*Shane Punch in action with Fearghal Kearney during last year’s Clare PIHC quarter-final. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
A RETURN TO the top table is the aspiration for all ten teams setting out in the Clare Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship (PIHC).
In what is the second-ever Clare PIHC, the margins are even tighter. O’Callaghans Mills were favourites from the outset last season, they justified the tag and have proven their ability at senior level by winning the Clare Cup as they continue a remarkable unbeaten run in the county.
They have paved the way for all Clare PIHC teams and each of the ten in the second tier will fancy their chances of lifting the Paddy Browne Cup in October.
Action commences this weekend in a championship which has consistently thrown up very tight encounters and games which are certainly worth attending for the neutral.
Bodyke and Parteen/Meelick sit out from this weekend’s action as they make the most of their opening round byes. The remaining eight clubs will be in action on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
All ten teams are profiled here.
Whitegate
Management: Niall Hayes (manager), Cathal O’Byrne (coach), Dermot Hayes (selector), George Waterstone (selector).
Joint captains: Eoin Quirke and Ciaran Keenan
Key Player: Conor Whelan
One to watch: Jake Gibbons
Fresh blood: Jake Gibbons, Leo Bogenberger
Departures Gate: Patrick Burke, Ciaran Quinn (regraded), Cian McDermott (regraded), Michael Heffernan (regraded), Harry Bogenberger (regraded)
Treatment table: None
Titles won: 7 (1939 as Mountshannon, 1942 as Mountshannon, 1959, 1984, 1992, 2009, 2013
Last season’s run: Made the semi-finals where they were defeated by Clarecastle 3-17 1-8.
Schedule of games:
Round 1 vs Sixmilebridge on Sunday July 26th at 13:00 in The Evicted Field, Bodyke
Round 2 vs Tubber on Friday August 7th at 19:00 in Gurteen
Round 3 – bye
Round 4 vs Parteen/Meelick on Sunday September 6th at 13:00 in Dr Daly Park, Tulla
Round 5 vs Corofin on Sunday September 13th at 13:00 in Gurteen
Championship power ranking: 7
“Preparations have gone very well, we’ve had an awful amount of injuries all winter and we were missing an average of seven to eight players during per game during the league but we’re getting them back bit by bit. This weekend will tell a lot as to where they are at fitness wise”.
“The plan is to get to the knockout stages and then there’s three games from there to take the next step which would be massive. Any of the ten teams could easily pick up the Cup though and we are under no illusions as to how tough our group is so that getting out of that is our first aim”.
“Our minimum objective is to beat Sixmilebridge in the first round, then try beat Tubber in the second round and see where we lie after that when we have a break for a few weeks before facing Parteen/Meelick and Corofin. We’re not looking past anyone and that starts with Sixmilebridge this Sunday before we prepare for Tubber. We’ll hope for the best for the first two rounds, then prepare for Parteen/Meelick. We’d love to be in the knockout stages but every team we’re facing is formidable and we cannot look past Sixmilebridge”.
“Having the bye in the middle of the championship can be good or bad, if you’ve had a bad result in the previous round then it is a long time to wait, if you were lucky enough to have had two wins in the first two rounds then it is the ideal place to have it. Getting a bye at the start allows you to try build a bit of momentum but the one time you don’t want the bye is for the final round”.
“I was minor manager before I took over the seniors so I knew a lot of the lads who were going to be joining the panel. We knew we’d lose a few players before taking it on, we had a lot of emigration and we knew we had to bring in lads. There’s only one or two playing in the same position from when we took over to what will play on Sunday, it has been a complete revamp and a rebuild, a lot of lads have been away and travelling”.
Niall Hayes (manager)
Corofin
Management: Dave Hannan (manager), Ronnie Meere (coach/selector), Donnchadh Kelleher (selector)(, Kevin Kelleher (selector), Luke O’Loughlin (selector), Gerry Hanrahan (selector)
Captain: Gearoid Kelly
Key Player: Diarmuid Cahill
One to watch: Seanan Kirby
Fresh blood: Oisin Tierney, Fionn Clancy (returned from Australia), Eoin Davoren (returned from Australia)
Departures Gate: Killian O’Connor (emigrated), Seán O’Brien (emigrated), regradings.
Treatment table: Conor Leen (hamstring), James Organ (ankle)
Titles won: 3 (1991, 2002, 2023)
Last season’s run: Relegated from Clare SHC after two year stint in the top tier.
