Jonathan Keane celebrates winning the South of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady
AS the 2025 sporting seasons draws to a close, the keenly contested and eagerly awaited Clare Echo sporting awards return.
In truth, it was a year more of lows than highs on the sporting front across Co Clare but once again sport demonstrated its ability to showcase the best of the county as a unifying force on the good and the bad days.
Sporting greats both young and old departed this life in 2025 and we begin by taking a moment to remember them all for their contributions on and off the field across generations. Their loss is keenly felt among their families, clubs and communities.
This is the sixth year of The Clare Echo sporting awards, our novel way at chronicling the sporting year that was. It wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of players, mentors, coaches, referees, officials, administrators and supporters, all of whom make the moments all the more memorable.
You’ve been waiting all year so here we go, the winners of The Clare Echo sporting awards are…
Club of the year: Éire Óg
Historic, unbelievable and unforgettable. Anyone involved with Éire Óg would dispute opening comments that it hasn’t been a year full of highs as they have enjoyed the most glorious year that was. Securing a historic senior championship double has them the toast of the town and the county, they followed this up by winning the U21B football title following extra time and came narrowly close to success in the U21A hurling final, losing by the smallest of margins to Inagh/Kilnamona. Thirty five years of hurt ended for Éire Óg’s hurlers when David Reidy lifted the Canon Hamilton beating Clooney/Quin 0-17 0-12 and they backed it up with a strong finish kicking 1-8 without reply to overcome St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 1-16 2-6 and ensure one of their dual stars Aaron Fitzgerald would lift the Jack Daly. The hurlers managed by Gerry O’Connor had been knocking in the door, a puck of the ball kept them from winning the 2022 title, their consistency is evident in the fact that they had qualified for ten successive quarter-finals. Shane Daniels had the tough task of succeeding three-time Clare SFC winning manager Paul Madden but he helped the Townies stay at the summit, they only lost two competitive matches all season to underline just how dominant they have been. A rising tide lifts all boats as they say, GAA success is fantastic for the town of Ennis, in an economic sense when the county town is going well so is the remainder of Co Clare so if the same applies in a GAA lens the Éire Óg year of all years is only positive for the Banner County.
Can’t See Can’t Be Award: Aisling Reidy & Siofra Ní Chonaill head Down Under
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and Clare’s ladies football cause took a major dent as Aisling Reidy and Siofra Ní Chonaill embarked on a new sporting dream in May. They swapped Gurteen for IKON Park as the newest members of the AFLW side Carlton. Prior to this, they had been standout players at club and county, they were leading figures for Clare in reaching the 2023 All-Ireland intermediate final and winning the 2024 National League title. At club level, the pair were also to the fore for St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield as they reached a first-ever senior championship final in 2024 and tasted league success earlier in 2025. Aisling made her Carlton debut in September, her fielding and tenacity in the tackle have shone through in her initial appearances for the Blues. Siofra made her debut in Brisband a month earlier, her strength and speed also caught the eye of Carlton supporters. While they are of course immense losses to club and county, they are setting a trail and acting as such a positive example for young sportswomen.
Trail blazers of the year: Ennis RFC
Ennis RFC made their debut in the Women’s All-Ireland League in September in a historic moment for rugby in the county. In April, they sealed their AIL status when overcoming Enniskillen 24-13 in a dramatic play-off win. Gareth O’Hanlon’s side embarked on a maiden campaign in an exciting new chapter for the sport. It doesn’t come as a surprise as women’s rugby has been on the rise in recent years with the likes of Edel McMahon, Siobhán McCarthy, Eimear Considine, Aoife Corey, Alanna McInerney, Clodagh O’Halloran and Chisom Ugwueru all setting the way. Women’s rugby is on the rise and this crop of players are owed a huge debt of thanks for that.
Rising star of the year: Ben Lyne
Dreams aplenty were achieved for Ennis teenager Ben Lyne who signed for Manchester Utd from Wolves in August. Several Premier League clubs were eyeing up the promising attacker. A son of Seán and Maeve, Ben joined Wolves from the Cayman Islands football academy, Total Soccer Cayman, where he caught the attention of Wolves scouts in an English youth tournament. Before heading to Manchester, Ben played a central role for Éire Óg’s U15 footballers, scoring a hat-trick as they defeated Kildysart/Coolmeen 7-11 1-9 to win the county championship. In May, he scored both goals for St Flannan’s College to help them win the FAI Schools First Year Boys National Cup 2-1 against Scoil Dara, Kilcock on a scoreline of 2-1. He was named as a Community Games All Star for U12 soccer in October 2022. He is a former player with Ennis Town FC. He has since been called up to train with the English U15 squad.
