Éire Óg, Inis GAA

Last updated • 12 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Éire Óg, Inis GAA
Eire Og, Inis GAA Crest.jpg
Founded:1952
County: Clare
Nickname:The Town
Townies
Colours:  
Grounds:Clonroadmore, Ennis
Coordinates: 52°49′54.6312″N8°59′26.754″W / 52.831842000°N 8.99076500°W / 52.831842000; -8.99076500
Playing kits
Kit left arm shoulder stripes white stripes.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body whitecollar.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm shoulder stripes white stripes.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts adidasred.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 3 stripes white.png
Kit socks long.svg
Regular Kit
Kit left arm shoulder stripes red stripes.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body redcollar.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm shoulder stripes red stripes.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts adidasred.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 3 stripes white.png
Kit socks long.svg
Change Kit
Senior Club Championships
All IrelandMunster
champions
Clare
champions
Football: - - 21
Hurling: - 0 15
Clare Football Champions 2022 Senior Football Champions 2022.jpg
Clare Football Champions 2022
Clare Football Champions 2021 Senior Football Champions 2021.jpg
Clare Football Champions 2021
Clare Football Champions 2006 Senior Football Champions 2006.jpg
Clare Football Champions 2006
Clare Football Champions 2000 Senior Football Champions 2000.jpg
Clare Football Champions 2000
Clare Hurling Champions 1990 Senior Hurling Champions 1990.jpg
Clare Hurling Champions 1990

Éire Óg, Inis GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. The club plays both Hurling and Gaelic Football at all age levels.

Contents

Their most recent major achievement came on 27 October 2024, when the club their third Clare Senior Football Championship in four years, defeating Kilmurry-Ibrickane by 1-10 to 0-06 in Cusack Park, Ennis, and joined Kilrush Shamrocks at the top of the Clare SFC roll of honour with twenty one titles each.

Prior to the official club formation in 1952, the Ennis Dalcassians represented the county capital.

Between 1944-1956 and 1994-1995, players from local rivals St. Joseph's, Doora-Barefield joined up with the club to form the Ennis Faughs. Both clubs were competing at lower levels at the time so it was seen as an opportunity to play senior football. The Ennis Faughs competed in thirteen county finals, winning five Senior Football titles in 1947, 1948, 1952, 1954 and 1994. They also won an Intermediate Hurling title in 1945, and an Intermediate Football title in 1946.

When combined with their predecessors, the Ennis Dalcassians, the club are the most successful club in Clare at senior level. A combined total of 35 county senior titles have been won by the capital town - 15 Senior Hurling titles (1990) and 21 Senior Football titles (2024).

In 2018, the club achieved a historic 'Double' when their second teams won both the Clare Junior A Hurling Championship and Clare Junior A Football Championship.

Club hurler Shane O Donnell won Hurler of the Year and his third All Star in a row in 2024.

History

The club as it is today was formed at the end of February 1952, initially to cater for junior hurlers. The historic first meeting took place in a house in Steele's Terrace, Ennis. The club's first colours were all-white with a green shamrock on the jersey. These jerseys were purchased by the residents of Steele's Terrace and the Boreen. In 1954 the club colours were officially changed to today's red and white.

In 1974 the club took complete control over the organisation of underage Gaelic Games in Ennis, merging with the underage clubs Ennis Rovers and St. John's, Ennis to form one combined underage club. A number of the 1966 senior winning team had been successful at underage with these clubs, which had won five Minor A hurling titles in between 1961 and 1966, and a three-in-a-row of Under-21 A hurling titles from 1964 to 1966. The underage club has been hugely successful since this merger, winning titles at every grade in both hurling and football, the highlight being the Féile na nGael All-Ireland U-14 Hurling Championship, which was captured by the club's Under-14s in Wexford in 1999.

In 1975 Éire Óg purchased land from St Flannan's College, Ennis at Clonroadmore, where the club is based to this day. Since then a lot of money and hard work has gone into pitch development, building a clubhouse and dressing rooms, and the addition of a floodlit all-weather pitch. In 2003 a second playing pitch was developed under a lease arrangement with St Flannan's College, Ennis. In 2020 a 200-seat spectator stand and two permanent dugouts were constructed. The club is now in the initial stages of fundraising for a complete reconstruction of the clubhouse and dressing rooms, as well as a new state-of-the-art gym.

