*Feakle’s Ronan O’Connor.
FEAKLE’s age profile means the reigning champions will be strong contenders for the Canon Hamilton next season.
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.
An injury ravaged Feakle exited the TUS Clare SHC in the quarter-finals losing by nine points to Clooney/Quin, a side that have gone on to reach the county final for the first time since 2017.
All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the opening round to Wolfe Tones while sharpshooter Shane McGrath could only be introduced in the final quarter against Clooney/Quin due to a knee injury.
Although the mantra within their dressing room was “next man up”, to be losing players like Quilligan and McGrath was always going to make their title defence more difficult.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, manager Ger Conway acknowledged that luck was not on their side in 2025. “That is sport, it happens. Last year we were very lucky and got through the year with very few injuries, this year it didn’t happen that way I’m afraid but that is sport, you’ve to roll with them punches, it wasn’t to be but the lads should be proud of themselves, they worked fierce hard for the last three years and they have a county title to show for it. I’m fierce proud of them, they can be proud of themselves”.
Looking back on their quarter-final defeat to Clooney/Quin, he said, “Our first half was cat, we never got into the game and seemed to be very low on energy, we gave them way too much space and too much time on the ball, there was too much of a gap left after playing with the breeze, we had an awful lot of work to do against the breeze but in fairness to the lads and we said to them at half-time ‘we’re county champions, go out and show what you have’, they gave it their best for the second half hour, they brought it back to two points at one stage but we ran out of steam”.
Conway continued, “We just seemed to be lacking energy and instinct, we didn’t seem to be at the pace of the game early on. Clooney/Quin started like a train and we couldn’t seem to get hands on, we are normally good at getting on the breaks but we weren’t there in the first half, when it improved in the second half we closed the gap again but we just ran out of time and energy”.
He is hopeful that Feakle will bounce back in 2026. “The age profile of the team is still good, there’s a lot of good young lads there with a good panel of players so there’s no reason why they can’t drive on and have a crack at it again next year”.