Trend setter of the year: Vintage Joe Garry
One of the Clare’s more colourful characters hailing from Cooraclare is Joe Garry. When Clare’s senior footballers lined out in the Munster SFC final for the third year in a row, the first time they did so since 1916, Garry came armed in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney with a vintage Clare jersey going back to the Martin Donnelly sponsored days. Things were bad on the day with Clare slumping to a 4-20 0-21 hammering, Garry had a numbered 21 jersey on him but thankfully wasn’t called into action. The Clare FM analyst further strengthened his style credentials when sporting a peak flat cap when attending the U21A football final between Ennistymon and Clondegad. His technical skills were not on par with the fashion as it took him three attempts to manage to record an interview with victorious Ennistymon boss Brendan ‘Beano’ Rouine.
Need for speed award: Alex O’Neill
A first national senior title was won by Quin’s Alex O’Neill in August when she took first place in a thrilling Women’s 800m final in the National Athletics Championship. Representing Limerick Track, Alex won gold ahead of Sarah Healy (UCD) in a nail-biting 800m final where sixteen seconds separated the top three. Healy tried to find the gap on the last lap but O’Neill held her form brilliantly to edge it on the line. Her first place finish was in a time of 2:04.53 followed by Healy in 2:04.57 and Doheny AC’s Maeve O’Neill in 2.04.69 at Morton Stadium, Santry. Alex recorded her season best at the same venue last month with a time of 2:01.70 for the Morton Games. In August 2019, Alex moved to the United States of America on a scholarship to Providence College. The twenty four year old has already won over 30 All-Ireland medals in her athletics career. She has represented her country on numerous occasions. She started her juvenile atheltics career with St Cronan’s Athletic Club where her father Conor was among her coaches. She transferred to Ennis Track in 2018. Alex has credited the Community Games and Tommy Loughnane for sparking her interest in athletics. A past pupil of Rice College, Alex is an older sister of Clare senior hurler Jack who was part of the extended panel to win the All-Ireland SHC last year.
Manager of the year: Enda Byrt
One of the great pioneering coaches of Irish basketball, Enda Bryt is a giant in the sport. In May, he was inducted into the Basketball Ireland Hall of Fame. The Ennistymon man is regarded as one of the key administrative figures in popularising the sport in this country. He was part of a vibrant, young new national executive elected in 1979-80 that revolutionised the sport over the ensuing decade. As head of games development he helped establish the first extensive roll out of coaching and table official courses, including at his beloved national residential camp in Dungarvan. He also founded and acted as editor of the Basketball Ireland magazine which hugely promoted and documented the sport’s growth during that period. As chairperson of international affairs he helped set up the first junior (U19) men’s programme, and served as an assistant to Danny Fulton when Ireland recorded its first ever win in Europe in the grade, beating Denmark in Finland in 1984. In 1988 then, after also being Fulton’s assistant for four years with the senior programme, he was elevated to head coach of the senior men’s team, a position which he would occupy for most of the following decade. In that time he transformed and professionalised how Irish teams prepared and successfully recruited Irish-American players, most notably Pat Burke. During his tenure Ireland won the 1994 Promotions Cup in the National Basketball Arena while he also led Ireland to three appearances in the world university games, including in 1995 in Tokyo when an Ireland team featuring Burke, Adrian Fulton and Karl Donnelly finished eighth out of the 17 countries, and famously rattled a Team USA featuring Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and Ray Allen. Coaching continued to be a passion for him; in the mid-noughties he took a sabbatical to serve as an NCAA assistant coach to his great friend Pete Strickland in Coastal Carolina. He has also been a brilliant champion for basketball in his native county. In 1983-84 Claremont Admirals, based in his hometown of Ennistymon, entered Division Two of the national league with Enda as their player-coach. Their four-year participation in the league is to this day still fondly remembered in the mid-west and beyond, not least for their recruitment of the hugely-popular Ed Randolph. A man of many interests and talents, just last year the retired school teacher had a book published on music and ceilí bands in North Clare, he continues to contribute to the game, acting as a mentor to coaches in the local club Clare Cascaders and also head coaching Western Seahawks who have been one of the stronger teams on the women’s national masters scene in recent years.
