*Colm Collins. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
CRATLOE’s third time winning the Clare SFC was the sweetest one yet for manager Colm Collins.
For the past seventeen years, Colm has been in charge of Cratloe, guiding them to win the intermediate football championship in 2009 and remaining a force at senior level ever since. During that time, they won senior titles in 2013, 2014 and on Sunday added the 2023 championship to their collection.
In a tight contest with St Breckan’s, Cratloe always stayed ahead and recorded a 1-10 1-8 win against the North Clare side. It marked an overall positive weekend for Colm as his native Kilmihil sealed their return to the senior ranks on Saturday, he was among the crowd in Shanahan McNamara Memorial Park cheering them on.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Colm admitted, “It’s special, there is a real lovely feeling about this win because it came so much out of the blue, in other years we’d have been preparing at the start of the year and thinking about a county final and winning it, this year it wasn’t like that, their progress has been incredible, I’m delighted for them because they got what they deserved in the end”.
Going against the odds to win the championship made this success that bit sweeter for Collins. “I didn’t even know who were drawn against in Munster until the Éire Óg game is over, normally speaking when we’d be preparing you’d have a half eye on it, this victory has come completely out of the blue. In my opinion, the main factor has been that at the business end of things all the players stayed injury free, to get your strongest team on the pitch when you’re in a semi-final and final is massive, anything less than a full team wouldn’t have beaten Éire Óg or St Breckan’s, a two point game and Breckan’s were very unfortunate, they made a great start to the second half, Joe (McGann) got a brilliant goal to put the fat in the fire at the end but thankfully we were composed enough to keep the ball and hold on for a victory”.
Such joyous scenes were far from the disappointment in June of this year when Derry defeated Clare 1-19 1-13 in Pearse Park which brought an end to his ten years in charge of the county. Forecasting the year to end on such a high was never in Colm’s expectations, “I didn’t expect it, I didn’t honestly expect it but I’m delighted, sport is great, it is fantastic and we will enjoy it while we have it”.
When they defeated Doonbeg in 2013, there was an outpouring of emotion among the elder members of the Cratloe community, whereas on Sunday it was the youth that really embraced the victory, as evident by the flock of children that flanked Kevin Harnett and Padraigh Chaplin when they raised aloft the Jack Daly.
This lift was noticed by the former Clare boss, “The give away with today was the parade, we had about four mascots and St Breckan’s didn’t have any, the lads with the kids it’s a lovely occasion for them to be part of, it is a special day, when it comes out of the blue and you’re not expecting it then it is a lot more special”.
Collins was quick to acknowledge St Breckan’s were hindered when they lost wing-backs Jack Sheedy and Colm O’Brien to injury. He reserved special praise for Cian Burke, the captain of St Breckan’s who expects to see part of Mark Fitzgerald’s county panel in 2024. “Cian Burke in particular has had some championship, he has been absolutely outstanding, I’m really excited about seeing him in a Clare jersey because I think he is a fantastic young fella, Joe (McGann) and Jamie (Stack) inside were two fantastic forwards who had to be kept quiet and their half-back line but unfortunately for them their half-back line was decimated by injuries, they lost Jack (Sheedy) and Colm (O’Brien) which was a tough one, Alan (Sweeney) is a super player, he gives everything he goes out, they were the main dangers but thankfully we got over the line and we’re just happy to have another championship”.
Cathal McInerney’s forty third minute goal was a big turning point in the game. His ability has been central to Cratloe’s successes, Colm noted. “He is an incredible player, he has beautiful balance and he is so accurate, I don’t think he hit any wide, he is a special player and you need one of those in your team, you need one fella in your team that doesn’t miss and he doesn’t”.
McInerney may be a special player but Collins also applauded the talent within the South Clare club during their most successful ever period. “I’ve been so fortunate with the players that I’ve had with Clare and with Cratloe, they have talent first of all but that is only alright if you don’t work on it, they have complete dedication, you don’t have to be chasing them out of pubs, they are good lads, it’s been a very enjoyable time dealing with both sets”.
