Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Where are the Banner stars from? Here’s the 10 clubs that supply players to Davy Fitzgerald’s team.
Inagh-Kilnamona
The club of Clare goalkeeper Patrick Kelly is a merger of two previous clubs, Inagh and Kilnamona, which took place in 2007. Both are village areas located in Clare on the N85 between Ennis and Lahinch.
Tony Carmody, who was with the Inagh club, played for Clare and featured in the 2002 All-Ireland senior final against Kilkenny.
Inagh-Kilnamona player Niall Arthur was the goalscoring hero for Clare in last year’s Bord Gáis Energy Munster U21HC final while the club reached the semi-final stage of last year’s Clare SHC before bowing out to Cratloe.
Crusheen
The club of defender Cian Dillon is situated in a village just off the M18 between Ennis and Gort. The club has burst to prominence in recent seasons by claiming county senior titles in 2010 and 2011.
That 2010 was their first Clare SHC crown after several years of disappointment and they followed it up with a decider success against Sixmilebridge the following year.
In 2011 Crusheen went on to reach the Munster club SHC final but lost out to Limerick’s Na Piarsaigh after a replay. In 2009 club player Ciaran O’Doherty captained Clare to win the Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 title while Donal Tuohy is currently the Clare sub goalkeeper.
Cian Dillon (left) in action for Crusheen
Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
Tulla
Full-back David McInerney is the sole Tulla representative on the Clare team. He has been full-back on the Clare All-Ireland U21 winning teams over the last two years.
Tulla is located 11 miles east of Ennis on the R352 and the club won the county senior hurling title in 2007 for the first time in 74 years. They subsequently lost the Munster club final to Tippeary’s Loughmore-Castleiney.
Clonlara
The South-East Clare club is located on the outskirts of Limerick city. They enjoyed a meteoric rise when claiming the Clare intermediate crown in 2007 and then the Clare senior title in 2008, their first since 1919.
They have four players starting tomorrow in Domhnall O’Donovan, Colm Galvin, John Conlon and Darach Honan. In addition Nicky O’Connell came on as a substitute in the drawn final and Cathal O’Connell hit 0-11 when Clare won the recent Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 hurling final.
Clonlara’s Darach Honan
Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Whitegate
The Whitegate hurling club is situated on the shores of Lough Derg in North-East Clare and is close to the border with Galway. The club plays at intermediate level in Clare.
Their star turn is Brendan Bugler, the outstanding Clare defender who won an Allstar award last year for his performances for the Banner. Bugler has also won a Fitzgibbon Cup with UL.
O’Callaghan Mills
O’Callaghan Mills is a club based in East Clare with their location approximately 15 miles from Ennis. The club have won five Clare senior hurling titles with their last arriving in 1937.
They currently play at Senior B level in Clare and provide the captain of the Clare team in centre-back Patrick Donnellan. In addition defender Conor Cooney is listed amongst the Clare substitutes.
Clare captain Patrick Donnellan
INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Tubber
The North Clare club is close to the Galway border and is only six miles from the town of Gort in South Galway. Their most famous player was Eamonn Taaffe, who scored the vital goal for Clare in the 1995 All-Ireland senior final.
His nephew Ronan has been in goal for the last two Clare All-Ireland U21 winning sides. The current Tubber star in the Clare senior setup is Patrick O’Connor, the team’s wing-back who has won All-Ireland U21 medals in 2009 and 2012.
Cratloe
Another South-East Clare club, Cratloe are only six miles from Limerick city and have emerged as a powerhouse in Clare hurling of late. They won their first Clare senior hurling title in 2009 while they have lost the 2010 and 2012 deciders.
They supply three players to the Banner starting side in Conor Ryan, Podge Collins and Conor McGrath. That trio all featured on the Clare U21 side that won last year’s All-Ireland title with McGrath captaining that team.
In addition Liam Markham and Cathal McInerney are on the bench for Clare with Sean Collins, Podge’s older brother, out injured at present.
Podge Collins in action for Cratloe
Pic: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
Ballyea
The Ballyea club is situated just six miles south of Ennis. Their most famous face of late was Tony Griffin, who was on the Clare team that reached the 2002 All-Ireland senior final and he won an Allstar in 2006.
Currently it is Tony Kelly, Clare’s precocious 19 year-old who has been leading the way with his hurling displays. He was joined on the recent Clare All-Ireland U21 winning side by Paul Flanagan, who captained the Banner side, and Jack Browne.
Ballyea played hurling at Senior B level and are a sister club of football outfit Clondegad, who Clare senior football captain Gary Brennan plays for.
Newmarket-on-Fergus
The most successful club in Clare hurling history have 23 senior titles to their name. They are situated roughly halfway between Ennis and Shannon, just off the M18.
Last year’s senior title win was one to savour as they had endured a 31-year drought before that without a Banner crown to their name.
Clare’s ace freetaker Colin Ryan is the Newmarket-on-Fergus representative although James McInerney and Enda Barrett are others who have been to the fore for Banner outfits in recent years.
Colin Ryan of Newmarket-on-Fergus
Pic: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
6 goals from midfield in a relegated team is impressive. He needs to get back to Celtic and push for a starting place, tough competition there.
Good experience for him with the international set up though.
@Bert Carolan: we all know the track record on Irish players in Celtic think he’s far better to get out of there. As a player he seems to tick a lot of boxes as a solid midfielder so with a bit of luck he can make the step up at international level, attract a bit of interest and secure a transfer to a bigger club like Ogbene did.
@Aprior: The track record for Irish players might not be great at Celtic but a lot of Irish players go there, obviously there is going to be a lot of failures. You’re going to have a few Johnny Kenny’s for every Liam scales.
Utd and Pool combined have only Kelleher come through in last 10 years. Probably some Irish lads go to Celtic when they should go to a lower profile club.
@Aprior: He’ll surely get his chance preseason, best of luck to him anyway.
@Aprior: I disagree with this comment. Look at the season just had by Liam Scales and Adam Idah. I also hope Celtic fork out the required amount and sign Idah permanently or else he can return to Norwich reserves and you can continue your narrative about the Irish at Celtic. Nobody has the divine right to a jersey, that has to be earned. It also must be remembered that prior to this Lawal was seen as a defender, an average one it was a recent conversion at Fleetwood to his original position of CDM has brought the best out of him. A position both Celtic and Ireland need depth in.
Hopefully he gets a run out tomorrow night. A future star can play as a defender or a midfielder very comfortable on the ball. Best of luck Bosun.
Got to expect Jake O Brien to get a game or 2 he’s out in form Centre back we have