Honouring the champs of ’85

GOING into the 1985 Clare Senior Football Championship race, Miltown St Joseph’s had not won the blue riband of Clare football since 1959.

In the late ’70s, 1977 and ’78 to be precise, Miltown had won back-to-back Clare U-21 A titles and the seeds of their 1985 senior success were laid. Twenty-five years on, the team that brought the Jack Daly Cup to Miltown for the eleventh time will be honoured at Cusack Park on Sunday
That team was captained by full-back Gerry McMahon and it included Johnnie McMahon, Joe Cullen and Martin Lafferty from the team that had contested the county final in 1975.
The panel included five sets of brothers: Gerry, Noel and Martin Curtin, Michael and Pat Murray, Peadar and Sean Cleary, Andrew, Noel and Paudie Clancy and Brendan and Paddy Kyne.
The Murrays and John Jones followed in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers, that day winning senior football championship medals with Miltown.
Miltown’s 1985 campaign began on Sunday, July 7 when the team comfortably defeated Shannon Rangers on a scoreline of 2-12 to 1-4.
In the second round, Miltown faced old rivals Cooraclare in Doonbeg on August 17. The dressing room atmosphere before the game was tense on two fronts. Firstly, since the first round Miltown’s goalie John Marrinan had tragically lost his life in a traffic accident. His death left a cloud over the entire club but the players decided that a special effort was required to win the championship in John’s memory (His father, Martin ‘Dot’ Marrinan was later presented with John’s medal).
There was also consternation when Joe Cullen failed to show-up. In fact, he didn’t appear until shortly before half-time when it was learned he had crashed his car on the way to the game and his wife had to be taken to hospital.
It was lucky for Miltown that Cullen did arrive at the venue, as his performance in the second half went a long-way in turning the game in Miltown’s favour. Goals by John Jones and Martin Flynn won the day for Miltown, who progressed on a scoreline of 2-6 to 1-8.
In the semi-final, Miltown played Doonbeg in Cooraclare on September 1. Doonbeg scored a goal in the first minute but a Sean Burke goal in the ninth settled Miltown. After Gerry Curtin’s goal in the second-half, Miltown ran out winners 2-8 to 1-3.
In the final on September 15, Miltown met St Breckan’s at Cusack Park. Miltown played with a strong wind in the first-half but only led by three points at half-time. However, following goals from Gerry Curtin, Peadar Cleary, Sean Burke and Martin Flynn, Miltown were crowned county champions for the eleventh time on a scoreline of 4-5 to 0-4.
In the four games, Miltown scored 10-31 and conceded 3-19, with sharpshooter full-forward Martin Flynn the top scorer with 3-16.
After the game, Gerry McMahon was presented with the Jack Daly Cup by Gabriel Keating, football board chairman.
The winning panel comprised Pakie O’Loughlin, Martin Curtin, Gerry McMahon, Noel Clancy, Noel Curtin, Joe Cullen, Michael Murray, Pat Murray, Sean Cleary, Gerry Curtin, Sean Burke, Peadar Cleary, Martin Killeen, Martin Flynn, John Jones.
Subs: Brian Flynn, Johnny McMahon, Martin Lafferty, Paddy Kyne, Brendan Kyne, Paudie Clancy, Andrew Clancy, Francis O’Loughlin, Patrick Queally, Kieran O’Friel, Brian Fitzgerald.