*Colm Walsh O’Loghlen. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
ÉIRE ÓG’s Clare SFC title defence and Clare’s senior footballers have been dealt a blow with confirmation that talented forward Colm Walsh O’Loghlen has sustained a serious knee injury while Fionn Kelleher is expected to make his Doora/Barefield return in the county final.
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On Monday evening, scan results confirmed that Colm damaged his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) when lining out with Éire Óg in the Clare SFC semi-final win over Lissycasey.
He underwent a scan late last week and the results have confirmed the feared diagnosis of an ACL injury which typically requires a nine to twelve month rehabilitation period.
Clare supporters feared the worst when the former Pike Rovers winger struggled off the field in the opening half of Éire Óg’s semi-final win. He played for twenty nine minutes and hit 1-2, despite not featuring for the entire second half he finished as Éire Óg’s joint top scorer on the day.
A two-time Clare SFC winner, Colm was part of the Clare squad last season but surprisingly received no minute on the field or game time during Peter Keane’s sole campaign in charge of the county footballers.
Colm’s response has been to produce a fine championship run where he is the fourth highest scorer in the 2025 Clare SFC with an impressive tally of 4-14 across five games.
With Paul Madden appointed as Keane’s successor, the likelihood of Walsh O’Loghlen getting more game time and having a much more prominent role in saffron and blue increased.
Shane Daniels, Éire Óg’s manager had been hopeful that the swelling was going down on Colm’s knee in the days following the semi-final, however the MRI results have revealed he tore the ACL. Colm joins Emmet McMahon of Kildysart on the injured list depriving Madden of two of the county’s most lethal shooters.
In better news for Éire Óg, Daniels has welcomed Gavin Cooney back to the Éire Óg fold. The former Clare footballer and two-time Clare SFC winning captain has returned from Australia and is training with the Townies in advance of Sunday’s decider. He has been impressive with his performances in training and is showing no signs of rustiness according to Townie sources.
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield are expected to start Fionn Kelleher in their defence for Sunday’s final. The Clare defender has been sidelined with a hamstring injury for the past month, he was substituted in their quarter-final win over Kilmurry Ibrickane as a result of the strain which also forced him to miss their semi-final with Cratloe and the Clare SHC relegation final against Corofin.
Kelleher is a leader and central figure in The Parish’s outfit. He made his debut for the Clare senior footballers this season and has set the example from defence in helping Doora/Barefield reach a first Clare SFC final since 2012.