Schedule of games:
Round 1 vs Tubber on Friday July 24th at 19:00 in Clarecastle
Round 2 – bye
Round 3 vs Parteen/Meelick on Sunday August 23rd at 13:00 in Fr Murphy Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
Round 4 vs Sixmilebridge on Sunday September 6th at 13:00 in Gurteen
Round 5 vs Whitegate on Sunday September 13th at 13:00 in O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
Championship power ranking: 7
“We’ve played a few challenge matches and training has been very positive. The lads are raring to go after the disappointment of being relegated, they have all stepped up and are really trying to get back up. The flip side is playing football and hurling is tough on the players but they are managing it fair well as a small dual club, it is tough going but they embrace it”.
“In the Clare Cup we were playing the top teams, on one side you want to get a few games where you’re competitive but we were missing a good few at the start so it was a chance for other lads to step up and a few of them have. In a few games we were competitive and there was a few where we weren’t at all but the top division is where you learn the most. Being relegated from the league was another downer but the players have really stepped up and they see what we’re trying to bring to the table”.
“Facing Tubber first is a great game to focus the minds for a lot of the players. They know what is coming with the Burren derby, they are a big strong physical team, it will be a tough opener. If the lads can’t get up for these games then they’re of no use to us, this is why we play championship and we’re raring to go”.
“It is more tricky for the players who have to go out each week than it is for us managing the dual aspect. We’re going to have lads playing seven weekends in a row and it’s testament to the players to be able to do that, the only thing you’re looking at is injuries but in fairness we’re proud of the lads that they can manage playing both, we were senior in both codes for a while and the club was really proud of that”.
“The first game is going to be important to set the tone, we’ll have four weeks off after that game so if it doesn’t go right we have time to prepare and get things right but it is a massive game”.
Dave Hannan (manager)
Parteen/Meelick
Management: Aaron Devane (manager), Mark Boland (selector), Nathan Fox (selector), David O’Sullivan (selector), Martin Reale (S&C), Jason O’Reilly (S&C),
Captain: Darragh McDermott
Key Player: Jack Kirwan
One to watch: Gavin Marshall
Fresh blood: Gavin Marshall, Dylan O’Connell, Joe Maxwell, Cormac Barry,
Departures Gate: Nathan Fox (injured)
Treatment table: None
Titles won: 1 (1956 as Parteen)
Last season’s run: Failed to get out of the group stages
Schedule of games:
Round 1 – bye
Round 2 vs Sixmilebridge on Friday August 7th at 19:00 in Shannon
Round 3 vs Corofin on Sunday August 23rd at 13:00 in Fr Murphy Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
Round 4 vs Whitegate on Sunday September 6th at 13:00 in Dr Daly Park, Tulla
Round 5 vs Tubber on Sunday September 13th at 13:00 in Shannon
Championship power ranking: 6
“We started the year really well with a good block of work from January on and spent February with our strength and conditioning and fitness block. We have a lot of lads who were doing the Leaving Certificate and showing the age of our panel that was our biggest problem and we didn’t have access to them for portions for the year. Our league was indifferent and unfortunately we got relegated but that can be rectified next year. We played some challenge matches in last few weeks and it was our first time having a full deck to pick from since starting out”.
“To enhance their fitness levels and put more tactical awareness on what they are doing has been my focus since coming on board. One of the main conversation pieces I had with Colm (Davoren, Chairman) is something we want to rectify as a club which is being a team that has done well in the group stages but struggled when it comes to knockout, we want to take that narrative away and be known as a team getting beyond quarter-finals. It is one of our aims to get past that stage and face it as we see it from there. This Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship (PIHC) is going to be a good opportunity for all the clubs, there’s no weak teams and it is very even, our first round will be key. I can see it in Tipperary since the PIHC has come in, it has strengthened the hurling across the board”.
“We’ve a bye in the first round but I wouldn’t say that we’re starting on the backfoot because of that. It gives us a chance to see what we’re up against, we want to be attacking straight from the word go”.
“At the start playing in Division 2 was brilliant for us, we had Cratloe and Wolfe Tones up first, we were delighted that we were competitive in both those games from a performance perspective. We beat Whitegate and Smith O’Briens, it was a lack of bodies and not having a full deck to pick from that was our downfall, it has helped us, you always want to be playing better teams and playing at a higher level”.
Aaron Devane (manager)
Tubber
Management: Pat Taaffe (manager), Gavin Keary (coach), Michael Coen (selector), Paschal Lee (selector), Rosaleen Monahan (medical), Podge Haugh (S&C).
