*Darragh Bolton of Kilrush gets away from Wolfe Tones’ Dean Devanney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
FRIDAY evening will see the first ball kicked in the TUS Clare intermediate football championship as the door to secure promotion to the top tier swings ajar.
Twelve teams are at the starting blocks bidding for glory and to get their hands on the Talty Stores Cup.
Clondegad who last won the title in 2011 are back in the intermediate grade after over a decade in the top tier. Their quest to return at the first time of asking is made more difficult with the exits of the Brennan brothers, Gary and Shane along with the versatile Morgan Garry but they have turned to Kilmurry Ibrickane’s James Murrihy who eight years ago guided Corofin to success in the same competition.
Beaten by the smallest of margins in last year’s final, Kilrush Shamrocks are back and determined that the capital of West Clare will be dining in the top tier of senior football next season. They will have to journey without county man Stephen Ryan who remains sidelined through injury.
All three of the Shams’ opponents in Group 1 all made the quarter-finals of the competition last year. The Banner are a maturing side with plenty of attacking flair while the grit of Coolmeen and Liscannor will come to the surface in championship football.
Group 2 is headed up by Murrihy’s Clondegad but it also includes Naomh Eoin, Shannon Gaels and Ennistymon. Naomh Eoin have put together two successive strong championship campaigns and Barry Harte’s charges will be looking to navigate their way back to the last four.
Shannon Gaels have enlisted a management team with plenty of hurling pedigree and strong opinions. Fergie O’Loughlin has coached plenty of hurling teams including Clarecastle, Clooney/Quin, Doon and Ballybrown, he’s in the hotseat as manager and is joined by two-time All-Ireland winning Clare captain Anthony Daly along with former Clare Champion editor Peter O’Connell and Derek Dormer who has brought plenty of colour from the sidelines in his on-air reports for Clare FM.
Ennistymon are the only football club in the county to have teams lining out at senior and intermediate level. They reached the semi-finals in 2022 but injuries hit their top team hard last season which prompted a dip into the reserves and a weakened selection for the intermediates who moved from being within sixty minutes of an intermediate county final in 2022 to sixty minutes away from relegation in the space of twelve months.
Killimer make the jump from Junior A and they’ll know within sixty minutes what type of gulf in standards there is when they face Cooraclare who are once again managed by former Clare great Martin Daly. The Milesians may have to taper aspirations on returning to the senior grade with several players opting out but in Brian McNamara they have one of the top players in the county to lead the way.
For the second year in a row, Wolfe Tones and O’Currys will do battle in the first round. The Shannon side managed by Johnny Bridges are well capable of having a big say in how the championship pans out, if they hit the right run of form. The men from Carrigaholt and Doonaha always give their last drop for the club, they’ve retained their status in the Garry Cup and their win over Corofin demonstrates that they’ll perform when their backs are to the wall.
Group 1:
Kilrush Shamrocks
Management: Daniel Ryan (manager), Conor O’Brien (coach), John Keane (selector), John Fennell (selector), Noel Ryan (selector), Michael Fitzgerald (selector), John O’Mahoney (selector)
Captain: Niall Brennan
Vice Captain: Paudie Browne
Key Player: Conor Fennell
One to Watch: Don O’Driscoll
Fresh blood: Jimmy Browne, Tommy Dullaghan, Brad Phelan.
Departures gate: Billy Clancy (emigrated)
Treatment table: Stephen Ryan (knee)
Titles won: 4 (1937, 1952, 1955, 2018)
Last year’s run: Beaten by Kilmihil by a single point in the county final
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Banner (August 2nd)
Round 2 vs Coolmeen (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Liscannor (August 31st/Sept1st)
“We’re after getting so close last year that we’re aiming to go one better but the likes of Clondegad and other very strong teams at intermediate will make that very hard for us.
“Definitely without a shadow of a doubt there’s a strong determination to get back to the top tier, you need a big club like Kilrush to be up in senior. We’ve a big panel with a few young lads and we’re building towards that. With the disappointment of last year we’re hoping to turn it around and go one step further”. – Daniel Ryan
Banner
Management: Tom Meehan (manager), Pat McMahon (coach), Thomas Meenaghan (selector), Colm Browne (selector)
Captain: Thomas Meenaghan
Key Player: Thomas Meenaghan
One to watch: Kaden Herlihy
Fresh blood: Ronan Kilroy, Conor O’Toole, Kaden Herlihy
Departures gate: None
Treatment table: None
Titles won: None
Last season’s run: Beaten by Kilmihil by six points in the quarter-final
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Kilrush Shamrocks (August 2nd)
Round 2 vs Liscannor (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Coolmeen (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“Like every year, we want to perform as best we can, get out of the group and get into the quarter-final and take it from there, we’ve a young squad and it’s all about keeping them focused. Being a dual club it is all about time management, getting the most out of the players, getting communication with the hurling side so we don’t get burn out across both panels.
