*Conner Hegarty was in fine scoring form for Inagh/Kilnamona. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
INAGH/KILNAMONA and Sixmilebridge laid down markers in the first round of the Clare Cup with notable wins also amassed by St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield, Corofin, Wolfe Tones, Crusheen and Clooney/Quin.
Eight first round games in the willwego.com Clare cup hurling league realised a total of twenty three goals and two hundred and seventy seven points (23-277) as sixteen teams had their first competitive outings of the 2025 season.
Seven of the games produced winners while Clonlara and Kilmaley played a draw. All clubs were short players that will be in their starting line ups later in the season as the majority of members of the county senior and under 20 panels weren’t available for club duty.
Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones), Eamonn Foudy (Inagh-Kilnamona), Cian Broderick (Clarecastle) and Ross Hayes (Crusheen) from the Clare senior panel were released with Foudy and Broderick playing the full club games while Rory and Ross Hayes both played the second half for their clubs.
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield under new management with Damian Kennedy at the helm, got their season off to a great start with a three goal victory over county champions Feakle.
Former Galway senior hurling goalie, Liam Donoghue marked his appointment as Corofin boss with a big win over Scariff while Wolfe Tones marked their return to senior ranks with a one point win over their neighbours Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Nine players share in impressive Doora/Barefield tally
St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 3-22
Feakle 0-22
Venue: Gurteen
Nine players shared in the scoring as St. Josephs Doora-Barefield got their season off to a winning start when they accounted for Feakle at Gurteen.
Damian Kennedy and his management team named a young outfit for this tie.
The game marked the return to action for Feakle’s Gary Guilfoyle who missed last season due to injury.
Shane McGrath was, not for the time, the chef score-getter for Feakle, finishing the tie with 0-14.
Goalscorers for the winners were Darragh McMahon, Eoin Lahiffe and goalkeeper Aaron Landy.
St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield: Aaron Landy (1-1); Paddy Nagle, Ja Colleran, Kieran O’Driscoll; Adam Mungovan, Darragh O’Shea, Mark O’Connor; Darragh Ball, Darragh McMahon (1-3); Michael Nash (0-3), Eoin Lahiffe (1-5), Matthew Power (0-4); Thomas O’Connor, Eoin Burke (0-2), Shane Mescall (0-1);
Subs; Darragh Nagle for M O’Connor; Eoghan Thynne for S. Mescall; Cian Barron (0-1) for T O’Connor; Senan Crosbie (0-2) for M. Power; Eoghan Talty for D. Ball
Feakle; Liam O’Connor; Enda Madden, Eoghan Daly, Conor Tuohy; Killian Bane (0-2), Ronan O’Connor (0-1), Oisin Clune; Shane McGrath (0-14), Eoin McGuinness; Oisn Donnellan (0-2), Fiachra Donnellan (0-1), Enda Noonan, Owen McGann (0-1), Gary Guilfoyle (0-1) Oisin O’Connor.
Subs; Ray Bane for G. Guilfoyle; Patrick Daly for O Clune; Martin Daly for E Noonan; Diarmuid Bane for E McGuinness; Sean Walsh for O. McGann.
Referee; Johnnie Healy, Smith O’Briens
‘Bridge get on top in the second half
Sixmilebridge 6-15
Cratloe 3-16
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge
A Cratloe side without regulars such as Conor McGrath, Cathal McInerney, Sean, Podge and David Collins to mention a few, had to give best to their neighbours Sixmilebridge on Saturday afternoon.
Cratloe led by the minimum at half time when the score was 2-8 to 3-4 but the greater experience of Sixmilebridge saw them get on top in the second half in a tie in which ten players shared in their impressive tally.
Shane Golden top scored with 2-2 while the other goals came from David Kennedy, Paul Corry, Dylan Downes and Jamie Shanahan.
Cratloe’s goalscorers were Daire Neville (2) and Rian Considine.
Sixmilebridge; Daniel Chaplin; Adam Breen, Noel Purcell, Colm Flynn; Pa Mulready (0-1), Paidi Fitzpatrick (0-1), Leon Kelly; Dylan Downes (1-1), Sean Macnamara; Luke O’Halloran (0-1), Jamie Shanahan (1-2), Alex Morey (0-3); David Kennedy (1-2), Shane Golden (2-2), Brian Corry (0-2);
Subs: Conor Deasy for P Mulready; Dara Fitzgerald for S. Macnamara; Paul Corry (1-0) for A. Morey; Seamus O’Connell for A. Breen; Calum Phelan for D. Kennedy
Cratloe; Eoin Deegan; Oisin Collins, Jake Higgins, Jack Manley; Jamie Costigan (0-1), Enda Boyce, Riain McNamara; Sam Sheedy, Emmett Costigan; John Flanagan (0-1), Daire Neville (2-3), Sean Gallagher (0-1); Jack McInerney, Riain Considine (1-9), Barry Gleeson (0-1)
Subs: Mikey Flanagan for B. Gleeson; Sean Ryan for J. Flanagan; Keelan O’Donoghue for J. Costigan
Referee: Aaron Hogg (Clonlara)
Sharper Crusheen in control
Crusheen 1-21
Broadford 1-13
Venue: Crusheen
A much sharper Crusheen proved too strong for Broadford when the sides met at Crusheen on Sunday.
