*Joe Hayes. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
JOE HAYES has stepped down as manager of the Clare minor footballers.
Ex Clare goalkeeper Hayes served as manager of the county minors in 2025 and 2026, having been coach during Dermot Coughlan’s final season in charge in 2024.
Lissycasey native Joe informed panellists of his decision before meeting with senior officials of the County Board to inform them he was not seeking a third season as manager.
He first joined the Clare senior football panel in 2001 and was forced to retire with a hip injury in November 2017. Highlights along the way included the 2004
Hayes first joined the Clare senior football pane in 2001 and was forced to retire with a hip injury in November 2017, highlights along the way included Clare’s 2016 run to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals following wins over Laois, Sligo and Roscommon and also winning the Division 3 National League title in the same season.
Members of his management team included his former county teammates, Ger Keane, Alan Clohessy and Cathal O’Connor along with Cratloe based coach Fearghal Carroll, Con O’Brien of Kilrush, goalkeeper coach Tom O’Brien and S&C coach Shane McNamara.
Clare GAA have begun the process of finding a successor with Chairman Kieran Keating stating they intend to put forward a name for ratification at the September meeting of the County Board on September 8th in Caherlohan.
At minor level, Clare’s Munster championship record under Hayes was five wins from eleven outings. This year, Clare won the Daryl Darcy Cup with a 2-8 0-8 win over Waterford in Lemybrien in May.
In an end of year report, Hayes stated, “I’ve had three amazing years meeting new people, learning as both a coach and manager and developing 16 and 17 year olds for the betterment of Clare football”.
All members of his backroom team gave “unbelievable” commitment over two seasons. The set-up also included, Emmet McMahon (sports performance), Kieran Conneely (medical), Siún McNamara (medical), John Conroy (stats), Lawrence Healy (stats), Sean Hayes (stats), Jody O Connor (video) and Michael O’Neill (logistics).
He extended thanks to Clare GAA Chairman, Kieran Keating, Head of Operations Ann Marie Moran and the entire County Board for their support during the year, Coiste na nÓg Peil and the Clare football supporters club.
Reflecting on his final season, Hayes commented, “In terms of developing and playing competitive games 2026 must go down as a successful year for the Clare minor footballers. Add in the success of winning the Darryl Darcy Cup and there is no doubt that the year 2026 was a progressive year. The Clare minor footballers played thirteen competitive games in 2026, five of these games were in the Leinster league where we reached the Division 1 shield final where we narrowly lost to Laois. During this competition we exposed all our panel of 35 players to competitive action, constantly rotating the squad in an effort to develop all players as best as we possibly could. I believe we got an awful lot out of this competition and it is imperative that we continue to play in this competition going forward”.
Opening the Munster MFC with a three point loss to Waterford was “a hard defeat to take,” he admitted. “We had a hard week of soul searching after and the group’s resolve and character was definitely tested. We bounced back over the next two weeks with narrow and hard fought victories over Limerick and Tipperary. We now had qualified for Phase 2 of the Munster championship which was a huge lift to the group and a reward for all the hard work they had put in”.
He continued, “We learned an awful lot of tough lessons when we lost to Cork in the first game in phase 2 and we only had seven days to regroup to play a Darryl Darcy final v Waterford. Our first night back after that Cork defeat was a night I saw a huge change in the group. Driving up to training that night I was worried. We were after losing by over 20 points to Cork, eventual Munster and All-Ireland champions, and I was not sure how mentally scarred a group of 16 and 17 year olds would be. But that night they took full control and nearly ran the intensity of the session themselves. It was nearly like they had met up themselves before and thrashed a few things out. They showed unbelievable maturity to park that Cork result and look forward to the next game. That Darryl Darcy performance was arguably our best performance in Munster”.
Additional reporting by Páraic McMahon.
