Munster final on Clare’s mind

Reaching a Munster Final is Clare’s primary objective in this year’s FAI Oscar Traynor Cup according to manager Donie Garrihy who leads his side into an opening Shannonside derby against the Limerick District League in Frank Healy Park this evening (Thursday,7pm).
Seven provincial rivals (Clare, Cork Business League, Kerry, Limerick Desmond, Limerick District, Munster Senior League and Waterford) are vying for Munster honours over the next three months before the finalists and semi-final play-off winner advance to the national quarter-finals.
However, the former winning manager in 2016 and ’17 feels that the current feel-good factor in the county that inspire his side.
“We’re targeting a Munster Final first and foremost. I mean two years ago Newmarket Celtic brought back a first ever FAI Junior Cup title to the county, last year we had the Munster and All-Ireland minor hurling champions and this year we have the All-Ireland senior champions. So we’re in a county that knows nothing but victory and winning so I’m really looking forward to this now.
“Denis Hynes, Aaron Ryan and John Earls are still there with me on the management team and we’ve added Shane Keegan, a former manager who is coming down from Portlaoise while Johnny Ryan from Treaty is there to help out with the goalkeepers.
“We feel that we’ve a very good squad because the players who fancy it are with me so we’ve a great mix of youth and experience and I really can’t wait for kick-off now.”
Revenge isn’t in Garrihy’s lexicon but passion is unquestionably to the fore and therefore turning the tide on a Limerick side that prevailed by 2-1 in an unconventional return to the helm for the former St Breckan’s football manager in Jackman Park.
“Last year’s preparation was brilliant. We had a mini camp on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with Denis Hynes, Barry Ryan, Aaron Ryan and John Earls. However, when it came to the game itself in Jackman Park, we got caught with the kick-off because of a car breakdown that was bringing the Avenue players. We asked for a delay to kick-off but the officials wouldn’t change it so it threw all our original plans into jeopardy straight away as we had to throw young lads in from the very start.
“To be honest, considering all that, we still did really good. I mean we kept our shape despite facing a very strong Limerick side, many of which had League of Ireland experience.
“What pleased me most was that the boys never blinked at any stage and for a finish we almost pulled a draw out of it at the death. So I was really proud of them and in the end only four our preparations earlier that week, we would have been in trouble.
“The second day out against Kerry, we lost both goalkeepers beforehand so had to pull in two new players who did really well. So we weren’t blessed with good luck last year but I’m not throwing that in as an excuse. Donie Garrihy is not an excuse hunter, we just have to learn from it.
“I’ve always said, if you learn from it, you’ll get there but if you go back and do the same things again, you have to have a talk with yourself.”
Having been virtually out of last year’s competition following their agonisingly first round reverse to Limerick, a tweak to the format this year ensures that two teams emerge from Clare’s group involving the Limerick District League, Limerick Desmond League and Kerry.
“It’s a big boost because now it’s not like, you lose the first game and you’re almost out, this time you have three matches to prove yourself.
“But I’m not thinking about losing the first game, I’m just thinking about winning the first game.”

Lee Mulready and Sean O’Callaghan are expected to miss Thursday’s opening tie through injury but Donie Garrihy has named a strong 31 man squad for the derby showdown with the Limerick District League.

