Clare GAA Discussion part 2 , No Purple Jumpers Allowed !!

Treble double

Killimer should forget about today and soak in what they have achieved up to this point. Alot of effort, commitment and no little talent has gone into winning a county championship.

For a parish that doesn't even have a pub to be pitted against a town with a population of around 5,000 people, says alot about the balance in the Munster junior club championship. How many senior club teams in Clare would be capable of beating Listowel Emmets.

windy shepard henderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419135#Comment_121419135

given the fact that cratloe only lost to castlehaven by a point and the exploits of the likes of kilmurry ibk in the past , i would imagine most of whats senior in clare would be able for them , the fact is kilimer are nowhere near that level , they have had a good year for sure , but it just highlights the gap that exists between senior and junior

fire_man

I wouldn't think Listowel would be near the top senior teams in Clare. For the population they have been under achieving for years.No fault to Kilimhir hard to match resources of Listowel Emmets at that level.

jamesconlan85

In terms of Clare Senior Football squad hearing Mark Fitzgerald struggling to get selectors onboard. In terms of departures Clare are without Keelan Sexton, Eoin Cleary, Cian O Dea, Pearse Lillis for definite. Any word on the doubtfuls leaving Jamie Malone, Darren O Neill, Podge Collins, Ciaran Russell, Cathal O Connor, and Cillian Brennan? As in terms of new blood I suppose James Curran Barefield, Jamie Stack Breckans, Diarmuid O Donnell Kildysart, Caoilfhionn O Dea Kilmurry Ibrickane, and Dylan O Brien Kilrush likely will be called up anyone here any different?

Treble double

Heard he was struggling to fill backroom team alright and also a rumour that 11 of last years squad is gone.

Has an awful job on his hands, coming in after Collins and having to rebuild. If he manages to keep them from dropping to Division 4 it will be a heroic effort. The ten years under Collins competing in Div 2 was a huge achievement and will only be really appreciated when we see what is to come.

Football is the poor relation in inter county terms in Clare but for the last ten years we were out competing football only counties by a distance and Collins had developed a strong squad that were totally committed to him and the jersey, that is going to take along time to replicate again.

PeggyShippen

It's the natural cycle in Clare football. There are going to be a few years in the doldrums and then a steadying and climb to division 3 or even 2 , then back down again. Definitely on the down of the bell curve now.

Treble double

I agree with you about cycles in all sports, but what happened in the last 10 years wasn't a cycle, it was a man that knows every footballer in the county and getting the last drop out of the best of them in a no excuse environment. It won't be seen again for a long time. I see Podge has announced his retirement aswell.

keeponhurling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121456584#Comment_121456584

That's a hell of a lot of key players to lose in one go.

Regarding Podge, what a hurler he was back in 2013! One of the most exciting young talents in the country. That point he scored in the All-Ireland was unreal (2) Podge Collins point vs Cork (All-Ireland Final, 8th September 2013) - YouTube

While certainly a very good footballer, I'm not sure he would ever have been as exceptionally at it as the hurling. A slight question of what-if, had he had kept at the hurling.

Some people question why the hurling team of 2013 never added another All-Ireland after that , but the loss of Podge was huge really.

windy shepard henderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121466112#Comment_121466112

I actually think thats a comfortable level for Clare football, we don't have many clubs compared to the biggest and most successful counties but we have enough to hold our own

Even club football holds up , last year Eire Og lost narrowly to a team that lost to the eventual all Ireland champions

Tonight castlehaven were crowned Munster champions , they struggled to beat Cratloe at home, there is too much negativity around Clare football, we have excellent players coming through and they will fill the gaps it might take a year or two to get back to that level but we will, we have a very strong football base here

windy shepard henderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121471649#Comment_121471649

