Éire Óg come up trumps after stiff test from Doonbeg

*Éire Óg’s Jarlath Collins and Danny Lyne swarm Cian O’Mahoney of Doonbeg. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.

CHAMPIONS Éire Óg survived a stern test from Doonbeg as they came moments from suffering their first championship defeat in the county in normal time in five years.

Éire Óg 2-15
Doonbeg 3-9
Venue: Páirc na Muintire, Lissycasey

A three point final margin doesn’t even come close to underlining how narrow the gap was between Éire Óg and Doonbeg in round two of the Clare SFC.

It’s the first time since their 2020 quarter-final exit to Kilmurry Ibrickane in Cooraclare that Éire Óg have conceded three goals in the Clare SFC but crucially for them, they came out on the winning side this time round and it puts them through to the quarter-finals for the tenth year in a row.

Noted for their talent and ability to score from all angles, this was an Éire Óg showing where their workrate, appetite and tackling came to the fore. Oran Cahill, Ikem Ugwueru and Darren O’Brien setting the standard in this regard. The hunger shown by the Townies to stem the tide and win back possession helping them to avoid a first championship loss since the 2023 semi-finals where they bowed out on a penalty shootout.

Doonbeg deserved something from this game but ended up with nothing. The morale victory will be of no consolation as they have no points from two games and it will all come down to their final round showdown with Cratloe where the winner advances to the quarter-finals and the loser ends up in the relegation series.

Three goals were put past the Townies but they responded strongly to the second and third major. They came back with a bang to Doonbeg’s third green flag, kicking six points in succession which was ultimately the period where they claimed victory and the Magpies fell to defeat.

Level three times inside the first half, Doonbeg playing with the aid of a slight breeze only trailed once in the opening half. They only went ahead once in the second half, following Killeen’s forty ninth minute major but only added another point from here to the final whistle as Éire Óg packed a punch at the defining moment of the tie.

Adding an ironic twist to the tale was Mark McInerney once again emerging as Éire Óg’s leading scorer. That McInerney was the scorer in chief for the Ennis side is no surprise but this was against the club of his father, Doonbeg icon Francis McInerney a winner of seven senior titles with the Magpies.

Mark was first on the board with a pointed free on four minutes before Doonbeg landed a brace of two pointers, Seán Conway making his first championship start since 2024 and one of this year’s breakthrough players Darragh O’Sullivan on target within 111 seconds of each other.

Down the left flank, Darren O’Brien caused probems, he kicked two points in a row, the first made by Ikem Ugwueru and the second from McInerney but O’Brien certainly had his shooting boots with him in Lissycasey. McInerney levelled matters for the first time on ten minutes, kicking off his left boot before Eoin Killeen jinked past Dean Ryan to restore Doonbeg’s one point lead.

Ronan Lanigan powered forward to get Éire Óg back on level terms, Gavin Murray, Darren Moroney and Ugwueru all involved in the build-up as McInerney finished off the move on twelve minutes.

Gavin O’Shea and Ugwueru swapped scores before Doonbeg hit for two goals in three minutes. A shot from Darragh O’Sullivan appeared to be drifting wide but Eoin Killeen was on alert and palmed it to the net while it was Killeen who was fouled leading to Chris Maguire awarding a penalty which Mikie Tubridy calmly slotted beyond Bernard Power to put Brian Shanahan’s side 2-06 0-6 in front on twenty four minutes.

Swift responses would prove to be Éire Óg’s forte and they struck for goal in their next attack. Tadhg Lillis did tremendously to block a certain McInerney point but the ball broke into the square where David Loftus recycled back to Luke Pyne and he finished superbly to the bottom right corner of Éamonn Tubridy’s net. McInerney was on target with his next effort, a free which narrowed the gap to two points for half-time.

