*Robbie Madden. Photograph: Ruth Griffin.
ROBBIE MADDEN is balancing the role of O’Callaghans Mills Chairman and intermediate selector as the Fireballs look to catch fire in their quest for premier intermediate glory.
Not so much are they keen to get acquainted with the Paddy Browne Cup for the first time since 1977 but rather the Mills are itching to get back to senior hurling following their relegation to the second tier last year.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Robbie said they are determined to finish their campaign on a high. “I’ve used this word a lot, the Mills as a hurling club are on a journey, we’ve been on a journey since 2020 when we got to the senior county final against The Bridge, since then it has been a struggle with relegation battle after relegation battle, if you keep knocking on the door then eventually you will go down. We had players away, players have to travel and we understand that but this is the first time that we’ve had them all back, we’ve had a great campaign so far, we said we’d take it game by game at the start of the year and we’re really looking forward to Sunday to see if we can finish it off”.
Madden continued, “We’ve had a really good year, our panel has really come together, we’ve lost a few lads along the way but that is the way it happens, we are really looking forward to Sunday, the flags and bunting is all over the place. 1986 has been mentioned a lot in the last two weeks because Clarecastle beat the Mills in the senior county final above in Carron, it has been mentioned a lot and the older folk have said ‘try get them back for us’. I don’t think playing the game in Carron is an option this time”.
Having been Chairman of the minor club for four years, Robbie became Chairman after his predecessor Joe Cooney was elected to the Dáil, “I usually get shoved into Joe’s jobs then, that is how it works around here,” the roofer quipped.
Sitting in the Chair has been an enjoyable experience, to date. “I love being in the Chair, I’ve an unbelievable committee with me, I’ve a secretary there Patrick Hogan and Billy Murphy as treasurer, they are second to none, whatever is asked for they do it. We have a good club, we took the brave move to pull away from Bodyke at underage, we’ve gone on our own, on Sunday morning we’re playing Clooney/Quin in the U14B final, to win a B final on our own would be a massive achievement, the U14 Academy team are in a final too, it’s been a great year for the club”.
Branching away from amalgamations at underage will help the East Clare long-term, he felt. “It’s a glass half full, you’d be saying you could play at a higher grade if you were with Bodyke but you might lose one or two players, the U17s was a struggle this year and there is no point saying it wasn’t because the numbers were low. Our U21 team will only have about 18 togging, it was a balancing act but it was the minor club’s call, they made and we’ve backed them 150 percent. The proof is in the pudding, we’ve got to the U15C final, we got beat by Ennistymon but have turned around to make the U14B final which is massive, we beat Éire Óg in Éire Óg for the semi-finals which is no mean achievement”.
A native of Scariff, Robbie played senior hurling himself for one season. “I hurled with Scariff, I hurled against the Mills one year at senior above in The Park, I marked the great PJ O’Connell, I was mainly a rugby man coming up along, I did a bit of hurling. When I moved to the Mills, I was fortunate enough to be on the Junior C team to win a Junior championship, it was the first title they won in the Mills in a long time. I only played the one year senior for Scariff, I went travelling then. Fingers put a stop to my hurling career”.
Gary Cooney’s return to their attack has been a big plus for the Mills. “We’ve four to six lads back who weren’t on last year’s team, you see it with every club, how many hurlers went to America during the summer and their teams struggled, you really need your panel there for the year, there is a serious effort, nothing against the players that played the last few years, everyone has put in an effort, there’s ten teams in the premier intermediate, we’re down to the last two, Killanena got relegated and they put in as much effort as everyone else”.
To illustrate how competitive the Clare PIHC is, Killanena reached the semi-finals last season but have been relegated to the third tier for 2026. “We weren’t surprised at how competitive it has been. We often played intermediate teams in the Clare Cup and they are competitive, there’s some fantastic young hurlers there, every premier intermediate team nearly has a Clare senior hurler in their ranks, we’re one that doesn’t, we’d hope to change that because we have a few lads knocking on the door”.
One of Robbie’s first roles as Chairman was recruiting ex Clare minor and U20 manager Seán Doyle. “I’m a massive fan of Seán, he has been with our young fellas all the way up along, he knows the younger players, the likes of Cormac Murphy and Fionn Hickey are really relishing it this year, they have grown into the team whereas the last couple of years they were coming on and off, they are two of our top performers but that is down to Seán Doyle trusting them and letting them play. He is a fantastic coach, we were delighted when he agreed to come to us”.
Explaining why the Bodyke man was top of their list, he said, “He was with us at underage so he knew our players, it is very hard to put a management team in place now. There is a circuit of guys going around, it is very money based but Seán isn’t about money, he sees a project, he was with Ardrahan and they did very well, any team he has been with seems to get success or perform to their level, he is mad to win something with us so please God we can do it for him and Patsy O’Donnell who has come with him from Bodyke, he is first here at training and is last to leave”.
On whether it is easier to be a selector or Chairman, Robbie said, “I found the pressure as a selector went after the semi-final because we have achieved a major goal, we are undefeated right through, we’re into a county final, we have to go out, enjoy it and express ourselves, the Mills wouldn’t have the best record of success in county finals to be fair, in 1977 they won the intermediate final and Joe Cooney told me in 77 they also contested the senior final with the assistance of Parteen, they had three players from Parteen but they got beaten, they beat Kilmaley well in the 77 final, please God we can finish it off”.
O’Callaghans Mills are unique as one of the only sides to have a TD as a member of their management team with Joe Cooney part of Doyle’s selection committee. “He is an amazing man. Within the club a lot of people are doing different roles, we have three stats lads, they are as much a part of the management as we are, they are vital to what we do and everyone is whether it is people making sandwiches or breakfast, it is a real community based club and no better man than Joe, I think the whole county knows when Joe is asked to do something he says yes, he did say yes when I asked him to go in as selector”.
Part of the overall plan has the year progressed was to bring the experienced Donnellan brothers back into the fold, Robbie admitted. “Paddy turned forty this year, Bryan is forty three, they played away with the second team up along and you could see it as the games went on that they were really driving that team on, we left them for as long as we could but we knew once we got to the business end of the championship that we would need experience coming on, there’s other lads not getting games that could come on like Mike McGrath and Gerry Cooney, they have been there all year and haven’t missed a training. Bryan and Paddy, everyone knows in the club and the county that they are special talents”.
It won’t be until Sunday arrives that nerves might settle in for Robbie. “I’ll be good till Sunday morning, Sunday could be a hard day for a couple of hours but we will stick to our routine and do the same thing that we did for the semi-final, we’re going to relax the players and give this one hell of a go. Clarecastle are a formidable force, look at their backroom team, they’ve fantastic young hurlers and the Park will suit them but we’ve young hurlers too and we’re really looking forward to the challenge, I think it will be a fantastic county final”.
