*Bill Murray with Clare GAA Chairman, Kieran Keating. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
RUAN welcomed Hollywood A-lister Bill Murray to the grounds of Páirc na nGael on Saturday.
It was the meeting of Clarecastle and Tubber that drew a crowd to Ruan, they came from the fishing village and from the heart of the Burren but very few of the supporters expected they would be joined by a leading American actor in the crowd.
For the second year running the sides met at the quarter-final stage. Last yeaer, Tubber prevailed 1-15 1-12 when they faced off in Páirc Finne, Corofin but there was no Groundhog Day this time round, instead Clarecastle had Tubber calling for the ghostbusters such was the shivers they sent down their spine with a blistering first quarter where they bagged three goals.
A day before celebrating his seventy fifth birthday, Bill soaked up the action as Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin’s side sealed their place in the semi-finals of the Clare premier intermediate hurling championship.
He was joined by Clare GAA Chairman, Kieran Keating for the game and afterwards he interviewed Clarecastle’s Rory O’Connell where they spoke about post-match recovery swims and coffee.
Bill was joined by a production team for a documentary he is filming for the BBC alongside comedian Chris O’Dowd, himself a former Roscommon minor and U21 goalkeeper. O’Dowd did not make it to Ruan and scheduling conflicts meant the PIHC quarter-final was the game of choice, as opposed to the Clare SHC semi-final between Éire Óg and Kilmaley.
They have visited Cork and Kerry on their travels while Bill also stayed dropped into Daly’s House B&B in Doolin before taking off on with Doolin Ferry to visit the Aran Islands.
Members of the production team were tight-lipped when approached by The Clare Echo in Ruan but they are optimistic that the documentary will air by next year.
Murray has received numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award, two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Independent Spirit Awards. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Sofia Coppola’s romance Lost in Translation (2003). He and fellow actor Martin Sheen were inducted into the Irish-American Hall of Fame in 2017.
Career highlight for Superstar Actor and Comedian Bill Murray as he gets to meet Clarecastle’s Rory O’Connell following victory in the PIHC pic.twitter.com/o7Rkd5IcDj
— Clarecastle GAA, Camogie & Ladies Football Club (@ClarecastleGAA) September 20, 2025