Éire Óg Inis Academy was set up in 2012 following the break-up of the Ennis Urban Board. The academy coaches girls and boys from U-6 to U-16 in the skills of both hurling and football. The club's most successful year to date was in 2017 when they won five county titles and also represented Clare in the Féile na nGael. However, the success of the academy is not measured on county titles alone, as the most important goal is that the children enjoy coming to the club and enjoying a friendly, fun and safe environment.

Hurling

In 1953 the club entered the Clare Senior Hurling Championship for the first time but were knocked-out by Clooney in the first round. In 1954 the club reached their first Clare Cup final losing out to Sixmilebridge. In 1955 the club reached the Clare Cup final once again, overcoming Feakle to win their first major honour. Later that year the club reached both the senior hurling and senior football finals. In the first senior hurling final appearance for an Ennis team since the Ennis Dalcassians won in 1941, the club was defeated by Newmarket-on-Fergus. The Ennis Faughs also reached the senior football final as reigning champions, but relinquished their title to Doonbeg.

In 1956 the club again reached both the senior hurling and senior football finals. While the Ennis Faughs lost out to Cooraclare in the football, the club won its first Clare Senior Hurling Championship, defeating Clarecastle by 4–05 to 2-08. In 1957 the club won back-to-back senior hurling titles for the first time, defeating Whitegate by 5–09 to 2-03. In 1959 the club won its second Clare Cup. The club reached the senior hurling final again in 1959 and 1965, losing out to Ruan and Newmarket-on-Fergus respectively. In 1966 the club reached back-to-back senior hurling finals for the second time, overcoming Whitegate by 2–08 to 1–04 to win their third title and a twelfth overall for the town of Ennis.

In 1975 the club once again reached the senior hurling final only to be defeated by the East Clare amalgamation, Brian Boru's. Their next appearance in the senior hurling final came in 1980 where the club were victorious over Newmarket-on-Fergus. In 1982 the club returned to the senior hurling final, defeating Sixmilebridge by 3–08 to 2-09. In 1983 Sixmilebridge reversed the result after a replay. In 1985 the club were defeated by Kilmaley in the senior hurling final.

In 1990 the club's second team won the Clare Junior A Hurling Championship for the first time. The following week the club won their fifteenth overall senior hurling title, defeating O'Callaghan's Mills by 1–05 to 1-03. The club went on to defeat Roanmore of Waterford, and Na Piarsaigh of Cork, on its way to the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship final for the first time, where they lost out to Patrickswell of Limerick. All three games took place in Cusack Park, Ennis. In 1992 the club reached the senior hurling final again only to go down to Sixmilebridge.

In 2000 the club reached both the senior hurling and senior football finals. While the club lost out to Sixmilebridge in the hurling, they defeated Doonbeg in the football. In 2002 the club's second team won its second Junior A title. In 2010 the club won their sixth Under-21 A hurling title. In 2011 the majority of that team helped the club win the Clare Intermediate Hurling Championship for the first time since the Ennis Faughs in 1945.

In 2022 the club reached both the senior hurling and senior football finals. In a first hurling final appearance in twenty-two years they came up just short to the reigning champions Ballyea, losing by a single point. [1] Seven days later they defeated Ennistymon in the football final.

Gaelic football

When the club was formed in 1952, they continued the successful amalgamation that the Ennis Dalcassions had with local rivals Doora-Barefield. The Ennis Faughs won the Senior Football in 1947, 1948, 1952 and 1954. In 1971 the club fielded its first football team and went on to the Clare Junior A Football Championship in 1975. The Clare Intermediate Football Championship was later won in 1985. In 1986 the club reached the Clare Senior Football Championship final for the first time but were beaten by Cooraclare.

In 1994 the club once again reached out to its neighbours Doora-Barefield to reform the Ennis Faughs as both clubs were competing at intermediate level. The Ennis Faughs immediately won the Clare Senior Football Championship in 1994 after a replay against Kilrush Shamrocks. In 1995 they reached back-to-back senior football final, losing out to Doonbeg. When the club won the Clare Intermediate Football Championship on their own in 1995, thereby earning promotion to senior level for 1996, the Ennis Faughs were again disbanded.

