Clare GAA Discussion - 2024 All Ireland Hurling Champions

PeggyShippen

They should be commended for the reasons you highlight. That's all positive stuff. It does warrant questions aswell. How come Eire Og aren't A grade for all underage levels? That's crazy...how does that happen? Sixmilebridge have 4 adult male teams. Won the Junior C and In Junior B final. And then in tbe semis of the Intermediate and Senior. Why can't Eire Og retain players ,keep them playing.

But iv no issue with facilities being upgraded. Unfortunately in the GAA we don't invest enough money in coaching, but in bricks and mortar

Gael85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119801667#Comment_119801667

Where has Eimhin Courtney gone to? He was a decent forward too.

roashter

Clare with 3 hurling all stars, delighted for them all

Toetohand

They two adult teams in hurling three in football and that was pushing it! I can think of a 4th football team who are committed to playing soccer/rugby and that’s it. Fine.

I don’t know why they’re not consistently in A grade in football and hurling at underage. It’s not for lack of trying. Maybe as you suggest further focus on coaching but a huge effort made in last few years to have properly qualified coaches. Hopefully it gets more consistent.

Toetohand

Gael 85. Eimhin caught with work commitments

windy shepard henderson

Well done Eire og fantastic team , Ennistymon have a fine team but too conservative

Paul maddan is a really good coach that never gets the credits he deserves, a big effort is expected in Munster now

Also Shane Daniels deserves huge praise in the world of goalkeeper disasters he left his comfortable role on the sideline to go back between the sticks today some service to both Clare and Eire og

windy shepard henderson

I genuinely believe this was a poor championship

We need to revert back to some form of knock out championship

Too many dead rubber games , too much shadow boxing in the group games 8 weeks of borderline Boardam

My highlights have been the brilliant young players from Clooney Quin, young O'Sullivan, young conhealy at centre back and Darragh Keogh along with the Corry family Peter duggan and Shane McNamara and they will have some say next year

Kilmihils Gearoid O'Gradys performances for kilmaley has worked his way into Brian Lohans for 2023 and spells out that we exist in terms of West Clare hurling

And finally Shane O'Donnell was a joy to watch all championship sensational at times delighted he got his all star hopefully he wins a cannon before he finishes

Treble double

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814136#Comment_119814136

Eire Og are head and shoulders above anything else in the county football wise at the moment. They were never really threatened in any match in this championship. They won yesterday without breaking a sweat. They were never behind and easily kept Ennistymon at arms length. If you were picking the Clare team in the morning you could make an argument for having 9 Eire Og players on it. They were also missing their regular goalie and Conal o Hanefein this year, players who would also stake a claim to be starters for Clare. Fine team and expect them to have a major go at Munster.

Ennistymons game plan is very depressing, everyone behind the ball, pass the parcel, run down the clock. All the worst attributes of modern gaelic football and usually used by minnows when they are up against far superior opposition. Ennistymon have some fine players and its a pity they just don't come out and have a go, it must be really frustrating for the players to get into a county final and not lay a glove on the opposition. Many teams have used this game plan and 99% of the time there is a ceiling to where it gets you. Neutrals had no sympathy for them yesterday as paying punters got very restless at what they reduced the spectacle to.

fire_man

It will be difficult for Ennistymon to recover now after losing two finals in the last number of years.They are just short quality up front.

opinionated3

Anyone hearing chat that Shane o Donnell won't be available in 2023 for club or county?... Serious blow to lohan if true

keeponhurling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119817125#Comment_119817125

no...what did you hear ?

opinionated3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818325#Comment_119818325

Going traveling next year? Sincerely hope it's just a stupid rumour...

Treble double

Solid from Eire Og again on Sunday. The Nire frustrated them in the first half with a defensive set up. Eire Og goaled early in the second half. The Nire were then forced to come out and play and the Townies took them apart. Very solid at the back, Ciaran Russell is a good a half back as there is in the country. Darren O'Neill man of the match display in midfield. Cooney and McInerney always a threat up front. A big boost also was David Reidy coming on. He will be a major asset off the bench in Tralee. Kerry is a graveyard for Clare teams but I fancy them to beat Rahillys. They are probably lacking an out and out scoring forward to support McInerney and Cooney. An injury to one of those two and they are in bother.

