Clare SHC Final: Éire Óg 0-17 Clooney-Quin 0-12
The Clare Senior Hurling Championship crown will remain in the capital town of Ennis after Éire Óg bridged a 35 year gap with a strong finish in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg.
Danny Russell was the only player on the squad to have been born the last time that they were champions in 1990 but that finally changed after a merited victory over a fledgling Clooney-Quin side.
In the end, Gerry O'Connor’s side had the edge on balance as they led from the ninth minute to the finish backed by five different scorers. In contrast, their opponents largely depended on the inspiration and perspiration of their talisman Peter Duggan who admirably scored three quarters of the total with nine points but they just needed more if they were to really vie for the Canon Hamilton trophy.
That said, despite falling five points in arrears once in each half, Fergal Lynch’s team managed to keep in touch, with the imposing Duggan picking off three points in as many minutes to slash the arrears to just two by the 53rd minute at 0-14 to 0-12.
Indeed, the damage would have been greater only for Éire Óg goalkeeper Darragh Stack to somehow thwart a point blank shot from substitute Martin Duggan after his young brother Peter managed to keep the ball in play.
That save would be pivotal as a relieved Éire Óg made the decisive break for the line with the last three points to seal the club’s 15th county crown.
They also settled the better as, while Peter Duggan’s early brace of frees with the aid of the conditions inched Clooney-Quin ahead at 0-02 to 0-01 by the sixth minute, it would be the only time that they would ultimately lead as Éire Óg responded with seven of the next eight points including braces for Danny Russell and Marco Cleary at 0-08 to 0-03.
In addition, Oran Cahill and current National Hurler of the Year Shane O'Donnell opted to pick off points in front of goal before Danny Russell’s twelve minute attempt was repelled by Clooney-Quin goalkeeper Cillian Duggan.
Trailing by five, it had to take a major revival for Clooney-Quin to slash the arrears to the minimum by the break as a trio of Duggan points were accentuated by Darragh McNamara and John Conneally at 0-09 to 0-08.
With the wind to come, Éire Óg soon re-established full control with the first three points of the new half through captain David Reidy, man of the match Marco Clesry and Danny Russell whose fifth point of the afternoon also clinched the championship’s top scorer award with 3-55 in six matches.
Peter Duggan’s influence ensured that Clooney-Quin kept on their coat-tails but once Stack prevented Martin Duggan from turning the tide in the 52nd minute, there seemed only one winner as Shane O’Donnell, David Reudy and Oran Cahill closed out victory and kept Éire Óg’s double hopes alive as their footballers are also in the final against neighbours St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield at the same venue next Sunday at 3.30pm.
Éire Óg: Darragh Stack; Fionan Treacy, Ciaran Russell, Darren Moroney; Robert Loftus, Aaron Fitzgerald, Lliam Corry; Oran Cahill (0-02), Jarlath Collins; David McNamara, David Reidy (0-04), Darren O’Brien; Danny Russell (0-05, 2f, 1’65), Shane O’Donnell (0-02), Marco Cleary (0-04)
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 (66)
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 (0-09, 5f, 1’65), Jack O’Neill; Darragh McNamara (0-01), Callum Hassett (0-01), 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 (64)
Referee: John Bugler (Whitegate)