“It is our third year in intermediate, every year is a learning curve, we’d be hoping to get to the knockout stages again”. – Tom Meehan
Coolmeen
Management: Frank Kennedy (joint manager), David Neenan (joint manager)
Captain: Aidan Corry
Key Player: Cathal O’Connor
One to Watch:
Fresh blood: Jack Hanrahan
Departures gate: Mark Meaney (emigrated), Jason O’Leary (retired)
Treatment table: None
Titles won: Two (1959, 1966)
Last year’s run: Recorded wins over Ennistymon and Liscannor to make the quarter-finals where they lost by five points.
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Liscannor (August 3rd)
Round 2 vs Kilrush Shamrocks (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Banner (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“We’re just a small group, we’ve the bare twenty or twenty two players, our focus is on any given day that we can put it up to anyone, we’d a good league but we lost the final, if we play to our potential then we will be able to match anyone, to do that we need to work hard, give it our best and hope for the best”. – Frank Kennedy
Liscannor
Management: Brian Considine (manager), Brian McMahon (selector), Bryan Curry (selector)
Captain: Padraig Haugh
Key Player: Darren Nagle
One to Watch: Tom Hanrahan
Fresh blood: None
Departures gate: Oisin Leyden (travelling),
Treatment table: Joe Hanrahan (knee).
Titles won: Two (1988 and 2000)
Last year’s run: Took one of two best third placed spots to reach the quarter-finals where they lost out to Kilrush Shamrocks by five points
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Coolmeen (August 3rd)
Round 2 vs Banner (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Kilrush Shamrocks (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“We have Coolmeen, Banner and Kilrush in the group, we’re not looking past the first game. Everyone will say the first game is huge, if you win you’re looking up and if you don’t you’re under pressure. We were in a group with Ennistymon’s second team last year, they had been in a semi-final the year before and ended up in relegation, the margins are very small at intermediate.
“Teams are still finding their way heading into the championship. We had a tough enough league with lads away working and for us it was about holding our own in Division 4. Whatever happens this weekend, in a month’s time we’ll either be in a quarter-final again or we won’t, it’s fairly quick coming around. Coolmeen went up in our league, last year there was only a couple of points between us and it will be tight again.
“We know if we play to our potential we have the ability to make it to the knockout stages, we’re really focusing on the first game which will define our season, if we get a result we’re looking up ahead of playing The Banner, it’s hard to know how other teams are going. If we play to our potential and have everyone out we’ll be hopeful of getting to the knockout stages” – Brian Considine
Group 2 –
Naomh Eoin
Management: Barry Harte (manager), Martin Haugh (selector)
Captain: Owen Lynch
Key Player: Niall Bonfil
One to Watch: Fergal Keane
Fresh blood: None.
Departures gate: None.
Treatment table: Odhran Lynch (ankle)
Titles won: 1 (1950 as Carrigaholt)
Last year’s run: Topped their group, defeated Cooraclare in the quarter-finals but eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winners Kilmihil by five points.
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Clondegad (August 3rd)
Round 2 vs Shannon Gaels (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Ennistymon (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“The first target is to try get out of the group, everything after that is a bonus. We’re hoping to get out of the group, there’s three to come out but it’s a tough group, Ennistymon’s second team could have anyone on their day, it depends how many they lost to their senior team, the Gaels won’t be a pushover with Fergie over them and Clondegad will be a very hard one.
“When you lose your first game you’re looking behind your back so as the old cliché says, we’ll take it one game at a time” – Barry Harte (manager)
Clondegad
Management: James Murrihy (manager), Enda O’Halloran (selector), Mikey Conway (selector), Pat Coffey (selector), Cormac Ryan (selector), Victor O’Riordan (S&C)
Captain: Declan O’Loughlin
Key Player: Cillian Brennan
One to Watch: Sean McAllister
Fresh blood: Eoin Kennedy, Daniel Costelloe, Dara O’Neill, Dylan Killoughrey,
Departures gate: Gary Brennan (transferred), Morgan Garry (travelling), Shane Brennan
Treatment table: Colm Meaney (collarbone), Podge McMahon (hamstring), Evan Flynn (finger).
Titles won: Two (1944 and 2011)
Last year’s run: Relegated from the senior ranks.
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Naomh Eoin (August 3rd)
Round 2 vs Ennistymon (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Shannon Gaels (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“To be honest I didn’t want to be getting involved with a senior team having been with Kilmurry Ibrickane, I live in Ennis and it is ten minutes out the road to get to Ballynacally. When I spoke to them, they were very forthcoming with where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do so it was an appealing position.
