maher for Kieran Donaghy (64).
Scorers: Stephen O’Brien (1-5), Colm Cooper (1-3, 0-1f), Paul Geaney (0-5, 0-1f), Barry John Keane, Darran O’Sullivan (0-2 each), Bryan Sheehan (0-2f), Paul Murphy, David Moran, Killian Young, Anthony Maher (0-1 each).
Black Card: Michael Geaney.
Yellow cards: Donnchadh Walsh, Paul Murphy, Jonathan Lyne. Barry John Keane.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.
