Dramatic opening weekend in Clare SHC as Feakle and Wolfe Tones share the spoils

Irish Examiner

27-07-2025

A timely reminder of just how wide open the race for this Clare Senior Hurling Championship fittingly surfaced inZimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg on Saturday evening when the reigning senior and intermediate champions shared the opening spoils.
With the sides deadlocked eight times over the hour, Feakle, off the back of bridging a 36 year gap, looked to have snatched a successful first defence of their senior crown when the talismanic Shane McGrath arrowed over his twelfth point in the 62nd minute.
However, a defiant Wolfe Tones, bolstered by Darragh Lohan's early second half penalty, simply refused to yield and in a similar grandstand finish to their intermediate final win last October, Jack Cunningham popped up with a dramatic last gap leveller at 0-19 to 1-16.
It was much more straight-forward in the other Group three tie in Clarecastle on Friday evening when 2022 finalists Éire Óg produced a superb start to the second half to brush aside a disappointing Newmarket-on-Fergus by 2-24 to 1-18. Guided by the unerring Danny Russell's nine point half tally, the Ennis side defied the conditions to edge 0-11 to 0-09 in front by the break.
The tie altered irrevocably on the restart though as Darren O'Brien and Marco Cleary fired goals within the first five minutes, an eight point cushion that was only extended by the final whistle despite a late Mikey McInerney goal in riposte.
At the same time in Ennis, 2023 champions Clonlara showed their teeth with a gritty minimum 1-19 to 1-18 derby victory over Sixmilebridge in Group 1. Michael Collins' 20th minute goal had helped Clon to a 1-10 to 0-09 interval lead, only for Brian Corry to do likewise by the two-thirds mark and ensure a blow-for-blow finale that saw the neighbours locked together six times before Cathal O'Connell converted a last gasp 60 metre free.
At the same venue the following evening, 2023 finalists Crusheen joined Clonlara at the summit of Group 1 after unearthing a rousing finish to hold off neighbours St. Joseph's Doora/Barefield by 0-23 to 1-15. Having carved out a 0-13 to 0-08 half-time cushion, Michael Browne's side were left shellshocked by a remarkable Parish backlash as a Padraic O'Donovan goal saw them outscore Crusheen by 1-6 to 0-1 to power three clear by the 40th minute.
However, Crusheen's experience eventually told as they scored seven unanswered points to flip the script and relievedly endure.
There was an even more dramatic derby turnaround in Sixmilebridge on Saturday afternoon as Kilmaley produced a twelve point second half turnaround to pip 2022 winners Ballyea with an injury-time Mikey O'Malley free at 2-20 to 3-16 in Group 4. Nothing but a handsome opening success seemed on the cards for Ballyea after a Tony Kelly masterclass saw the fun-forward score 2-3 and tee up Mossy Gavin for a third goal to power 3-9 to 0-7 in front by the break. However, there would be a complete sea-change on the resumption as Kilmaley, buoyed by an early Tommy Barry goal, found their feet, with the dismissal of Jack Browne and a second goal through Conor Cleary completing the comeback before finishing the job through their captain O'Malley.
It was Cratloe's young guns that shaded the other tie in the 'Group of Death' as Daire Neville (3) and Cathal Lohan combined for four of the last five points to finally see off Scariff by 1-24 to 1-21 in Broadford.
A superb end-to-end contest saw the sides tied a whopping 13 times entering the final ten minutes including the swapping of goals for Lohan and All-Star Mark Rodgers but without key protagonists Cathal McInerney and Podge Collins, Cratloe admirably prevailed.
It had to take a late goal from substitute Darragh McNamara to rescue victory from the jaws of defeat against a plucky Broadford by 1-18 to 2-12 in their Group 2 opener in Shannon.
First quarter goals for Oisin Kavanagh and Diamruid Moloney had given Broadford a major platform and while the sides were level by the midway mark at 2-06 to 0-12, a Niall O'Farrell led second half surge ensured that Paddy Meehan's side still carried a two point edge entering the final moments.
However, Peter Duggan's persistence and that McNamara goal altered the narrative irrevocably which would be in total contrast to the other Group 2 tie in Gurteen in the last action on Saturday as 2021 finalists Inagh-Kilnamona had twelve different scorers including nine from captain Aidan McCarthy on their way to a handsome 0-31 to 0-18 triumph over neighbours Corofin.