A strong finish to the first half from which they continued into the third quarter proved decisive.
Points were exchanged twice in the opening ten minutes before the home side hit 1-3 without reply, the goal coming from Conor O’Donnell.
Broadford responded with four unanswered points before Donie Whelan struck for their goal, responding quickest when Craig Chaplin’s free rebounded off the upright.
This levelled the tie and sparked a strong response from the home side who landed four points in three minutes to lead 1-12 to 1-8 at the break.
The sides swapped points on the resumption before Crusheen landed five in a row on their way to a merited victory.
Long serving Gerry O’Grady who captained the team to their first county senior title, was introduced early in the second half and he made an immediate impact setting up a number of scores for his side.
Crusheen: David Kearney; James O’Sullivan, Tadhg Dean, Luke Hayes; Diarmuid Mullins (0-1), Eanna McMahon, Ian O’Brien; Oisin O’Donnell (0-7), Jamie Fitzgibbon (0-1); Breffni Horner (0-1), Cian Dillon (0-3), Conor O’Donnell (1-6), Murrough McMahon (0-1), Fergus Kennedy, Luke Ketalaar (0-1)
Subs; Ross Hayes for F Kennedy; Gerry O’Grady for B. Horner, Mark Perrill for D Mullins; John O’Sullivan for O O’Donnell; Glen O’Sullivan for M. McMahon
Broadford; Cian O’Brien; Darragh Whelan, Eoin Donnellan, Damian Keniry; Cian Mulqueen, Darren Chaplin, Padraic Taylor; Davy Boland, Michael Vaughan; Craig Chaplin (0-4), Cathal Chaplin, Niall O’Farrell (0-3); Donie Whelan (1-3), Shane Taylor, Oisin Kavanagh (0-3);
Subs; Cian Cremins for D. Boland; Mark Moloney for C Mulqueen; Aodan O’Driscoll for S. Taylor; Sam Cooper for Craig Chaplin; Conor O’Donnell for Donie Whelan;
Referee: Jim Hickey (Cratloe)
Inagh/Kilnamona in control
Inagh/Kilnamona 1-30
Clarecastle 0-15
Venue: Kilnamona
Inagh/Kilnamona recorded a comfortable victory over Clarecastle in this first round game played at Kilnamona on Sunday afternoon.
They were well on their way to the points when they went to the break with 1-15 on the scoreboard, the goal coming from Keelan Guyler just before the half time whistle.
The half forward trio of Josh Guyler, Conner Hegarty and Evan McNamara contributed 0-17 to the team’s tally on a day when their greater experience proved too much for the Magpies.
Former star Ger O’Loughlin is in charge of his native Clarecastle this year and he will have seen in this performance that their lack of experience at senior level was costly.
Inagh/Kilnamona; Eamonn Foudy Jamie Wynne, Keith White, Ricky Wynne; Brian Foudy (0-1), Jason McCarthy, Jason Griffin; Seamus Foudy (0-1), Marc Callinan; Josh Guyler (0-4), Conner Hegarty (0-8), Evan McNamara (0-5); Eoghan Foudy, Keelan Guyler (1-5), David Mescall (0-3)
Subs; Ronan Mescall for D. Mescall; Neil Hegarty for M. Callinan; Gerry Coote (0-1) for E McNamara; James Cullinan for R. Wynne; Tom Barry (0-2) for C. Hegarty
Clarecastle: Cian Broderick; Conor Griffin, Filip Wiechinski, Ronan Donnelly; David Tuohy, Darragh Healy (0-2), Evan Price; Oisin Whelan (0-2), Colin Brigdale (0-2); Stephen O’Halloran (0-1), Rory O’Connell (0-1), Conor Halpin (0-3); Luke Brack (0-2), Josh Brack, Conor Ralph (0-2);
Subs; Jack Hayes for J. Brack; Evan O’Connell for D Tuohy; Patrick Kelly for O. Whelan; Jack Murphy for L. Brack; Niall Brigdale for E. Price
Referee: Kieran Liddane (Sixmilebridge)
Cunningham leads the way for Wolfe Tones
Wolfe Tones 2-13
Newmarket-on-Fergus 2-12
Venue: Shannon
Back in senior ranks after a number of seasons at intermediate level, Wolfe Tones got their senior league campaign off to a winning start when accounting for neighbours Newmarket-on-Fergus on Thursday night.