Captain: Patrick O’Connor
Key Player: Ronan Monahan
One to watch: Macauley Brennan
Fresh blood: Aidan McNamara (returned from Austalia), Cathal McNamara, Oisin McNamara,
Departures Gate: Mark Earley (regraded).
Treatment table: Senan Dunford (foot), Joey Droney (ankle/groin)
Titles won: 2 (1972, 1976)
Last season’s run: Exited in the quarter-finals with a 4-19 0-22 loss to Clarecastle.
Schedule of games:
Round 1 vs Corofin on Friday July 24th at 19:00 in Clarecastle
Round 2 s Whitegate on Friday August 7th at 19:00 in Gurteen
Round 3 vs Sixmilebridge on Saturday August 22nd at 18:00 in Clooney/Quin
Round 4 – bye
Round 5 vs Parteen/Meelick on Sunday September 13th at 13:00 in Shannon
Championship power ranking: 8
“Preparations have went well, we had to wait for Gavin Keary to come back from the Galway U20s, he wasn’t with us full-time while he was involved with them but he’s with us fully now. Our numbers are small in Tubber so it is hard to get really good sessions but what the lads have done, they have done well”.
“You learn from every game and you learn more from your beatings, you try put them behind you as quick as you can and move on, if you don’t it plays in lads’ minds and it can upset them so we have had to move on from the quarter-final last year and say we were beaten by a better team”.
“We’re starting off against Corofin, they are coming down from senior and they played in Division 1 of the Clare Cup so they are the favourites if you’re looking at because they have played two years in senior and it is very hard to stay up there with the quality of the sixteen teams so if you’re surviving you’re doing well. They will be the favourites and they have much more experience than us even though we have older guys but they have experience of playing at a higher level”.
“Overall it probably is going to be a tighter championship this year. Once it went to Premier Intermediate it tightened it up, everyone has a shout now whereas before there was some weaker teams and you were almost guaranteed a quarter-final place but nobody is guaranteed that now and it is a much better championship, there are no weak teams and all the games are very competitive. Clarecastle are still the favourites, they are the biggest club and they’d be followed by Corofin, Tulla and Parteen/Meelick but there are a lot of good teams in it”.
Pat Taaffe (manager)
Sixmilebridge
Management: Adrian Chaplin (manager), Sean Chaplin (coach/selector), Michael O’Halloran (coach/selector), Danny Morey (coach)
Captain: Adam Breen
Key Player: Caimin Morey
One to watch: Stephen Gavin
Fresh blood: Calum Phelan, Jack O’Halloran, Rory Chaplin, Stephen Gavin, Mark Mullins, Derek Fahy (regraded), Brian Carey (regraded), Barry Fitzpatrick (regraded)
Departures Gate Aidan Quilligan (retired), Dylan Downes (emigrated), Cathaoir Agnew (transferred)
Treatment table: Barry Fitzpatrick (knee)
Titles won: 5 (1951, 1957 as Cappagh, 1971, 1988, 1990)
Last season’s run: Didn’t make it out of the group stages
Schedule of games:
Round 1 vs Whitegate on Sunday July 26th at 13:00 in The Evicted Field, Bodyke
Round 2 vs Parteen/Meelick on Friday August 7th at 19:00 in Shannon
Round 3 vs Tubber on Saturday August 22nd at 18:00 in Clooney/Quin
Round 4 vs Corofin on Sunday September 6th at 13:00 in Gurteen
Round 5 – bye
Championship power ranking: 5
“Things are going well, we’re happy with our preparations, the mood is good and we’re looking forward to the first round on Sunday. Our group has been training at a good level with the first team which is helping everyone to be more competitive”.
“We’re starting off against Whitegate in a tight field in Bodyke. We’re the only club who has their second team competing in this championship so we fully understand that every team we’re going to be facing is a good outfit. Whitegate are a very good team, they have fast players but we’re coming with a new group and confidence, lads will get their opportunity”.
“We’ve had a very competitive intermediate team for the last few years, we’ve been achieving very well in this grade including getting to the final against Corofin in 2023. This year is a totally different group, with that for us it brings new opportunities and brings in an air of development for us, we’re looking to be be competitive”.
“Every club’s second team finds it tough no matter if it is intermediate and junior b or senior and intermediate, there’s challenges and we’ll have to see how our seniors get on this Saturday as to how we are with personnel and we’ll have to game by game with that approach”.
