Tag Archives: munster football final

SUNDAY will represent Clare’s 18th appearance in a Munster senior football final, with two finals that were 75 years apart being the stand-out games in the county’s long history of contesting the provincial championship that started in 1888. On that maiden voyage provincial campaign 135 years ago Clare found themselves in a similar situation to what they face on Sunday, as they had to go into battle against the reigning All-Ireland champions – they’ll be hoping for the same result, if not the aftermath. On that occasion the Clare selection, backboned by members of Newmarket Dalgais scored a famous victory over Limerick Commercials in Birdhill by 1-3 to 1-0, only to lose the game afterwards in the boardroom after being accused of fielding illegal players. That was the year a Munster title got away from Clare, but there was no denying them on two red-letter days – in 1917 when they scored a comprehensive 5-1 to 0-1 win over Cork …

LOCAL historian and Coolmeen GAA club activist Paul Markham estimates that the current parish population is 650, in what is a 225-house community. He says that in the region of 30 people from the community, in the 20 to 30-year-old age bracket, have had to emigrate in search of work. While there are plenty of young players on the panel, the two schools in the parish have a combined pupil population of just 32. There are two teachers in Cranny National School, which has 21 pupils, while one-teacher Coolmeen National School has 11 pupils. This reflects the challenge that many rural schools in West Clare face, as populations continue to decline in the region. There is no post office and no shop in the 24-townland parish, which has two pubs. “Since the 1960s all three post offices in Shanahea, Cranny and Coolmeen have closed. The creamery at Cranny has been demolished. Public houses like Moloney’s in Coolmeen and McMahon’s in …

Cratloe  1-10 Ballinacourty (Waterford) 0-11 GETTING stronger as the game wore on, Cratloe defied the perceived wisdom that playing a Munster club semi-final, the day after their first Clare football championship win, would derail them. Instead they showed that they have the most admirable collection of lungs in Munster GAA. Rather than celebrate the clubs historic county final win on Saturday night, Cratloe spent the evening in the ice chamber, preparing for Sunday’s provincial semi-final in Cusack Park, which was watched by 873 paying customers. Come Sunday evening, they had plenty of time to party with a Munster club final appearance on December 1 also in the bag, against reigning Munster champions Dr Croke’s. Sadly for Cratloe and particularly for Conor McGrath, they will have to take on the Kerry champions without their inspirational corner forward. Quiet against Doonbeg in the county final, McGrath was magnificent against Ballinacourty. His daintily finished goal was the games pivotal score, while he also …