*Colm O’Brien of St Breckans. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
Two Clare football clubs whose adult championship season ended in disappointment will seek to return to winning ways on this Saturday at Shanahan-McNamara park in Doonbeg.
St. Breckans, beaten in the senior championship semi-final for the second successive season, will take on beaten intermediate championship finalists Kildysart in the final of the prestigious O’Gorman Cup.
Both clubs will be attempting to win this title for the first time when they clash at 1p.m. in the final of a competition which was inaugurated in 2006 and which commemorates the contribution of the late John O’Gorman to the GAA in his native Doonbeg and in Clare.
This competition is played without inter county senior panellists which means that Emmett McMahon (Kildysart), Joe McGann, Alan Sweeney and Dale Masterson (St. Breckans) are amongst those who will not be in action.
Kildysart will include a number of key players who are part of their under 21 amalgamation with neighbours Coolmeen, Shannon Gaels and Kilmihil, a team which is through to the A championship semi-final against Ennistymon on Saturday week.
St. Breckans will have a good sprinkling of their under 21 team in action and they have qualified for the Clare B championship final in which they will meet Lissycasey on Sunday week.
This Saturday’s final has all the ingredients of a lively contest. St. Breckans will be looking to players like Maccon Byrne, Padraic Kelly and Aiden Davidson to mention some to give them an edge while Kildysart can call on Diarmuid O’Donnell, Seamus Casey and Conor Hassett to lead their charge.
It promises to be a close affair and it will be interesting to see how both respond after the disappointment of their championship defeats just over a month ago. In the event of a draw, there will be extra time and should the teams still be level at this stage, there will be a penalty shoot out.
