Clare SHC Final: Éire Óg Ennis edge out Clooney-Quin

Clare SHC Final

Éire Óg Ennis 0-17 Clooney-Quin 0-12

By Eoin Brennan at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg, Ennis

Éire Óg finally ended their 35 year Clare Senior Hurling Championship hoodoo when holding off a fledgling Clooney-Quin side.

Whichever way the pendulum swung, there was going to be a new name on the famed Canon Hamilton Cup for the first time since at least 1990 as Clooney-Quin’s sole title was back in 1942.

In the end, the red half of the romantic divide won out in merited fashion as the Ennis side led for the final hour of the contest to clinch their 15th crown.

With only five of the starting team over the age of 22, Clooney-Quin side relied on former All-Star Peter Duggan for inspiration up front and he duly answered the call with a nine point haul.

However, will they fought admirably to the final whistle, Fergal Lynch’s team needed more if they were to match a far more balanced Éire Óg side led by captain David Reidy, current Hurler of the Year Shane O’Donnell, Clare Championship top-scorer Danny Russell, along with some heroic defensive displays from Aaron Fitzgerald, Robert Loftus and Liam Corry.

The foundations for victory were laid in the opening period when belying the conditions to lead by as much as five points before having to settle for a minimum interval cushion at 0-9 to 0-8.

A brace of Peter Duggan frees had inched Clooney-Quin 0-2 to 0-1 clear by the sixth minute, but it would be the only time in the contest that his side were in the ascendency as within six more minutes, Éire Óg completely flipped the script with seven of the next eight points.

Danny Russell and Marco Cleary raided for two points apiece while David Reidy, Oran Cahill and Shane O’Donnell all picked off points to power their side 0-8 to 0-3 clear.

Indeed, the damage would have been greater only for alert goalkeeper Cillian Duggan to smother a Danny Russell shot, a save that finally sparked Clooney-Quin into life as his cousin Peter scored three while Darragh McNamara and John Conneally also got in on the scoring action to slash the half-time arrears to just one.

Now backed by the conditions, Éire Óg stepped up accordingly with a strong third quarter as braces from David Reidy and Marco Cleary restored a five point cushion at 0-14 to 0-09.

To their credit, Clooney-Quin never lowered their heads and kept chipping away at the deficit predominantly through Peter Duggan albeit that his older brother Martin was sprung off the bench to dramatic effect, only for a 52nd minute goal chance to be repelled by a point blank stop from Darragh Stack at 0-14 to 0-12.,

Instead, a relieved Éire Óg drove determinedly to the finish line helped by the last three points through Shane O’Donnell, David Reidy and a worthy clinching back-to-front surge and score from Oran Cahill.

With Éire Óg also contesting the football equivalent next Sunday at the same venue at 3.30p against neighbours St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield, a historic double for the first time since the Ennis Dals ruled 96 years ago is still very much a reality.

Scorers for Éire Óg: Danny Russell 0-5 (2f, 1’65); Marco Cleary 0-4, David Reidy 0-4, Shane O’Donnell 0-2, Oran Cahill 0-2

Scorers for Clooney-Quin: Peter Duggan 0-9 (5f, 1’65); Darragh McNamara 0-1, John Conneally 0-1, Callum Hassett 0-1

Éire Óg: Darragh Stack; Fionan Treacy, Ciaran Russell, Darren Moroney; Robert Loftus, Aaron Fitzgerald, Lliam Corry; Oran Cahill, Jarlath Collins; David McNamara, David Reidy, Darren O’Brien; Danny Russell, Shane O’Donnell, Marco Cleary

Subs: Eoin O’Regan for O’Brien (HT), Tom Kavanagh for McNamara (48), Rian Mulcahy for Moroney (53), James O’Dwyer for Collins (57), Nially McMahon for O’Regan (60+6)

Clooney-Quin: Cillian Duggan; Sean McNamara, John Conneally (0-1), Evan Maxted; John Cahill, Darragh Keogh, Conor Grogan; Ryan Taylor, Jimmy Corry; Jerry O’Connor, Peter Duggan (0-9, 5f, 1’65), Jack O’Neill; Darragh McNamara (0-1), Callum Hassett (0-1), Sam Scanlan

Subs: Dannan Fox for Scanlan (39), Martin Duggan for O’Connor (48), Ulick O’Sullivan for D. McNamara (54), Trevor Lee for Hassett (60), Bryan McInerney for S. McNamara (60+4).

Referee: John Bugler (Whitegate).