*Aidan McCarthy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
INAGH/KILNAMONA remain among the teams shortlisted to be in hunt for honours when the Clare SHC reaches the business end of the season.
Given the numbers they have available and the impressive performances they have delivered in a variety of underage grades in the past decade Inagh/Kilnamona have been shortlisted for honours at adult level on a regular basis in recent years.
However disappointment has been their lot, losing the Clare Cup (senior league) final earlier this year and tasting defeat in the latter stages, including in the 2021 county final.
Tomás Kelly is in his first year as senior manager of the club. On the expectation across Clare that the club should have won more at senior, he said, “We have a lot of good players but so have other clubs, it’s about how they come together”.
A member of the senior panel for over a decade, Tomás is now the senior team manager. A member of the management team at St. Josephs secondary school in Tulla where he is part of the teaching staff, he has helped steer school teams to a number of successes including a first every Harty Cup title two years ago.
Speaking this week ahead of the opening game in the race for the Canon Hamilton trophy Tomás stressed, “our focus is on the opening round against Scariff who beat us by seven points in the championship last year. We have a lot of ground to make up. This is a very tough group but right now we are not looking past Scariff”.
The county panellists coming back in “has given a lift to the squad”. Aidan McCarthy and David Fitzgerald played key roles in Clare’s All-Ireland win while Sean Rynne and Eamonn Foudy were part of the Clare squad also.
In this year’s senior league (Clare cup), Inagh/Kilnamona topped the division 1 A group with six wins, a draw and two losses, one of which was in the final group game against Scariff when the East Clare side won by a point.
Topping the group qualified them for the semi-final where they had to work hard to overcome St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield but in the final they disappointed when losing by eight points to Newmarket-on-Fergus.
They will need to improve on that performance if they are to reverse recent results in their games with Scariff.
There is no doubt but that they have some very talented players in their line up and these include Fitzgerald, McCarthy, Rynne, Foudy, Jason McCarthy, teenagers James and Fred Hegarty to mention some.
David Mescall is out due to a cruciate knee injury while Shane Woods and Connor Hegarty are battling to recover from injury. On the plus side Kevin Hehir has returned to the squad after spending some time overseas.
Panellists David Fitzgerald, Josh and Keelan Guyler, Ryan Barry and the Rynnes Conor and Sean are also members of the Ennistymon senior football team while Aidan McCarthy is a key player with Kilmurry Ibrickane senior footballers.
For these players to remain injury free will be key for the Inagh- Kilnamona club as all fill vital roles for the hurlers.
Management: Tomas Kelly (manager/coach), Hugh Paddy O’Byrne,
Damian O’Halloran, Milo Keane, Conor Shannon (S&C)
Captain: Darren Cullinan
Key Player: Aidan McCarthy
One to watch: Fred Hegarty
Fresh Blood: James and Fred Hegarty, Conor Rynne, Jack Mescall
Departures Gate: Cian McInerney (emigrated)
Treatment table: Damian Lafferty (long term), Shane Woods (ankle), Connor Hegarty (shoulder), David Mescall (cruciate), Kevin Hehir (knee).
Last season’s run: Didn’t get out of the group, won the senior B title
Titles Won: None
Schedule:
Round 1 v Scariff on August 10th in O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge at 15:00
Round 2 v O’Callaghans Mills (August 24th/25th)
Round 3 v Broadford on September 7th/8th
