Latest news with #ColmCollins
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Peter Keane steps down as Clare senior football manager
Peter Keane has stepped down as manager of the Clare senior footballers after one season in charge. In a statement shared by Clare GAA on Sunday, the Kerryman said 'a combination of factors' had influenced his decision, 'namely growing business demands, plus travel and time challenges'. Keane was appointed to the role last October, succeeding his county man Mark Fitzgerald, who had filled the role for one season. Prior to Fitzgerald, Colm Collins had spent a decade in charge of the Banner footballers. This season, Clare reached a third successive Munster final, again falling to Kerry in the decider on May 4th. In the All-Ireland series, the Banner were drawn in Group 3, in which they suffered defeats to Down, Monaghan and Louth to see them out of the championship. READ MORE 'I really enjoyed my time working with a great panel of footballers, whose commitment and dedication was first class,' Keane's statement on his departure read. 'Their desire to be better footballers and play for their county at the highest level was exemplary.' Keane thanked his management and backroom teams for their work and commitment over the past season, and the players 'for their total commitment, positive attitude, and dedication', wishing them 'the very best for the future'. Clare GAA chairman Kieran Keating expressed his thanks to Keane 'for the professionalism and dedication he brought to the role, to follow on from the encouraging development of our senior football panel by his predecessors'. 'I know from discussing Clare football matter with Peter over the past year that his interest in our cause was genuine and his engagement with our players was always enthusiastic and forthright,' Keating added. 'The logistics of his journey to Clare a number of times a week for the duration of the season proved difficult to manage alongside his business interests and personal/family commitments, and whilst we had sincerely hoped Peter could remain in the manager's role, we accept his decision with the grace he brought to the appointment.' Keating concluded the county will now look to appoint Keane's replacement 'as soon as practicable to ensure we are prepared and ready for the 2026 season'.
Irish Times
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Colm Collins critical of Munster decision to separate Cork and Kerry in football championship
Colm Collins has heavily criticised the decision of Munster Council to seed both Cork and Kerry in next year's provincial football championship. The former Clare manager and member of Jim Gavin's Football Review Committee also suggested that the FRC model be used to reform football championship structures. At Thursday night's meeting, Munster delegates took the decision that the top two counties, judged by league standing, should be drawn in the semi-finals and kept apart – on the basis that it would boost gate receipts by optimising provincial attendances between the two most successful counties, who would have an enhanced chance of reaching the final. It was ratified for a three-year period beginning in 2026. Kerry have been the only Munster county in the league's top flight for what will be 10 years next season. Cork finished this year in fifth place in Division Two. Next came Clare, third in Division Three. READ MORE 'The Munster Championship is a complete joke,' said Collins, 'in the sense that you've got a Division One team, probably the best Division One team, playing counties that are below them. Munster Council, in their profound wisdom, have decided to give Cork a leg up the ladder by seeding them. 'The point is that the Munster finals haven't been competitive, but they're not going to solve it by doing this. I wouldn't mind if there were two Division One teams in Munster and they were consistently doing well. 'I don't know how some of these delegates will go back and face their football squads after voting for this.' This brings to an end 35 years of the open draw in Munster. The late Noel Walsh campaigned to introduce the structure for 1991 on the basis that it was demanding too much of smaller, less successful counties to have to beat both Cork and Kerry if they were to win the provincial title. At the time, Cork were All-Ireland champions. In the first year, Limerick reached a first final since 1965 and in the second, Clare won a first title for 75 years. It was later tweaked so that the provincial finalists would be seeded for the following year but not kept apart. Collins's argument is that the decline of Cork has had far more of an impact on the championship than the open draw. 'Tipperary have won Munster more recently than Cork,' he said, 'and it's a long time since they have come close to filling a ground in Munster.' Although Cork took the eventual winners to extra-time in the Munster semi-final, they were beaten by 11 in the All-Ireland round-robin fixture and there is little sign that the Cork public are swinging behind their footballers, who haven't attracted more than 20,000 to a match with Kerry since 31,836 attended the 2017 provincial final in Killarney. Collins would love to see a high-powered committee, along the lines of the FRC, review and make recommendations on future structures for the football championship. 'It would be great to see a committee in charge that would have teeth and would be allowed to review championship structures and that politics and vested interests by the provinces would be prevented from blocking proper development. 'It has to be a priority at this point to get rid of these mismatches. There is no point in having one of the powerhouses, a Division One team taking on a Division Four team in the provincial championships in the name of keeping these championships.'
BreakingNews.ie
10-05-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Ikem Ugwueru backs Clare for All-Ireland quarter-finals
Clare footballer Ikem Ugwueru believes the Banner can repeat their 2022 run to the All-Ireland quarter-finals as they prepare for the group stages of the Sam Maguire. Despite suffering a third consecutive Munster final defeat to Kerry last weekend, Ugwueru insists there are positives to take from another provincial decider appearance, not least their confirmed place in the All-Ireland series. Advertisement Clare will face Down, Monaghan and the winners of the Leinster final between Meath and Louth in a group devoid of any Division One side — something Ugwueru sees as an opportunity. 'On any day, anyone can beat anyone,' he said. 'If I reference Meath against Dublin, everyone would have said Dublin would easily win, but Meath showed up on the day and got the result. 'It was the same with Down — they almost beat Donegal. If one or two points or a goal had gone their way, they'd have taken it. Advertisement 'The group is evenly balanced. We won't take anyone for granted. We'll take each game one by one and not look too far ahead.' Clare's progress under Colm Collins and now Mark Fitzgerald has been evident, with three successive Munster finals and a quarter-final appearance in 2022 demonstrating their consistency at the top end of the provincial and national game. Although they've failed to pick up a win in the group stages over the past two seasons, Ugwueru sees clear signs of development and believes Clare are building a team for the long term. 'Any county can use it as a blueprint — we all started somewhere. It's about the team and the collective. Advertisement 'If you buy into it, you can work your way up. Clare were in Division Four, then Three, and then spent years in Division Two. 'Some of the lads on the team have gone through that journey. We all have that fight in us, and we're using it to our advantage. Sport Waterford's Lorraine Bray on wearing skorts: 'Play... Read More 'We're not going to end it this year — this could take a few years, and all of us are willing to do that.' With Down up first next weekend, Ugwueru says the goal is to progress beyond the group — and see where that momentum might lead. 'We got to the last eight a couple of years ago and lost to Derry. Getting out of the group is an achievement for any county in the Sam Maguire. 'That's our biggest aim now — to put our best foot forward and, when we do get out, challenge the bigger counties. That's the goal for me, and for the group.'
