*Fairgreen Celtic winger Dean Coughlan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
FAIRGREEN CELTIC have not lacked ambition since their foundation and the Ennis club are determined to hold their own as they mark their first season in the top flight.
Formed just three years ago, in 2022, Fair Green Celtic have made remarkable progress in Clare soccer.
They are the second youngest club in the county and, in just three seasons, they have progressed from the Third Division to the Premier grade.
As the new Premier Division season gets under way, Fair Green Celtic will take on arguably the two most successful sides in Clare soccer in the space of a week.
Whatever the outcome, being in this company is a dream come through for the men in charge of the Ennis based club
In their first season they won the Third Division league and the League Cup which led to promotion to the Second Division. In season 2 Fairgreen, won the Second Division league and the League Cup double so it was up to the First Division for last season at the end of which they were on hte move again, this time up to the Premier having finished second to Newmarket Celtic B in the leaegue. They had also claimed League Cup honours in the First Division.
Richie O’Grady has been at the helm since day one of the club’s foundation. “It came about after Covid. We noticed that there had been a big drop out as in the region of 70% of the players who had been playing before Covid hadn’t come back to the game. We wanted to get those lads back playing and we started to make contact and there was interest which led to the formation of the club”, he explained.
O’Grady formerly managed Avenue Utd’s A and B teams and said the focus for Fair Green is staying in the top flight. “It’s all about staying in the Premier Division. We have put in three years hard work and we don’t want to go back down. We played Tulla in the League Cup last week and our oldest player was just 24. We had two players who are aged 24 and the rest were between 17 and 21. They are gaining experience and I believe if we can keep the group together, they can win a Premier title in the next three or four years”.
Fair Green Celtic who play their home games at Lees Road begin life in the Premier Division on this Saturday evening when they travel to Roslevan to take on Avenue United and a week later they will be up against Newmarket Celtic.
“We couldn’t have got a tougher start. There is a great spirit in the club and this has been evident in our progress to date. Only five of the group that started out are no longer with us. Those who are still there continue to set the standard”, Richie told The Clare Echo.
Fair Green Celtic Factfile:
Management: Richie O’Grady (manager), Tommy Leahy, Declan Ryan Dominick Whitehouse, Alan McNamara
Captain: Pa Sherlock
Key Player: William Belllow
One to watch: Johnson Mununkum
Fresh blood; Alan Reidy, Johnson Mununkum, Josh Ryan, Etnik Aliu, Zak Kebrail, Steven Odugundre, Emmanuel Akinsola.
Departure Gate: Garry Higgins, Ruairi Norby
Treatment table: Willliam Bellow
Last year’s run: Finished second in First Division; got to semi-final of the Clare Cup where they lost to eventual winners, Newmarket Celtic.
