*Kilmurry Ibrickane captain, Dermot Coughlan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
EXPECTATION is always high in Kilmurry Ibrickane and after a quarter-final exit last season, the Bricks are in place to rectify this.
High standards are a trait of all successful sides and clubs, it’s why Kilmurry Ibrickane have won eight senior championships in the last two decades and also explains that 2021 serving as their last county final appearance is a bone of contention.
Coupled with the expectation and high standards is a cuteness, if an opportunity becomes visible then they are quick to grab it. Look no further than their new manager, David Egan, the ex Offaly footballer.
In October, he stepped down as manager of Cork club, St Michael’s in Blackrock, he oversaw their return to the Premier SFC for the first time since 2006 and a play-off defeat denied them a place in the quarter-finals of the top flight. He only recently relocated from Cork to Ennis with his family and Kilmurry Ibrickane were quick to pounce and get him on board.
Egan told The Clare Echo how the appointment came about, “To make a long story short, I work in renewable industry, I work on a windfarm in Quilty in close proximity to a guy called John Talty. When he found out I was moving to Ennis he was sounding me out, he set the club chairman Michael Considine on me and Michael is a guy that doesn’t take no for an answer easily and here I am”.
Long before meeting his partner, Louise, an Ennis woman, David was aware of Kilmurry Ibrickane’s football team. “I would have known who Kilmurry Ibrickane were long before I met my partner a Clare woman. I was at their All-Ireland club final in 2010 against St Galls and have been aware of them but I haven’t heard as much about them in recent history because Friday’s opponents Éire Óg have been the standard bearers. When I came in I was told it was an ageing team but I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the amount of youth that is here. For the Cusack Cup team that beat Miltown we had eleven players under the age of twenty one, there is a nice mix of experience and youth and that is what any manager wants to have”.
Friday in Cooraclare will be his first real glimpse up close and personal at championship football in Clare. On how the club scene in Clare compares to Cork, he said, “The Cusack Cup is the Cusack Cup, we’ve only got our panel together, the league standard is a bit behind Cork because there’s more clubs down there. I’ve been going to a lot of club championship games in Clare, club football is at a par with Cork if not higher, three teams in Cork can win the championship whereas there’s four to five in Clare that can win it out every year”.
With a fresh pair of eyes, he has set Kilmurry Ibrickane the target of reaching the quarter-final, this according to their supporters would be the bare minimum of what should be achieved. “We’re going to get to quarter-final as our first target and take it from there, we’re not setting bar higher than that, if you set bar too high the focus is lost, our primary aim is a quarter-final, our panel of players are hungry which is a very good sign”.
Facing off against Éire Óg was almost a guarantee, he flagged. “Everything that surrounds me, Louise’s family are staunch Éire Óg people so there is pressure all around me, I had a feeling we were going to get Éire Óg when it came to the draws. They are a brilliant team, a formidable side, I’ve been following their fortunes closely over the last couple of years and I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve seen, they are nearly an inter-county team and they would be able to hold their own against some counties in Division 3 or Division 4”.
Offering a big boost to their cause has been the return of Keelan Sexton from the United States. David acknowledged it as a “massive lift. Through unfortunate circumstances he was home for a bereavement, he gave the place a huge lift when he came on against Miltown in the Cusack Cup, he’s back permanently now. The injection of his lift to us when came back four to six weeks cannot be underestimated, he’s working in Dublin but he’s willing to make the sacrifice and be down every weekend for challenge matches and training. He’s given us a huge boost, he is a very experienced guy and well respected by the lads”.
Although his club championship was finished by the quarter-finals last season, Dermot Coughlan was still one of the standout players of the 2023 campaign across the county. He’s carried that form through with the county and emerged as one of the real leaders during Mark Fitzgerald’s first season as Clare boss.
This leadership is just one of the reasons why he has been appointed as the Kilmury Ibrickane captain. “Dermot has been plagued with injuries, I wouldn’t have known much about him since last January or February, his inter-county career has been stop start with injuries but the clean run of health has given him a good run of games. Following John O’Mahoney’s sad passing, I went back and watched ‘A Year Till Sunday’ and Dermot reminds me of Michael Donnellan, he likes taking the ball from deep and running at teams from deep, he is a fine footballer but an even better person, he has huge respect all around Kilmurry Ibrickane, the boys love him and it is great he is hitting into his stride”.
Talent, experience and hunger, all vital ingredients for a successful team and it’s why Kilmurry Ibrickane will be in the shake-up for honours when the race for the Jack Daly reaches the business stage.
Management: David Egan (manager), Vincent Talty (selector), Kevin Sexton (selector)
Captain: Dermot Coughlan
Key Player: Dermot Coughlan
One to Watch: Cathal Talty
Fresh blood: Conor Kearney, Michael Comber, Evan Cahill
Departures gate: None
Treatment table: Michael Comber (ACL), Andrew Shannon (back), Cathal Talty (ankle), Caoilfhionn O’Dea (Achilles)
Titles won: 16 (1933, 1935 as Quilty, 1936 as Quilty, 1939 as Quilty, 1963, 1966, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2020.
Last year’s run: Topped Group A with three wins from three but eliminated in the quarter-finals with a one point loss to eventual winners Cratloe
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Éire Óg (August 3rd)
Round 2 vs Lissycasey (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Kilmihil (August 31st/Sept 1st)
