Clare Senior Football Championship

For the hurling equivalent, see Clare Senior Hurling Championship.

Clare Senior Football Championship
Current season or competition: 2023 Clare Senior Football Championship
Irish	Sraith Peil Sinsir Co. an Chláir
Code	Gaelic Football
Founded	1887
Region	Clare (GAA)
Trophy	Jack Daly Cup
No. of teams	13
Title holders	Cratloe (3rd title)
Most titles	Kilrush Shamrocks (21 titles)
Sponsors	Pat O'Donnell & Co.
TV partner(s)	TG4
Official website	clare.gaa.ie

The Clare Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition organised by Clare GAA between the top twelve gaelic football clubs in County Clare, Ireland. The winners represent the county in the Munster Senior Club Football Championship, the winners of which progress to the semi-finals of the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. The Clare SFC final is generally held in the month of October and is played at Cusack Park in Ennis.

In 2014 Cratloe completed a historic first Clare Senior Championship 'Double' in eighty-five years since the famous Ennis Dalcassians in 1929.

In 2016 a Football Review Agreement decided that from 2019 onwards the Clare Senior and Intermediate Football Championships would both involve twelve teams in an effort to make both more competitive. This meant that five clubs would lose their senior status and be relegated down to the Clare Intermediate Football Championship. The eleven remaining senior clubs would be joined by the intermediate champions to form the new senior championship, and thereby increasing the intermediate championship from eight to twelve teams. 2018 saw the relegation of Doora-Barefield, Kilfenora, O'Curry's, St. Breckan's and Wolfe Tones down to the intermediate championship.

As part of the 2016 Football Review Agreement, a pathway was left open for any amalgamations that wished to enter the senior championship. Two intermediate clubs - Naomh Eoin and O'Curry's - from the Loop Head Peninsula in West Clare took up this opportunity for 2019. After their relative success, their near neighbours St. Senan's, Kilkee were due to join them under the name Western Gaels for the 2022 senior championship. ^[1] However, they pulled out of the championship before it began.

The 2023 champions, and holders of the Jack Daly Cup are Cratloe who bridged a nine year gap from 2014 to win their third overall title. They defeated St. Breckan's, Lisdoonvarna by 1-10 to 1-08 in Cusack Park, Ennis.

Senior clubs

• The twelve clubs that will participate in the 2024 Clare Senior Football Championship are:

Club	Last title
Corofin	-
Cratloe	2023
Doonbeg	2010
Éire Óg, Ennis	2022
Ennistymon	-
Kildysart	1889
Kilmihil	1980
Kilmurry-Ibrickane	2020
Lissycasey	2007
St. Breckan's, Lisdoonvarna	-
St. Joseph's, Doora-Barefield	1898
St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay	2019

Venues

Early rounds

Fixtures in the opening rounds of the championship are usually played at a neutral venue that is deemed halfway between the participating teams. Some of the more common venues include Hennessy Park in Miltown Malbay and Kilmihil. Cusack Park in Ennis also hosts several double-headers in the early rounds of the championship.

Final

The final is regularly played at Cusack Park in Ennis. Named after the founder of the GAA, Michael Cusack, the ground had an original capacity of about 28,000, but following a 2011 safety review, the certified capacity was reduced to 14,864. In 2015 a major renovation started, this included the demolition and re-erection of the main stand and construction of a new entrance/exit at the north side of the stadium. Once completed in late 2017 the official capacity was increased to 19,000