PeggyShippen

Anybody else think that Ballyea will have their hands full against St Finbarrs. I dont think it ll be a clear cut match at all. I saw the Cork County Final and they have some fantastic players...who score freely. Ballyea have their own strengths but scoring g freely isn't one of them. Outside of Tony Kelly that is. No I think this is a 50/50 game with maybe St Finbarrs to sneek it.

keeponhurling

I never heard anyone say it would be a clearcut match.

As you say, it's close to a 50/50....maybe Ballyea's Munster experience might help them to edge it

washman3

So 3 Clare teams in Munster action this weekend.

Ballyea V Finbarrs in senior.

D/Barefield V Monaleen in intermediate.

Banner V St. Kierans (Limerick) in junior.

Any predictions.? Is a clean sweep on the cards.?

And any views on the other semi-final, Ballygunner V N/Piarsaigh.? I will go for a Ballea/NaP Munster final, with both to win narrowly this weekend.

PeggyShippen

Could be a clean sweep either way.i see Ballyea getting shocked by St Finbarrs scoring power . Monaleen to beat Barefield in Kilmallock. I know that Monaleen team well and they ll be tough. That's a 50/50. Then if Kierans get someone on Meehan they ll beat The Banner.

PeggyShippen

I'm 2 for 2 so far. Hope I'm wrong on the next one.

keeponhurling

Ballyea bucked the trend ! They're good at closing out a tight game.

But really it was pretty unimpressive stuff. They had an extra man for most of the game but it was hardly noticeable, at times it looked like Barrs had an extra man. Some awful wides from both sides.

Their "reward" is a Munster final with Ballygunner, you'd have to fear for them in that one.

PeggyShippen

15 points I'd say. Ballyea's hurling is just not sharp enough for the top top club hurling. Tony Kelly will want to have some performance just to keep it from getting ugly

Clareman

It was 3-20 to 2-6 when the sides met last year in the Park, hard to see a different result, still a great result for Ballyea to be in another Munster final, their second Munster final out of 4 championship wins, some record.

Billy Ocean

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119913273#Comment_119913273

Can only see a Ballygunner win in all honesty, I think them and Ballyhale have elevated the club game to a new level, their the standard of a Joe Mcdonagh intercounty team.

PeggyShippen

I wouldnt leave Na Piarsaigh out of the praise. They were outstanding in that first half on Sunday. They missed a tonne after half time.

Maybe Ballyea will surprise us all but it's hard to see them get within ten points. Ballyeas hurling isn't crisp enough for top level. They are plenty physical and fit and determined. They don't have the hurling. That might sound very harsh but it's there to see as plain as the nose on your face. St Finbarrs hurled them and looked way slicker.

If the weather is terrible it would be a leveller and Ballyea would lose by about 10. If its dry it could get ugly.

keeponhurling

Interesting interview with Rory Hickey, starts around 35 minutes in https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fGrLAKhiWXg

He talks about the development in Eire Og, also his refereeing career

keeponhurling

btw, Eire Og footballers playing the Kerry champions tomorrow in Tralee.

I’d give them a decent chance.

supernova5

Apparently Jack Browne has been let go from the Clare senior panel,

keeponhurling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119925171#Comment_119925171

To be fair, he was no longer starting.

And it would seem that even when we had defensive injuries, the likes of Cian Nolan, Aaron Fitz or even Paudie Fitz were preferred to him. Other younger players also coming through.

Given he's been about a decade on the panel, I think it's not a great surprise that he's not really in Lohan's plans.

PeggyShippen

Odd that he wasn't given a chance to retire or maybe he was. Do we know the new panel yet..is Paudi Fitzpatrick on it? If he is that would be nuts after his disintegration last summer.

Hard to know where Clare go from here. The Munster final was very good but we lost. That was forgotten straight after the game. Yoyd swear we'd won. 'Limerick couldn't beat us in 70 mins ect ect'. That was silly buggers. They were peaking later in the Summer.

Has there been a review of the Semi final done and questions asked of Lohan? I always have to explain that I support lohan but he has to give an explanation of thr 'no show' .Kilkenny weren't limerick . Limerick beat them well in the final..2 points on the scoreboard but they ahead by 6 for long periods. Kyle Hayes dropped back after they went 5 up ...game over.

We aren't far off the standard at all. When everyone is fit. We've Limerick in the gaelic grounds..Waterford away is it..tricky but we've done it before... yeah its doable.

fire_man

Eire og were wasteful today.Great opportunity lost as Clonmel .Anyone at game?

PeggyShippen

Shocking performance against 14 men. Eire Og have no scorers and less confidence . Really poor showing