Clare Junior Football Championship

For the hurling equivalent, see Clare Junior Hurling Championship.

Clare Junior Football Championship
Irish	Craobh Soisear Péil an Chláir
Founded	1922
Title holders	Killimer (1st title)
Most titles	Éire Óg & Kilmurry-Ibrickane (7 titles)

The Clare Junior A Football Championship (abbreviated to Clare JAFC) is an annual Gaelic football club competition organised by the Clare County Board of the GAA for clubs below the Intermediate and Senior grades. It is contested by the top-ranking Junior clubs in County Clare, Ireland. It is the third-tier adult competition of the Clare football pyramid.

The 2023 Clare Junior Champions are Killimer who defeated Éire Óg, Ennis to be crowned champions after extra time for their first at this grade.

History

The Clare JAFC was introduced in the early 1920s as a countywide competition for Gaelic football clubs deemed not eligible for the Senior or Intermediate grades, and also for the second- and third-string teams from higher-ranked clubs.

The winners of the Clare JAFC are promoted to the Clare Intermediate Football Championship for the following year.

Qualification for subsequent competitions

Munster Club Football Championship

The winning club also qualifies to represent Clare in the Munster Junior Club Football Championship (the winners of which go on to compete in the All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship). However, if a second- or third-string team wins the Clare JAFC they are replaced by the highest finishing first-string team. No Clare club has ever won the Munster title. 2001 champions Éire Óg, Ennis qualified for the Munster final but lost to St. Michael's-Foilmore of Kerry. 2007 champions O'Callaghan's Mills qualified for the Munster final but lost to Canovee of Cork. 2015 champions Coolmeen progressed to the Munster final but lost to Templenoe of Kerry. ^[1]

Roll of honour

#	Club	Wins	Years won
1.	Éire Óg, Ennis	7	1927 (as Ennis Dalcassians), 1943 (as Ennis Dalcassians), 1968, 1975, 2001, 2013, 2018 [2]
	Kilmurry-Ibrickane		1929, 1930, 1932, 1933 (as Quilty), 1950 (as Mullagh), 1994, 2006,2012
3.	Coolmeen	6	1922, 1958, 1964, 1983, 1999, 2015
	Naomh Eoin, Cross		1948 (as Carrigaholt), 1991, 1997, 2005, 2014, 2017
5.	Kildysart	5	1945, 1953, 1966, 1984, 2008
	Kilfenora		1931, 1934, 1947, 1977, 2010
	St. Senan's, Kilkee		1926, 1970, 1974, 1990, 1996
8.	Clondegad	4	1942 (as Ballycorick), 1963 (as Moohane), 1969, 2000
	Lissycasey		1938 (as Caherea), 1971, 1981, 1992
	Michael Cusack's, Carron		1946 (as Belharbour), 1962, 1980, 2019
11.	Clarecastle	3	1936, 1982, 2012
	Cooraclare		1965, 1988, 1998
	Ennistymon		1973, 1987, 2021 [3]
	Kilmihil		1937, 1955, 1956 (as Cahermurphy)
	Kilrush Shamrocks		1944, 1951 (as Ballykett), 1954 (as Ballykett)
	O'Curry's, Doonaha		1940, 1961, 1995
	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		1923, 1924, 1949
18.	Clooney-Quin	2	2004, 2009
	Doonbeg		1928, 1939
	Liscannor		1985, 2022
	Parteen-Meelick		2011 (as Meelick), 2016 (as Meelick)
	Scariff		1952, 1960
	Shannon Gaels, Labasheeda		1941, 1959
	St. Breckan's, Lisdoonvarna		1935 (as Doolin), 1979
	St. Joseph's, Doora-Barefield		1989, 1993
	Wolfe Tones, Shannon		1967, 1972
27.	Ballyvaughan-Fanore	1	2003 (as Ballyvaughan)
	Corofin		1978
	Cratloe		2002
	Moy		1986
	O'Callaghan's Mills		2007
	Shannon Rangers		1957
	St Cronan's, Ennis		1976
	The Banner, Ennis		2020 [4] [5]
?	To Be Confirmed	?	1925

See also

• Clare Senior Football Championship
• Clare Football League Div. 1 (Cusack Cup)
• Clare Intermediate Football Championship
• Clare Under-21 A Football Championship

References

1. "Temple of doom for Coolmeen as Templenoe inflict hammering". Irish Examiner . 7 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
2. "Junior A Football Final 2018". Clare GAA.
3. "Ennistymon Crowned Junior Champions". The Clare Echo. 23 October 2021.
4. "Banner Overcome Ballyvaughan To Secure Junior Double". The Clare Echo. 24 July 2021.
5. "Banner's Great Day Was A Long Time Coming". The Clare Echo. 29 July 2021.