Roll of honour

Rank	Club	Titles	Years won
1.	Kilrush Shamrocks	21	1902, 1903, 1912, 1924, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1951, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1987
2.	Éire Óg, Ennis	20	2000, 2006, 2021, 2022 As Ennis Dalcassians : 1890, 1897, 1899, 1904, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929 As Ennis Faughs : 1947, 1948, 1952, 1954, 1994
3.	Doonbeg	18	1955, 1961, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2010
4.	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	16	1933, 1935 (as Quilty), 1936 (as Quilty), 1939 (as Quilty), 1963, 1966, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2020
5.	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay	15	1905, 1906, 1916, 1923, 1925, 1927, 1932, 1949, 1953, 1959, 1985, 1990, 2015, 2018, 2019
6.	Cooraclare	10	1915, 1917, 1918, 1944 (with Kilmihil), 1945, 1956, 1964, 1965, 1986, 1997
7.	St. Senan's, Kilkee	8	1926, 1928, 1942, 1984, 1989, 1992, 2003, 2005
8.	Cratloe	3	2013, 2014, 2023
	Shannon Gaels, Labasheeda		1900 (as Labasheeda), 1970, 1971
10.	Coolmeen	2	1919, 1922
	Kilfenora		1941, 1950
	Kilmihil		1944 (with Cooraclare), 1980
	Newmarket-on-Fergus		1887, 1888
13.	Clarecastle	1	1908
	Kildysart		1889
	Killimer		1896
	Liscannor		1940
	Lissycasey		2007
	O'Curry's, Doonaha		1946
	St. Joseph's, Doora-Barefield		1898 (as Doora)