Adrian Chaplin (manager)
Group 2 –
Clarecastle
Management: Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin (manager), Donagh Murphy (coach), Martin Sheedy (selector), Stephen Sheedy (selector), Anthony Daly (selector), Trevor Slattery (S&C).
Captain: Colin Brigdale
Key Player: Colin Brigdale
One to watch: Evan Price
Fresh blood: Tom Slattery, Cian O’Dell, Jack Ellingstrad, Niall Galvin, Lee Brack
Departures Gate: Josh Brack (injury)
Treatment table: Oisin Whelan (hamstring), Rory O’Connell (US), Cian Galvin (hamstring)
Titles won: 1 (1931)
Last season’s run: Made the inaugural Clare PIHC final but lost out to O’Callaghans Mills 2-19 1-17
Schedule of games:
Round 1 vs Tulla on Thursday July 23rd at 19:45 in Gurteen
Round 2 vs Smith O’Briens on Saturday August 8th at 18:00 in Glenomra Park, Broadford
Round 3 – bye
Round 4 vs Bodyke on Sunday September 6th at 15:30 in Páirc Michael Ui hEithir, Cratloe
Round 5 vs Ruan on Sunday September 13th at 15:00 in Inagh
Championship power ranking: 9
“We’re a year older and hopefully a year more mature. We were up and down last year, we started okay then we nosedived but we picked ourselves up and were beaten by a more experienced O’Callaghans Mills team in the final. The Mills have proven they are at senior level and should remain there, they were unlucky not to win the Munster club and have won the Clare Cup already this year. That is the level we’re trying to get to, we showed we were a bit off it in the final but we have a few lads back, if we can qualify from the group then we should have a full squad to pick from, if we can get out of the group then we’ll be in good shape”.
“You couldn’t pay attention to the favourites tag because we’ve been so inconsistent last year with two wins and two losses in the group stages alone. We have to get more consistent and we have a huge task first against Tulla, they are similar to ourselves and they feel they are equipped to be back at senior level, we’ve a huge task starting off and we’re expecting a physical hard-fought game, if we turn up and they turn up it will be a great game”.
“We’ve added Anthony Daly and Stephen Sheedy to the management full-time this year, Anthony is recognised around the country at the highest level with Dublin, and he brings a lot of respect, the lads like him and it is the same with Stephen, he is a great guy to chat and talk to lads one on one. They bring different traits, we’re very lucky to have them involved and to have lads that want to get involved, we are all striving to get back to senior and there are no guarantees no matter who is involved, we are just trying to put everything in place”.
“There is a learning curve out of the final, it was shown on the day that we weren’t fully equipped to cope with the Mills. We’ve had to work awful hard on improving all aspects, our aggression, tackling, striking and having our mind right for the big matchday. Lads can get a big nervous for finals, the more often you’re knocking on the door the better, it ticks the box in that you’re heading in the right direction, to lose the final was awful disappointing but it shows the potential is there and we can carry it forward for 2026 but getting out of the group is the first priority”.
Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin (manager)
Ruan
Management: Leon Quirke (manager), Francis O’Halloran (coach), Mike Daffy (coach), Patrick Roughan (coach), Martin Conlan (S&C), Gearoid Roughan (selector), Pat Meaney (selector)
Captain: Pa O’Gorman and Ryan Power
Key Player: Frankie Lyons
One to watch: Diarmuid Hastings
Fresh blood: Joe Meaney, Aodhan Naughton, Sam Kelly, Diarmuid Hastings, Piaras Ó Sé (back from travels),
Departures Gate: Daniel Guinane (regraded), Jamie Ryan (regraded), Tom O’Halloran (regraded), Conor Wynne (regraded), Daire Corey (regraded)
Treatment table: Killian Ryan (knee), Ashley Brohan (groin), Daniel McInerney (hamstring), Pa O’Gorman (back).
Titles won: 5 (1940, 1948, 1950 with Dysart), 1978, 2012)
Last season’s run: Eliminated by eventual winners O’Callaghans Mills 2-22 0-15
Schedule of games:
Round 1 vs Smith O’Briens on Sunday July 26th at 13:00 in Meelick
Round 2 – bye
Round 3 vs Bodyke on Sunday August 23rd at 14:00 in Clooney/Quin
Round 4 vs Tulla on Sunday September 6th at 15:30 in Fr Murphy Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
Round 5 vs Clarecastle on Sunday September 13th at 15:00 in Inagh
Championship power ranking: 8
“Winning the league has us on a bit of a high, we haven’t won something at adult level since 2012 so the league was a huge priority for us and it’s always nice to win something no matter the level. We need to be playing at a higher level in the league and we got the bonus of a trophy”.
