*Conor Hill. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE’S U20 footballers will be without one of their key defenders when they begin their championship campaign this weekend.
Conor Hill of Lissycasey sustained a shoulder injury for St Flannan’s College on Saturday when they lost 1-18 1-14 to Presentation Athenry in the semi-finals of the Croke Cup.
Hill was forced off with thirty seven minutes played for the Flannan’s hurlers and his loss comes as a big blow to Dermot Coughlan and the Clare U20 football management.
He was expected to line out at centre back for the county U20s and his absence provides an unnecessary selection headache for Coughlan and co.
Part of the U20 side last season, Conor was a first-choice starter during Maurice Walsh’s one-year term. He started all six of Clare’s championship ties in 2025, all but one of them at corner back. An injury ended his involvement in their 3-16 1-13 defeat to Cork while he was withdrawn at half-time when Clare defeated Limerick by five points in the third round of phase one.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, manager Coughlan said they expected to be without Conor for the entirety of phase one. “We were training Sunday morning and he was in a lot of pain, to be honest the sceptic in me thinks it could be a six or eight week injury, I’m hoping it won’t be as long, we’d be hoping to have him back but we’d be very lucky”.
Conor’s Lissycasey clubmate Aaron Killeen is among the other injury concerns but if deemed fit to play is anticipated to be at corner back.
Stephen Murphy of St Joseph’s Miltown who has recently recovered from injury may be set to benefit from Hill’s misfortune and slot into the half-back line alongside Daniel Brody of Ennistymon and Lissycasey’s Michael Kelly.
Cooraclare’s Harry O’Gorman is expected to get the nod as goalkeeper with Evan Cahill a key player in the middle of the park.
Captain Daire Culligan will lead an attack which is also likely to include Diarmuid McMahon and Seán Fennell.
Clare U20 football panel: Daire Culligan (Lissycasey) Captain, Harry O’Gorman (Cooraclare), James Garrihy (St.Breckan’s), Oisin Tierney (Corofin), Aaron Killeen (Lissycasey), Diarmuid Boyle (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Louis Griffin (Ennistymon), Aaron Townsend (Cooraclare), Cillian Kelly (Kildysart), Stephen Murphy (St Joseph’s Miltown), David Cahill (Clooney/Quin), Aidan Weaver (Lissycasey), Daniel Brody (Ennistymon), Conor Hill (Lissycasey), Michael Kelly (Lissycasey), Christian Cummins (Corofin), Evan Cahill (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Colm Breen (Corofin), Sean O’Dea (Cooraclare), Ralph Whelehan (St Joseph’s Miltown), Darragh Townsend (Cooraclare), Ruben Fallon (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Colm Downes (Shannon Gaels),, Donncha O’Dwyer (St.Breckan’s), Diarmuid McMahon (Lissycasey), Seanan Kirby (Corofin), Simon Culligan (Cooraclare), Sean Fennell (Kilrush Shamrocks), Oisin McNamara (Michael Cusacks), James Rafferty (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Cillian Darcy (Kilmurry Ibrickane)
