Football leagues start this weekend

LAST year’s Cusack Cup champions Kilmurry Ibrickane, will renew acquaintance with St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield on Friday at 7.30pm in Gurteen in round one of The Clare Champion Cusack Cup.
The clubs met in last year’s Cusack Cup final and in the 2011 and 2012 senior championship finals. Kilmurry Ibrickane have won all finals, including last year’s O’Gorman Cup decider.

 

Enda Coughlan, who has received a one-match ban for his red card against Tipperary last Sunday, will be available this weekend, along with his county colleagues Declan Callinan, Martin McMahon, Mark McCarthy, Peter O’Dwyer and Ian McInerney who is almost fit again having been absent with a hamstring injury.

Kilmurry have added Dermot Coughlan to their championship-winning management team, which is headed by John Kennedy. Doora-Barefield are managed again by Mark Rafferty, along with Kieran Kelleher, Michael O’Sullivan and Eugene Moynihan.

St Joseph’s have Stephen Collins and Cathal Duggan on the Clare senior panel, while Duggan and Paidí Nugent are part of the county U-21 squad. St Joseph’s defeated Lissycasey in their opening O’Gorman Cup game, while Kilmurry had a three point win over Cooraclare last Saturday evening. The champions should pick up an opening win in Gurteen.

Elsewhere, Doonbeg play Liscannor in Kilmihil on Sunday at 12 noon. It is a home fixture for Doonbeg, who now have Kieran O’Neill at the helm. They didn’t reach the knock-out stages of the Cusack Cup last year and were beaten by St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield in the county semi-final.

David Tubridy and Shane Ryan are the Doonbeg representatives on the county senior panel, while Eoin Conway is a member of the U-21 county panel. Liscannor were promoted from Garry Cup Division 2 last year and will yet again be back-boned by a group of exceptionally experienced footballers.
Doonbeg narrowly defeated Kilmihil in the O’Gorman Cup last Sunday, while Liscannor are not participating in the competition.

Doonbeg are narrowly tipped to win their first game under Kieran O’Neill, who was in charge of the St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield senior hurling team last year.

Lissycasey host St Joseph’s Miltown on Sunday, again at 12 on Sunday. Lissycasey were promoted from the Garry Cup, while 2012 was a disastrous year for Miltown, who were relegated to intermediate. Both clubs are under new management with Barry Donnelly now over Lissycasey, while David O’Brien is in charge of Miltown. He took charge of beaten intermediate finalists Kilmihil in 2012. Both managers will be very keen to start with a win. Miltown won the Cusack Cup in 2010 but have not been as consistent in either league or championship since. Desperate to make a good start to 2013, they may eke out an away win in Lissycasey.

Éire Óg face Ennistymon in the fourth Cusack Cup game, with this the third tie timed for midday on St Patrick’s Day. The Ennis club should be capable of winning their first game, against a club who have plenty of talented young players in their panel.
James Hanrahan is entering his second year as Éire Óg manager, in what is also his second spell, while Colin Lynch is again training Ennistymon, who are managed by Mark Shanahan.

The game of the opening round of Garry Cup fixtures may well be in Labasheeda where Shannon Gaels play their neighbours Kildysart. The Gaels were relegated from the Cusack Cup last year, while Kildysart were promoted from Division 3. Former Shannon Gaels player and selector Michael Crehan is in charge of Kildysart, while Miko Moloney, who lives in Kildysart but won two championship medals with his native Gaels, is a selector this year alongside Paudie Neylon and Mick O’Shea.

Elsewhere Kilrush play Kilmurry Ibrickane’s second team, while Doonaha will host O’Curry’s v Clondegad. Cratloe will have to get the map out for their trip to Lisdoonvarna, where they will take on St Breckan’s on Sunday. With Cathal McInerney, Liam Markham and Seán Collins having to get used to sitting on the bench with the Clare senior hurlers, they will be keen to get an hour’s competitive play behind them in North Clare.