“We’ve been knocked out by the last three winners in the championship. The intermediate championship is so competitive now and there is nothing between any team in it, we want to make a breakthrough but our focus is on the group and trying to come out of it because anybody could come out and any team could miss out”.
“The margins of winning games is so small with the new structure, we drew with Sixmilebridge, lost to Whitegate and then beat Bodyke and Clarecastle and in those games we won it was only down the home straight where we did. There is nothing between the teams, consistency is a big thing to have in the championship and every other team looking for the same thing. Winning the first round is vital, there’s nothing between any of the teams, it is unbelievably competitive and that is why games are so good. You get great games in the PIHC because of that, ten teams are in it and anyone of them could win it, the Mills were very strong and worthy winners but maybe this year anyone could win it out”.
“Three teams come out of the group so maybe you can afford to lose a game but the bonus for topping the group is an automatic semi-final whereas if you lose a game you’re not guaranteed anything”.
Leon Quirke, manager
Bodyke
Management: Colin Molloy (manager), Michael Sheehy (coach/selector), Oisin Molloy (selector), Johnny Healy (selector)
Captain: Éanna Doyle
Key Player:
One to watch: Cormac Doyle
Fresh blood: Seanie Wiley,, Willie Fitzgerald, Paddy McNamara, Oisin Slattery.
Departures Gate: Ciaran Hickey (regraded), Tadhg Kilkenny (regraded)
Treatment table: Ronan Fitzmaurice (hamstring).
Titles won: 5 (1932, 1936, 1946, 1969, 1996)
Last season’s run: Defeated Killanena in the relegation final to consolidate their status.
Schedule of games:
Round 1 – bye
Round 2 vs Tulla on Saturday August 8th at 13:00 in Clonlara
Round 3 vs Ruan Sunday August 23rd at 14:00 in Clooney/Quin
Round 4 vs Clarecastle on Sunday September 6th at 15:30 in Páirc Michael Ui hEithir, Cratloe
Round 5 vs Smith O’Briens on Sunday September 13th at 15:00 in Glenomra Park, Broadford
Championship power ranking: 5
“We are thrilled to have a bye in the first round, it gives us an opportunity to see what the other teams are like but also the chance to hone in on a few more things to get right. We’re trying to push on from last year, it’s not that we didn’t deserve to be in relegation but we felt we’re better than that and we want to prove that by getting out of the group firstly, then you never know. It’s like the Munster championship, it’s easy to win the All-Ireland if you can get out of Munster so we’re trying to get out of the group and push on. Everyone expected the Mills to beat everyone last year, it’s going to be real open this year and we want to be in the competition coming up the final stretch”.
“Losing the league final to Ruan certainly provides motivation for when we meet in a few weeks time. No more than Ruan, we were missing a few day on the day and there’s a small bit of not showing your full hand either. Ruan regardless of the winner or loser are a good and strong team, we always have good battles with them and we expect nothing different come championship, there’s always a point or two in it, we don’t fear them, we respect them but we’re confident every day going out”.
“We’ve added personnel to our squad this year which was needed, we were lacking strength in depth so it’s good to have that, training is going well but you don’t really know where you are till the first game and we’ll assess after that”.
“I know we were in relegation last year, I don’t want to say you’d love to have had a bit of luck but our captain Éanna Doyle got a serious injury which resulted in our game being postponed and we were on top at the time, we then had to play three championship games in ten days and we struggled to see it out. We were very much in contention to get out of the group prior to that but with so many injuries and things getting condensed into three rounds it caught us in the end.
We ended up in relegation rightly so because we didn’t have the points, we felt we were better than that and have a bit to prove, we feel capable that we can go a small bit further”.
“We do have a good few East Clare derbies in the group so we’re looking forward to playing Tulla and Smith O’Briens. Smith O’Briens are strong coming up from intermediate and Tulla got to the Division 2 final having won Division 3 last year and are going down the right road.
We’ve a good team of hurlers, we respect everyone but we don’t fear anyone. The Premier intermediate was arguably the best championship in Clare last year, I can see something similar this year too. We can’t look too far ahead, there’s not many teams like the Mills who will go from start to finish without losing a game, we won’t panic if things don’t go right on the day one. If we end up in relegation it won’t be for lack of trying, it is just a fiercely competitive championship”.
