*Daire Keane was part of the winning team in 2025. Photograph: Tom Micks
KILMALEY will be crowning the second-ever winners of the Toughest Tribe as the endurance event returns this weekend.
160 participants signed up for the inaugural Toughest Tribe last March but organisers have confirmed this figure has already been surpassed for Saturday’s event.
Teams will be running nine kilometres across land, water, bog and forest in the heart of Kilmaley. Along the way, there will be 8ft walls and containers to scale, silage-bale hurdles and river crossings. A new feature this year is an obstacle course in the old Kilmaley pitch. The fundraiser is organised by Kilmaley GAA to fund their senior hurling team.
It is split into four sections, the forest run, the bog run, the road race and the river run. The course is designed to test strength, stamina, and teamwork so that no two sections feel the same.
Manager of the Kilmaley senior hurlers, Brian Culbert remarked of the fundraiser, “it makes the boys into men and the girls into women”. He added, “Hyrox is the buzz thing now and everyone thinks Hyrox is it but this is it, this is harder”.
Chairman of Kilmaley GAA, John Cahill explained, “it started off as a brainwave for a fundraiser and it has become an awful lot more. The whole community has bought into it”. He stressed, “being a good 10km runner won’t suffice here”.
Individuals aged over fifteen can enter on their own while teams of four which can be single gender or mixed are also eligible. The winning team will receive a cash prize of €1,000 or a brand-new set of club jerseys. The fastest male and female individual entrant will scoop €200 each.
For a team of four the charge is €100 but this is capped at €500 per club in instances where a full panel is entering. The fee is €30 for an individual to sign up and partake on their own.
First place last year was claimed by the Killmaley team of Thomas Maguire, Daire Keane, Colin McGuane and Tommy Barry in a time of 02:59:30 with Inagh/Kilnamona’s cohort of Seamus Foudy, Alex Leyden, Jamie Wynne and Darragh Power behind them in 03:06:56 followed by the Ballyea boys, Jack Browne, Gearoid ‘Gudgy’ O’Connell, Paul Flanagan and Mossy Gavin in 03:14:03. 41:06 was the quickest individual time last year Maguire first home.
Pádraig McGough, a senior selector had the brainwave for the fundraiser. Culbert explained, “the club has lots of costs as a senior club, performance coaches, gym and gear. Everyone here is of the view that the team should fund itself. The Sixmilebridge man added, “only two girls teams entered last year, it is for camogie, soccer, ladies football, rugby, underage, we’ve no underage team outside of Kilmaley at the minute”. He continued, “we want to open other teams’ minds, you won’t get injured, you’re just running through a bog”.
Saturday’s event can be viewed as “a training or a bonding session or look at it as getting up here to try beat Kilmaley,” he said. All runners will be chipped, Culbert confirmed.
Teams signed up so far include Wolfe Tones, St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield, St Joseph’s Miltown, Lissycasey, Kilmihil, Killimor, Mountbellew Moylough, Feakle/Killanena’s camogie team and the ‘East Clare refs’ comprised of Fergal O’Brien, Ian Daly, John Bugler and Kieran Liddane, “a few players might want to give them a jostle in the river,” Culbert remarked.
Also returning this year is The Chieftain’s Walk. This is a family friendly charity walk open to all ages, supporting children’s cancer charities. Last year it raised €1000 and serves as a reminder of the little heroes in the community.
PS Carmody Contractors once again are the main sponsors of The Toughest Tribe. Viewing points will also be set up for non-participants to follow the action.
For registration queries, contact Brian (085 862 4271) or visit www.kilmaleygaa.ie/toughesttribe26
