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Kerry dismantle Clare to ease to routine Munster title

Updated / Monday, 5 May 2025 00:10

It was Kerry's Jack O’Connor who triumphed over his predecessor as David Clifford starred with 2-05 as the Kingdom won their fifth Munster title on the trot thanks to an 11-point win over Peter Keane’s Clare at a sun-drenched Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney.

In what was the Kingdom’s third provincial final win against the Banner in as many years, it was the hosts who eased into a comfortable 15-point lead – 4-10 to 0-07 at half time, before the visitors narrowed the deficit to 11 by the close of business.

Kerry’s goals – all of which came in the opening 35 minutes – came from Micheál Burns, Barry Dan O’Sullivan, and two from man of the match David Clifford.

Kerry, who made six changes to the team that defeated Cork in the semi-final two weeks previously, got off to a flying start and were 1-02 up inside just four minutes thanks to an early Seán O’Shea two-pointer after just 30 seconds and a well-taken Clifford goal three minutes later.

Clifford’s goal – his first score of 2-05 – was a superbly worked effort as Clifford brushed aside three potential blocks to find the back of the net after an excellent outside of the foot pass from Tony Brosnan had split the Banner defence.

The 2022 and 2023 Footballer of the Year had his second goal of the game just three minutes later.

Clifford reacted quickest to Burns’ rebounded effort to tap in from close-range to make it a seven-point game after seven minutes.

Midway through the opening half Kerry had scored 2-04 from just five kicks.

Clare’s first purple patch came just shy of the start of the start of the second quarter as a Mark McInerney ’45 and a Keelan Sexton point narrowed the deficit to seven points.

However, the Banner’s mini-revival was short-lived after they were temporarily reduced to 14 when Emmet McMahon was shown a black card for a third man tackle just shy of the 17th minute mark.

Kerry took full advantage of their numerical advantage to score two further goals with Burns and Barry Dan O’Sullivan while McMahon was sidelined.

Clifford should have added to that and secured his hat-trick but the Fossa man could only watch on as his effort on goal cracked off the crossbar with 25 minutes on the clock, much to the delight of Eamon Tubridy in the Clare goal.

Clare won a penalty after Gavin White was adjudged to have fouled Keelan Sexton in front of goal. Sexton took the resulting penalty himself, but his effort went over the bar.

From here, Kerry scored three of the next four points to take a 15-point lead into the break.

Clare experienced a second purple patch from the 40th minute with two back-to-back two-point frees from Brian McNamara giving the Banner a fighting chance, bringing it back to a 11-point game with 45 minutes on the clock.

Credit to Keane’s men, Clare never gave up and responded to two quickfire Kerry scores from Clifford and Seán O’Shea with two points of their own with McMahon keeping the Banner’s hopes alive.

Clare scored eight of the final 14 points as they outscored Kerry by 14 points to 10 in the final 35 minutes – in what was a much-improved second half for the visitors.

Mark O’Shea, Evan Looney, Keith Evans made their championship debuts after being introduced as second half substitutes.

Tadhg Morley had a last-minute shot on goal saved off the line by Manus Doherty.

Next up for Kerry are a home tie against Roscommon in two weeks’ time, while Clare will welcome Down to Ennis the same weekend.

Kerry: Shane Murphy; Dylan Casey, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan; Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Mike Breen, Gavin White (capt.); Joe O’Connor, Barry Dan O’Sullivan (1-01); Tony Brosnan, Seán O’Shea (0-08, 1tp, 1tpf), Micheál Burns (1-00); David Clifford (2-05, 1tp), Paul Geaney (0-04, 0-01f), Dylan Geaney (0-02)

Subs: Tadhg Morley for Jason Foley (temp 27-32 mins), Ruairí Murphy for Brosnan, Killian Spillane for O’Shea (both 52), Tadhg Morley for Breen (54), Mark O’Shea for O’Sullivan (56), Keith Evans for Burns (59), Evan Looney for Ó Beaglaoich (temp 64 to finish)

Clare: Eamon Tubridy; Manus Doherty (0-01), Cillian Brennan (capt.), Ronan Lanigan; Cillian Rouine, Iken Ugweuru, Alan Sweeney, Brian McNamara (0-02), Daniel Walsh (0-01); Aaron Griffin (0-01), Emmet McMahon (0-08, 2tpf, 0-03f), Dermot Coughlan; Keelan Sexton (0-02), Eoin Cleary, Mark McInerney (0-06, 0-02f, 0-01 ’45)

Subs: Conor Meaney for Sweeney, Shane Griffin for Walsh (both 54), Evan Cahill for Sexton (59), Rory McMahon for Rouine (63), Darragh Burns for Cleary (68)

Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan)

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