*Banner captain Eoin Walsh with club chairman Finbarr Coakley. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. WINNING a maiden Clare intermediate football championship and promotion to the top tier has “eclipsed” all the great days enjoyed by Banner GAA, victorious captain Eoin Walsh has said.
*Banner’s Ronan Kilroy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. STEPPING up when he was needed most, Ronan Kilroy’s leadership came to the fore once again as Banner secured their senior promotion.
*Cian Rynne, Seán McMahon and Thomas Meenaghan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. BANNER’s breakthrough has “been a long time coming” according to one of the club’s stalwarts who lined out at every grade for the club at adult level.
*Tom Meehan and Shane Meehan celebrate. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. WHEN it celebrates fifty years as a club next year, the Banner will line out in the top tier of Clare football for the very first time which dual-star Shane Meehan labelled as “really special”.
*Banner GAA players celebrate. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. BANNER have won the Clare intermediate football championship for the first time creating history as they secured promotion to the top tier.
*Wolfe Tones manager, John Riordan. Photograph: Ruthie Griffin THIRTY YEARS on from winning a championship double with Wolfe Tones, John Riordan is sixty minutes from guiding the Shannon club back to the top tier of Clare football.
*Banner manager, Shane Mernagh. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. BRINGING and welcoming outsiders has been one of Banner GAA’s strengths as the club strives to complete a historic double.
*Kilmurry Ibrickane’s Evan Cahill keeps the ball from Danny Lyne of Éire Óg. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. ÉIRE ÓG and Kilmurry Ibrickane face off in the biggest football game of the year in Clare this weekend while Banner, Wolfe Tones, O’Currys and Parteen/Meelick are also chasing silverware in adult finals.
*Conor Carrig of Wolfe Tones. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. WOLFE TONES’ experience of winning intermediate promotion and their brief stint in senior last year has made their squad aware of what it takes to go back and remain in the top tier.
*Wolfe Tones captain Jayme O’Sullivan gets away from Naomh Eoin’s Fergal Keane. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. HARSH LESSONS from the past have left Wolfe Tones eager to bounce back to the top flight of Clare football at the first attempt.