Keelan Sexton keeps Mike Brennan by his side. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
ACTION is to heat up in the local gaelic football scene with quarter-final draws held for the Clare SFC, Junior A and B championships with the semi-final pairings known in the intermediate championship.
Clareabbey was the venue for Monday evening’s draw which now ratchets up the anticipation levels in the race for the Jack Daly.
North Clare rivals Ennistymon and St Breckan’s will go toe to toe in a fortnight. It will be a repeat of their 2020 quarter-final which St Breckan’s secured victory in, the scoreline finishing 0-11 0-08 in their favour.
Cratloe and Kilmurry Ibrickane will meet in championship for the eighth time in eight years. A fascinating rivalry has developed between the two clubs at senior level for the better part of a decade and it will be renewed in all its glory for their knockout clash.
Defending champions Éire Óg have been paired against the only side to defeat them in last year’s championship, Clondegad. The Ennis side topped a competitive group and are highly fancied by many pundits to retain the title. Clondegad overcame St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield in a play-off on Sunday to advance to the last eight.
Lissycasey were made a seeded team after their name was pulled from the draw of the second placed sides. Their reward is a meeting with intermediate champions Corofin who finished third in Group One, this was initially intended to have five sides and thus it had been already decided that three teams would emerge from the group.
Following a weekend of surprises in the Clare IFC, the picture is clearer with only four teams left standing. Cooraclare and Ennistymon will meet for the second time in this year’s campaign while the other last four clash pits O’Currys against Kildysart.
Clare Senior Football Championship Quarter-Finals (to be played on the weekend of October 1st/2nd)
Éire Óg v Clondegad
Lissycasey v Corofin
Ennistymon v St Breckan’s
Cratloe v Kilmurry Ibrickane
Clare Intermediate Football Championship Semi-Finals (to be played on the weekend of October 1st/2nd)
Kildysart v O’Curry’s
Cooraclare v Ennistymon
Junior A Football Championship Semi-Finals (to be played on weekend of October 1st/2nd)
Kilmurry Ibrickane v Killimer
St Senan’s Kilkee v Liscannor
Clare Junior B Football Championship Quarter-Finals
Corofin (1) v Parteen
Ennistymon v St Joseph’s Miltown
Éire Óg v Wolfe Tones
Cooraclare v Corofin (2) or Michael Cusacks
