Reeling in Clare’s Munster final years

SUNDAY will represent Clare’s 18th appearance in a Munster senior football final, with two finals that were 75 years apart being the stand-out games in the county’s long history of contesting the provincial championship that started in 1888.
On that maiden voyage provincial campaign 135 years ago Clare found themselves in a similar situation to what they face on Sunday, as they had to go into battle against the reigning All-Ireland champions – they’ll be hoping for the same result, if not the aftermath.
On that occasion the Clare selection, backboned by members of Newmarket Dalgais scored a famous victory over Limerick Commercials in Birdhill by 1-3 to 1-0, only to lose the game afterwards in the boardroom after being accused of fielding illegal players.
That was the year a Munster title got away from Clare, but there was no denying them on two red-letter days – in 1917 when they scored a comprehensive 5-1 to 0-1 win over Cork in Tipperary Town and then that afternoon to remember against Kerry in 1992 in Limerick when winning the day by 2-10 to 0-12.
“The spectators witnessed a magnificent exhibition of clever fielding and equally good combined effort on the part of Clare,” said The Saturday Record of the 1917 win.
“The Clare defence was unbeatable. The opposition set up by Jim Foran, James Fitzgerald, Paddy Haugh and Pana O’Brien was of the most telling character. Moving with perfect cohesion and soundest judgement, Clare were practically out on their own,” the report continued.
It was very much a case of more of the same 75 years later when second-half goals from Colm Clancy and Martin Daly catapulted Clare onto football’s stratosphere.
“Traditionally the whipping boys of Munster football,” said The Irish Independent, “this victory will go a long way towards gaining revenge for a litany of soul-destroying defeats. No longer can Kerry and Cork swap the Munster title between them like a shared joy,” the report added.
The joy was all Clare’s and it was unconfined – they’ll be hoping for more of the same on Sunday in what will be the 14th time that they have faced Kerry in the provincial final.
The first was in 1912 when the game was played in Ennis Showgrounds, with Clare going down by 0-3 to 0-1. After that the final against the Kingdom were
In 1915, ’19, ’24, ’25, ’27, ’29, ’36, ’37, ’41, ’92, ’97 and 2000, with Cork providing the opposition in the other four in 1916, ’17 and ’49 and 2012.
This will be the seventh final between Clare and Kerry that has been staged in the Gaelic Grounds, that trend starting with the 1936 decider, with all finals between the two counties since then being hosted at the Ennis Road venue.

Clare v Kerry Munster Finals
1912 – Kerry 0-3 Clare 0-1
1915 – Kerry 4-3 Clare 0-1
1919 – Kerry 6-11 Clare 2-0
1924 – Kerry 5-8 Clare 2-2
1925 – Kerry 5-5 Clare 0-0
1927 – Kerry 4-4 Clare 1-3
1929 – Kerry 1-14 Clare 1-2
1936 – Kerry 1-11 Clare 2-2
1937 – Kerry 4-9 Clare 1-1
1941 – Kerry 2-9 Clare 0-6
1992 – Clare 2-10 Kerry 0-12
1997 – Kerry 1-13 Clare 0-11
2000 – Kerry 3-15 Clare 0-8

MUNSTER FINAL WINS
Clare 1917
Michael Connole (Kilfenora), James Foran (Kilkee) Tom Falvey (Kilkee), Joe Marrinan (Kilkee), Pana O’Brien (Cooraclare), James Fitzgerald (St Joseph’s Miltown), Martin McMahon (Kilrush Shamrocks), Paddy O’Donoghue (Ballyvaughan), Paddy Haugh (Bealaha), Joe Carmody (Kilrush Shamrocks), Noel McNamara (Kilrush Shamrocks), Eddie Carroll (St Joseph’s Miltown), Michael ‘Puggy’ Malone (St Joseph’s Miltown), Ned Roche (St Joseph’s Miltown), John Joe ‘Tugger’ Downes (Bealaha). Subs P.J. Killeen (St Joseph’s Miltown), Patrick Hennessy (St Joseph’s Miltown),Tull Considine (Ennis Dalcassians).

Clare 1992
James Hanrahan (St Joseph’s Doora- Barefield), Seamus Clancy (Corofin), Kieran O’Mahony (Doonbeg), Gerry Kelly (St Senan’s Kilkee), Frankie Griffin (Kilrush Shamrocks), Joe Joe Rouine (St Joseph’s Miltown), Ciaran O’Neill (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), Tom Morrissey (Cooraclare) (0-1), Aidan Moloney (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Noel Roche (St Senan’s Kilkee) (0-1), Francis McInerney (Doonbeg) (0-1), Gerry Killeen (Doonbeg) (0-4), Padraig Conway (Doonbeg) (0-2), Colm Clancy (Corofin) (1-1), Martin Flynn (St Joseph’s Miltown). Subs Martin Daly (Lissycasey) (1-0) for O’Neill.