The club won five Minor A football titles between 1992 and 1999, including a three-in-a-row. In 2000 the club's senior football team came of age when they won the Clare Senior Football Championship for the first time, beating Doonbeg in the county final. The senior hurling team who were also in the county final lost out to Sixmilebridge. A month later the club also won its first Clare Under-21 A Football Championship. In 2001 the club reached back-to-back senior football finals, however Doonbeg reversed the result. The club's second team won the Junior A football title and went on to reach the Munster Junior Club Football Championship final for the first time, where they lost out to St. Michael's/Foilmore of Kerry. In 2003 the club won the Cusack Cup for the first time since the Ennis Dalcassians in 1932.

In 2004 the club lost the senior football final after a replay to Kilmurry-Ibrickane. In 2006 the club won its eighteen overall senior football title, defeating Lissycasey by 2–09 to 0-13. [2] In 2007 the club reached back-to-back senior football finals for the Third time, however Lissycasey reversed the result. The club lost two consecutive Cusack Cup finals to Kilmurry-Ibrickane in 2013 and 2014. In 2013 the club's second team won the Junior A football title. The club won four Under-21 A football titles between 2013 and 2018, including a three-in-a-row. In 2014 the club again reached the senior football final, but were defeated by the reigning champions Cratloe by 2-12 to 0-11.

In 2021 the club won the Clare Senior Football Championship for the nineteenth time, defeating the reigning champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane by 1–11 to 0–09 in Cusack Park, Ennis. [3] In 2022, having lost the senior hurling final seven days earlier, the club defeated Ennistymon by 0-09 to 0-06 to successfully defend their crown and win their twentieth senior football title. [4] [5] [6] It was the first back-to-back for the town since the Ennis Faughs in 1947/1948. In 2024, the club defeated Kilmurry-Ibrickane by 1-10 to 0-06 to win their third senior football title in four years, and join Kilrush Shamrocks at the top of the Clare SFC roll of honour with twenty one titles each. [7] [8] [9]

Major honours

Hurling

Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship Runners-Up:

Clare Senior Hurling Championship: 15

Clare Senior B Hurling Championship: 2

Clare Intermediate Hurling Championship: 4

Clare Junior A Hurling Championship: 4

Clare Hurling League Div. 1 (Clare Cup): 2

Clare Hurling League Div.4: 5

Clare Under-21 A Hurling Championship: 6

Clare Minor A Hurling Championship: 24

Féile na nGael All-Ireland U-14 Championship (Christy Ring Trophy): 1

Gaelic Football

Clare Senior Football Championship: 21

Clare Senior B Football Championship: 1

Clare Intermediate Football Championship: 3

Munster Junior Club Football Championship Runners-Up:

Clare Junior A Football Championship: 7

Clare Football League Div. 1 (Cusack Cup): 3

Clare Football League Div.2 (Garry Cup): 1

Clare Football League Div.4: ?

Clare Under-21 A Football Championship: 5

Clare Minor Football Championship: 8

Ladies

Éire Óg Camogie Club was established by Michael Brennan in 1967; his senior team enjoyed immediate success, dethroning 9 in a row champions, Killanena, in 1968. The team went from strength to strength, winning 8 senior titles in a row. There followed a two-year gap before Éire Óg captured four more senior titles in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981. In the more recent past, the club won the Féile na nGael Division 2 in 2010. Having competed for many years at Junior level, they finally made the breakthrough from junior to intermediate in 2012. Since 2012, the club has enjoyed much success at underage, but, the big prize of senior status continued to prove elusive until 2017, when they claimed the league championship double, defeating Broadford, Clarecastle/Ballyea, respectively. Minor B U21B championships were also won in 2017.

Ladies Football arrived in 2002, with an Under 12 and Junior teams. Barry Donnelly was first chairman, succeeded by Alan Malone, who steered the club until 2014. Others involved were Sharon Malone and Claire Nihill. Shauna Keane and Orla McMahon have been playing members since the beginning, Shauna scoring the very first score for the new club in 2002.