Mic drop moment of the year: Aidan McCarthy lifts the lid on Clare exit
“I was willing, ready and able to line out” came the bombshell from Clare hurler Aidan McCarthy in May. Speaking out is rarely easy and takes bravery, McCarthy did just that when rubbishing the rhetoric from certain inaccurate Clare GAA quarters that he walked out of the Clare hurling panel in the middle of the Munster championship and instead revealed he was dropped from the squad by management. “Just to clarify and confirm. I did not walk off the Clare Senior Hurling panel. I was willing, ready and able to line out for my county against Tipperary on Saturday evening if selected,” he stated in a now infamous tweet. It was front page news for The Clare Echo but ignored by other media outlets in the county for some reason, granted it wasn’t a Saipan moment but it unfortunately was the biggest Clare hurling story of 2025 in a campaign when they were relegated from Division 1A of the Allianz National Hurling League and didn’t get out of Munster. Instead of lining out against Tipp, he featured in the Clare Cup for Inagh/Kilnamona scoring 0-9 as they defeated St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield. As reported in The Clare Echo, an approach by McCarthy this winter to rejoin the panel was rejected.
Making a splash award: Leana Liddane
Leana completed her own two in a row when she was named female sports person of the year by Water Safety Ireland for the second year running. Hailing from Cross and Kilbaha, Leana is a past pupil of Ennis NS and is one of the country’s top lifesaving athletes, excelling nationally and internationally. At the European Championships, she achieved thirteen top-ten finishes, earning one team gold, two individual silvers, and one team silver, while breaking Irish records. Domestically, she won multiple golds in events like the 200m Obstacle Swim and 100m Rescue Medley. Her dedication, record-breaking performances, and consistent excellence make her a standout performer.
Sports moment of the year: Edel McMahon captains Ireland in World Cup / Áine Donegan secures Tour card
Sharing the sports moment of the year are Edel McMahon and Áine Donegan for separate sporting endeavours. Kilmihil’s Edel had the distinction of captaining her country in the Rugby World Cup, an achievement that is the stuff of dreams. There was further visions in December when Áine Donegan who only turned professional in October secured her European Tour card for 2026.
Wins over Japan (42-14) and Spain (43-27) meant a whitewash (0-40) defeat didn’t stop Ireland from securing second spot in Pool C. Ireland exited the quarter-finals losing 18-13 to France. Her World Cup was cut short with injury in the New Zealand loss, at the end of October she underwent her second knee surgery since the tournament. Ennis’ Áine is one of twenty golfers to earn their full LET cards for the 2026 season.
Unsung hero of the year: Paudie Hayes
Beautiful weather conditions added to the atmosphere in Roslevan in May when Avenue Utd overcame Bridge Utd 2-0 in the title-decider to retain the CDSL Premier Division and end David Russell’s tenure on a winning note. There was drama before a ball was kicked over the proposed referee appointment. Bridge Utd objected to Shane Hayes’ taking charge of the game due to his involvement with Avenue Utd’s academy. FAI officials instructed the CDSL to change the referee which resulted in the appointment of Paudie Hayes as match official with sideline officials Trevor White and Barry McCarry. On the day of the match, Shane arrived expecting to take charge of the game but he was advised by CDSL officials that his namesake was taking charge. Both sideline officials departed in solidarity leaving Paudie without match officials for the biggest league game of the season. The Newmarket-on-Fergus man was left flying solo with no linesmen in a game with so much at stake, there were clashes and big hits including a concussion but Paudie gave one of the performances of the year in a very pressurised situation, one in which the stress was greater due to the departing officials. Not alone did he get all the big calls right on the day but Paudie showed cahonas and earned the respect of everyone in attendance at a packed venue for flying solo.
