*Eoin Cleary. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
EX Clare senior football captain, Eoin Cleary has said he is enjoying life away from an inter-county set-up.
For the first time in a decade, Cleary is not part of the county senior football squad having announced in August his decision to take a year out from the Clare panel.
Miltown Malbay native Eoin last year had the frustration of dealing with osteitis pubis, an injury that is becoming increasingly more common among GAA players. It resulted in having no involvement in Clare’s final two championship outings under Colm Collins, he was sidelined for longer than thirteen weeks.
In December, Eoin married his long-time partner Colette, herself an avid ladies football with West Clare Gaels, they travelled to the United States for their honeymoon with further travelling stints to be finalised over the summer months.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, the Limerick based Garda said he is enjoying life away from inter-county football. “It is the first time I’ve been able to avail of the teacher holidays for the past ten years because my wife is a teacher. I’m enjoying the travelling, it opens your eyes a bit to other parts of your life which are neglected for a few years because of your commitment to the football but I’m enjoying it and seeing how it goes, next year can wait for a decision then but I’m happy enough with what I’m doing”.
Clare’s showings so far in the National Football League despite a major revamp of the starting team due to a busy departures door has not surprised the two-time All Star nominee. A win in Newry at the weekend will see Clare bounce back to Division 2 at the very first attempt.
He said, “It was funny with all the talk about the lads gone, it was doom and gloom but being around the set-up you knew lads who were there before that have the ability to step up and that they’d get on more ball and take on leadership roles, they have that with the likes of Brian McNamara, Ronan Lanigan, Stephen Ryan have really stepped up, that is what you want to see, it shows Clare football is in a good place that you lose twelve players and are still performing at a seriously high level and capable of performing to a higher level”.
