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*Darragh Keogh. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
REACHING a first county final in eight years in 2025 “means nothing” for Clooney/Quin as they prepare to set sail on a new Clare SHC campaign.
It begins this Saturday against Cratloe in Cusack Park. They last met in the Clare SHC in August 2023 when Clooney/Quin were 5-12 0-13 winners.
Fergal Lynch is in his third season as Clooney/Quin senior manager. He said, “there is pressure on every team in the group. Cratloe have huge experience and they have a lot more medals that we have and that will carry a lot. Feakle are recent winners of the title and the have huge experience. O’Callaghans Mills are on the crest of a wave after winning the intermediate title last year and the Clare cup just a few weeks ago. It looks like a very tight group and it’s hard to predict who will come out. There will be pressure on every team in all of their group matches”.
An All-Ireland medal winner with Clare in 2013, the Clooney/Quin manager was speaking ahead of the opening rounds in all adult championships this weekend. Of course he wants his beloved club to win next week and to win subsequent games but he says victory in the opening round “is not the be all and end all. Teams have lost the opening round before and gone on to contest the final and win the championship”.
The Quin national school principal went on to say his club is “not looking past phase one which is the group stage. Step one in that phase is our game with Cratloe and getting as good a performance as we can. If we can do that, the result will take care of itself”.
Asked if the pressure is greater because of the fact that they contested the final last year he told The Clare Echo, “last year means nothing, it’s over. This is a totally new championship and we are preparing accordingly. We need a lot of things to go right to win a first round”.
Lynch continued, “getting the right blend with experienced players and young guys coming through is a key ingredient. Mixing the experienced players who are in their late twenties and early thirties with those coming out of minor is a task. The talent is there and we need to work hard to make sure we are getting the best out of all of our players”.
The manager went on to say “there is a proud tradition in our club and all our supporters and club members want a good team to follow and to get enjoyment from them. They got that last year. There are really good people working in the club led by current club chairman Tony Duggan and they have put huge effort into developing the club over the last twenty years. The club has developed hugely in terms of facilities and developing a bond with the community”, the manager, whose late father Des spearheaded many of the developments, said.
Ahead of this weekend’s opening championship tie, Fergal and his management team have some injury concerns and they are unlikely to be able to make a final decision on their starting team until nearer match time.
What is certain is that they will be looking to inter county men Peter Duggan, Ryan Taylor, John Conneally, and Jack O’Neill to lead the charge. In addition Cillian Duggan, Evan Maxted, Darragh Keogh and Matthew Corbett are others they will be looking to for leadership.
There are many players pressing for a place in the matchday squad and few clubs have produced as many underage talented players in modern times as Clooney/Quin. However, as the manager said, getting the right blend is key. If Fergal and his backroom team can manage to do that then Clooney/Quin could well be on the road to going a step further than last year.
Clooney/Quin Factfile:
Management: Fergal Lynch (manager), Francis Browne (coach), Derek Quinn (coach), Cyril Crowe (selector).
Captain: Jimmy Corry
Key player: Peter Duggan
One to watch: Matthew Corbett
Fresh blood: Donnacha O’Donovan, Donnacha Mahon
Departure Gate: None
Treatment table: John Cahill (ankle), Darragh McNamara (groin), Jerry O’Connor (shoulder).
Titles won: 1 (1942)
Last year’s run: Beaten finalists
Schedule of games:
Round 1 v Cratloe on Saturday July 25th in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, Ennis at 18:00
Round 2 v Feakle on Sunday August 9th at 15:30 in Dr Daly Park, Tulla
Round 3 v O’Callaghans Mills on Saturday August 22nd in O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge at 14:00
Championship power ranking: 8
