Tag Archives: eire og

Munster Senior Club Football Championship Quarter-Final Éire Óg (Clare) 2-8 – Adare (Limerick) 0-9 Having survived the initial fumes of their county winning dirty diesel, there was refreshingly much more green energy in Éire Óg’s devastating second half display to secure their third Munster Senior Semi-Final in four seasons on Sunday afternoon. On a day when they couldn’t have asked for two more contrasting halves of football, the Ennis side’s only consistency was their inconsistency as a first half from hell was thankfully replaced by a second half from heaven on their way to a rematch against Loughmore-Castleiney back in Ennis on Sunday week. Fortunate to be only trailing by two by the break, the Clare champions were a transformed side on the resumption, with captain Aaron Fitzgerald, Darren O’Neill and in particular Ikem Ugwueru seizing the whip hand to complete a seven point turnaround. Two third quarter goals in the space of ten minutes effectively turned the tide in …

Munster Senior Club Football Championship Quarter-Final Éire Óg v Adare at Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 1.15pm (Conor Lane, Cork) It’s 37 years since a Limerick club knocked out Clare’s representatives on Banner soil in the Munster Senior Club Football Championship. Indeed, aside from Dromcollogher/Broadford 2008 final victory over Kilmurry Ibrickane in the Gaelic Grounds, that was the sole defeat between the counties in ten clashes either side of the Shannonside divide. More pertinently for Éire Óg, their Munster Senior Club Championship debut came against the Limerick champions in Cusack Park when now selector Peter Cosgrove captained the Townies to a maiden 1-5 to 0-7 win over Fr. Casey’s. That would be their sole provincial success until Paul Madden’s new wave in 2021 that has seen the Ennis side dominate the county football landscape with three titles in four years, only one defeat in 21 championship matches and the concession of just three goals in that time. Opening Munster Championship victories …

Clare Senior Football Championship Final Éire Óg 1-10 Kilmurry Ibrickane 0-6 “The Townies are back and we’re not going anywhere’ was the passionate concluding words to captain Aaron Fitzgerald’s speech as Éire Óg bounced back to Jack Daly winning ways in Cusack Park, writes Eoin Brennan.  Having only lost one of their last 21 matches and that to Cratloe in last year’s semi-final after penalties, the Ennis side’s third senior crown in four years was fully merited as they rolled with the punches of a difficult day weather and opposition-wise before finishing in powerful fashion. The ‘Bricks, fueled by an intriguing mix of youth and vast title winning experience, certainly made Paul Madden’s side sweat after hitting the ground running with the first three points through Keenan Sexton (2) and Daryn Callinan. However, on a day in which they almost needed a perfect performance, crucially they coughed up possession at halfway for Mark McInerney to pick out Gavin Cooney for …

The wheel comes full circle for Shane Daniels as he marks his 25th adult season with a senior final appearance today (Sunday). Having started as a sub-goalkeeper in the 2000 decider win against Doonbeg, the former county star now finds himself in a novel goalkeeper/selector role once more for his second final in three years as he looks to finally break his Kilmurry Ibrickane hoodoo. “It’s funny how it works out alright, I had to get surgery on my knee after the Clare minor campaign in 2000 but ended up playing Under 21 in goals and was then named as sub goalkeeper in the 2000 final. The following year I was playing at full-forward so that was my goalkeeping career over then or so I thought.” Fast forward to 2004 and a young Daniels was made to suffer his second senior final reverse in three years, this time in much more agonising circumstances at the hands of Sunday’s opponents. “When …

Dermot Coughlan has suffered more than his fair share of injuries but the mere thought of missing out on another county final only adds to the county senior’s frustration especially as he is Kilmurry Ibrickane’s captain. Having also missed the 2021 decider against Éire Óg due to an ACL injury, a fractured foot suffered in their comprehensive quarter-final victory over St Joseph’s Miltown has left the ‘Bricks playmaker in a real race of time to be available to tog out for his first final since 2020 this Sunday. “It’s disappointing when you’re injured. Obviously nobody wants to be injured, you want to be out there and even the last day it’s a lot tougher watching from the sidelines. I’d taken playing over watching any day as we never seem to make things easy for ourselves. “Everyone gets injuries at some stage but it’s just about getting over that disappointment and trying to keep the head as high as possible and …

Sunday’s showpiece football final reignites one of the county’s great rivalries between Kilmurry Ibrickane and Éire Óg in Cusack Park (2.30pm). There are obviously many connections between the parishes and several stories of past glories and battles but easily the most pertinent link is saved for Offaly native David Egan. After all, having just relocated to Ennis in the past year with his partner Louise, an admittedly ‘staunch Éire Óg woman’ and their two sons, his decision to take charge of Kilmurry Ibrickane always carried the danger of the sides clashing at such a pivotal juncture and so it has come to pass for the St Brigid’s clubman. “It has been a fair baptism to the county alright.” Admits Egan with a wry smile. “To be honest, the Skelly’s are a great GAA family and my partner Louise is very supportive of everything I do so the two young lads will have red jerseys on them on Sunday but when …

As Éire Óg prepare for their third senior football final in four years this Sunday, it’s not any of the previous wins in 2021 or ’22 that Paul Madden attributes as the making of this current team. No, in what is his eighth year in charge of his native club, it’s his first championship crown at senior B level in 2019 that he pinpoints as the real turning point for the current crop. “When I was asked to be manager by Pat Treacy and the late Des Neylon, I said that the time was right for me but that there was a huge body of work to be done. There was a transition period and while there were some good Under 21 teams, most senior managers will attend to the fact that Under 21 is great but it doesn’t make any immediate senior players. “I originally thought I’d be in the role for a few years and to be fair …

It’s fitting that Shane Hickey is able to mark his remarkable 20th year at senior level with a 14th final appearance against Éire Óg this Sunday. After all, having started his unrivalled journey against the Ennis side in the 2004 final that went all the way to a replay before Kilmurry Ibrickane prevailed, eight senior medals later he has bookended his storied career by facing the Townies once more. Indeed, this would have been his 15th final, only for an achilles injury denied his the opportunity to face Éire Óg in the 2021 final. “In 2021, Dermot [Coughlan] and I were watching it from the sideline. Earlier on in the year I had ruptured my achilles and he did his ACL and watching it was harder than playing as most people do say. “It was one of those games that Éire Óg in fairness, were well in control of in the first half but with ten minutes to go, we …