*Caoimhe Carmody is among the new recruits to the Clare panel.
Ger O’Connell has made seven additions to the Clare senior camogie panel for 2021.
GAA inter-county teams will not be permitted to return to collective training until April under current restrictions.
In January, the Camogie Association had intended for National Leagues to commence in March and conclude by May with the All-Ireland series to be held from July to September. The removal of elite status from the GAA has scuppered such plans and the Association has returned to the drawing board.
A spokesperson for the Camogie Association outlined, “As of now the Camogie Association have made no firm decisions on what competitions may or may not be facilitated in any revised fixture programme – such decisions will be a factor of how much time is made available to us, both for an intercounty season and for the broader participation levels that will be necessary for a meaningful Club season.
“While we have been preparing contingency plans for the Master Fixtures programme, we will not be able to take definitive decisions in this context until we have a clear picture of what restrictions we are likely to be operating under at various points in the year ahead”.
Individual training programmes are being followed by members of O’Connell’s senior panel. Last year they reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals for the first time since 2014 before suffering a 3-15 0-08 annihilation at the hands of Cork.
Three members of last year’s Junior panel, Caoimhe Carmody (Kilmaley), Caoimhe Kelly (Kilkshen/Bodyke) and Sarah Ní Cheallaigh (Kilmaley) have been called up to the senior squad by O’Connell. Carmody was one of the standout players of the 2020 club championship playing a key role as Kilmaley advanced to the last four with Ní Cheallaigh anchor-like in defence. Kelly was a regular at wing-back for Kilkishen/Bodyke in the championship where they were unlucky to miss out on a place in the knockout stages. All-Ireland handball champion Doireann Murphy (Clarecastle) has returned to the panel.
Ex Clare minor Ziyan Spillane (Feakle/Killanena) will be hoping to make the step-up to senior, she lined out at midfield for her club as they claimed intermediate honours at the expense of Clooney/Quin and progressed to the senior ranks for the first time. Amy Russell (Éire Óg) who has been one of the top performers for her club in the intermediate ranks is also rewarded along with Clodagh O’Halloran (Newmarket-on-Fergus) who lined out in attack for the Blues as they fell short to Inagh/Kilnamona in last year’s county final.
County champions, Inagh/Kilnamona have not seen their presence on the panel expand despite their dominance within the Clare senior championship.
O’Connell will be without two regular member of his starting side last year for the upcoming season. Mairead Scanlan (Scariff/Ogonnelloe) who led her club to county and provincial glory in 2019 informed management of her decision to depart the squad prior to Christmas. She scored Clare’s goal in their 1-18 1-07 win over Dublin in last year’s championship in what was their only victory of the campaign. Last year’s goalkeeper Aisling Corbett (Scariff/Ogonnelloe) has also departed the panel as has Sarah Loughnane (Sixmilebridge).
