*Ciaran McMahon. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
FOREST GUMP’s well-trotted out line, “life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get” is applicable when it comes to Ennistymon’s senior footballers.
Well able to mix the good and the bad, the men from Ennistymon and Lahinch are brimming with potential but also a recurring trend of not delivering on this promise when it comes to do or die battles in senior championship.
As a case in point, just examine the championship campaigns of 2022 and 2023. “Resilience” was the word constantly and rightly used by Mark Shanahan two years ago as Ennistymon made the final on merit and came up short against Éire Óg on a score of 0-9 0-6, they stuck to their task along the way and were three points off the county champions.
Twelve months on, they prevailed over neighbours St Breckan’s in the Cusack Cup final but the wheels fell off when it came to championship. They had seven points to spare over Kildysart in the opening round before suffering a six point loss to Lissycasey in round two and then bowing out of the title race with a six point defeat to Cratloe. They hopped past Corofin in the relegation play-off with a two point win to maintain their status.
Injuries to key players have been an obstacle but with a panel as big as theirs and given the strong line of underage success, squad depth needs to be more than just a buzz word.
On the injury front, the party line from manager Ger Quinlan is that Kevin Hehir is the only player ruled out for the opening round against Doonbeg. “We hope to have most lads available,” he said but such a sentiment will only be fully known come throw-in on Saturday evening in Miltown Malbay and would represent a miracle given the nightmare they have endured with injuries in the last two years.
Among those set to take to the field is Clare senior Brendy Rouine in what would be his first senior appearance for the club since the 2022 final. “We’re hoping some of them will play a part,” Quinlan stated when touching on how many of their county football representatives will play.
They had three members part of the Clare hurling side crowned All-Ireland champions with David Fitzgerald and Cathal Malone playing vital roles with Seán Rynne part of the squad. “To be honest we’re hoping to have a minimum of one available, they have been enjoying the success and it is well deserved,” Ger commented on which hurlers would be in action this weekend.
Himself a Clare senior footballer from 1997 to 2013, Ger this season makes the move from Ennistymon coach to manager. “I’ve been the coach for the last two years and I enjoyed that and I’m still mixing the coaching with the management but I’ve a bit more work in the background, they are a great group of lads to work with,” he told The Clare Echo.
On the alterations in the two roles, he explained, “The difference is the off field stuff, dealing with the club more directly more than I would have and dealing with the players more directly, as a coach you’re dealing with the players but I’m on the phone to them more than I had been”.
Giving his analysis on why Ennistymon’s championship run was a step backwards last year, the ex midfielder outlined, “Things didn’t go well for us, it was a hop of the ball between getting to latter stages and the relegation but we were disappointed, we got a bounce from the U21s winning the championship which is a help going into this campaign”.
Although they were down several bodies for the Cusack Cup final, their return of 0-2 in sixty plus minutes of football raised eyebrows as Lissycasey claimed the league title for the first time in fourteen years. “That didn’t go well at all, it was our worst performance in a long time, we’ve moved on and put in behind us, we’re looking forward to the first round,” Quinlan said.
Preparations in the interval “have gone good,” he admitted. “It’s about getting lads back on the field and training has gone good”.
He continued, “We’re looking at the first game, we won’t be looking further than Doonbeg, this week is about one game only, Doonbeg are going to be a tough challenge, there’s never a kick of a ball between us, they are after winning the O’Gorman Cup and so they’re coming in on a bit of a bounce and we know it won’t be an easy game”.
Central to Ennistymon curtailing this Doonbeg bounce is players willing to show leadership on and off the field. In this regard, they’ll be looking to the Rouines, Cillian, Brendy and Seán along with Noel Sexton, Ciaran McMahon, Cathal Malone and Seán Rynne. The absence of last year’s full-back Adam Ralph, their go-to man marker will be a loss but it is eased somewhat by the return of the experienced Sean O’Driscoll.
Management: Ger Quinlan (manager), Brendan Rouine (coach), Michael Rouine (selector), Johnny Conneally (selector), Shane Keane (selector)
Captain: Cillian Rouine
Key Player: Cillian Rouine
One to Watch: Gearoid Barry
Fresh blood: Sean O’Driscoll (returned), Gearoid Barry, Conor Rynne, Joe Casey
Departures gate: Adam Ralph and Enda Ralph (travelling)
Treatment table: Kevin Hehir (knee)
Titles won: None
Last year’s run: Defeated Kildysart in the opening round before losing to Lissycasey and Cratloe which left them in a relegation semi-final where they prevailed against Corofin.
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Doonbeg (August 3rd)
Round 2 vs Cratloe (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs St Joseph’s Miltown (August 31st/Sept 1st)
