Tag Archives: Munster Club Final

Miltown corner-back, Eoin O’Brien, talks about nicknames, tyres and his mother ahead of Sunday’s Munster club final against Dr Crokes in Limerick. ASK for Eoin O’Brien in Miltown Malbay and chances are you will be met with a blank stare. ‘Who?’ Ask for ‘Tayto’ and they will know exactly who are talking about. The Miltown defender is the type of back that forwards would prefer to be placed well away from. Tenacious, tight and a man whose full on approach lifts the crowd, Tayto is a key part of Miltown’s back line. The big question though is how did Eoin lose his identity to Tayto? “My neighbour John Murrihy,” he revealed. “I was in sixth class in primary school and he said my head looked like a spud. But there was a fella in Miltown called Spud already so I was called Tayto. And it stuck,” the Miltown man laughed. On balance one would opt for the Tayto moniker ahead …

SINCE the introduction of the provincial and All-Ireland club championships across all grades, their popularity has grown enormously and one of the main reasons for this is that they provide players with the opportunity to represent their parishes at the highest level, while playing beside their best friends and family members. Kilmaley have that opportunity this week when brothers and cousins will line up side by side as the Clare intermediate hurling champions face their Cork counterparts Kanturk in the procvincial club finals in The Gaerl grounds, Limerick at 2pm. Kilmaley will be led by team captain Colin McGuane, who will have his brother Aidan as a team mate, while family members will be in the stand supporting the team and will include their father Noel, a member of the team that brought the Canon Hamilton Trophy to the parish for the first time in 1985. “The club is a real family affair and that makes it more special, as …

LAST weekend, Gavin O’Mahony was in Cheltenham, as Kilmallock was gripped by hurling fever. JP McManus paid for a weekend break for the Limerick hurlers, taking in the autumn festival in the Cotswolds. They flew out on Friday and the Kilmallock contingent were back on Sunday morning to resume preparations. O’Mahony said it was great to have even a very short break from the Munster final build-up. “Definitely, it’s gone a bit hurling mad here. It was nice to switch off for a day or two, turn the phone off and relax.” It’s been a long year for O’Mahony who, as well as the highs of a county final victory, also experienced a Munster final defeat to Cork and another defeat against Kilkenny in Croke Park. While the break after Sunday’s game (barring a draw) will be welcome, he isn’t complaining. “There are friends of mine on the county panel who’d love to be still going and to still have …

Most GAA clubs feature families who have been involved as players or administrators for generations. Cratloe have some of that type of influence but most of their active GAA families are not originally from the parish. Cratloe native and former Kilmallock senior hurling manager, Tony Considine feels this is in fact a huge advantage to Cratloe and adds freshness to the club. Generational baggage handed down is not a factor. “Management-wise everyone they have is inside but remember they’re not from Cratloe. Maybe if there was an insider, they mightn’t be as successful. Somebody didn’t buy the right pig from a fella or stole his hen,” Considine suggested. “In a club where someone local is involved, everyone knows you and, more importantly, they know everyone belonging to you. Your great uncle might have hit a slap at some fella in a pub or told him he was useless years ago. That’s the same everywhere. “I think this is why Cratloe …