*Cratloe’s Seán Collins. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. CRATLOE’s bid to reclaim the Jack Daly from the tight grip of holders Éire Óg begins in earnest this weekend when they face the reigning champions in what is billed as the tie of the round.
*Declan Downes. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill FORMER CLARE selector Declan Downes has taken charge of Ennistymon and Shane Daniels has finalised his Éire Óg management.
*Peter Cosgrove with Éire Óg manager Paul Madden and former trainer Seanie Buckley. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. ÉIRE ÓG cannot afford to look beyond the challenge of Limerick champions Adare when they do battle in the Munster senior club football quarter-final.
*Ciaran Russell and his family celebrate. Photograph: Mike Brennan AS CLARE football progressed from Division 4 up to Division 2 and, in the process delivered many excellent performances, Ciaran Russell was one of their key players.
*Kilmurry Ibrickane manager, David Egan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. KILMURRY IBRICKANE found it next to impossible to bypass an Éire Óg blanket in the middle third as they fell to their second county final loss in four seasons, both of which were at the hands of the Townies.
*Paul Madden stands before the Éire Óg players. Photograph: Mike Brennan ÉIRE ÓG have scaled the summit of club football in Clare with Paul Madden once again orchestrating their charge to glory.
*Shane Daniels and the Éire Óg players in the pre-match parade. Photograph: Mike Brennan WITH five senior championship medals now to his name, Shane Daniels has the distinction of keeping a clean sheet in both finals that he has lined out in goals for.
*Éire Óg’s Dean Ryan. Photograph: Mike Brennan THERE WAS an extra sense of delight with Éire Óg lifting the Jack Daly on Sunday as it marked the first senior championship won by ex Clare footballer Dean Ryan.
*Gavin Cooney offloads the ball as Daryn Callinan gives chase. Photograph: Mike Brennan LABELLED as favourites before a ball was kicked in this year’s Clare SFC, Éire Óg didn’t pay much heed to the tag according to their goal scorer from Sunday’s county final win.
*Éire Óg players Philip Talty, David McNamara, Darren O’Neill and Ronan Lanigan celebrate. Photograph: Mike Brennan ENNIS AND SHANNON is the home of the senior and intermediate football champions.