The loss of Paul kinnerk was the reason, Davys madness was another as to why we never followed up

jamesconlan85

My worry is that Mark Fitzgerald lack of knowledge of club football in Clare could come back to haunt us they are plenty of experienced players who maybe didnt get a fair chance in their eyes under Colm when things were rozy for Clare football. The likes of Jonah Culligan ballyvaughan, gearoid o brien kilrush, jayme o sullivan wolfe tones, einne o connor eire og, rory mcmahon kildysart, damian o loughlin corofin, conor finuncane lissycasey, dale masterson st breckans should be all brought into the squad. The face they aren't in the squad is worrying as all 8 players mentioned above would be aged 26 or over They would increase the squad experience level for div 3 football. Going straight into the academy ant always the answer when you lose so much experience you need to replace experience with experience. For example if Emmet McMahon who we will rely mostly on for scores next year at centre forward if he had jonah culligan and Gearoid o brien flanking him on opposite wings at tje wing forward spots it would make a huge difference

windy shepard henderson

Most of them players mentioned especially O'Brien would make no difference to the panel

If his 2nd in command can't advise him on Clare football then it's all the one , I am sure seanie Buckley will have him well advised

fire_man

Good news for clubs today with a handout from JP.

Will this money be wasted on writing cheques to management teams at club level.

windy shepard henderson

Some clubs will use it wisely, others you can guarantee will squander it , it will be interesting will every county divide it out evenly and not just put it in to there own county board accounts

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121497916#Comment_121497916

Not a hope will every county board divide it equally

They’ll have ‘costs’ that needed to be seen to urgently first

Then things like your ‘smaller’ clubs mightn’t get their full amount whereas clubs ‘in need’ will get their full amount.

Similarly in football counties, hurling clubs just will not get their full amount, vice versa for hurling counties.

There’ll be friction in every single county guaranteed.

‘While each club was designated an equal amount, the funds the county board are claiming from this will be of benefit to all clubs down the line’ is an excuse we’ll hear.

evolvingtipperary101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121498478#Comment_121498478

There's criteria that has to be fulfilled for the use of the donation. I posted the McManus letter on the other thread. You think a Billionaire hasn't thought of that...

This is the funding from Munster council announced yesterday to Clare Clubs (and every county) that should be more closely watched:

Close to 319 thousand euro has been allocated to Clare GAA Clubs, under the Club Development Grant Fund.

The Munster GAA and Central Councils have announced a 1.6 million euro budget to cover capital grant works in the province.

More than 175,000 euro of that will be distrubted to clubs in the banner by the Munster Council, with Central Council donating just over 143,000.

25 projects will receive funding ranging between 892 euro and 75,000 euro, with Clarecastle GAA receiving the highest allocation, while Clooney-Quin is to receive more than 35,000 and Simxmilebridge will get a boost in excess of 29,000 euro.

Funding Allocations

Clarecastle €75,000

Broadford €20,000

Cratloe €20,000

Clonlara €11,830

Clooney Quin €35,307

Tubber €16,000

Barefield NS €5,000

St Mochulla NS Tulla €5,000

Ennis NS €5,000

Tuamgraney handball club €892

Sixmilebridge €29,364

Killmurry IB €10,040

Scariff €15,060

Crusheen €12,133

Inagh Kilnamona €10,040

The Banner €12,550

Barefield €5,415

Cooraclare €3,208

Kildysart €5,020

Clondegad €2,189

Tulla €7,020

Killimer €4,819

Wolfe Tonnes €3,993

Newmarket On Fergus €2,254

O Callaghan Mills €1,603

NJSC1980

I posted this on the Limerick thread - I'd be curious to know if you who know Clare a lot better than I consider it a steaming pile of poop or if there is a degree of truth/fairness in it? Dead serious about that final point by the way - anyone who can get a hold of Caroline Currid should move heaven and earth to bring her on board now she's available. She has won All-Irelands with Limerick and Tipp hurlers as well as Dublin and Tyrone footballers. Clare are pretty much in small margins territory and any little gain could make all the difference to going a step or two further.

********

I don't know if Limerick will do this - at the moment I honestly feel our biggest threat is an injury crisis. Kilkenny have put it up to us in flashes - Clare maybe but can they do it over a full championship? They get themselves 110% fired up for Limerick - emptied themselves for the 2022 Munster final and came up short, they couldn't pick themselves up afterwards, got over the line after a poor performance (but strong finish) against Wexford and were destroyed by Kilkenny. Seemed to take a great deal of joy in defeating us in round 2 of the round robin and celebrated for a good half hour on the pitch afterwards - it was a big win but did it get to their heads? Requesting the Gaelic Grounds for the Munster final was ballsy but would last years championship have turned out differently had they just agreed to go to Cork? Hammered a fairly shite Dublin team who seemed happy to let them have acres of space free to roam through the heart of their defence.

