*Clare goalkeeper, Stephen Ryan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
GOALKEEPER Stephen Ryan is unavailable for selection for Clare’s Munster semi-final against Kerry.
Clare will be without their first choice goalkeeper for the visit of All-Ireland champions Kerry to Cusack Park this Saturday in what comes as a blow to the county side but one that is eased somewhat by the availability of Tristan O’Callaghan.
Vice captain Dermot Coughlan is understood to be a major injury doubt. The Kilmurry Ibrickane man missed Clare’s final two outings of the league where they suffered disappointing defeats to Wexford and Sligo and his presence was sorely missed.
Kilrush’s Stephen who made his championship debut in the 2019 Munster quarter-final win over Waterford is a doubt for the entirety of Clare’s campaign. Vice captain in 2024 for Mark Fitzgerald’s sole season in charge, the AIB employee was late joining the squad last season and made one appearance, the final outing of the year against Louth. He appeared in all but one of Clare’s league games and managed to save a penalty in their fourth round win over Laois.
Manager Paul Madden confirmed to The Clare Echo that they won’t be able to call on the “He is out for the moment, Stephen has something going on at the moment and he is not available”.
His absence means St Breckan’s O’Callaghan is set for his first championship start for the county since 2024. He comes into the fray off the back of an exceptional campaign with the University of Limerick, playing a pivotal role in their first-ever Sigerson Cup success including winning the man of the match award in their final win.
Madden outlined, “I would say Tristan O’Callaghan has had the best year of his career this year, he had a fantastic year with UL, he has trained really well with us, he has played really well in the games he has played so we’re very fortunate that we have an excellent keeper in Tristan and you need that, you need a squad, you need lads under pressure to stay in the team and you need lads putting pressure on to get in the team. I’ve had a lot of meetings with a lot of guys, Tristan has been one of them, he’s been playing well and wanted to know what more he needs to do, he has his chance now and hopefully he takes it”.
Captain Cillian Rouine who missed all but one game of the league is expected to return to centre back. Another hamstring injury ended the involvement of midfielder Darragh Bohannon from the third round of the league onwards with Caoilfhionn O’Dea among those also sidelined with a similar ailment. Emmet McMahon, Colm Walsh O’Loghlen, James Curran and James Killeen are all sidelined with anterior cruciate ligament injuries
Bohannon is understood to be in the mix for a return to the first fifteen but Coughlan remains a big doubt. “We have a number of guys that have been injured throughout the league, there’s a couple that aren’t going to be fully ready for this weekend, it is a time thing. I’ve often heard managers in the past say and it is a fact, you’ve got to have good medical people around you, we’ve a good team doctor, good physios, a good S&C coach, then you have to trust them, if someone in the medical team whether it is the physios or doctors are saying that this player needs another four weeks then it is foolish not to go with what they’re saying. It is hard enough play these games and try win these games if you are fit, if you are not fit then it is a problem”.
Madde added, “a lot of our soft muscular tissue injuries and we’ve had a lot of them as other teams have, are starting to get right now and whether they will be right for next week I’m not sure but they are starting to get right”.
Ryan’s unavailability has led to St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield’s Tom O’Brien joining the squad. He had been part of the squad during Colm Collins’ tenure and is currently goalkeeper coach with the county minor footballers.
Four goalkeepers were part of the panel in November with Ryan and O’Callaghan joined by Eoin Byrne of St Breckans and Killimer’s Cian Corry. Corry was among ten players let go from the panel while Byrne left both the senior and U20 panels in January. “Eoin Byrne was our development keeper, he decided to go back to club to focus on playing outfield, he is playing outfield with his club, you need to have the ball in your hand outfield all of the time and if you want to be a goalkeeper you have to be obsessed with being a goalkeeper all of the time.
