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*Declan Downes. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
FORMER Clare senior football selector Declan Downes has committed to a second season in charge of the Ennistymon footballers.
An extra time defeat to Cratloe saw the North Clare side exit the Clare SFC in the quarter-finals in 2025 by the smallest of margins, losing 2-14 2-13 with Podge Collins kicking the winning score.
Downes will return in the hotseat as Ennistymon manager as they look to realise their potential at senior level having contested Clare SFC deciders in 2018 and 2022 coming up short to St Joseph’s Miltown and Éire Óg.
A spirited display saw them overcome Doonbeg by a single point in the first round before falling to a shock three point loss versus Kilmihil and then securing a quarter-final berth by drawing with Lissycasey, thanks to a brace of two pointers from Cillian Rouine in a pulsating tie.
Part of the Clare senior football management for nine seasons, eight of which as a selector to Colm Collins and one to Mark Fitzgerald, Declan has plenty of intel on the top footballers in the county.
He was one of the leading contenders to succeed Fitzgerald in the Clare job where his reported ticket included ex Sligo footballer Gerry McGowan who coached both Clare and Roscommon’s senior footballers, 2001 All-Ireland winner with Galway and All Star, Kieran Fitzgerald and S&C coach Mike Comer. Instead Peter Keane was appointed to the role and lasted for a single season.
A more offensive approach was evident within the Ennistymon camp during his first season in charge. “There is a narrative about this team that I think is unfair, they are an unbelievably capable group of guys who can mix it with the best teams in Clare, they know how to play attractive football and it is well within their capability”.
There will be continuity in Ennistymon with the Rouine brothers, Brendan ‘Beano’ and Michael, two stalwarts of the club, remaining as selectors. Beano a Munster SFC winner with Clare in 1992, was manager of the club’s U21 side crowned county champions in November and has been involved for all four of their title wins at the grade, three of which as manager. He had been part of the management teams for both of Downes’ predecessors Mark Shanahan and Ger Quinlan.
Retired principal of Rineen NS, Michael will be back for his third successive season as a senior selector having joined during Quinlan’s final involvement in 2024, he was previously part of Kieran Kelleher’s management in 2020. A former full-back with the club, he was involved with Ennistymon’s Féile successes of 2012 and 2013. The brothers are also part of the management with Ennistymon’s intermediate side.
John Conneely returns for a second season in the role of selector. Former Clare defender, Lawrence Healy who still lines out for the club’s intermediate team in defence stays part of the backroom team looking after statistics with Brian Conneally and Shane Clancy. Eddie Crowe will oversee video with Paul Dunne back for a second year as S&C coach.
Reflecting on his first year with Ennistymon, Downes told The Clare Echo, “It has been an absolute pleasure to be involved with this group, they are a fantastic bunch, they’ve had serious trauma up there over the last year, not just within one family but across a number of families in the community up there but the way they have rallied and the effort they have given me has been thoroughly enjoyable, I’ve learned a lot from them”.
Defenders Liam Cotter and Ciaran McMahon, midfielder Joshua Vaughan and utility man Seán Rouine have been added to the county provisional panel alongside Cillian and Brendy Rouine.
