Ruthless Éire Óg clinch three-in-a-row in Clare
MAIN MAN: Mark McInerney of Eire Óg Ennis. File pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
Éire Óg emphatically powered to a historic three-in-a-row of Clare SFC titles after maintaining their hoodoo over Kilmurry Ibrickane in Zimmer Biomey Páirc Chiosóg.
Not since Kilrush Shamrocks’ dominated the Clare footballing landscape in the 1970s had a club been able to accomplish a hat-trick of Jack Daly Cups. However, far from being nervous, an early goal from talisman and championship top-scorer Mark McInerney proved the perfect tonic for the Ennis side to lead from start to finish and soar as much as ten points clear in the third quarter.
It was a sheer masterclass in closing out a final as eight different scorers managed to top up the Townies' handsome margin, all of which impressively stemmed from play before McInerney arrowed over a free, entering the final quarter.
Kilmurry Ibrickane will rue early missed opportunities that might have altered the narrative as Keelan Sexton teed up Darragh Sexton in only the third minute, only for goalkeeper Bernard Power to come to the holder’s rescue.
Six minutes and a Mark McInerney goal later, Cathal Talty intercepted an Éire Óg restart and played in Keelan Sexton who would be spectacularly thwarted by a timely Manus Doherty challenge just as he was about to pull the trigger.
In truth, Kilmurry Ibrickane, bidding for their first county title since 2020, needed to ruthlessly finish those goal sightings. They did finally grab a lifeline through teenage sensation Conor Burke in the 23rd minute who collected a Keelan Sexton pass to fire to the left corner of the Ennis net.
However, it would be sandwiched by a flurry of Éire Óg points as Ronan Lanigan, Ciaran Russell, Ikem Ugwueru and Darren O’Brien opened their accounts while Mark McInerney also answered with a two-pointers to ensure a 1-10 to 1-02 interval cushion.
The ‘Bricks inevitably reshuffled their pack at the break, bringing on last Sunday’s winning hurling captain for Inagh-Kilnamona Aidan McCarthy along with eight time county champion Shane Hickey. However, it would get worse for the challengers before it finally got better as Darren O’Brien (2) and McInerney stretched the gap to ten by the 36th minute.
A stunning brace of Cathal Talty two-pointers in the space of a minute looked to have catapulted Kilmurry Ibrickane back into contention at 1-13 to 1-07 by the two-thirds mark.
Cruailly though, it would be another 17 minutes before their next score, by which time, Éire Óg had taken the sting out of their challenge.
An injury-time Dermot Coughlan two-pointer did lessen the damage to five but it would be fittingly met by a superb flowing move in the next passage of play. Seven different players were involved before Ciaran Russell teed up teenager Darren Moroney to flick to the net at the back post and seal Éire Óg’s fifth Clare SFC success in six seasons.
: M McInerney 1-6 (1tp) (2f); D O’Brien 0-3; D Moroney 1-0; I Ugwueru 0-2; G Murray, O Cahill, R Lanigan, C Russell 0-1 each
C Talty 0-5 (2tp); C Burke 1-1; D Coughlan 0-2 (1tp); S Hickey, J Moloney 0-1 each
: B Power; M Doherty, A Fitzgerald, D Ryan; C Russell, R Lanigan, G D’Auria; D McNamara, D O’Brien; O Cahill, G Murray, M McInerney; D Lyne, I Ugwueru, D Moroney Subs: E O’Connor for Russell (41, inj), J Joyce for Lyne (44), Russell for D’Auria (48), J Collins for O’Brien (62), L Pyne for Murray (62), D Loftus for McNamara (64)
I McInerney; C Kearney, D Hickey, A Shannon; A Daly, D Walsh, D Sexton; D Coughlan, E Cahill; C Morrissey, C O’Dea, J Moloney; C Talty, K Sexton, C Burke Subs: A McCarthy for Morrissey (ht), S Hickey for D. Hickey (ht), R Fallon for K. Sexton (55), C Darcy for O’Dea (55), C Considine for Moloney (61)
: F O’Brien (Broadford)
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