*Ronan Kilroy, Tony Burke and Banner supporters lead the celebrations. Photograph: Joe Buckley
The 2026 GAA playing season just keeps getting better for Banner and Clare GAA dual star Ronan Kilroy.
Having played a key role in helping Clare to win the Munster and All-Ireland under 20 hurling titles along with making his debut for the county seniors, he has been a leading light in helping his club to intermediate football and hurling honours in the space of eight days.
Ronan scored 0-7 in Banner’s Clare IHC victory over Inagh/Kilnamona. Speaking to The Clare Echo, he stated, “We have a serious bunch of lads, they are so determined from the young lads that came in this year to the older lads like our hurling captain, Cian Rynne. Everyone wants to win, every day we go to training, we train as hard as possible. It’s a savage bunch. Today, when we were down with a few minutes to go a few lads stepped up when we really needed them. It shows their never say die attitude and it shows how determined we are and thank God we won”.
Scoring chances were spurned by the Banner in the opening half where they hit eight wides but the Ennis club stayed resolute in their focus. “You will never have a perfect game the whole time. I had a few wides, so had Shane (Meehan) but you have to keep the head up, knuckle down again and that’s exactly what we did. We pushed on, we didn’t let it affect us, we are so delighted”.
Extra time saw Banner outscore Inagh/Kilnamona 1-11 0-2 to claim the Pappy O’Callaghan trophy. Fitness came down to “the training we have done all year. We have been going every second week since the championship started. I was with Clare and didn’t see some of the hard sessions these lads put in but they did tough sessions, dark nights behind the goals, running in the dark. It shows that it’s all worth it. This group is something special”.
In 2017, Banner defeated Clonbony in the Junior C championship and next year will compete in the second tier of Clare hurling while also playing senior football for the first time. “I couldn’t ask for a better club, this club has given everything to me, they have put everything on a plate. There are really good people in the club, players coaches and officers. We are senior football now and premier intermediate hurling, it sounds good compared to ten years ago when teams were playing at the lower levels. It shows the amount of work gone into the club and thank God it has paid off. We will enjoy the celebrations this week, we had to cut them short last week but we will have a hell of a party this week”.
In the Munster intermediate football championship, Banner will enjoy home advantage on November 8 against Brickey Rangers from Waterford with the winners of that tie going on to play Fossa from Kerry in the provincial semi-final.
Banner will represent Clare in the inaugural regular intermediate hurling championship which is being hosted by Tipperary club Newport this year and the details of the draw and fixtures for this competition have yet to be announced.
“We look forward to Munster and we will give it a right crack but we will enjoy this first,” Kilroy said.