“Having been involved at intermediate before all you can do is take it game by game, we’re in a very difficult group even though there is three coming out of it, all the teams have all had success, Naomh Eoin were semi-finalists last year, Ennistymon the year before got to the semi-final and if they get everyone back for their seniors they will be very strong, the Gaels should have beaten Kildysart the year they went up so we know that we will have to be at one hundred percent for all of these games.
“We got relegated from the Cusack Cup so it was all senior teams that we’ve been facing this year so far. If you look at the teams who have gone up from intermediate in recent years, Corofin got to a semi-final, Kildysart got to a quarter-final last year, they are holding their own when they do get up from intermediate”. – James Murrihy
Shannon Gaels
Management: Fergie O’Loughlin (manager), Peter O’Connell (selector), David Neylon (selector), Anthony Daly (selector), Kieran Kennedy (selector), Derek Dormer (selector)
Captain: Darragh Bohannon
Key Player: Darragh Bohannon
One to Watch: Ciaran McCarthy
Fresh blood: Niall Ellis, Ciaran McCarthy, Dave Bannigan
Departures gate: Michael O’Malley, Matthew Reidy, Barry Crehan
Treatment table: Jack Reidy (knee).
Titles won: Two (1999 & 2002)
Last year’s run: Overcame Ennistymon in the relegation semi-final to preserve their status.
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Ennistymon (August 4th)
Round 2 vs Naomh Eoin (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Clondegad (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“When I got the phone call I said I’d help out with a session more than anything else and once I went back I enjoyed it more than I thought to be honest. It is a change from the hurling, I’ve enjoyed it and they’ve asked me to stay so it’s been a rollover from there.
“They’re a very decent bunch, all our training sessions have been good and tough, we’ve very low numbers but the twenty we have are very committed, they are very good to work with and very honest.
“Being honest for us the approach will be one game at a time and to be very competitive. We will see where the group takes us and try turn over one or two teams in the group stages and come out of it. We’re very grounded and trying to take each game on its merits but we want to be very competitive and we’re trying to come out of the group but we’re conscious that we had to fight off relegation last year” – Fergie O’Loughlin.
Ennistymon
Management: Brendan Rouine (manager), Tom Aherne (selector), Shane Talty (selector), Michael Rouine (selector)
Captain: TBC
Key Player: Ryan Barry
One to Watch: Seanie McMahon
Fresh blood: Sean O’Driscoll, Ryan Barry, Joe Casey, Sean Conneally, Seanie McMahon
Departures gate: None
Treatment table: Shane Woods (ankle)
Titles won: Two (1991 & 2005)
Last year’s run: Defeated Kilfenora in the relegation final
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Shannon Gaels (August 4th)
Round 2 vs Clondegad (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Naomh Eoin (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“It’s a wait and see job for us, our seniors are out on Saturday, we’re the only football club in Clare to have a second team at intermediate so if we lose lads who come on for the seniors then it hurts our second team, our seniors are our priority and we’ve a good number of players involved with both.
“The dynamic that we have is that all of our senior subs are intermediate players it is great for them and the intermediates have to get the next man up the line. Our numbers are good at underage and it is about bringing them through to adult football.
“We’re in a very tough group, Shannon Gaels are a very settled team with county seniors in Darragh Bohannon and Tom Kelly plus they have some very other good players. Then we have Clondegad who are just down from senior, they are one of the favourites to go back up and Naomh Eoin after them have been punching at a great level. We’re hoping to be as competitive as we can but it won’t be easy”. – Brendan Rouine
Group 3:
Wolfe Tones
Management: Johnny Bridges (manager), Kieran Ryan (coach), Barry Murphy (selector), Fergal O’Donnell (selector), Aoife Hogan (physio)
Captain: Dean Devanney
Key Player: Eoghan Casey
One to Watch: Jack Ryan
Fresh blood: Niall Fitzgerald, Tadhg Fitzgerald, Ben O’Connell, Chris Meaney, Aaron Shinnors
Departures gate: Sean Brennan (retired), Billy Connors
Treatment table: Eoghan Casey (hamstring), Colin Riordan (hamstring), Ben O’Neill (hamstring)
Titles won: Five (1973, 1975, 1990, 1996, 2014)
Last year’s run: Finished second in their group after losing by two points to Kilmihil, made the semi-finals where they lost by five points to Kilrush Shamrocks.
Schedule:
Round 1 vs O’Currys (August 3rd)
Round 2 vs Cooraclare (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Killimer (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“We’re as set as we can be. Again it’s O’Currys in the first round but it is a bigger task this year, we were in Division 3 of the league this year and we won it but we’re coming in without a few key players. Training has been good but it would have been great to have all the lads available. All in all, we’re a bit weaker than what we were last year for the first round but obviously like everyone we want to win the championship but it’s one game at a time for us.
