*Clare captain, Eoghan Gunning. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
SIX CLARE HURLERS have been named in the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Hurling Team of the Year while captain Eoghan Gunning has been named Hurler of the Year.
Brian O’Connell’s charges became the first Clare minor team to win provincial and All-Ireland titles in the one year with a series of impressive showings on their way to lifting the Irish Press Cup.
Eoghan Gunning (corner back), Ronan Keane (full back), Matthew O’Halloran (wing back), James Hegarty (centre back), Michael Collins (centre forward) and Marc O’Brien (full forward) have been included in the team of the year off the back of their displays this season which culminated in an All-Ireland final win over Galway on June 4th.
It is the second year in a row that Broadford’s Gunning has been named in the side. The Scariff Community College is one of the most exciting defenders to have emerged from the county and set the way as Clare captain, he was also named as man of the match in the All-Ireland final.
Killanena’s Keane may have had to go off injured before half-time in the Galway win but made his mark in the competition long before the conclusion with towering displays at number three throughout the Munster round-robin series.
Utility man O’Halloran lined out at wing-back and midfield for Clare before getting the nod to go to full-back after Keane’s injury in the All-Ireland final. The Sixmilebridge teenager who is the son of two-time All-Ireland winner Michael chipped in with 0-02 in Clare’s Munster Final win over Cork.
St Flannan’s College student Hegarty may have missed Clare’s opening outing in the Munster championship but once he assumed his first starting role in the third round he quickly left his mark on proceedings at centre back. The Inagh/Kilnamona clubman excelled in every outing in the saffron and blue.
A glorious goal from Collins started off Clare’s championship bid in the rain in Shannon and scoring sprees remained constant from the Clonlara attacker for the duration of the campaign. He scored 0-06 from play in the Munster semi-final win over Limerick and 0-03 in the All-Ireland final win over Galway.
Cratloe’s O’Brien completes the Clare contingent on the team of the year. He was the second highest scorer in the championship and finished off the year scoring 0-07 in the All-Ireland final.
