Mighty Mills seal senior return to keep Magpies at intermediate

*Aidan O’Gorman lifts the Paddy Browne Cup. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. 

O’Callaghans Mills 2-19
Clarecastle 1-16
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, Ennis

Six points was the final margin in Cusack Park but it could have been much more with The Mills much more dominant over the Magpies to deservedly bounce back to the top tier at the first attempt.

It was the Mills who relegated Clarecastle in 2023 and again the East Clare outfit reigned supreme. The Fireballs caught fire but the Magpies challenge never seemed to ignite apart from a brief spell in the first quarter.

Gary Cooney’s twelfth minute goal saw O’Callaghans Mills regain the lead and they never fell behind for the remainder of the tie. Jacob Loughnane goaled in the first attack of the second half to put them eight points in front and there was no stopping them from there.

Experience shone through as The Mills made sure to seize their opportunity, they duly did and there can be no complaints that it was Aidan O’Gorman lifting the Paddy Browne Cup this Sunday evening.

Both sides were guilty of missing their fair share of scoring chances, Killian Nugent made big saves between the posts for the Mills, so too did his opposing number Cian Broderick.

Once again, the Mills had a huge abundance of scoring options, eight different players registered on the scoreboard for them. Clarecastle opted with Cian Galvin drifting back as a sweeper and they ended up starving their inside line of possession, thus lacking an attacking threat. Darragh Moroney struck four points from centre forward.

Fitness has been a big focus for O’Callaghans Mills all season and they had the engine to keep purring throughout the contest, this epitomised by their midfield duo of Fionn Hickey and Cormac Murphy while Aidan O’Gorman and Aidan Fawl powered forward from the half-back line on several occasions.

Photographs by Gerard O’Neill & Ruth Griffin.

Speed of hurling was a contrast between the sides, the Mills made four blocks on opposing Clarecastle hurlers in the opening half, one of which led to their second score after wing back Evan Price was blocked allowing possession to spill to Jacob Loughnane who duly converted. Cormac Murphy had opened the scoring on two minutes, letting out a roar to the decent crowd in Cusack Park.

Three unanswered points from Conor Whelan, Paul O’Connell and Harry Doherty saw Clarecastle take the lead for the first time by the fifth minute. Darragh Moroney and O’Connell swapped scores before the lively Seán Boyce struck his first point of the evening which was followed by Cooney’s major.

Cian Galvin may have landed a boomer with the first score following Cooney’s goal but The Mills then hit three points on the bounce before each team hit three points each up to the half-time break leaving it 1-10 0-8 in favour of the 2023 Clare Cup champions.

Any hope of Clarecastle mounting a second half comeback were soon dashed when Jacob Loughnane struck for goal in O’Callaghans Mills’ first attack of the second half. The sliotar spilled from the hurley of Cian Broderick into the path of Loughnane who duly obliged when the opportunity fell his way.

Substitute Oisin Whelan struck Clarecastle’s first score of the second half on thirty five minutes with the life fading out of the contest. They could have lowered the deficit but Paul O’Connell’s penalty, the awarding of which was earned by Conor Ralph, was kept out of the net by Killian Nugent.

Another run of three points without reply saw The Mills build a ten point advantage with forty two minutes played. The respective netminders, Nugent and Broderick were called upon to make saves at either end, James Doherty and Boyce denied green flags with chances within the space of thirty seconds.

A dent in the scoreboard arrived when Clarecastle struck 1-2 without reply. The goal arriving when a Cian Galvin long range free was flicked to the back of the net by Harry Doherty.

They added further white flags from Doherty and Darragh Healy but so too did the Mills via Loughnane and Gary Cooney to record a six point victory.

Captain Aidan O’Gorman accepted the Paddy Browne Cup from Clare GAA Chairman, Kieran Keating where he outlined that their primary objective in 2025 was to retain their status as a senior club following their relegation in 2024.

Winners of the second tier for the sixth time and the first side to win the Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship, the success for The Mills was fully merited. Across the championship, they were the most consistent side and the only team of the last four standing to maintain a one hundred percent winning record.

Celebrations are the immediate focus for The Fireballs who will then turn attention to the Munster club when they host Kerry champions Abbeydorney who are managed by Ruan’s Francie O’Halloran on November 2nd. Best performers for the winners were Darragh Moroney, Aidan Fawl, Cormac Murphy, Gary Cooney, Colm Cleary, Seán Boyce, Fionn Hickey, Killian Nugent and captain O’Gorman.

Losing would have been more detrimental for The Mills rather than Clarecastle given the difference in the respective age-profile of the teams. This will be a learning experience for The Magpies who never properly took flight, stage fright and structure arguably playing a part in their demise and of course the fact their opponents were the stronger side.

Energy which was so strong in their knockout victories over Tubber and Whitegate but it was not evident on the big day. Their front seven were all twenty three and younger, a lot was resting on their young shoulders and maybe the addition of an extra body here rather than utilising Cian Galvin in a deeper defensive role would have helped.

Attempts to get back to the top tier will continue for the proud Magpies who will be in the second tier for a third season in succession. Their return to senior is not far away but they know better than most how competitive it is in the Clare PIHC. Rory O’Connell and Filip Wiechinski were the standout players for Clarecastle.

Scorers O’Callaghans Mills: J Loughnane (1-4 3f), G Cooney (1-2), D Moroney (0-4), S Boyce (0-3), C Murphy (0-2), A Fawl (0-2), A O’Gorman (0-1), C Henry (0-1).

Scorers Clarecastle: H Doherty (1-3), P O’Connell (0-4 4f), C Galvin (0-3 1f 1’65), O Whelan (0-2), C Whelan (0-1), R O’Connell (0-1), C Brigdale (0-1), D Healy (0-1)

O’Callaghans Mills:
1: Killian Nugent

2: Cathal McNamara
3: Conor Cooney
4: Keith Donnellan

5: Seán Cotter
6: Aidan O’Gorman
7: Aidan Fawl

8: Fionn Hickey
9: Cormac Murphy

12: Colm Henry
11: Darragh Moroney
10: Jacob Loughnane

14: Colm Cleary
15: Gary Cooney
13: Seán Boyce

Subs:
23: Bryan Donnellan for Henry (54)
22: Patrick Donnellan for Hickey (60)
19: Mike McGrath for Murphy (63)

Clarecastle:
1: Cian Broderick

4: Filip Wiechinski
3: David Tuohy
2: Stephen O’Halloran

7: Cian Galvin

7: Colin Brigdale
6: Aaron Hayes
5: Evan Price

13: Rory O’Connell
8: Conor Whelan

12: Conor Ralph
11: Conor Halpin
14: Harry Doherty

10: Josh Brack
15: Paul O’Connell

Subs:
23: James Doherty for Whelan (HT)
20: Oisin Whelan for Tuohy (34)
22: Eoghan Wallace for Price (36)
24: Patrick Kelly for Brack (41)
17: Darragh Healy for Ralph (53)

Referee: Niall Malone (Éire Óg)