Scariff Bay Community Radio To Reveal Best Ever East Clare Hurling Selection

Derrick Lynch

East Clare has always been a hotbed of hurling debate and over the last few weeks that has only intensified.

It is all because of an initiative from Scariff Bay Community Radio which has seen each of the ten hurling clubs in its catchment area casting their votes for the best 15 players to have ever donned their own club jersey.

As with all sporting debates, there will be plenty alternatives suggested but democracy has ruled with the votes now counted and the teams revealed.

It may sound like an onerous task to collate the best players to have ever represented their own clubs, but the unenviable task of distilling the 150 players already selected down to the 15 who will make the best ever East Clare team is well underway.

Under the rules of the selection process, there must be at least one player on the final team from each of the ten clubs involved while votes may only be cast for those outside of your own club. The closing date for those votes is this Friday with the final 15 being revealed on the Sportsline programme on Scariff Bay Community Radio on Saturday afternoon.

The clubs involved are Bodyke, Broadford, Feakle, Killanena, O’Callaghans Mills, Ogonnelloe, Scariff, Smith O’Briens, Tulla and Whitegate.

A total of 321 teams were submitted from the public vote with the final selections based on those entries.

Bodyke

It is no surprise to see the Doyle name featuring prominently on the Bodyke selection with double All-Ireland winner Liam joining former county goalkeeper Leo and former county minor and current U-20 manager Sean on the team. The family connection goes further, as Leo’s son Eanna is chosen in the corner-back slot. Current star Cian Minogue also makes the final 15 while current coaching and games officer of Clare GAA and 1975 championship winner Sean O’Halloran lines out in the half-back line with him. The late former Mayor of Clare and captain of the 1975 Brian Boru’s side Colm Wiley is chosen in the number two jersey.

 

1. Seamus Ryan
2. Colm Wiley
3. Tomas Minogue
4. Eanna Doyle
5. Sean O’Halloran
6. Liam Doyle
7. Cian Minogue
8. Sean Doyle
9. Frank McNamara
10. PJ Kelleher
11. Matthew O’Brien
12. Paul Dooley
13. Leo Doyle
14. Jim Brogan
15. Patrick Fitzgerald.

Broadford

The reigning Clare intermediate champions have plenty county experience to call on in their final selection with current panellist Stiofán McMahon among them. 2019 Championship winning captain Cathal Chaplin and fellow current star Shane Taylor are also selected. There is plenty recent coaching experience in their final line up with both Kieran Corcoran and Aonghus O’Brien having been involved in the county set up over the last few years. Corner back James Gunning was part of the Clare team that won the U-21 All-Ireland title in 2009.

1. Kevin Ryan
2. James Gunning
3. Padraig Boland
4. Pat Donnellan
5. Cathal Chaplin
6. Kieran Corcoran
7. Ollie Broughton
8. Aonghus O’Brien
9. David O’Brien
10. Stiofan McMahon
11. James Shanahan
12. Shane Taylor
13. Tony O’Brien
14. PJ Moroney
15. Padraig Hickey

 

Feakle

There is a strong mix of the old and new in the final Feakle selection, which starts between the posts where current Clare senior panellist Eibhear Quilligan gets the nod. The team is anchored at centre back by club legend Ger Loughnane with John and Eoin Tuohy flanking the double All Ireland winning manager. There is a family flavour in the half-forward line where Oisin and Val Donnellan man the wings while the Guilfoyle brothers Tommy and Michael feature in the full-forward line.

1. Eibhear Quilligan
2. Con McGuinness
3. Seamus McGrath
4. Colm Naughton
5. John Tuohy
6. Ger Loughnane
7. Eoin Tuohy
8. Paul Callinan
9. Shane McGrath
10. Oisin Donnellan
11. Brian Slattery
12. Val Donnellan
13. Henry Hayes
14. Tommy Guilfoyle
15. Michael Guilfoyle

Killanena

2013 All Ireland winner Mark Flaherty is the man chosen to man the edge of the square on the Killanena team with his brother Ronan chosen alongside him. Club legend Paddy Brody completes the inside line with the 1975 championship winner with Brian Boru’s credited with driving the development of hurling in the club. As with most club teams, there are strong family links with the Noone brothers featuring prominently here as David, Pat and Michael all make the final selection.

 

1. David Noone
2. Enda Collins
3. Joe Clancy
4. Pat Noone
5. John O’Mara
6. Brian Glynn
7. Alan McNamara
8. Michael Noone
9. Todd Kelsey
10. David McNamara
11. Liam McNamara
12. Gerry Woods
13. Paddy Brody
14. Mark Flaherty
15. Ronan Flaherty

 

O’Callaghan’s Mills 

There are medals scattered throughout the O’Callaghan’s Mills selection where 2013 All-Ireland winning captain Pat Donnellan chosen in the half-back line. Fellow 2013 winner Conor Cooney takes the number three jersey, with Ger Moroney alongside him adding more medals to the team. Double league winner Sean Hehir is at centre-back with double All-Ireland winner PJ ‘Fingers’ O’Connell at centre forward in a strong spine to the team. Brendan McNamara adds a junior All-Ireland to the line in the full-forward line.