List of finals

  Munster Club Champions  Munster Club Finalists

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score
2023 [2]	Cratloe	1-10	St. Breckan's, Lisdoonvarna	1-08
2022 [3]	Éire Óg, Ennis	0-09	Ennistymon	0-06
2021 [4]	Éire Óg, Ennis	1-11	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	0-09
2020 [5]	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	1-12	Cratloe	0-12
2019 (R) [6]	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay	0-12	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	0-08
2018	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay	0-14	Ennistymon	0-08
2017 [7]	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	1-14	Clondegad	0-14
2016 (R) [8]	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	2-13	Cratloe	0-06
2015 [9]	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay	0-13	Cooraclare	0-09
2014 [10]	Cratloe	2-12	Éire Óg, Ennis	0-11
2013 [11]	Cratloe	0-10	Doonbeg	0-07
2012 [12]	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	0-10	St. Joseph's, Doora-Barefield	0-04
2011 [13]	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	0-17	St. Joseph's, Doora-Barefield	0-05
2010 [14]	Doonbeg	0-11	Liscannor	0-07
2009	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	0-12	St. Senan's, Kilkee	2-03
2008	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	0-11	Liscannor	0-05
2007	Lissycasey	0-11	Éire Óg, Ennis	0-06
2006 [15]	Éire Óg, Ennis	2-09	Lissycasey	0-13
2005	St. Senan's, Kilkee	3-08	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	1-09
2004 (R)	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	1-08	Éire Óg, Ennis	0-09
2003 (R)	St. Senan's, Kilkee	0-10	Kilrush Shamrocks	0-07
2002	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	1-05	Liscannor	0-06
2001	Doonbeg	2-06	Éire Óg, Ennis	0-07
2000	Éire Óg, Ennis		Doonbeg
1999	Doonbeg	1-08	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	1-06
1998 (R)	Doonbeg	1-09	Lissycasey	0-02
1997	Cooraclare	1-06	Doonbeg	0-07
1996	Doonbeg	1-10	St. Breckan's, Lisdoonvarna	0-07
1995	Doonbeg		Ennis Faughs (Éire Óg / Barefield)
1994 (R)	Ennis Faughs (Éire Óg / Barefield)	1-12	Kilrush Shamrocks	2-06
1993	Kilmurry-Ibrickane	0-09	Doonbeg	0-07
1992	St. Senan's, Kilkee	1-09	Doonbeg	0-11
1991	Doonbeg	0-10	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay	0-06
1990	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay	1-06	Kilmihil	0-07
1989 (R)	St. Senan's, Kilkee	2-07	Doonbeg	1-08
1988	Doonbeg	1-05	Kilmihil	0-06
1987	Kilrush Shamrocks		Doonbeg
1986	Cooraclare	2-06	Éire Óg, Ennis	1-06
1985	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay	4-05	St. Breckan's, Lisdoonvarna	0-04
1984	St. Senan's, Kilkee	0-10	Kilmihil	1-02
1983	Doonbeg		Kilrush Shamrocks
1982 (R)	Doonbeg	0-04	Kilmihil	0-03
1981	Kilrush Shamrocks		St. Senan's, Kilkee
1980	Kilmihil	1-08	Doonbeg	0-05
1979	Kilrush Shamrocks		Doonbeg
1978	Kilrush Shamrocks		North Clare
1977	Kilrush Shamrocks		North Clare
1976	Kilrush Shamrocks		Kilmihil
1975	Kilrush Shamrocks		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1974 (R)	Doonbeg	0-04	Kilmihil	0-03
1973	Doonbeg		Shannon Gaels, Labasheeda
1972	Doonbeg		Kilmihil
1971	Shannon Gaels, Labasheeda		Doonbeg
1970	Shannon Gaels, Labasheeda	1-03	Kilrush Shamrocks	1-02
1969	Doonbeg		Shannon Gaels, Labasheeda
1968	Doonbeg		Kilmihil
1967	Doonbeg		Kilrush Shamrocks
1966	Kilmurry-Ibrickane		Kilrush Shamrocks
1965	Cooraclare		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1964	Cooraclare		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1963	Kilmurry-Ibrickane		Shannon Gaels, Labasheeda
1962	Kilrush Shamrocks		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1961	Doonbeg		Cooraclare
1960	Kilrush Shamrocks		Kilmihil
1959	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		Cooraclare
1958	Kilrush Shamrocks		Kilmihil
1957	Kilrush Shamrocks		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1956	Cooraclare		Ennis Faughs (Éire Óg / Barefield)
1955	Doonbeg		Ennis Faughs (Éire Óg / Barefield)
1954	Ennis Faughs (Éire Óg / Barefield)		Kilrush Shamrocks
1953	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		Ennis Faughs (Éire Óg / Barefield)
1952	Ennis Faughs (Éire Óg / Barefield)		Kilrush Shamrocks
1951	Kilrush Shamrocks		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1950	Kilfenora		Clohanes
1949	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		Ennis Faughs (Ennis Dals / Barefield)
1948	Ennis Faughs (Ennis Dals / Barefield)		O'Curry's, Doonaha
1947	Ennis Faughs (Ennis Dals / Barefield)		Clohanes
1946	O'Curry's, Doonaha		Ennis Faughs (Ennis Dals / Barefield)
1945	Cooraclare		Ennis Faughs (Ennis Dals / Barefield)
1944	Cooraclare / Kilmihil		Ennis Faughs (Ennis Dals / Barefield)
1943	Finalists Disqualified
1942	St. Senan's, Kilkee		Ennistymon
1941	Kilfenora		St. Senan's, Kilkee
1940	Liscannor		Kilrush Shamrocks
1939	Quilty		Kilrush Shamrocks
1938	Kilrush Shamrocks		Ballyvaughan-Fanore
1937	Kilrush Shamrocks		Quilty
1936	Quilty		Kilrush Shamrocks
1935	Quilty		Kilmurry-Ibrickane
1934	Kilrush Shamrocks		North Clare
1933	Kilmurry-Ibrickane		St. Senan's, Kilkee
1932	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		Cooraclare
1931	Kilrush Shamrocks		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1930	Kilrush Shamrocks		Ennis Dalcassians
1929	Ennis Dalcassians		Coolmeen
1928	St. Senan's, Kilkee		Kilrush Shamrocks
1927	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		Coolmeen
1926	St. Senan's, Kilkee		Coolmeen
1925	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		Kilrush Shamrocks
1924	Kilrush Shamrocks		Kilmurry-Ibrickane
1923	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		St. Senan's, Kilkee
1922	Coolmeen		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1921	No Championship
1920	No Championship
1919	Coolmeen		Kilrush Shamrocks
1918	Cooraclare		Coolmeen
1917	Cooraclare		St. Senan's, Kilkee
1916	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		Cooraclare
1915	Cooraclare		Ennis Dalcassians
1914	Ennis Dalcassians		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1913	Ennis Dalcassians		Cooraclare
1912	Kilrush Shamrocks		Ennis Dalcassians
1911	Ennis Dalcassians		Cooraclare
1910	Ennis Dalcassians		Kilrush Shamrocks
1909	Ennis Dalcassians		Cooraclare
1908	Clarecastle		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1907	Ennis Dalcassians		Labasheeda
1906	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		Kilrush Shamrocks
1905	St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay		Ennis Dalcassians
1904	Ennis Dalcassians		St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay
1903	Kilrush Shamrocks		Labasheeda
1902	Kilrush Shamrocks		Parteen
1901	No Championship
1900	Labasheeda		Kilmihil
1899	Ennis Dalcassians		Clarecastle
1898	Doora		Ennis Dalcassians
1897	Ennis Dalcassians		Kilrush Shamrocks
1896	Killimer		Newmarket-on-Fergus
1895	No Championship
1894	No Championship
1893	No Championship
1892	No Championship
1891	No Championship
1890	Ennis Dalcassians		Coore
1889	Kildysart		Clouna
1888	Newmarket-on-Fergus		Kilmacduane
1887	Newmarket-on-Fergus		Cratloe

