*Eugene Foudy. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
While all the indications are that it will be some time yet before competition returns for many sports, Clare camogie will be ready to go once the green light is given.
Inter county team managements have been put in place and plans have been drawn up by those in charge.
Clonlara’s Ger O’Connell, Clare’s All-Ireland wining minor hurling goalkeeper from 1997, will manage the senior team for a third successive season. Meelick’s Conor Dolan will again be the team’s head coach while the selection committee includes Francis O’Halloran, Éanna Mulvihill and Barry O’Connell. Stephen Cusack and Maeve Conneely will be in charge of strength and conditioning. Nollaig O’Sullivan will be the team’s sports psychologist while Trish O’Donnell is the team’s physiotherapist.
The seniors will compete in division 1 of the league. They were in the running for a place in the final last year following away wins over Offaly and Kilkenny and a home loss to Waterford. The Covid 19 lockdown led to the cancellation of their home game against Cork and the competition wasn’t concluded. Tipperary had topped the other group and were through to the final
Ann Marie McGann and Tim McGrath have been re-appointed as managers of the county junior side. Eugene Foudy is joining the management this year as team coach and the selectors are Ann Marsh McMahon and Bryan O’Loughlin.
The juniors were Clare’s only unbeaten team in 2020 having defeated Louth in the league and Offaly in the championship while they had beaten Limerick in the LIT cup before the lockdown came. The camogie association then took the decision to cancel all competition involving the second teams from counties.
Eleanor Walsh from Scariff-Ogonnelloe will manage the county’s minor team in 2021. The backroom team will include John Hanrahan (Crusheen), Niamh Cooney (Parteen), Mike Beddows (Ballina) and Eileen Gleeson (Clonlara). Eileen has stepped down from the senior management to be part of the backroom team in charge of the minors. Ann McElhinney will be the squad’s nutritionist while Nollaig O’Sullivan will be the team’s sports psychologist, a role she also fills with the senior team.
Walsh’s management succeeds Dervilla Moloney who led the side to the 2019 All-Ireland decider.
