Tag Archives: Clare senior football championship

Clare Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield v Éire Óg Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 1pm (Martin Downes, Naomh Eoin) To borrow a phrase from well-known philosopher and former Ireland soccer manager Giovanni Trapattoni ‘Beware the cat. No say the cat is in the sack when you have not the cat in the sack’ would have best summed up last year’s derby reunion between Éire Óg and St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield. After marauding through a host of potential rivals to soar to back-to-back Jack Daly crowns backed by a 13 match winning run and not a single goal conceded in that time, the prospect of a first senior championship showdown with their neighbours in five years just seemed like another notch on their already pockmarked belt for last year’s quarter-final. After all, having relegated the Parish with a 22 point pummelling at the same venue five years previously, Donagh Vaughan’s side admirably returned in 2021 but while their development graph was …

And then there were four…Eoin Brennan previews this weekend’s senior football championship semi-finals Kilmurry Ibrickane v Ennistymon at Cusack Park Ennis, Saturday 4pm Remarkably, their group clash eight weeks previously proved the catalyst for both sides to ignite their championship challenge but this time around it’s winner-takes-all for a coveted place in the final. Bouncing back from an opening defeat to Clondegad, Ennistymon’s transformation from being an underwhelming attacking side to an effective defensive structure certainly caught Kilmurry Ibrickane unawares as the North Clare Magpies ground out a 1-9 to 0-9 victory on their way to sealing top spot in the group. It would be an equally impactful juncture for the ‘Bricks who knew that if they were to survive, they would have to win every remaining match and it was that necessity that drove them to new heights in the second period against previously unbeaten Clondegad a fortnight later. The 2020 champions haven’t looked back since as along with …

Things are hotting up in the race for the Clare senior football crown. Eoin Brennan previews this weekend’s four quarter-finals and the relegation play-off Cratloe v Kilmurry Ibrickane at Cusack Park Ennis Saturday 2pm Despite the geographical contrast, there have been no keener or more frequent rivalry at senior level as this is remarkably the 14th championship clash in only 13 seasons between Cratloe and Kilmurry Ibrickane. The pendulum has swung in both directions over that time but crucially the ‘Bricks have held the upper hand over the past five meetings which include the 2016 Final replay and of course the 2020 decider. It’s a testament that Cratloe keep bouncing back despite the narrative, repeatedly hammered home, that they have failed to fulfil their potential in either code since 2014. Following their hurlers’ advancement to the last four on Saturday, it would be a major boost to do likewise in football, especially as it would also end their Kilmurry Ibrickane …

Eoin Brennan previews this weekend’s action in the senior, intermediate and junior football championships Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final Play-Off Clondegad v St Joseph’s D/B at Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 3pm Much has changed since these sides last met in the senior championship four years ago. That 1-18 to 0-4 opening round pummelling at the hands of Clondegad was the beginning of the end for that Parish side as they subsequently fell to intermediate level. Backed by a fresh crop of young guns, Doora/Barefield soared back to senior level for the 2021 campaign and excelled by reaching the last eight at the first attempt. With any hint of relegation now extinguished, it is hoped that the kamikaze rushes of blood to the head that coughed up two goals in all three group matches can be replaced by a more composed collective unit as the Parish have simply nothing to lose. Clondegad’s development curve hasn’t exactly remained on the up either since …

Senior Football Championship Round 3 Group 1 Éire Óg v Corofin at Cusack Park Ennis, Saturday 6.30pm With three quarter-final places on offer from Group 1, most eyes will be fixated on the other group tie in Ennistymon as a St Breckan’s victory would automatically see Corofin join Éire Óg in the quarter-finals regardless of the result between these neighbours. The thing is that the defending champions still require something out of this game in order to confirm top spot and fundamentally will be determined to maintain their perfect title defence thus far. Corofin arguably require a result more though as first and foremost, they can’t simply depend on their North Clare brethren to do them a favour and essentially require a positive result following contrasting performances so far. Off the back of a lacklustre display against St Breckan’s, expect Corofin to throw everything at the Ennis side on the welcome return to Cusack Park. However, with Éire Óg seeking …

Eoin Brennan previews this weekend’s senior football championship clashes   Group 1 Éire Óg v St Joseph’s Miltown at St Michael’s Park Kilmihil, Sunday 12.30pm Amazingly these heavyweights haven’t clashed in the senior championship since prior to St Joseph’s Miltown’s latest three crowns as one would have to rewind to the 2014 Quarter-Final, a match that the Townies shaded by three on their way to the final against Cratloe. They weren’t successful that day against a Cratloe dual wave of momentum but they did finally make up for that last November when garnering a first Jack Daly in 15 years. They have already secured a successful first defence with a gritty opening victory over St Breckan’s whereas St Joseph’s Miltown looked far from their superpower selves when ruffled by intermediate champions Corofin. The West Clare side’s overused treatment table doesn’t look to be any emptier so if the holders can improve from their cobweb-blowing first round display, they should be …

Eoin Brennan runs the rule over this weekend’s action as the Clare senior football championship kicks off Round 1 Group 1 Éire Óg v St Breckan’s at Cusack Park Ennis, Saturday 4.30pm Easily the headline act of the opening weekend as depending on how the sides approach it, this heavyweight showdown will either be a timely evaluation of where these Jack Daly contenders are or a cautious must-not-lose affair led by fear rather than ambition. With three to emerge to the last eight from this group, it should be closer to the former and certainly much nearer in terms of scores than last year’s semi-final masterclass from Éire Óg that stifled a normally swashbuckling St Breckan’s before they could get into their stride. The Townies are still the team to beat but going on the hurling version, may need a bit of time to blow off the cobwebs of their meticulous gameplan as they’ve had no competitive opportunities to put …

Clare will face Meath in Round One of the Football qualifiers after this morning’s draw on RTE Radio One. Colm Collins’ side will enjoy home advantage against fellow Division Two outfit Meath on June 4/5. However, Clare have a poor recent record against Meath, having lost their last five games against the Leinster side in as many seasons. The pair met in this year’s league with Meath securing a 0-10 to 0-9 win as James Conlon’s late point was all that separated the sides in Cusack Park. Clare found themselves in the draw this morning after defeat to Limerick. It took a little bit of history to separate the sides with the first shoot-out in Munster Football Championship history deciding matters. The sides finished level at 1-19 to 2-16 after extra time before Limerick prevailed 4-1 in the shootout. Meanwhile, Meath enjoyed a facile 4-13 to 1-12 win over Wicklow in their opening game of the Leinster Championship. Jack O’Connor, …