Camogie

Ladies Football

Notable players

This is a list of club players who have won major medals with Clare:

Hurling

PlayerAll-StarsSeniorIntermediateUnder 21Minor
All-IrelandMunsterLeagueAll-IrelandMunsterAll-IrelandMunsterAll-IrelandMunster
Seamus Durack 1977, 1978, 19811977, 1978
Stephen McNamara 1995, 19971995, 1997, 1998
Colin Lynch *199719971997
Ronan Cooney19971997
Kevin Moynihan2011201120092009
Ronan Keane20112011
Davy O'Halloran20132012, 20132012, 20132010, 2011
Shane O'Donnell 2022, 20232013, 20242016, 20242013, 20142013, 20142011
David Reidy20242016, 20242013, 20142013, 2014
Liam Corry20142014
Danny Russell2016
Dara Walsh2016
Robert Loftus20232023
Conor Perrill20232023

* Transferred to Kilmaley in 1998.

Gaelic Football

PlayerSenior
MunsterAll-Ireland
(B)
League
(Div. 3)
James Hanrahan 19921991
Stephen Hickey2004
David Russell2004
Sean O'Meara2004
Dean Ryan2016

Related Research Articles

St Joseph's, Doora-Barefield is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in the parish of Doora-Barefield outside Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. Hurling was the more popular sport in Doora-Barefield over Gaelic football, now it's 50-50 between the both of them. Their main playing fields are in Gurteen. They have three full-size hurling and football pitches. There is also changing and showering facilities there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clare Senior Hurling Championship</span> Annual hurling competition

The Clare Senior Hurling Championship or Clare SHC, is an annual hurling competition organised by the Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. It is contested by the top-ranking senior hurling clubs in County Clare, Ireland. It is the most prestigious competition in Clare hurling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clare Senior Football Championship</span> Gaelic football competition

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.

The Clare Intermediate Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association for the second tier hurling teams in the county of Clare in Ireland.

The 2015 Clare Senior Football Championship was the 120th staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2017 Clare Senior Hurling Championship will be the 122nd staging of the Clare Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2017 Clare Senior Football Championship was the 122nd staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2016 Clare Senior Football Championship was the 121st staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2018 Clare Senior Football Championship will be the 123rd staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2019 Clare Senior Football Championship was the 124th staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The Clare Intermediate Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by the Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association for the second tier football teams in the county of Clare in Ireland.

The 2021 Clare Senior Football Championship was the 126th staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2022 Clare Senior Football Championship was the 127th staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2023 TUS Clare Senior Hurling Championship was the 128th staging of the Clare Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2023 TUS Clare Senior Football Championship was the 128th staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2014 Clare Senior Football Championship was the 119th staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2013 Clare Senior Football Championship was the 118th staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 1997 Clare Senior Hurling Championship was the 104th staging of the Clare Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887. The championship ran from 26 September to 9 November 1997.

The 2012 Clare Senior Football Championship was the 117th staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

The 2011 Clare Senior Football Championship was the 116th staging of the Clare Senior Football Championship since its establishment by the Clare County Board in 1887.

References

  1. "Ballyea Stun Townies With Another Special Comeback". Irish Examiner.
  2. "Éire Óg Withstand Brave Lissycasey Fightback". Irish Independent.
  3. "Éire Óg End 15-Year Wait For Clare SFC Crown". Irish Examiner.
  4. "Patience A Virtue As Éire Óg Defend Clare SFC Crown With Victory Over Ennistymon". RTÉ Sport.
  5. "Éire Óg Ennis Retain Clare SFC Title". GAA.
  6. "Clare SFC Final: Gavin Cooney Steers Éire Óg To Back-To-Back Titles In Ennis". Irish Times.
  7. "Éire Óg Claim Jack Daly Cup With Third Clare SFC Title in Four Years". Irish Examiner.
  8. "Éire Óg Make It Three Clare SFC Titles In Four Years". RTÉ Sport.
  9. "Éire Óg Make It Another Clare Crown With Victory Over Kilmurry-Ibrickane". Irish Independent.