Tag Archives: Clare Cup Final

Clare Cup Final Avenue United V Newmarket Celtic Frank Healy Park, Ennis Saturday, May 25 at 5.30pm Be under no illusions this is Clare soccer’s biggest rivalry. Any time these teams meet it’s the equivalent of Liverpool against Manchester United or Barcelona versus Real Madrid. Geographically both have nearer neighbours but in truth neither have more fierce rivals. That of course is due to the fact that they are two of the most successful teams in Clare soccer. Each know that to win domestic silverware they will have to beat each other. It’s David Russell’s fifth year in charge of Avenue United and they’re aiming for three cups in a row which will complete a double double (league and cup winners 2022). Newmarket under Paddy Purcell have had massive success with a historic FAI cup to go with the Presidents Cup and Munster Champions trophy. With rivalry like that are the managers rivals similar to Ferguson and Wenger or Klopp …

For Eoin Hayes, the hunger never goes and that’s why the most garlanded player in the history of the game in Clare thanks to his exploits for club, county and country is taking this Clare Cup final as seriously as he did his first over a decade ago. “One thing people might say is that you take things for granted when you win, but when you win nine cups in a row I don’t think you’re taking anything for granted,” says Hayes. “I might be going for my tenth title but there are a few who haven’t won any and want their first. On a personal level I am 34 years of age and who knows when it will end. “I know that there are lots of people, for one reason or another and usually it’s injury, step away in their 30s. Thankfully I am still playing at a good level and still have speed and power. Those things are …

Manager David Russell has mentioned the class of 1986 to ’88 in passing because it’s a reference point for his team as they bid to go where they did in putting three Clare Cup titles, or the Haughey Cup as it was called then and The Avenue have possession of, back-to-back. The team of John ‘The Man’ O’Connor, Ray Casey, Brian ‘Charlie’ Donnellan, Gearóid Mannion, Johnny Purtill et al – the team that helped make The Avenue the club they are today and became the benchmark for the teams that followed. And when it comes to taking on the baton and driving things forward this team that Ronan Kerin captains has made considerable strides, firstly by bringing Avenue back to the top in Clare – that translates into chasing down Newmarket Celtic that dominated for a decade and more. The first big breakthrough was the Clare Cup final win against them two years ago, while they retained it the following …