*Cratloe’s Cathal McInerney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
ON SIX occasions in the past twenty years, the Clare senior football title has been retained by the previous year’s winners.
Current holders Cratloe are one of four clubs to achieve that feat since 2004. Having won the title for the first time in their history in 2013, they retained the crown a year later when they were also crowned senior hurling champions.
Kilmurry Ibrickane managed this feat on three occasions (2008/09, 2011/12 and 2016/17) in that period while St Joseph’s Miltown (2018/19) and Éire Óg (2021 /’22) are the others to have achieved this.
As the race begins to claim the 2024 title, the question will be posed if Cratloe can add to that list and while Éire Óg will be viewed as the competition favourites in the eyes of many football followers, not many are prepared to bet against Cratloe.
Setting out twelve months ago, they weren’t in many people’s shortlist of favourites for the title but their experience was key to them earning a merited win, a penalty shootout win in the semi-finals saw them dethrone Éire Óg.
With the same management in place as that which has guided them to the successes of the past decade headed up by ex Clare boss Colm Collins, they must be given serious consideration when it comes to predicting who might come through as winners this year.
Manager Colm Collins doesn’t need any introduction in Clare football circles. He is a very experienced manager and one can be sure that he will have his charges well prepared and ready for action.
“As has been the case at all times, we are not looking past the opening round. We are in a very difficult group and Miltown on Friday night will provide a difficult test”, the Kilmihil native told The Clare Echo.
Because of the involvement of so many of their players with a variety of Clare hurling and football teams in recent years, Cratloe have had to field weakened teams in their league games and they dropped down a few divisions.
This year they competed in Division 3 but a couple of surprise losses allied to the concession of a walkover by Ml. Cusacks to Naomh Eoin saw them just miss out on a place in the play offs.
They have struggled with injuries in recent times but indications are that they will have a near full strength panel to pick from for this Friday’s game.
Having missed concluding games in the hurling and football leagues, Sean and David Collins trained at the weekend and are expected to be in the starting line up on Friday.
Domiciled in London for the past year, Liam Markham didn’t feature in the league but is likely to be available for the championship. As Cratloe face into the opening game in defence of the Jack Daly dual star Cathal McInerney accepts “we probably have a target on our backs now having won the title last year but we feel we are experienced enough to deal with that. We have trained well and there are no injury worries at present”.
McInerney who was the MD MyClubShop.ie/The Clare Echo top scorer in last season’s championship continued, “in the football league we are down a few divisions which helps as we can blood a few new players”.
Cratloe have a high proportion of dual players at senior level. “That’s thrown at us every year. It’s great when its going well but there are challenges, particularly when you have a few injuries. The key for us is getting our best players on the field for each game. We were fortunate in football last year as we didn’t have any injuries but not so in the hurling when we had a few niggles. The important thing is to avoid injury. Our managements handle the dual issue well,” Cathal said.
“One cannot look past the first round as you are staring down the barrel of relegation if you lose there,” he concluded.
Management; Colm Collins (manager), Brian O’Connell, Sean O’Dea, Shane Markham; Jody O’Connor, Ger Crotty (physio) Oscar O’Dwyer (S&C).
Captain: Kevin Harnett
Key Player: Cathal McInerney
One to watch: Eoin Carey
Fresh Blood: Eoin Carey, Jamie Moylan, Keelan O’Donoghue
Departures Gate: None
Treatment table: None
Last season’s run: crowned champions;
Titles Won: 3 (2013, 2014, 2023);
Schedule of games:
Round 1 v St Joseph’s Miltown (August 2nd)
Round 2 v Ennistymon (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 v Doonbeg (August 31st/Sept 1st)
