*Clarecastle captain Colin Brigdale lifts the Paddy Browne Cup. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARECASTLE have ended their three year stint at intermediate level, sealing their return to senior hurling in emphatic fashion.
Clarecastle 4-27
Corofin 2-12
Venue: Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, Ennis
A powerful first half from Clarecastle saw the Magpies spread their wings and fly to victory, they built up a tally of 3-15 by the interval and even though Corofin had shown their comeback credentials in the knockout stages this was just too big of an ask.
Cusack Park experienced two storms over the weekend. Storm Buelo prompted the delay of the fixture by twenty five hours but the Clarecastle hurricane blew Corofin apart and saw them win the second tier championship for the second time and the first since 1931.
Vice Chairman of Clare GAA, Michael O’Connell when presenting the Paddy Browne Cup to victorious captain Colin Brigdale described it as the “Magpies rising”.
Stig in his speech spoke of how the “star-studded management” led by Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin gave them an immediate lift with their appointment. He praised the Club Executive for creating “top class” facilities and remarked, “now we’re trying to match it with hurlers”.
Touching on the club’s history, the captain stated, “it is a club stepped in history, we want to create our own history and now we’re the bunch of men to bring us back to senior”.
Chants of “we are going up” accompanied the celebrations which will continue in Clarecastle across the week as Paddy Browne Cup moves to the village.
What has been a tight and competitive premier intermediate hurling championship ended in a one-sided affair, the victors prevailing by twenty one points. With eleven different scorers over the hour, Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin’s side marked their dominance in every sector of the field.
An attendance of 2,358 witnessed Clarecastle claim the Paddy Browne Cup, in truth they had business taken care of by the half-time whistle, fuelled by a blistering start where they raced 2-5 0-0 ahead by the tenth minute.
Harry Doherty was on red alert from the get-go, scoring 1-2 in the first five minutes as they exerted their control. Bobby Duggan making his first start for the Magpies in four years opened the scoring after twenty seven seconds, the former Clare senior was back to regular sharpness and caused awful hassle at the edge of the square, also providing the assist for their third major on fifteen minutes as Conor Halpin rifled the net. Duggan added a second with David Tuohy providing the offload during his three minute stint on the field as a blood sub.
Corofin were without current county senior Conor Leen who was ruled out through injury. They welcomed back James Organ and Cillian McGroary, both of whom missed the semi-final with hamstring injuries, McGroary lasted the hour while Organ was forced off with seventeen minutes gone.
Leen’s teammate in saffron and blue, Cian Galvin also made his presence felt, plucking the sliotar from the sky to set up Doherty’s first point on fifty one seconds while also slotting over seven points across the hour.
Galvin was effective from placed balls but Darragh Healy was gifted a goal from a long-range free on five minutes with goalkeeper Liam Corbett and full-back Fionn Clancy caught rotten for the concession of a very soft goal.
All photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
Captain Gearoid Kelly opened Corofin’s account with a free on thirteen minutes, they had three points by half time, Kelly adding a second free with the always hard-working Damien O’Loughlin splitting the posts as they played against a wind and a Clarecastle storm.
Kevin Keane had a chance of a green flag for Corofin but it was cleared off the line by Cian Galvin. They finished the half with an unanswered four points, two from Galvin and one each from Lee Brack and Rory O’Connell.
Having come from six points and four points down in additional time of their last knockout ties, Corofin had a twenty one point deficit to claw back from when the half-time whistle sounded.
Four points on the trot saw Clarecastle maintain their firm grip on proceedings as the second half commenced. Captain Brigdale, the lively Oisin Whelan, Darragh Healy and a Paul O’Connell free which was moved forward for dissent saw them go 3-19 0-3 in front.
O’Connell showed his appetite to get on the scoreboard throughout the tie and when older brother Rory played him a perfect pass, the St Flannan’s College past pupil took on his opponent Marc O’Loughlin and buried to the net on thirty eight minutes to worsen Corofin’s headache.
Micheál Duffy brought some much-needed fight for Corofin, he was introduced at half time and alongside Seannán Kirby fired over three points between them with Eoin Davoren also chipping in from wing back.
Clarecastle began to empty their bench with Evan Price pointing with his first touch. Patrick Kelly, their longest-serving member of the panel and an All-Ireland winner with Clare in 2013 drew a big cheer from the crowd when he was introduced to the fray.
Diarmuid Cahill hit two goals from the fifty fourth minute onwards, on from a free and another from play in what mere consolation efforts for Dave Hannan’s side.
Oisin Whelan had Clarecastle’s final two scores of the afternoon as they clocked up a commanding twenty one point victory.
For Corofin, it is a sobering defeat which will take from the memorable victories they put together to reach the final. Gearoid Cahill reverted back as a sweeper in the opening stages when Clarecastle took control and the role didn’t suit him or his side. They had players battling through injuries that were lacking match sharpness which was evident while key threats up front such as Diarmuid Cahill were nullified by Stephen O’Halloran. Relegated from senior last season, they will definitely be among the leading contenders for the Paddy Browne Cup in 2027.
Everything seemed to go right for Clarecastle, their first four shots were all scores but they were ready for battle, they got their match-up rights and had big performances everywhere you looked. Last year they didn’t deliver on county final day against O’Callaghans Mills but they stood up to the task from the minute the sliotar was thrown in.
Among the standout performers for the Magpies were Oisin Whelan, Stephen O’Halloran, Aaron Hayes, Darragh Healy, Bobby Duggan, Harry Doherty and Cian Galvin.
Scorers Clarecastle: H Doherty (1-4), C Galvin (0-7 5f), O Whelan (0-5), C Halpin (1-1), D Healy (1-1 1-0f), P O’Connell (1-1 1f), B Duggan (0-2), L Brack (0-2), R O’Connell (0-1), C Brigdale (0-1), E Price (0-1).
Scorers Corofin: D Cahill (2-0 1f), G Kelly (0-6 6f), S Kirby (0-2), D O’Loughlin (0-1), M Duffy (0-1)
Clarecastle:
1: Cian Broderick
5: Aaron Hayes
7: Eoghan Wallace
4: Stephen O’Halloran
8: Conor Whelan
9: Colin Brigdale
3: Darragh Healy
20: Lee Brack
6: Cian Galvin
11: Conor Halpin
10: Harry Doherty
12: Rory O’Connell
13: Paul O’Connell
19: Bobby Duggan
15: Oisin Whelan
Subs:
21: David Tuohy for C Whelan (12-15) (blood sub)
14: James Doherty for P O’Connell (42)
23: Evan Price for C Halpin (44)
24: Conor Ralph for Duggan (46)
17: Jack Murphy for R O’Connell (48)
27: Patrick Kelly for H Doherty (50)
Corofin:
1: Liam Corbett
24: John Rees
3: Fionn Clancy
4: Marc O’Loughlin
7: Eoin Davoren
2: Damien O’Loughlin
5: Cillian McGroary
8: Gearoid Cahill
9: Gearoid Kelly
18: Evan Doolin
10: Kevin Keane
15: Gearoid Hanrahan
11: Diarmuid Cahill
12: James Organ
13: Seannán Kirby
Subs:
30: Jamie Malone for Organ (17) (inj)
25: David Corbett for Rees (HT)
14: Micheál Duffy for Hanrahan (HT)
20: Michael Cahill for Davoren (52)
19: Cian O’Loughlin for Doolin (52)
Referee: Jarlath Donnellan (Wolfe Tones)
