*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. NEW RULES have brought a renewed lease of life to gaelic football and the race for Jack Daly begins this weekend with an added sense of excitement.
*Emmet McMahon. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. CLARE footballer Emmet McMahon is to miss out on the entire club championship with Kildysart through injury.
*Darragh Sexton of Kilmurry Ibrickane. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. THERE’S an element of transition about Kilmurry Ibrickane with a spate of retirements but the drive to succeed in the heat of championship is still as strong.
*Jason Linnane of Doonbeg. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. WITHIN Doonbeg there is a quiet confidence that the eighteen-time Clare SFC champions could end a long wait of six years to return to the knockout stages.
*Fionn Kelleher of St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. STARTING with a win is the “number one priority” for St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield who are not short of ambition as they seem to overcome their quarter-final hoodoo.
*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.