*Brian McNamara. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. CLARE midfielder Brian McNamara is sticking with inter-county football for 2026 after turning down repeated offers to join the county senior hurling panel.
*Kilmaley captain, Mikey O’Malley. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. FINE MARGINS yet again were Kilmaley’s undoing as they exited the TUS Clare SHC.
*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. ÉIRE ÓG emerged two point winners over Kilmaley to seal their place in the TUS Clare SHC final for the first time since 2022.
*Kilmaley’s Sean Kennedy delivers the ball into attack. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. KILMALEY advance to their first Clare Senior Hurling Championship semi-final in seven years but one wouldn’t have thought it from what seemed a grizzled veteran’s performance.
*Kilmaley’s Eoin Enright. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. UNBEATEN KILMALEY have very high competition for places on their starting team with players “absolutely mad” to break into the first fifteen while Scariff are determined to roll over despite the end of their championship aspirations.
*Kilmaley’s Conor Cleary. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. THERE MAY have been confusion over the actual score at half-time when the sides were level but the scoreboard suggested otherwise and there were no such queries by the final whistle as Kilmaley romped to a twelve point victory over Cratloe with a powerful second half display.
*Conor Cleary was central to Kilmaley’s round one win. Photograph: Brian Culbert ALTHOUGH they produced the comeback of the round in the opening batch of games, Kilmaley manager Brian Culbert insists it’s back to square one as they aim to pick up successive victories this weekend.
*Tommy Barry and Mikey O’Neill celebrate. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill The Group of Death sprung to life in almost incredulous circumstances after Kilmaley completed a remarkable twelve point second half turnaround to edge out neighbours Ballyea at the death.
*Kilmaley’s Colm Killeen. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill EVERY score and puck matters when it comes to championship, few teams understand that better than Kilmaley.
*Robbie Hogan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill ROBBIE HOGAN has returned as manager of the Ballyea senior hurlers for the third time while former Clare manager Donal Moloney has taken charge of his native Scariff.