In a game in which the respective freetakers accounted for the majority of their sides scores, the lead changed hands on a number of occasions.
A Peter Power goal ten minutes from the half time whistle separated the teams at the interval when the score was 1-7 to 0-7 in Newmarket’s favour.
Wolfe Tones had landed the opening two points before Power converted four frees in a row to put Newmarket ahead only for the Shannon side to level with points from Aaron Cunningham (free) and Sean Murphy.
The teams exchanged points in the opening five minutes of the second half before the home side hit 1-2 without reply, the goal coming from Cunningham in the tenth minute of the new half.
Newmarket hit back and they landed 1-2 without reply, Power the goalscorer and this put them a goal clear, 2-10 to 1-10.
After points were exchanged, Cunningham struck for his second goal which levelled the tie at 2-11 each with ten minutes remaining.
Two Cunningham frees pushed the home side ahead before Power pulled one back for the visitors after a long range effort from Colin Guilfoyle had drifted narrowly wide.
Wolfe Tones: Oisin O’Rourke; Michael Hayes, Liam Murphy, Conor Ferns; Ronan Walsh, Evan O’Gorman, Sam Meaney; Aaron Kelly, John Guilfoyle; Niall Fitzgerald, Aaron Cunningham (2-8), Gavin Carigg (0-2); Sean Murphy (0-2), Dylan Frawley (0-1), Peter McEvoy;
Subs: Rory; Hayes for A. Kelly (half time); Darragh O’Callaghan for N. Fitzgerald; Luke Merrigan for R Walsh; Brian Murphy for M Hayes; Tadhg Fitzgerald for C Ferns;
Newmarket-on-Fergus; Adam Enright; Darragh Jones, James McInerney, Mark Delaney; Jack Enright, Colin Guilfoyle (0-2), David Frost; Shane Lynch, Stephen Casey (0-1); James Freeman, Eoin Guilfoyle, James Power; Eanna Crimmins, Seadna Liddy, Peter Power (2-9)
Subs: Paudie McMahon for Freeman; Eoin McInerney for Frost; Cian Foley for Liddy; Conor McCarthy for J Power; Ronan O’Rourke for Delaney (inj)
Referee: Fergal O’Brien (Broadford)
Cahill and Kelly point the way
Corofin 2-22
Scariff 1-14
Venue: Páirc Finne, Corofin
They may have been later than most other clubs in getting a team management in place, but Corofin made an impressive start to their Clare cup campaign with a big win over Scariff at Corofin on Saturday.
Gearoid Kelly (0-9) and Gearoid Cahill (0-8) were their main scorers, contributing 0-17 between them to their team’s impressive tally on a day which marked their first competitive outing under manager Liam Donoghue from Clarinbridge in Galway.
Diarmuid Cahill and Cian Doolin were the home side’s goalscorers in a tie in which they dominated in the key areas throughout.
Colin O’Grady struck for Scariff’s goal on a day when Ben Sweeney and Shane Kavanagh were their main point scorers.
Corofin: Jack Crowe; Liam Fitzpatrick, Damien O’Loughlin, John Rees; Cormac Walsh, Gearoid Hanrahan, Damian Ryan; Gearoid Cahill (0-8) Micheál Duffy; Kevin Keane (0-1), Gearoid Kelly (0-9), Cathal Flanagan (0-1); Eoin Carroll Darmuid Cahill (1-3), Cian Doolin (1-0);
Sub; Luke O’Loughlin for E Carroll;
Scariff; William Kavanagh; Seamus McCaul, Tadhg Kavanagh, Eoghan Keehan; Jack Ryan, Scott Cairns, Diarmuid McNamara; Conor Downes, Ben Sweeney (0-4); Rossa Keehan (0-2), Shane Kavanagh (0-5), Sean Collins; Colin O’Grady (1-0), Patrick Ryan, Sean Minogue;
Subs: Mike Scanlan for S. McCaul; Sean Hartigan for S. Minogue; Michael Barrett for S Collins; Tadhg Minogue for E. Keehan; Rory Ryan for C. O’Grady
Referee: Kevin Corry (Sixmilebridge)
Share of the spoils a fair result
Clonlara 0-18
Kilmaley 0-18
Venue: Clonlara
By Adam Maloney
A draw was a fair result when Clonlara and Kilmaley clashed on Saturday. There was little between the sides through with the home side ahead by the minimum margin, 0-10 to 0-9 at the interval.
In what was an entertaining shoot-out between both sides free-takers, two late missed frees from Michael O’Malley left the tie all even in South East Clare.