“We’ve a good relationship with the hurlers, I don’t think we’ve as much of a crossover with the few lads that have stepped back to focus on the hurling. Hopefully we can win both our first rounds and hopefully we can get back to where we belong which is senior in both codes.
“It is our third year in a row facing O’Currys and our second in the first game. The first round aim is to always get the win and once you get that win it gives you a kickstart with three teams going through to knockout stages, the first win sets you up”. – Johnny Bridges
O’Currys:
Management: Dinny McMahon, Andrew Curtin, Michael Carmody, Stephen Rowan, Seán Rouine (S&C), Davy Byrne (physio)
Captain: Shane Browne
Key Player: Thomas Clancy
One to Watch: Seamus Keane
Fresh blood: Luke Murray
Departures gate: None.
Treatment table: Darragh Keane (ACL)
Titles won: Three (1942 as Doonaha, 2001, 2012)
Last year’s run: Didn’t qualify from the group but defeated Shannon Gaels to avoid facing into the relegation semi-finals
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Wolfe Tones (August 3rd)
Round 2 vs Killimer (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Cooraclare (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“We’ll take it game by game, Wolfe Tones have beaten us the last two years so they will be strong, Cooraclare are another strong team, Killimer are just up from a good run in the junior so it is going to be a tough group.
“Any of the four teams will be confident that they can get out of the group seeing as three teams qualify but every team will be saying that from all of the groups.
“We’ve a bit of belief coming into the championship after beating Corofin, a senior team, in the Garry Cup. We played quite well that evening, we’ve a small panel of players and it was a fantastic performance from them, it would be great if we could play our championship matches in Doonaha” – Dinny McMahon.
Cooraclare
Management: Martin Daly (manager), Mark Tubridy (selector), Martin Queally (selector), Declan McMahon (selector), Trevor Slattery (S&C), Catriona McMahon (performance coach)
Captain: Thomas Downes
Key Player: Brian McNamara
One to Watch: Aaron Townsend
Fresh blood: Kevin Marrinan, Sean Molloy, Rory Lillis, Aaron Townsend, Sean O’Dea, Oisin Morrissey, Shane Lillis, Brian McNamara (back from injury), Colm Carroll (up from Juniors), Cathal O’Gorman (back from injury)
Departures gate: Eoin O’Driscoll, Finn O’Driscoll, Jack Morrissey, Ciaran O’Donoghue (emigrated), Gary Donnellan (injured), Ronan Donnellan (J1), Kevin O’Gorman (J1),
Treatment table: Jack Carey (back), Gary Donnellan (injury), James Chambers (hamstring), Mark Lillis (hamstring), Shane Lillis (hamstring).
Titles won: Five (1941, 1927, 1943, 1954, 1957 as Cree)
Last year’s run: Knocked out in the quarter-finals by Naomh Eoin, losing by a single point.
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Killimer (August 3rd)
Round 2 vs Wolfe Tones (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs O’Currys (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“When I got involved the first year the aim was to try win it and go back up to the senior ranks but as a group we have to be realistic there’s lots of tooing and frowing with players in and out, there’s a lot of coming and going so the first step is to get a committed group willing to train and work hard, step two then is to play every championship every game as good and hard as we can. Our first real test is Killimer this weekend.
“I think we’ve learned a lot over the last year and a half, they’ve trained a lot better with an S&C programme from the word go compared to last year, I felt last year it took us time to grasp certain aspects of the game to be better on like forward play. We’re into moving better and we seem to be a lot more disciplined, we’ve good numbers and commitment from the players, I’m hoping we’re battle ready but we really won’t know until we’re in throes of the championship” – Martin Daly.
Killimer
Management: David Kelly (manager), Michael Garry (coach), Megan Downes (S&C), James Blake (selector), Sean Troy (selector)
Captain: Colm Pyne
Key Player: Odhran Cunningham
One to Watch: Mikey Kelleher
Fresh blood: Sean Kelly, Josh Hassett
Departures gate: David Moran, Ruairi Norby,
Treatment table: None
Titles won: None
Last year’s run: Won the Junior A championship to secure promotion to intermediate
Schedule:
Round 1 vs Cooraclare (August 3rd)
Round 2 vs O’Currys (August 17th/18th)
Round 3 vs Wolfe Tones (August 31st/Sept 1st)
“Ideally we’d love to make a play off or a quarter final but we know it won’t be easy, every match will be a battle for us. We’ve played in Division 3 of the league for the last year so we’ve been playing intermediate teams, we know it won’t be easy and we’ll have to be at our best” – David Kelly.
