1917: First Munster SFC title and only All-Ireland SFC final
Clare junior football team, 1925
Clare won its first Munster SFC in 1917, defeating Cork on a scoreline of 5–4 to 0–1. This was after losing deciders in 1912 and 1915 to Kerry and in 1916 to Cork. Clare then faced Galway in the 1917 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) semi-final and won by a scoreline of 2–1 to 0–5. However, in the 1917 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final, Clare narrowly lost to Wexford by a scoreline of 0–9 to 0–5. Wexford had won the All-Ireland SFC in 1915 and 1916 and would complete a four-in-a-row in 1918.
1954: Not part of the Munster championship
Due to 1 sided defeat to Kerry by 6–10 to 0–2 in Ennis in the 1953 Munster SFC semi-final, it was decided that Clare would not be part the 1954 championship.
1979: "Milltown Massacre"
A low point for the county team was the so-called "Milltown Massacre" in 1979. During a game played in Milltown Malbay, Clare lost to Kerry by a scoreline of 1–9 to 9–21, a difference of 35 points.[3]Tommy Tubridy, the father of David, played in that game.
1990–1994: John Maughan and second Munster SFC title
Clare football's greatest day since 1917 arrived in 1992 when, under the stewardship of Mayo native John Maughan, the county won its second Munster SFC by defeating Kerry in the final at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, by a scoreline of 2–10 to 0–12. This victory was aided in no small part by two second half goals from Colm Clancy and Martin Daly. This victory was also historic in that it is the only year from 1936 to 2020 (when Tipperary won) that neither Kerry nor Cork won the Munster SFC. Clare's luck would run out however, and in the 1992 All-Ireland SFC semi-final, the team lost to Dublin by a scoreline of 3–14 to 2–12. Full back on the team of 1992 was Seamus Clancy, brother of full-forward Colm, and he was rewarded for his performances in the 1992 championship with a place on the All-Star team of that year.[4]
Kerryman Mark Fitzgerald was appointed in September 2023.[11] Fitzgerald guided Clare to a third-place finish in the NFL, before leading the team to the 2024 Munster SFC final.[citation needed] He stepped down on 13 September 2024 to take up a role with the Kerry under-20 football team.[12]Peter Keane, former Kerry manager and Fitzgerald's fellow Kerryman, replaced him.[citation needed]
Support
Clare has its own supporters' club, which is separate from the supporters' club of the county hurling team.[13]
Panel
Team as per Clare vs Kerry in the 2025 Munster Senior Football Final, 4 May 2025
Clare have a history of appointing "foreign" managers, with John Maughan, from Mayo, proving to be the most successful; Maughan led Clare to the 1992 Munster SFC (a first in 75 years). Other outsiders to manage Clare include Frank Doherty (Galway) and the KerrymenDonie Buckley (who managed jointly with Michael Brennan from Galway), John Kennedy, John O'Keeffe, Mick O'Dwyer and Páidí Ó Sé.[15] However, Colm Collins (from Clare GAA club Cratloe) began managing the team in 2013 and lasted so long that RTÉ called him "an icon of stability" in 2022, in contrast to less successful managerial appointments elsewhere.[16] Following the departure of Collins, Clare returned to appointing outside managers: Kerryman Mark Fitzgerald was followed by Kerryman Peter Keane.
Clare have won one All-Ireland and three Munster titles at minor level. They won the first of their three Munster Minor Football Championships defeating Waterford in 1929. Clare then proceeded to qualify for the inaugural All-Ireland Minor Football Final. In the final they faced Longford and prevailed by 5–03 to 3-05, to crown Clare All-Ireland Minor Champions. Clare defeated Tipperary in the 1930 Munster final to retain their provincial crown. The Banner County had to wait until 1953 for another Munster title. On this occasion Clare defeated Cork in the decider.
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