Scores were drying up on the restart, it took eight minutes for the first contribution to the scoreboard of the second half but it was a significant one. Mark McInerney pounced for goal after Éire Óg overturned a Doonbeg kickout, Darren Moroney doing well and the Clare vice captain made no mistake when the opportunity to goal came his direction.

Over the next eleven minutes, Doonbeg got level twice, Darragh Burns and David Tubridy equalising while Ikem Uguweru picked off his second point of round two and Jack Joyce marked his arrival with a score. Tubridy introduced as a substitute, scored a free with his first touch but the former Clare stalwart was also alert to claim a break in the middle third.

There was a tremendous block from Ronan Lanigan to prevent Mikie Tubridy raising another green flag.

It was Tadhg Lillis that won the turnover which led to Doonbeg’s third goal, Lillis drove forward after winning the ball back and the lively Eoin Killeen again proved too hot to handle for the Éire Óg defence as he nicked in for their third goal and his second on forty nine minutes.

As the game now entered the final ten, Éire Óg knew they had to up the ante, Jack Joyce had an effort cleared from danger by Jason Linnane while a bullet from McInerney was denied by the post. At the other end, Manus Doherty and Aaron Fitzgerald had to do a double act to block Darragh Burns.

Scores were needed and they came via McInerney with three, a two pointer from Darren O’Brien and Danny Lyne showed maturity to fist over in additional time. Eoin Killeen added another point for Doonbeg while they had a chance from a free which would have been a two pointer to reduce the gap to one but Eamonn Tubridy’s effort drifted to the left of the goal.

Having got a scare but still prevailed, this is a timely jolt for Shane Daniels’ Éire Óg. The champions received no test from Cratloe in round one but they were pushed all the way by Doonbeg and they came up with the goods. David McNamara’s physicality was a loss in the middle third but Oran Cahill and Darren O’Brien really stepped up with their workrate and leadership. Mark McInerney, Ikem Ugwueru and Ronan Lanigan also impressed for the Townies.

Another defeat would leave Doonbeg in a relegation battle but they don’t deserve to be in such a predicament having performed well in both of their championship outings. Howeve results will dictate their future and they need to prevail over Cratloe to avoid fighting for their status and instead showing what they can do in the business end. Standout performers for Doonbeg were Tadhg Lillis, Eoin Killeen and Seán Conway.

All photographs by Gerard O’Neill.

Brian Shanahan and David Tubridy stand for the national anthem. Photograph: Gerard O'Neill.

Shane Daniels. Photograph: Gerard O'Neill.

Scorers Éire Óg: M McInerney (1-7 3f), D O’Brien (0-4 1TP), L Pyne (1-0), I Ugwueru (0-2), J Joyce (0-1), D Lyne (0-1)

Scorers Doonbeg: E Killeen (2-2), M Tubridy (1-0 1’Pen), S Conway (0-2 1TP), D O’Sullivan (0-2 1TP), G O’Shea (0-1), D Burns (0-1), D Tubridy (0-1 1f)

Éire Óg:
1: Bernard Power

2: Manus Doherty
3: Aaron Fitzgerald
4: Dean Ryan

5: Ciaran Russell
6: Ronan Lanigan
7: Gavin D’Auria

18: David Loftus
9: Darren O’Brien

13: Luke Pyne
11: Gavin Murray
10: Oran Cahill

15: Mark McInerney
14: Ikem Ugwueru
12: Darren Moroney

Subs:
20: Jack Joyce for Pyne (HT)
22: Jarlath Collins for D’Auria (44)
23: Danny Lyne for Moroney (50) (inj)
17: Fionan Treacy for Murray (56)

Doonbeg:
1: Eamonn Tubridy

7: Cian O’Mahoney
3: Tadhg Lillis
4: Jason Linnane

5: Conor O’Mahoney
6: Gearoid White
2: Shane Bermingham

8: Kevin McInerney
26: Seán Conway

9: Cathal Killeen
10: Mikie Tubridy
12: Gavin O’Shea