*Photograph: Burren Eye Photography

John Burke has put many hours of work into the development of football at the Banner GAA club whose headquarters are at Shanaway Road in Ennis and supporters of the countyโ€™s newest club were, understandably, delighted for the team manager when the team graduated to intermediate ranks at Hennessy Park in Miltown on Saturday evening.

โ€œItโ€™s a great day for the Banner and tโ€™was was coming for a whileโ€ he said as supporters cheered the team members off the pitch after victory over Ballyvaughan in the 2020 county junior A final.

The team manager continued, โ€œWe waited a few months, maybe six or eight, for this. We were really ready after the Ennistymon game (semi-final). We thought we may have lost momentum but we built it up again over recent months, Getting twenty two or twenty three at training, you had to have a day like this at the end of it, otherwise you would be doing something wrongโ€.

Burke has been involved with the club since the early days. โ€œI took a break for a while but I am back with the lads for the last five years. There is something there, they are a special group, they are disciplined and this is the proof of it. They react to everything you ask them to do. No matter how high you set the bar they reactedโ€.

Emma Burke supporting her father John Burke and Callum supporting his grandfather. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography

โ€œThey are a young group. We are heading into intermediate now and hopefully we will get a run at it. They are young and eager and they have a belief in themselves. Communication on the field was a big thing for us. We wanted them to learn how to play the game on the field. We did the work on the line but our imput on the field was very little, they worked on the fieldโ€.

Looking ahead to the weekend and their intermediate championship debut, the manager said โ€œwe will be rusty enough at the weekend but look, we are here today. Hopefully we will stay up at intermediate and not go back down. Thatโ€™s where we need to be. Hopefully we can stay thereโ€, he concluded as team captain Cian Rynne raised the Michael Toner cup to loud cheers from the large Banner following.

Related News

joe cooney 1
Cooney criticises judicial review process for delaying major infrastructural projects in Clare
leona cusack 1
Shannon woman's family 'haunted' by fear she did not receive medication in time
Screenshot 2025-10-16 111517
Clare Echo Halloween photo contest
john moran jennifer carroll macneill patrick o'donovan 1
Minister says option from HIQA review will be decided before Christmas
Latest News
clarecastle v tubber 21-09-25 ger o'loughlin 1
Sparrow's Clarecastle not overburdened with pressure ahead of chance to seal senior return
conor cusack damien tansey 1-2
Narrative verdict recorded at inquest into death of Shannon woman following breach in HSE sepsis protocol at UHL
joe cooney 1
Cooney criticises judicial review process for delaying major infrastructural projects in Clare
micheรกl duffy 2
Sitting officials linked with Head of Operations vacancy in Clare GAA
corofin v cooraclare 12-10-25 harry o'gorman 2
Youthful Cooraclare can learn from final showing - Daly
Premium
Narrative verdict recorded at inquest into death of Shannon woman following breach in HSE sepsis protocol at UHL
Sitting officials linked with Head of Operations vacancy in Clare GAA
Youthful Cooraclare can learn from final showing - Daly
Murray flying high as he collects second Clare SFC medal with ร‰ire ร“g
Shannon woman's family 'haunted' by fear she did not receive medication in time

Advertisement

Subscribe for just โ‚ฌ3 per month

If youโ€™re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just โ‚ฌ3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter โ‚ฌ8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.