Colin Molloy (manager)
Smith O’Briens
Management: Barry Hennessy (manager), Mark McInerney (coach), Brendan Foley (selector), Cian Maloney (selector), Shane Kirwan (selector), Derek Conway (selector), Craig Moloney (selector)
Captain: Cathal Stritch
Key Player: Mike Gough
One to watch: Conor Geraghty
Fresh blood: Darragh Rosney, Sam Flaherty, Brendan Minogue, Conor Geraghty
Departures Gate: Sean McMahon (in Canada for first three rounds), Cian Maloney (retired).
Treatment table: Eddie Bourke (thumb), Micheál Ryan, Dwayne Sheedy, David O’Shea.
Titles won: 2 (2004, 2021)
Last season’s run: Cathal Stritch’s last minute goal saw them win the Clare IHC to secure promotion to the PIHC.
Schedule of games:
Round 1 vs Ruan on Sunday July 26th at 13:00 in Meelick
Round 2 vs Clarecastle on Saturday August 8th at 18:00 in Glenomra Park, Broadford
Round 3 vs Tulla on Sunday August 23rd at 16:00 in Whitegate
Round 4 – bye
Round 5 vs Bodyke on Sunday September 13th at 15:00 in Glenomra Park, Broadford
Championship power ranking: 5
“I’m very confident in our group of players, I’m not saying we’ll win it out but I’m confident with the playing group we have. People will look at our league results and make assumptions but we were missing six or seven players every game with ads doing exams and travelling, we never had more than eight players who played championship for us lining out and they were stepping up into Division 2 which is a big gap from Division 3. If you’re not playing with your full deck you’ll get punished and we did, we only got one bad beating to Wolfe Tones, we were competitive other than and we’re fairly confident we can hold our own”.
“I’m very happy with what we’ve done and our preparation, I was away for the first half of the year coaching Meath and Mark (McInerney) carried the can and ran the show, I’ve been very happy with the lads’ effort from early January. We have a young panel so we went after a couple of bits that we identified to move from the intermediate championship to the premier intermediate and we’ve closed a lot of them gaps. We’re looking forward to the whole campaign”.
“It was all learnings for us in the league. We’re very young, Seánie McMahon is one of our main backs and he’s still very young, he’s going to miss the first few games for us, Mike Gough is another of our main players and is still a young man. We don’t have too many lads on the wrong side of thirty, there are only a handful of them there, you’ve a cohort of lads aged 22/23, another sprinkling from 25 to 28 and another sprinkle on the other side. It is very much a group still growing and developing so more exposure at a higher level is better for us, a lot of our lads have played B and C hurling at U18 and U21, we are playing teams used to A level hurling all their lives so we’re aspiring to close the gap and compete at higher level, that was the best thing about Division 2, playing premier intermediate and senior teams”.
Barry Hennessy (manager)
Tulla
Management: Brian Quinn (manager), Colin Lynch (coach), Stephen Cusack (S&C), Brian Lynch (selector), Karl Quinn (selector)
Captain: David McInerney
Key Player: David McInerney
One to Watch: Cathal Culloo
Fresh blood: David McInerney, Cathal Culloo,
Departures Gate: David Meehan (concentrating on athletics), Niall Bolton,
Treatment table: Tony Leyden (hamstring), Feargal Kearney (finger).
Titles won: 1 (1979)
Last year’s run: Knocked out in the quarter-finals to Ruan with a last minute Shane Punch goal.
Schedule of Games:
Round 1 vs Clarecastle on Thursday July 23rd at 19:45 in Gurteen
Round 2 vs Bodyke on Saturday August 8th at 14:00 in Clonlara
Round 3 vs Smith O’Briens on Sunday August 23rd at 16:00 in Whitegate
Round 4 vs Ruan on Sunday September 6th at 15:30 in Fr Murphy Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
Round 5 – bye
Power rankings: 8
“It is a tough one to start off with, Clarecastle have a good bit of experience from their run to the final last year. It will be a big test for us and we’re looking forward to it. Overall, it is a tough group with tough teams, we also have Ruan and East Clare teams so they are all tough games, we’ll get nothing easy”.
“Ruan knocked us out last year but we have moved on from that, they were good on the day and we can’t take it away from them, we had our chances, they were good on the day”.
“There’s a lot going on with the club in terms of developments, we’d love to get back to the top tier and bring this development out onto the field, it’s not easy and not for a want of trying”.
Brian Quinn (manager)
