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Munster Senior Club Football Championship Quarter-Final
Éire Óg v Adare at Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 1.15pm (Conor Lane, Cork)
It’s 37 years since a Limerick club knocked out Clare’s representatives on Banner soil in the Munster Senior Club Football Championship. Indeed, aside from Dromcollogher/Broadford 2008 final victory over Kilmurry Ibrickane in the Gaelic Grounds, that was the sole defeat between the counties in ten clashes either side of the Shannonside divide.
More pertinently for Éire Óg, their Munster Senior Club Championship debut came against the Limerick champions in Cusack Park when now selector Peter Cosgrove captained the Townies to a maiden 1-5 to 0-7 win over Fr. Casey’s.
That would be their sole provincial success until Paul Madden’s new wave in 2021 that has seen the Ennis side dominate the county football landscape with three titles in four years, only one defeat in 21 championship matches and the concession of just three goals in that time.
Opening Munster Championship victories over Loughmore-Castleiney (Tipperary) and The Nire (Waterford) in their last two provincial adventures provide timely assurance that they can maintain that flawless Cusack Park record for a third time on Sunday as it has been away from Ennis that Éire Óg have suffered with defeats to St Finbarr’s and a much more regretful minimum reverse to Kerins O’Rahilly’s two years ago.
Exorcising those ghosts against the big two of Cork and Kerry will have to wait until at least the final though as Éire Óg couldn’t have asked for a more favourable path to a first ever Munster Senior decider.
If by the above introduction, you’re fearing some Éire Óg complacency, don’t, as having prematurely exited last year’s county championship at the semi-final hurdle to Cratloe after penalties, they have been more Uber-wary, respectful and indeed clinical than ever before.
And they do need to be cautious as Adare are a vastly experienced team that have contested seven of the last eight Limerick finals, winning four of them in 2017, ’18, ’20 and ’24.
Having been on the sharp end of three successive county final defeats to Newcastle West who contested the 2022 Munster Final against O’Rahilly’s, Adare won’t lack motivation either as they seek a first ever provincial victory.
Nine of their team have been on the Limerick senior panel over the past two years, with goalkeeper Jeffrey Alfred joined in the rearguard by Shane Doherty, David Connolly and Davey Lyons.
Paul Maher and Joe Sweeney are their key ball-winning midfielders while up front, Shane Costello is accompanied by the experienced Bourke brothers Robbie and Hugh who take up the crucial spinal positions.
Éire Óg effectively have an inter-county team of their own however, with their protagonists’ versatility a pivotal part of their success. Making top for lost time is a priority but having been widely told that they are Munster club winning material over the past few years, they do have a point to prove in the province.
Not necessarily to others but themselves as with only Kilmurry Ibrickane and Doonbeg doing so before, in order to be considered a great team, they need to lift the famed O’Connor Cup.
Verdict: Éire Óg
Éire Óg’s Munster Senior Club Championship record
(Played 7, Won 3, Lost 4)
2000 Quarter-Final – Éire Óg 1-5 Fr. Casey’s 0-7 at Cusack Park, Ennis
2000 Semi-Final – Nemo Rangers (Cork) 2-10 Éire Óg 0-05 at Cusack Park, Ennis
2006 Quarter-Final – Nemo Rangers (Cork) 1-9 Éire Óg 0-03 at Páirc Ui Chaoimh, Cork
2021 Quarter-Final – Éire Óg 2-11 Loughmore-Castleiney (Tipperary) 0-12 AET at Cusack Park, Ennis
2021 Semi-Final – St Finbarr’s (Cork) 2-14 Éire Óg 0-12 at Páirc Ui Rinn, Cork
2022 Quarter-Final – Éire Óg 3-11 The Nire (Waterford) 0-05 at Cusack Park, Ennis
2022 Semi-Final – Kerins O’Rahilly’s (Kerry) 1-9 Éire Óg 1-8 at Austin Stack Park, Tralee