Clare Panel:
Yasher Aliu (Tulla Utd), Kyrylo Antonov (Lifford), Nathan Boaventura (Newmarket Celtic), Liam Buckley (Bridge Utd), Harvey Cullinan (Newmarket Celtic), Shane Cusack (Newmarket Celtic), Kaden Deegan Herlihy (Avenue Utd), Jack Dunleavy (Avenue Utd), James Fahy (Shannon Town), Conor Finnucane (Inch Crusaders), John Forson (Lifford), Eoin Hayes (Newmarket Celtic), Dean Hegarty (Newmarket Celtic), Davie Keenan (Lifford), Jack Kelly (Newmarket Celtic), Simon Kilker (Tulla Utd), Scott Kirkland (Bridge Utd), Cullen McCabe (Avenue Utd), Cian McDonough (Newmarket Celtic), Charlie Morrisson (Shannon Town), Conor Mullen (Avenue Utd), Lee Mulready (Bridge Utd), Filip Mustowy (Bridge Utd), Tadhg Noonan (Newmarket Celtic), Sean O’Callaghan (Avenue Utd), Brian O’Connor (Newmarket Celtic), Jack O’Halloran (Bridge Utd), Jamie Roche (Avenue Utd), Aaron Rudd (Newmarket Celtic), Jakub Ruminowicz (Avenue Utd), Lucas Silva (Lifford)
Clare Management:
Donie Garrihy (Manager); Denis Hynes, Shane Keegan (Coaches); Aaron Ryan (Strength and Conditioning); Johnny Ryan (Goalkeeping Coach); John Earls (Physio), Owen McCarthy (Kit Man)

Oscar Traynor Cup 2024/25
(18 teams divided into four provincial regions. Each region will be decided by round robin groups and knock-out ties to decipher national quarter-final places)

Connacht – 4 teams (2 National Quarter-Final places)
Leinster – 4 teams (2 National Quarter-Final places)
Munster – 7 teams (3 National Quarter-FInal places)
Ulster – 3 teams (1 National Quarter-Final place)

Connacht
(Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo/Leitrim)
The top two teams will contest the Connacht Final and also qualify for the knock-out stages of the national competition, with the winner having a home tie for the national quarter-finals.

Round 1
Galway 2 Roscommon 0
Sligo/Leitrim 1 Mayo 4
Round 2 (On or before Sunday November 10)
Roscommon v Sligo/Leitrim
Mayo v Galway
Round 3 (On or before Sunday, December 8)
Roscommon v Mayo
Sligo/Leitrim v Galway

Leinster
(Carlow, Defence Forces, Kilkenny, Wexford)
The top two teams will contest the Leinster Final and also qualify for the knock-out stages of the national competition, with the winner having a home tie for the national quarter-finals

Round 1
Kilkenny 5 Defence Forces 0
Wexford 3 Carlow 1

Munster
(Clare, Cork Business League, Kerry, Limerick Desmond, Limerick District, Munster Senior League, Waterford)
Group A – Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Desmond, Limerick District
Group B – Cork Business League, Munster Senior League, Waterford
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Munster Semi-Finals (Group A Winners v Group B Runners-Up, Group B Winners v Group A Runners-Up) with the winners to contest the Munster Final and also qualify for the knock-out stages of the national competition.
With three FAI Oscar Traynor Cup Quarter-Finals on offer for Munster, the provincial winners have a home quarter-final, the beaten finalists are away while the third national last eight place will be decided by a play-off between the two losing semi-finalists.

Round 1
Group A
Clare v Limerick District at Frank Healy Park Doora (Thursday, November 7) 7pm
Kerry vs. Limerick Desmond at Mounthawk Park Tralee (Sunday, November 10) 2pm
Group B
Cork Business League v Munster Senior League at Mayfield AFC Astro (Wednesday, November 6) 8.15pm
Waterford a bye

Round 2 (On or before Sunday, November 24)
Group A
Limerick Desmond v Clare
Limerick District v Kerry
Group B
Waterford v Cork Business League at Ozier Park Waterford, 2pm
Munster Senior League a bye

Round 3 (On or before Sunday, December 15)
Group A
Kerry v Clare
Limerick District v Limerick Desmond
Group B
Munster Senior League v Waterford
Cork Business League a bye

Semi-Finals (On or before Sunday, January 5)
Group A Winners v Group B Runners-Up
Group B Winners v Group A Runners-Up

Munster Final (Sunday, January 26)

Ulster
(Donegal, Inishowen League, Monaghan/Cavan)
The top two teams will contest the Ulster Final, with only the winner qualifying for the knock-out stages of the national competition, having a home tie for the quarter-finals.

FAI Oscar Traynor Cup
Quarter-Finals (Sunday, February 23)
Semi-Finals (Sunday, March 23)
Final (Sunday, April 13)