Gave Kilkenny a good rattle for a finish but were fairly piss poor in the first half - looked to have swung it in the second half only for us to wonder how they let Kilkenny off the hook after having impressively worked themselves back into a lead. Did they have the same ferocious hunger they showed against Limerick in April? That game could have gone on another half an hour and Clare would still have held on in my opinion. It was the first time since the 2019 semi final a team demonstrated greater hunger than Limerick in the championship. Play with that intensity - and they did it from throw in to the final whistle that day - and they'll beat anyone. Where was it in the first half of the semi final? They should give Caroline Currid a shout :D

PTH2009

Huge loss for ye if true

Wouldn't bet against an early Waterford and Clare exit

Jizique

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121529999#Comment_121529999

What fresh hell?

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121530033#Comment_121530033

Tony Kelly gone for 2024

https://www.clare.fm/sport/kelly-race-time-fit-2024-munster-shc-opener/

PeggyShippen

His ankles must be awful.. Thats his third operation is it. Once ankles start going it's extremely hard to get them right. Still I'm sure he will line out against Limerick in Ennis come Championship.

This could be the game of the round Robin. Iv a feeling Limerick will target this one. They've not won in the Championship under Kiely in Ennis. For a team that has conquered many worlds 🌎 this is a slightly irritating itch they ll want to scratch.

Gael85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121296980#Comment_121296980

James Costello former kerry minor manager added as a selector. Could be a tough season for footballers missing so many keys players. It a pity Neylon didn't take the senior role as might have been to persuade some lads to stay on board.

jamesconlan85

I was looking at Division 3 of Football League big drop in quality of opponents which might help Clare to do enough to stay mid table in Div 3. Fixtures are kind to Clare aswell. I suppose the key things to see on Jan 03rd is what the new manager spine will be who will play 3 who will play 6 who will play 8, 9, who will play 11, who will play 14 that all unclear for the 1st time ever heading into a allianz league clash vs Sligo at the end of January.

callaway92

Only copped it there that the Win a House in Ennis draw has been pushed back by a month and is now January 29th 2024 instead of Dec 31st this year 😒

Sales must be poor

keeponhurling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121530277#Comment_121530277

Not as big a disaster as it might have been a few years ago.

the team needs to learn to cope without TK, or at least have less reliance on him

jamesconlan85

Just saw Clare Team they have what should be the number 6 Cillian playing full back. Not convinced Sweeney can play intercounty at centre back. Also Walsh strange choice for midfield more suited to wing spot. Half forward line aside from Emmett doesnt look a scoring threat. You would expect Cork to win by 5 or 6pts 2mow night. I know its only a friendly but the spine tells u allot what the league team might be like

Gael85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121561061#Comment_121561061

The fooballers will be down a lot of experience and lads who played in central roles in recent years. Podge Collins, Eoin Cleary, Ciaran Russell, David Sexton, Pearse Lillis, Cian O'Dea, Cathal O'Connor, Jamie Malone, Keelan Sexton and Darren O'Neill not involved this year. Think will Cillian Brennan is oldest player on panel now.

callaway92

Match being played in Clarecastle on the Astro so the football should be free-flowing anyway.

Only 17 players at Senior training the weekend just gone apparently.

windy shepard henderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121562418#Comment_121562418

yeah a number of players not around for various reasons , i am not talking about the ones that have departed the secane , you have to bare in the fact that last weekend was still christmas week , personally i wouldn't expect any player to be training last week one of the reasons i believe was the small matter of eoin clearys wedding

i would also rather that the Sigerson cup players dont start as they will be full on for the next 3 to 4 weeks , its a nothing game if cork won by 20 points i wouldnt be too bothered , the sligo game in 4 weeks time is the game that we need to win

windy shepard henderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121561398#Comment_121561398

this is the reason that a few more higher profile candidates pulled out , its a brave man to take on that gig , we have a good core of lads coming through , i reckon we will be fine at division 3 level ,