CLARE’s senior football panel has fourteen new additions for 2025 including a mix of familiar and fresh faces.
Peter Keane has made fourteen additions to his Clare panel, he already has experienced more options available than his predecessor and fellow Kerry man Mark Fitzgerald who was without thirteen of the 2023 panel for his sole season in charge prompting him to call up sixteen footballers at the beginning of last year.
After a year out, two time All Star nominee Eoin Cleary makes a welcome return to the Clare panel. The Miltown Malbay man made his championship debut under Colm Collins in 2014, he was appointed captain in 2020 and maintained the role until last season.
Cleary has been one of the county’s greatest forwards over the last decade and his return is a huge boost to their attack but also to the dressing room in terms of the experience he brings. He is the winner of three Clare SFCs with St Joseph’s Miltown and lined out with Munster in the Railway Cup to trial out the new rule changes. He spent the summer in America playing Gaelic football for Chicago Wolfe Tones where he won a national title.
Offering a similar lift to the forward line is the lively Keelan Sexton. He had been based in America last year which prompted his exit from the Clare panel but now that he is working as a solicitor in the capital he has answered the call to return to the county cause.
Indeed Sexton first joined the senior panel in 2015 when he was still playing for the county minors, demonstrating his talent. He is the holder of three Clare SFCs with Kilmurry Ibrickane but is set for a move to Dublin club Na Fianna.
Evan Cahill who lined out alongside Sexton for Kilmurry Ibrickane in their run to the Clare SFC final in 2024 has been added to the panel. The Kilmaley teenager offers a physical presence in the middle third and lined out at centre back and midfield in his first senior championship campaign.
Man of the match in the 2024 county final, Colm Walsh O’Loghlen increases the Éire Óg contingent on the county panel. He hit 2-18 in the 2024 championship and was top scorer for Paul Madden’s champions. It was his second year on the senior panel having put away the football gloves following their 2017 Minor A championship win over Ennistymon.
Also a very talented soccer player, Colm has lined out with Limerick FC, Mervue Utd and most recently Pike Rovers. At Pike, he won back to back league titles in 2022 and 2023, the Lawson Cup two years running while coming very close to winning the FAI Junior Cup in 2022 losing to Villa FC of Waterford.
Wolfe Tones’ 2024 intermediate winning captain Dean Devanney has been added to the county senior squad for the first time in his career. The Shannon man who was very effective with off the shoulder runs. He also won a Clare IHC medal with the Tones in the season gone by.
Lissycasey’s presence on the county panel has increased by three. Thomas Collins who lined out between the posts at minor and U20 for his county makes the step-up to the senior panel, he has battled with former Clare minor goalkeeper Killian Normoyle for the club number one jersey.
Ex Clare U20 forward Connor Meaney put down a fine club campaign serving at centre back and the main man marker for Aidan ‘Horse’ Moloney’s side who reached the quarter-finals.
Captain of the victorious Lissycasey minors in 2021, Darragh Killeen joins Keane’s panel. He featured at wing forward for the club’s senior in the season just gone.
Also seeing their club representation on the county panel grow by three is Doonbeg. Goalkeeper Eamonn Tubridy who was previously part of the squad during Colm Collins’ reign and featured in the Allianz National Football League returns. Tubridy has also been one of his club’s most consistent players.
One of the standout players in the 2024 Clare SFC was Darragh Burns of Doonbeg. While the Magpies never took flight, Burns was in fine form at corner forward where he showed his ability to kick excellent scores off each boot.
Former Clare minor and U20 footballer Tadhg Lillis also joins the senior set-up. The Doonbeg defender has struggled with injuries in recent seasons which saw him sidelined for the 2023 club championship.
Fresh from winning an U21A medal for the first time with St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield, Fionn Kelleher and Joseph Rafferty have been recruited to the senior side. The duo have both played minor and U20 for Clare.
Kelleher who is comfortable in any spot in defence is often giving the man marking task for his club. He missed out on his final year with the Clare U20s due to injury. Rafferty is an inside forward with plenty of potential.
Completing the new recruits is Rory McMahon of Kildysart. He was part of their side to win the 2022 intermediate football championship, he was a central player in their success then and has remained so in their two seasons at senior. He has typically been wing back for the side. He is the older brother of regular starter Emmet.
