*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE’s U20 football game with Waterford scheduled to take place this coming Saturday has been postponed.
Chairman of Clare GAA, Kieran Keating in a statement has said the county’s U20 footballers second round game with Waterford in phase one has been postponed “as a mark of respect” to Jack Boddy and his family “to a later date”
Strength and conditioning coach with the Clare U20s, Jack Boddy died over St Patrick’s weekend with a missing persons search carried out in Lahinch on Monday until his remains were recovered on Tuesday morning. Indeed, the U20 panel and management were among those volunteering to assist in the search.
From Co Limerick, Jack had been involved with Clare football teams for the past two seasons as part of Peter Keane’s backroom team with the seniors in 2025 working under S&C coach Shane O’Rourke and then serving as the main S&C coach for the Dermot Coughlan managed U20s this season.
Coughlan’s U20s returned to training this St Patrick’s Day morning but before they left Caherlohan word began to filter from Lahinch that Jack’s remains had been found bringing with a wave of sadness, shock and despair to all involved with the side.
It is expected that Clare GAA will be initiating some form of psychological support to the U20 set-up in the wake of the tragedy.
Keating in his statement outlined, “Jack was a much loved friend of many in West Clare, of our senior football management & squad of 2025 and particularly of our 2026 squad of U20 footballers, to whom he was S&C coach, helping guide them to an opening round win on Saturday afternoon last.
Lemybrien was due to host Saturday’s game at 2pm against Waterford. Clare are scheduled to be in action the following weekend away to Limerick in phase one with the Waterford game to be rescheduled.
