*Eoin Cleary and Manus Doherty. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE have stormed to the top half of Division 3 with a third win on the bounce for Paul Madden’s footballers.
Clare 1-21
Limerick 1-12
Venue: Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale
Three wins in as many weekends have reignited Clare’s chances of promotion to the second tier, a grade that last lined out in back in 2023.
Such hopes have been strengthened by Laois comprehensively accounting for Westmeath meaning Clare will need to overcome Wexford and Sligo in their last two rounds whilst hoping Westmeath fall to another defeat.
An unanswered blitz of 1-8 over the course of nineteen minutes propelled Clare to their latest win on Saturday evening. Mark McInerney getting the green light in a fitness test was a huge lift for Clare and he excelled kicking a brace of two pointers.
Between himself and Eoin Cleary, they accounted for 1-15 of Clare’s 1-21 while the next highest scorer from play was corner back Alan Sweeney. The duo of McInerney and Cleary were Clare’s best performers.
Defensively Clare were solid with Connor Meaney impressing at centre back and Ronan Lanigan the reliable anchor at full back. Their tackling and shepherding always pushed the opposing forward line away from goal. The concession of 1-6 from play indicated how well Clare fared in nullifying Limerick and this figure was their best defensive return so far in 2026.
Noticeably, Limerick were much more laboured in their build-up play with the contrasting quicker counters from Clare seeing them inflict plenty of damage on their beloved neighbours.
With an approximate 720 seats in Mick Neville Park according to well-placed local experts, there was no doubt among them that Clare were by far the stronger side. Given that Limerick had kept league leaders Down to within a point at the same setting, such a one-sided contest was not on the cards from the outset.
Paul Madden and his management will be frustrated that Clare didn’t maintain their second quarter prowess for longer in the tie, there was a slight lag in their second half display but in truth they had secured the two points at this stage, the focus then switching to scoring difference as every point tends to matter in Division 3.
Brendy Rouine opened Clare’s scoring with a jinked effort on eight minutes, responding to Limerick’s green flag via Cillian Fahy. Tommie Childs and Danny Neville combined with Fahy, aided by slack Banner marking to find the net on seven minutes in the opening score of the game. Limerick extended their lead to 1-3 0-1 by thirteenth minute, Eliah Riordan with a two pointer and a single.
Then Clare got to grips with the contest and duly dominated, McInerney and Cleary threatening whenever they got on the ball. The influence of Brian McNamara was also beginning to grow while very little was given away in the Banner back line. Another Riordan two pointer was all Limerick could muster for the remainder of the half while Clare tacked on and took control with their 1-8, the last of which came from corner back Alan Sweeney to hold a six point lead at the interval.
A Cleary double plus Sweeney’s second score of the evening pushed Clare nine ahead by the thirty sixth minute. Limerick kicked their first score from play in thirty seven minutes when Danny Neville split the posts but Clare replied with a Cleary two pointer followed by points from Meaney, McInerney and Cleary again. The gap was thirteen at this stage but Limerick hit 0-3 without reply and indeed outscored Clare 0-6 0-2 in the final quarter.
Coupled with the growing belief that accompanies three wins in a many weekends, Clare’s cause has been boosted by Laois overcoming Westmeath. It means promotion is a real live possibility, Clare need Westmeath to drop points in their remaining games against Limerick and Wexford while Madden’s men must secure victories in their last outings against Wexford in Ennis and Sligo in Markievicz Park.
Scorers Clare: M McInerney (1-8 3f 2TP), E Cleary (0-7 1TP), A Sweeney (0-2), B Rouine (0-1), B McNamara (0-1), C Meaney (0-1), C Murray (0-1).
Scorers Limerick: E Riordan (0-5 2TPf), C Fahy (1-1), P Nash (0-3 1f), S Cross (0-2 1f), D Neville (0-1),
Clare
1: Stephen Ryan (Kilrush Shamrocks)
2: Alan Sweeney (St Breckan’s)
3: Ronan Lanigan (Éire Óg)
4: Manus Doherty (Éire Óg)
5: Brendy Rouine (Ennistymon)
6: Connor Meaney (Lissycasey)
7: Ikem Ugwueru (Éire Óg)
8: Brian McNamara (Cooraclare)
9: Cillian Brennan (Clondegad)
10: Daniel Walsh (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
11: Dermot Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
12: Joshua Vaughan (Ennistymon)
13: Mark McInerney (Éire Óg)
14: Eoin Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown)
15: Aaron Griffin (Lissycasey)
Subs:
17: Cormac Murray (St Joseph’s Miltown) for Griffin (53)
24: Shane Griffin (Lissycasey) for Vaughan (56)
18: Jamie Stack (St Breckan’s) for Walsh (64)
22: Fionn Kelleher (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) for Meaney (64)
19: Michael Nash (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) for Brennan (67)
Limerick:
1: Jeffrey Alfred (Adare)
2: Oran Collins (Adare)
3: Darren O’Doherty (Newcastle West)
4: Diarmuid Buckley (Fr Caseys)
5: Oisin Moss (Mungret St Pauls)
6: Killian Ryan (Mungret St Pauls)
7: Tony McCarthy (Kildimo Pallaskenry)
8: Sean Clancy (Galtee Gaels)
9: Tommie Childs (Galtee Gaels)
10: Andrew Meade (Rathkeale)
11: Cillian Fahy (Dromcollogher/Broadford)
12: Eliah Riordan (Fr Caseys)
13: Danny Neville (Askeaton/Ballysteen/Kilcornan)
14: James Naughton (St Seanans)
15: Peter Nash (Kildimo Pallaskenry)
Subs:
22: Paul Maher (Adare) for Naughton (HT)
19: Colm McSweeney (Gerald Griffins) for O’Doherty (HT)
21: Jack McCarthy (Mungret St Pauls) for T Child (45)
23: Josh Dineen (Galbally) for Clancy (53)
25: Shane Cross (St Patricks) for Meade (56)
Referee: Eoin Morrissey (Waterford)
