*Cooraclare’s Kevin Marrinan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill IN THE first major shock in this year’s Clare football championship across all grades, raging hot favourites Kilrush have been dumped out of the race for intermediate honours by Cooraclare.
*Cian O’Dea. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill TWO FORMER Clare footballers made their debuts in the Connacht senior football championship over the weekend.
*Ciaran Russell is among the players not available for Clare boss Mark Fitzgerald. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill MARK FITZGERALD’s first Allianz National Football League campaign as Clare manager begins in earnest this Sunday when they welcome Sligo to Cusack Park.
*Eoin Cleary. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill COLM COLLINS’ successor as Clare senior football manager is going to oversee a period of transition with the exits mounting from the county panel.
*Ballyea’s talisman, Tony Kelly. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill While their second successive Canon Hamilton trophy success last October was a historic breakthrough for Ballyea, one would have to search back half a century to find the last time that a Clare club managed to garner a three-in-a-row of county senior crowns.
*Jamie Malone. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill CLARE’S SENIOR footballers went narrowly down to Monaghan in Round 2 of the All-Ireland Football series at a sun-drenched Clones last Sunday. However, this was only part of the full story.
*Clare’s Daniel Walsh. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill Despite producing one of their best performances of the season, Clare had to give best to Monaghan in Clones on Sunday afternoon.
*Ronan Lanigan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill TWO CHANGES have been made to the Clare senior football team which welcome Donegal to Ennis on Saturday.
*Pearse Lillis takes on Tommy Walsh. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill A MEMBER OF THE CLARE FOOTBALL TEAM for seven years, Pearse Lillis has stressed the importance of the county improving their record in Munster.
*Clare senior football manager, Colm Collins. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill THE WATER BREAK, The Clare Echo’s vodcast (video/podcast) returns for a fourth series.