• North Clare was a two-time temporary amalgamation similar to the modern-day divisional teams seen in Cork and Kerry. North Clare drew it's players from the Ballyvaughan-Fanore, Corofin, Ennistymon, Kilfenora, Liscannor, Michael Cusack's and St. Breckan's football clubs. They competed together at senior level when they were all competing at either intermediate or junior level individually. North Clare played in three county finals in 1934, 1977 and 1978, losing on each occasion to Kilrush Shamrocks.

• When Ennis Dalcassians won the 1943 Clare Junior Football Championship, they offered an opportunity to players from fellow junior club, Doora-Barefield, to join with them and enter the 1944 senior championship as the Ennis Faughs. In 1952 when Ennis Dalcassians became Éire Óg, the Ennis Faughs continued to play at senior level until disbanding after losing the 1956 county final. In a thirteen year period, the Ennis Faughs reached eleven county finals, winning four senior titles in 1947, 1948, 1952 and 1954. When Ennis Dals were relegated back down to junior level in 1945, a second Ennis Faughs team also entered and immediately won the 1946 Clare Intermediate Football Championship.

• In 1993, Éire Óg and Doora-Barefield were both competing at intermediate level. Éire Óg once again offered an opportunity to players from Doora-Barefield to join with them and try to replicate their previous successes. The new Ennis Faughs entered and immediately won the 1994 Clare Senior Football Championship, defeating Kilrush Shamrocks in the county final after a replay. They reached back-to-back county finals in 1995, but relinquished their title to Doonbeg. As Éire Óg won the 1995 Clare Intermediate Football Championship, the Ennis Faughs were once again disbanded. Doora-Barefield subsequently went on to win the 1997 Clare Intermediate Football Championship.

Records and statistics

Consecutive championships

• 5-in-a-row:
  • Once by Kilrush Shamrocks (1975–1979)
• 3-in-a-row:
  • Twice by Doonbeg (1967–1969), and (1972–1974)
  • Once by Ennis Dalcassians (1909–1911)

"The Double"

The following clubs have won both the Clare Senior Football Championship and Clare Senior Hurling Championship in the same year:

• Four times by Ennis Dalcassians (1980, 1911, 1914, 1929)
• Once by Cratloe (2014)

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Clare Senior Football Championship titles they won, is as follows:

