Clare coach, Brendan Bugler. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
BRIAN LOHAN has added former Clare hurlers Brendan Bugler and Tommy Corbett to his management team.
Lohan confirmed on Monday evening in Clareabbey that the duo are replacing the outgoing Sean Treacy and James Moran who had been involved for all of four of the Shannon man’s championship campaigns as county manager.
As first reported by The Clare Echo, selector Ken Ralph will continue in the role for 2024.
An All-Ireland winner in 2013 and a two-time All Star, Bugler had been part of Terence Fahy’s Clare U20 management for the past two seasons, reaching the provincial final this year where they lost to Cork by two points.
Bugler’s inter-county coaching career began in 2020 when he was the attacking coach for the Wexford senior hurlers who were then managed by Davy Fitzgerald and knocked out of the championship by Lohan’s Clare, their meeting in O’Moore Park finishing 1-21 0-17.
He was coach of the St Flannan’s College side that won the Dr Harty Cup for the twenty second time in their history in 2020 while the Mountshannon resident had been largely responsible with helping the Ennis secondary school become a very competitive force in schools hurling once again. The Whitegate hurler has also managed the Birr senior hurlers.
Still lining out for Whitegate, he represented his county at all levels, making his senior debut under Tony Considine’s watch in 2007 and bowing out following the first year of Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor’s tenure in 2017. The pinnacle of his time in saffron and blue was winning the All-Ireland championship in 2013.
Currently the manager of the Clooney/Quin senior hurlers, Tommy Corbett enters an inter-county management set-up for the first time. Clooney/Quin have reached back to back quarter-finals in the Clare SHC while during his time as Chairman of the club’s juvenile committee he was a central figure in the club’s continued progression and remaining competitive in the A grade.
A native of Ennis, he managed the Éire Óg senior hurlers in 2017 and 2018, the club bowing out in the quarter-finals in both seasons. He is the owner of Carey Corbett Financial solutions alongside Donal Carey and has been involved as an officer with Club Clare since Lohan was appointed Clare manager.
Tommy captained St Flannan’s College to win the All-Ireland colleges championship in 1991 and was part of the extended Clare panel that won the All-Ireland SHC in 1997. He played minor for his county in 1990 and 1991 before joining the U21 side where he lined out in defence in 1993 and 1994. He made his first appearance for the county seniors in a challenge game against Galway in Moycullen in June 1996, a tie Clare won on a score of 3-16 1-20.
Corbett made his National Hurling League debut in June 1997, lining out at full-back when Clare lost out to Wexford 3-14 0-16. He featured in the Oireachtas Cup in 1996 which Clare won out and made his final appearance for the seniors in the same competition in November 1998.
Speaking on Monday, Brian stated that he was very pleased with the two additions. “It is great that those guys are getting involved, they have a history of working with their clubs and their county”.
He paid tribute to the outgoing Moran and Treacy for their contribution, “James and Sean have been with us for the last four years and have worked very hard, we are absolutely sorry to see them go”.
Also joining the set-up is the well-respected strength and conditioning coach, Lucasz Kirszenstein. The former Galway senior hurling head of athletic development has left Henry Shefflin’s backroom to join the Banner County. He spent seven years with Galway which included winning the All-Ireland title in 2017, a year previous he was the S&C coach with Tipperary when they got their hands on the Liam McCarthy in 2016.
A native of Poland, Lucasz resides in Limerick and is also involved with Na Piarsaigh, the Caherdavin club are managed by ex Galway boss Shane O’Neill. He has formerly been involved with Glenstal Rugby, the Irish women’s rugby team, the Munster rugby academy plus the Limerick U21 hurlers and Clare minor hurlers.
He succeeds Adrian O’Brien who joined Clare at the end of 2022 having been the hurling coach to two senior county champions, Ballyea and St Finbarrs, last year.
