*Éire Óg’s Gavin Murray in action during their 2023 win over St Joseph’s Miltown. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
QUARTER-FINAL pairings have been made for the Clare senior, intermediate and junior football championships.
For seven of the eight teams in the Clare SFC and IFC quarter-finals, they found out their opponents two weeks on from qualifying for the knockout stages.
Analysing potential opponents will now ratchet up for each management team with anticipation now building among the players.
Champions Éire Óg enter the knockout stages against St Joseph’s Miltown who were the last side to qualify following their preliminary quarter-final victory over Doonbeg on Saturday.
Beaten finalists of last year Kilmurry Ibrickane face St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield for the first time in championship in two years. Five points separated them in the 2023 third round when the Bricks were 0-17 0-12 winners. They have met twice in this year’s Cusack Cup with the Parish coming out on top on each occasion.
Cratloe and Ennistymon will meet for the third year running. The sides drew in the group stages last season with Cratloe emerging victors in 2023 on a score of 2-11 2-5. The tie also pits Colm Collins and Declan Downes, a duo who worked very closely together during their time involved with the county senior footballers.
Both Lissycasey and St Breckans exited in the quarter-finals last season but one of them will progress to the last four. Each side will be confident of their chances in this encounter. They met in the 2023 quarter-finals with St Breckans winning 1-9 0-5 on their way to contesting the county final.
In the intermediate, the meeting of Kilrush Shamrocks versus Cooraclare is among the top ties along with the clash of Clondegad and Naomh Eoin who met twice in the 2024 championship with Naomh Eoin claiming the spoils on each occasion including the semi-final.
At Junior A level, the postponed meeting of Cratloe and St Breckans which takes place next Monday will determine whether Killimer or Clondegad take top spot in Group 4.
TUS Clare SFC quarter-finals:
Kilmurry Ibrickane v St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield
Éire Óg v St Joseph’s Miltown
Cratloe v Ennistymon
Lissycasey v St Breckans
TUS Clare IFC quarter-finals:
Banner v Coolmeen
Kilrush Shamrocks v Cooraclare
Clondegad v Naomh Eoin
Corofin v Shannon Gaels
Martin Murphy Building & Civil Contractors Junior A Football Championship quarter-finals:
Killimer or Clondegad v Kilfenora
Lissycasey v St Senan’s Kilkee
Kilmurry Ibrickane v Éire Óg
Parteen/Meelick v Killimer or Clondegad
Martin Murphy Building & Civil Contractors Junior A Football relegation semi-finals:
Corofin v St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield
Cratloe or St Breckans v Cooraclare