• 1880s: Two titles for Newmarket-on-Fergus (1887, 1888)
• 1890s: Three titles for Ennis Dalcassians (1890, 1897, 1899)
• 1900s: Three titles for Ennis Dalcassians (1904, 1907, 1909)
• 1910s: Four titles for Ennis Dalcassians (1910, 1911, 1913, 1914)
• 1920s: Three titles for St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay (1923, 1925, 1927)
• 1930s: Five titles for Kilrush Shamrocks (1930, 1931, 1934, 1937, 1938)
• 1940s: Two titles for Ennis Faughs (1947, 1948)
• 1950s: Three titles for Kilrush Shamrocks (1951, 1957, 1958)
• 1960s: Four titles for Doonbeg (1961, 1967, 1968, 1969)
• 1970s: Five titles for Kilrush Shamrocks (1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979)
• 1980s: Three titles for Doonbeg (1982, 1983, 1988)
• 1990s: Five titles for Doonbeg (1991, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999)
• 2000s: Four titles for Kilmurry-Ibrickane (2002, 2004, 2008, 2009)
• 2010s: Four titles for Kilmurry-Ibrickane (2011, 2012, 2016, 2017)
• 2020s: Two titles for Éire Óg, Ennis (2021, 2022)

Barren spells

The longest gaps between successive Clare Senior Football Championship titles are:

• 70 years: Shannon Gaels, Labasheeda (1900–1970)
• 42 years: St. Senan's, Kilkee (1942–1984)
• 40 years: Éire Óg, Ennis (1954–1994)
• 30 years: Kilmurry-Ibrickane (1933–1963)
• 27 years: Cooraclare (1918-1945), and Kilmurry-Ibrickane (1966–1993)
• 26 years: St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay (1959–1985)
• 25 years: St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay (1990-2015)
• 21 years: Cooraclare (1965–1986)
• 17 years: St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay (1932–1949)
• 15 years: Ennis Dalcassians (1914-1929), and Éire Óg, Ennis (2006-2021)
• 14 years: St. Senan's, Kilkee (1928–1942)
• 13 years: Kilrush Shamrocks (1938–1951) & (1962–1975)
• 12 years: Kilrush Shamrocks (1912–1924)
• 11 years: Cooraclare (1945-1956) & (1986-1997), and St. Senan's, Kilkee (1992–2003)
• 10 years: St. Joseph's, Miltown Malbay (1906–1916)

See also

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

References

1. "Naomh Eoin, O'Curry's & Kilkee To Play As Western Gaels". The Clare Echo. 29 March 2020.
2. "Collins Steers Cratloe To First County Title In Nine Years". RTÉ Sport.
3. Brennan, Eoin (30 October 2022). "Patience A Virtue As Éire Óg Defend Clare SFC Crown With Victory Over Ennistymon". RTÉ Sport.
4. "Éire Óg End 15-Year Wait For Clare SFC Crown". Irish Examiner. 7 November 2021.
5. "Clare SFC final: Sweet sixteen for Kilmurry-Ibrickane". Hogan Stand . 26 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
6. Brennan, Eoin (27 October 2019). "Late Surge Sees St Joseph's Miltown Claim Clare SFC Title". RTÉ Sport.
7. "O'Dwyer provides the spark for holders". Irish Examiner . 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
8. "Kilmurry Ibrickane win 11th Clare title". Irish Examiner . 24 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
9. "St Joseph's end 25-year famine". Irish Examiner . 19 October 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
10. "Clare SFC final: Podge purrs as Cratloe complete double". Hogan Stand . 12 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
11. "Champagne on ice as Cratloe make history with first-ever senior football title". The Score. 17 November 2013. Archived from the original on 19 November 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
12. "Kilmurry Ibrickane's guile sees them home". Irish Examiner . 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
13. "McInerney exposes gulf in class". Irish Independent . 17 October 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
14. "Tubridy takes centre stage in dull show to deliver title for Doonbeg". Irish Independent . 11 October 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
15. "Éire Óg Withstand Brave Lissycasey Fightback". Irish Independent.

External links

• Official Clare Website
• Clare on Hoganstand
• Clare Club GAA