*James Moran, Ken Ralph and Brian Lohan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
BRIAN LOHAN’s fifth year in charge of the Clare senior hurlers will see him joined by a new-look management.
Lohan is in the process of finalising his management for next season as Clare look to bounce back from a successive season where they contested the All-Ireland semi-final and Munster final, coming up short to Kilkenny and Limerick in both instances for 2023 and 2022.
Four-time All Star Lohan as he has done throughout his tenure, has used the club campaign to scout potential new talent to add to his panel. The two-time All-Ireland winner is also forming a new-look management for when preparations commence for the 2024 campaign.
Sean Treacy, a two-time All Star and former full back on the Galway senior hurling team will be exiting as coach. The Portumna man was coach of Kiladangan when they won the Tipperary SHC in 2020. He had been the side’s main hurling coach throughout Lohan’s first four seasons over the Clare team.
Shortly after Clare’s semi-final loss to Kilkenny, James Moran informed the Banner manager that he would be bowing out as selector. A National League winner with Limerick in 1997, Moran has worked closely with Lohan for many years and is a close ally of the Shannon native. He was a selector during Lohan’s tenure as manager of the UL Fitzgibbon Cup team, the highlight coming when they won the competition in 2015. Moran was one of the first names added to Brian’s ticket when he was named as manager in October 2019.
Shane Hassett who initially came on board in the capacity as a strength and conditioning coach plus sports scientist but grew to have an input in the coaching along with Treacy is also understood to be departing. A hurler with Drom & Inch, Hassett played under some of his outgoing management colleagues when studying in UL. During the current club season, the Tipp man had been involved with Sixmilebridge and Toomevara.
Other members of the Clare backroom team for the past season included fitness and speed development coach, Michael Carmody and S&C coach Adrian O’Brien. Carmody this season has taken on a new role with the Éire Óg senior footballers while O’Brien who coached Ballyea’s hurlers to win the Clare SHC last season and was involved with St Finbarr’s success in the Cork championship. The involvement of the duo with the Clare senior hurlers for 2024 is unknown at this stage.
Confirmed to be back involved next season is selector Ken Ralph. The Tipperary native has been part of Lohan’s ticket from the get-go and is committed to return for a fifth season. A two-time Clare SHC winner with Clarecastle, he was also a selector with UL for their 2015 success.
2013 All-Ireland winner Brendan Bugler had been mooted as a potential addition to the senior management but such a move is understood to not be on the cards, according to Whitegate sources.
All-Ireland winning captain Anthony Daly is another name linked to the set-up, speculation linking the Clarecastle man to Clare managements is an almost annual occurrence.
Chairman of Kieran Keating told the September meeting of the Clare County Board that the full Clare senior hurling management is to be announced when they convene for their October sitting.
