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Cratloe’s Riain McNamara. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CRATLOE CONTESTED six finals in eleven seasons but seven years on from their last appearance in a Clare SHC decider, their manager says “we need to be realistic about where we are”.
If the availability of an experienced management team is the key to championship success then Cratloe are already on the road to the latter stages of the Clare SHC.
Alan Neville from Clare’s All-Ireland winning teams of 1995 and 1997 is the team manager, they last reached the decider in 2019 during his first stint as manager.
He has lined up backroom team that includes Tipperary native and long-time Cratloe resident Joe McGrath who has tasted success coaching both UL and Cratloe sides. Ollie Moran who managed Offaly’s senior hurlers in 2019 and won an All Star in 2007 during his thirteen year Limerick senior hurling career joins the management as does Seán Ryan. Former manager Conor Earley is also part of the coaching ticket with ex goalkeeper Gearoid Ryan.
Already this season they have led the club to the Division 2 hurling league title, a strong second half showing helping them to account for Tulla a fortnight ago.
That said and while Clarecastle native Neville is delighted with the recent league title win, he is adamant that his charges are facing “a huge challenge and we are not looking past this game. They were in the county final last year and they will want to go better this time while our priority is to get over this game. We must be realistic about where we are. We are in a group that contains last year’s finalists, along with the winners from the previous year and last year’s Munster intermediate finalists. They all have huge pedigrees. We simply can’t look beyond this one. If we take our focus from this we could be facing relegation very quickly. We have to be at our very best to have a chance”.
Like his fellow teams managers in this group, Neville believes that “ you are nearly in a knockout situation if you lose the first round”. He believes that “the format is fair, teams get an opportunity, then get a second chance and if they are not good enough the focus switches to making sure they avoid relegation. The margins are very fine. Look at O‘Callaghans Mills, they were relegated, then got back up and they were very unlucky in Munster last year”.
The Cratloe boss believes that “Clare clubs are as competitive as anywhere in Munster. Heading into this week and the start of the championship teams are biting at the bit after training hard for the past three or four months”.
Asked if it is difficult to manage a team with a number of dual players he told The Clare Echo “the age profile of players determines a lot. We have about five that are over 30, we have ten that are 27 or under. Lads are used to the schedule now. We go with whatever players are available. We are at the stage that the workload, even if demanding is manageable”.
David Collins and Tadhg Lohan are both ruled out for the opening round while it will be nearer match time before a final decision is made on the availability of one of their more experienced players, Podge Collins.
Former Clare players Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath have both recovered from injury and they are set to be in the starting line up at the weekend.
Another vastly experienced player London based Liam Markham is not involved this year.
Cratloe Factfile
Management: Alan Neville (manager), Joe McGrath (coach/selector), Conor Earley (coach/selector), Sean Ryan (coach/selector), Ollie Moran (coach/selector); Morgan Moloney (coach) Gearoid Ryan (goalkeeping coach), David McClure (S&C), David Foley (stats) and Ger Casey (stats).
Captain: Shane Gleeson
Key player: Diarmuid Ryan
One to watch: Jake Moylan
Fresh blood: None
Departures Gate: Liam Markham
Treatment table: Podge Collins (hamstring), David Collins (medial ligament), Tadhg Lohan (hand).
Titles won: 2 (2009 and 2014)
Last year’s run: failed to get out of the group, having lost to Kilmaley and Ballyea.
Schedule of games:
Round 1 v Clooney/Quin on Saturday July 25th in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, Ennis at 18:00
Round 2 v O’Callaghans Mills on Saturday August 8th in O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge at 18:00
Round 3 v Feakle on Saturday August 22nd at 14:00 in Dr Daly Park, Tulla
Championship power ranking: 6