Ah don’t go your great craic award: Peter Keane
Ranking among the biggest blunders of Deirdre Murphy’s three year tenure as Clare GAA Head of Operations was the appointment of Peter Keane as Clare senior football manager. The treatment of honest Clare football men like Michael Neylon, Declan Downes and Declan O’Keeffe regardless of choosing the wrong man for the job was part of the error and serves as a lesson on how not to treat people. Poor treatment was par for the course for the Keane stint in Clare whether it was his inability to strengthen the belief of his panel, leaving talented footballers like Colm Walsh O’Loghlen, Brendy Rouine, Diarmuid O’Donnell and Jamie Stack deprived of game time or how he give the County Board the run around both at the beginning and end of his tenure. Eoin Brennan writing in The Clare Champion detailed how the former Kerry manager played an “often bizarre hide and seek duel” with the local media during his Banner tenure. Clare’s footballers have yet to win in the new round-robin series of the All-Ireland SFC, this year was their greatest chance of ending that run paired against Down, Monaghan and Louth, instead football apologists in Clare celebrated moral victories while businessman Keane showed his inability to answer hard questions when he eventually finished his game of hide and seek. All in Clare football may not share The Clare Echo’s desire for better standards in Clare football but those involved with Paul Madden’s set-up are already experiencing a better offering. Dear reader, in case you haven’t copped it, the title for this award is of a sarcastic tone and one which might prompt a Cahirsiveen man to react with some more unsavoury language towards this writer. For more analysis on this, check out From Hype to Hindsight: The Peter Keane Experiment in Clare on clareecho.ie.
Sports Person of the Year: Jonathan Keane
In July, Jonathan Keane became the first local winner of the South of Ireland Golf Championship since JD Smyth rolling in a five-footer for a closing birdie to beat former former champion, Caolan Rafferty of Dundalk. The famed championship was always the competition that Kilfenora’s Jonathan wanted to win and doing so was a moment of magic, it brought a sense of relief and joy to North Clare following months of tragedy, when we sport can lift an area just look at what Jonathan did. From the age of eleven, he wanted to compete in the South and ironically JD was one of his first coaches in the sport. Winning the South was the highpoint of his career but it has led to an Irish international call-up. In the wake of his big victory, he was able to credit those who helped along the way such as Ennistymon’s Paddy Skerritt who provided him with his first set of golf clubs. Modest in victory and defeat, Jonathan’s humble nature ensured there was so many supporters thrilled to see him succeed in the competition that had so much personal significance. The manner in how he overcame from a crippling back injury demonstrated his resilience. The South is the current highpoint but the sky is the limit for Keane.
Sporting role model award: John Conroy
In sport and in life, there is an emphasis placed on leaving a legacy. New Quay native John Conroy is doing just that in his ever-positive and effusive manner. In July 2024, he founded Nile Óg Cusacks, a GAA club in Uganda, three hours south of the capital city, Kampala and the sixth GAA club in the country. It became Africa’s newest GAA club and John has placed inclusivity at its heart. It has brought gaelic football and Irish dancing to Walukubu West Primary School in Jinja near the source of the Nile in the east of Uganda. In its first year, Nile Óg Cusacks focused on coaching a classroom of 28 deaf children in the school. John has done charitable work in Uganda since 2009 has led volunteer trips to Jinga for six week stints in the summer for the past three years leading to the creation and growth of Nile Óg Cusacks. Its members wear familiar jerseys, including former sets belonging to Wolfe Tones and St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield and they’ve even put together videos saying ‘Come on The Parish’ in advance of the Clare SFC final this year. Since 2017 over 50 volunteers from Clare including John have raised in excess of €275,000 for charities based in Uganda. John was part of the Clare senior football backroom team under Colm Collins and Mark Fitzgerald, he is now involved with Joe Hayes’ minor team, working on statistics and analysis, his calm and open manner makes him a fine addition to any set-up. He has won championships with Michael Cusacks and Tubber, he has been Chairperson of Clare GAA’s Health and Wellbeing Committee since its inception three years ago. He is the founder of Fitness4Fun. As underlined by his lifetime of work, John is one of the good guys, representing the best of what is involved in Clare sport.
Special distinction award: Frankie Coote
Frankie Coote blew the final whistle on his career as a soccer referee in February. It brought the curtain down on a thirty four year stint as the man in the middle but also marked the end of an era, simply because the Ennis man provided an amount of colour while officiating games. In his everyday life as Clare’s county dog warden, that wit and animation is still evident for all those who interact with him. Taking charge of games without linesman and in a pre-VAR area, it was Frankie and no one else responsible for the big calls in teak tough games involving great Newmarket Celtic, Avenue Utd, Newtown and St Pat’s sides of the past. His involvement with Hermitage FC as a mentor also included the memorable instance where the club were fined when one of their games were called off due to an unplayable pitch, the damage which was caused by none other than an elephant which was part of a touring circus in Ennis. Stay tuned to The Clare Echo for an interview with Frankie reflecting on a memorable career.
