Clarecastle back in Clare PIHC final after another triumph over Tubber

*Clarecastle’s Paul O’Connell takes on Tubber defender Joey Droney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.

CLARECASTLE claimed their place in the Clare PIHC final for the second year in a row, once again proving too strong for Tubber.

Clarecastle 1-19
Tubber 1-13
Venue: Gaelic Park, Ruan

Either Clarecastle or Corofin will be playing senior hurling in 2027, the sides will battle for promotion to the top tier in two week’s time after they prevailed in the weekend semi-finals for the Clare premier intermediate hurling championship (PIHC).

Nine points separated Clarecastle and Tubber when they clashed in the quarter-finals last season, the Magpies put four goals beyond the North Clare side on that occasion, a sunny encounter in Ruan where Hollywood actor Bill Murray was among the attendance.

Ruan was the setting once again but the sunshine was replaced by a strong wind which Clarecastle had the aid of in the opening half and duly made use of when they led by elven points.

An electric goal threat which was the difference last year wasn’t as evident this time round but the Magpies still soared as the superior side, they were the more balanced outfit, were fitter, stronger and brought the greater appetite.

This was their third year meeting in a row, Tubber took the spoils by three points in the 2024 quarter-final but Clarecastle have held the upper hand since.

When it was Tubber’s turn to play with the wind, they were reduced to fourteen men when corner back Joey Droney picked up a straight red card for an off the ball incident. He got his marching orders as temperatures were boiling over among respective players on the field and tensions were also beginning to simmer on the sideline.

Bobby Duggan made his return for Clarecastle when introduced as a substitute in the second half. The former Clare hurler hadn’t hurled for his native club since the senior championship of 2022.

Twenty seven scoring chances were created by Clarecastle in the first half, they converted fifteen with three each from the O’Connell brothers, Rory and Paul. Long range efforts were fired over by Conor Whelan, Cian Galvin and Darragh Healy while three of Tubber’s four scores in the first half were frees from Lorcan O’Grady.

Colin Brigdale made an excellent flick as Clive Earley was soloing towards goal in the closing stages of the first half while Ronan Taaffe’s reactions were called on at the either end when saving from Conor Whelan on the twenty eighth minute and reacting well when a sideline cut from Oisin Whelan rocked off the upright.

Cruising by half time, the 0-15 0-4 margin was a solid foundation built by Clarecastle which left them in good stead to complete the job at hand.

James Doherty made it a twelve point lead on the restart but Tubber replied with two pointd across four minutes via Osgar Dunford and Senan Dunford. Their cause was dented by the dismisaal of Droney on forty minutes with some incidents beginning to slow down the play at this juncture.

Paul O’Connell converted a free on the next attack but Tubber responded with three points in two minutes to go within seven points of their opponents. Two O’Grady frees followed as Tubbeer brought it back to a five point game, their run of six points without reply coming within a fourteen minute window, crucially not scoring enough when they managed to stop Clarecastle from adding to their tally.

Aaron Hayes struck for goal on Clarecastle on fifty eight minutes, the defender an unlikely suspect to raid for a major but finished superbly beyond Taaffe after Brigdale and Conor Halpin combined well to set up Hayes.

Hayes’ major led to the crowd dispersing in Ruan but Tubber weren’t done just yet, they hit back with a goal of their own from substitute Mark Earley when he reacted with a rebounded effort when Lorcan O’Grady’s free was saved, making it a five point tie again. Conor Halpin and the returning Bobby Duggan fleshed the lead back out before Cathal Droney clipped over his third point for Tubber.

Beaten finalists in 2024, Tubber are discovering that the road back to the big day is never straight forward. Clarecastle have proved to the stumbling block on their journey since. They lacked the wide scoring threat that their opponents possessed and they had key men marshalled over the hour. Cathal Droney, Joe Clancy and Patrick O’Connor were best for Pat Taaffe’s men.

Equally determined on and off the field, Clarecastle came with purpose and energy that Tubber never overpowered. Their spread of twelve scorers underlines the collective talent they bring to the fold and Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin’s side will be the favourites for the PIHC final against Corofin. Eoghan Wallace, Stephen O’Halloran, Colin Brigdale, Lee Brack, Cian Galvin and the O’Connell brothers impressed for the victors.

Scorers Clarecastle: P O’Connell (0-4 1f), R O’Connell (0-3), A Hayes (1-0), C Galvin (0-3 1f 1’65), C Whelan (0-2), C Brigdale (0-1), H Doherty (0-1), D Healy (0-1), L Brack (0-1), J Doherty (0-1), C Halpin (0-1), B Duggan (0-1).

Scorers Tubber: L O’Grady (0-7 6f), M Earley (1-0), C Droney (0-2), J Nolan (0-1), S Dunford (0-1), O Dunford (0-1).

Clarecastle:
1: Cian Broderick

5: Aaron Hayes
7: Eoghan Wallace
3: Stephen O’Halloran

8: Conor Whelan
6: Cian Galvin
3: Darragh Healy

9: Colin Brigdale
20: Lee Brack

11: Conor Halpin
10: Harry Doherty
12: Rory O’Connell

13: Paul O’Connell
14: James Doherty
15: Oisin Whelan

Subs:
19: Bobby Duggan for O Whelan (40)
23: Evan Price for Doherty (47)
17: Jack Murphy for R O’Connell (55)
21: David Tuohy for Hayes (60)

Tubber:
1: Ronan Taaffe

2: Fergal O’Grady
3: Pappy Taaffe
4: Joey Droney

7: Joe Clancy
5: Ronan Monahan
6: Patrick O’Connor

9: Clive Earley
8: Lorcan O’Grady