1. Peter Carmody
2. Ger Canny
3. Conor Cooney
4. Ger Moroney
5. Pat Donnellan
6. Sean Hehir
7. Mike Deasy
8. Bryan Donnellan
9. Donal Cooney
10. Brian Madden
11. PJ O’Connell
12. Tim Canny
13. Brendan McNamara
14. PJ Deasy
15. Kevin McNamara

 

Ogonnelloe 

The marquee name on the final Ogonnelloe selection is no surprise with All-Ireland winner David Forde chosen in the half-forward line. Full-forward John McKenna is a former Munster and Junior All-Ireland winner with Clare while Henry Vaughan is also noted for his exploits with the London hurlers.

1. Tomas McKenna
2. Colin Kelly
3. John McMahon
4. Brian Forde
5. John O’Brien
6. Colin Forde
7. Eoin Sheedy
8. Pascal Sheedy
9. Noel Gavin
10. David Forde
11. Michael Sheedy
12. Peter O’Brien
13. Henry Vaughan
14. John McKenna
15. Rory Skelly

 

Scariff 

It is a strong Scariff side where the defence looks as if there would not be too many scoring opportunities afforded to the opposition. Among them are Oireachtas winning captain and Harty Cup winning manager John Minogue, while former Clare manager Donal Moloney lines out in the half-back line. Handball hero Diarmaid Nash is at midfield while All-Ireland winner Barry Murphy is chosen at corner forward.

1. Brendan McNamara
2. Peadar McMahon
3. Eamon Giblin
4. John Minogue.
5. Ger Rodgers
6. John O’Grady
7. Donal Moloney
8. Diarmuid Nash
9. Darragh Kelly
10. Mark McKenna
11. Derek Murphy
12. Patrick Moroney
13. Barry Murphy
14. Pat Minogue
15. Martin O’Grady

 

 

Smith O’Briens

The Smith O’Brien’s selection sees current serving referee in Clare Johnny Healy selected in goals. Current star Cian Nolan is at corner back while former underage star Brendan Foley takes the centre forward slot. The number six jersey goes to the late Bernard Carroll who was the holder of Oireachtas medals with Clare from the 1980’s.

1. Johnny Healy
2. Cian Nolan
3. Seamus Gleeson
4. Ian O’Halloran
5. Trevor Howard
6. Bernard Carroll
7. Micheal Ryan
8. Pat Vaughan
9. Eamon McCarthy
10. Kevin McCarthy
11. Brendan Foley
12. Brian Lenihan
13. Shane O’Brien
14. John Cusack
15. Michael McCarthy

 

Tulla

There is plenty success and experience to call on throughout the Tulla selection. Former county man Philip Brennan is between the sticks where is he guarded b the two time National League winner Jim Power on the edge of the square. Unsurprisingly the father and son combination of David and Jim McInerney feature in the final selection, as do the Quinn duo Brian and Andrew.

 

1. Philip Brennan
2. Timmy Hunt
3. Jim Power
4. John Brennan
5. Sean Torpey
6. Mark Quinn
7. Paul Lynch
8. Brian Lynch
9. David McInerney
10. Darragh Corry
11. Jim McInerney
12. Donal Vaughan
13. Aidan Lynch
14. Brian Quinn
15. Andrew Quinn

Whitegate 

There is a good mix of past and current stars on the Whitegate selection with 2013 All-Ireland winner Brendan Bugler chosen at centre-back. His brother John takes the number four slot with current county panellist Eoin Quirke at full-back. All-Ireland intermediate winner Andrew Fahy is in goals while U-21 winner Colin Burke is in the half-forward line. Current Whitegate manager Terence Fahy also makes the final selection in the half-forward line.

1. Andrew Fahy
2. Mike Solon
3. Eoin Quirke
4. John Bugler
5. Noel Burke
6. Brendan Bugler
7. Thomas Holland
8. Enda Flannery
9. Patrick Minogue
10. Colin Burke
11. Brian Madden
12. Terence Fahy
13. Micheál Madden Sr
14. Brian Minogue
15. John Treacy

 

 

 

 

Prediction of the final 15

1. Andrew Fahy (Whitegate)
2. Liam Doyle (Bodyke)
3. Jim Power (Tulla)
4. John Minogue (Scariff)
5. Ger Loughnane (Feakle)
6. Paddy Donnellan (O’Callaghan’s Mills)
7. Brendan Bugler (Whitegate)
8. Diarmaid Nash (Scariff)
9. David McInerney (Tulla)
10. Stiofan McMahon (Broadford)
11. Brendan Foley (Smith O’Brien’s)
12. David Forde (Ogonnelloe)
13. Val Donnellan (Feakle)
14. Tommy Guilfoyle (Feakle)
15. Mark Flaherty (Killanena)