Donal Madden’s side started on the front foot with Eoin Begley pointing within fifteen seconds, which followed with five unanswered Mícheál O’Loughlin points. The visitor’s responded with six in a row to level up the matters at the half way point of the first half.
The home outfit outscored Kilmaley 0-4 to 0-3 to see out the first half, thanks to both wing-back’s, Páraic O’Loughlin and David Fitzgerald long range efforts, in addition to Bryan McLeish and a Mícheál O’Loughlin free; leaving the score at 0-10 to 0-9.
Clonlara pushed three ahead in the initial moments of the second-half, in which Kilmaley kicked into the next gear with the next four white flags, as a Michael O’Malley put the visitors ahead for the first time. An equaliser from O’Loughlin followed a minute later but Kilmaley responded with two points.
The first and only goal chance of the game came in the 51st minute, as Mícheál O’Loughlin dispatched a cross-like delivery towards the ‘D’, in which Kieran Galvin caught on his stride. Galvin’s shot was brilliantly saved by Bryan O’Loughlin in the Kilmaley net, leaving the deficit at two.
The sharp-shooting free-takers continued their riveting displays, with O’Malley pointing two out of visitors final three. O’Loughlin on the other hand pointed all of the home sides final five with three from play.
Excluding the immense displays from O’Loughlin and O’Malley; the home side’s half-back line hurled well, in addition to Kilmaley’s centre-back Daire Keane.
Oisin O’Brien, coach to St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield for the past few seasons, returned to action, lining out at full back for the home side.
Clonlara: Seimi Gully; Michael Clancy, Oisin O’Brien, Logan Ryan; Padraic O’Loughlin (0-1), Aidan Moriarty, David Fitzgerald (0-1); Kieran Galvin, Cathal O’Connell; Brian McLeish (0-1), Daniel Moloney (0-1), James McCormick; Micheál O’Loughlin (0-13), Fionan O’Brien, Eoin Begley (0-1);
Subs: Ciaran Howard for F. O’Brien; Darragh Dillon for J. Mc Cormick; Padraig Reddan for D Moloney; Eoin Meehan for B. McLeish
Kilmaley; Bryan O’Loughlin; Colin Carmody, Martin O’Connor, Tommy Barry; Colin McGuane, Daire Keane, Eanna McMahon; Sean Kennedy (0-2) Thomas McGuire; Michael O’Neill (0-1), Michael O’Malley (0-11), Tom O’Rourke (0-1); Joe Carmody (0-1), James Murphy (0-2), Dylan Keane Hayes;
Subs: Stephen Murphy for D. Keane Hayes; Luke Reid for T. McGuire;
Referee: John Bugler (Whitegate)
Clooney/Quin pull away in the second half
Clooney/Quin 1-16
O’Callaghans Mills 0-10
Veuue: Clooney
Ahead by two points, 0-9 to 0-7, at half time, Clooney-Quin, with the advantage of an extra man held the upperhand in the second half to seal a merited win over O’Callaghans Mills.
The winners line up included a number of players that have come through their successful underage section and these included Matthew Corbett and Jerry O’Connor from recent minor title winning teams.
Midway through the first half the visitors were reduced to fourteen men when Mike Cotter was sent off.
That said they will be disappointed with the amount of scoring opportunities which they missed on the day.
Darragh McNamara struck for the game’s only goal which came early in the second half and he was one of eight players to contribute to the winner’s tally.
Freetaker Callum Hassett was the team’s top scored with 0-8 to his credit while Jerry O’Connor landed two points following his introduction.
Clooney-Quin; Gary Hogan; Cillian O’Gara, Evan Maxted, Sean McNamara (0-1); Darragh Keogh, Matthew Corbett (0-1), David Considine; Sam Scanlan, Jimmy Corry; Darragh McNamara (1-2), Patrick Finneran (0-1), Trevor Lee; Ulick O’Sullivan, Callum Hassett (0-8) Dylan Cuningham (0-1);
Subs: David Cahill for T. Lee; Jerry O’Connor (0-2) for U O’Sullivan; J. McCarthy for J. Corry; Luke Harisson for S. Scanlan
O’Callaghans Mills; Killian Nugent (0-1); Mike Cotter, Keith Donnnellan, Gerry Cooney; Aidan Fawl, Aidan O’Gorman, Sean O’Gorman; Fionn Hickey (0-2), Mike McGrath; Jacob Loughnane (0-6), Dara Moroney, Cathal Lenihan; Cathal McNamara, Sean Cotter, Mark Pewter (0-1);
Subs; Conor Cooney for C. Lenihan; Niall Melody for A. Fawl; Cormac Murphy for S. Cotter (inj); Billy Scanlan for Pewter(inj)
Referee: Eoghan O’Leary (Whitegate)
