Clare hurling greats are Galway bound
LOCAL hurling aficionados may brace themselves for ‘The Banner Roar’ after a number of Galway senior clubs turned to high profile Clare men to bolster their championship ambitions for the coming year.
The senior hurling championship might be some time away yet but already it is generating plenty of interest and one of the main talking points so far – even beyond the uncertainty of the 2014 SHC structure – has been the amount of Clare men brought in by Galway clubs.
Arguably, the most talked about appointment has been former Clare manager Tony Considine, who also served as a selector under Ger Loughnane when the Banner claimed All-Ireland senior titles in 1995 and ‘97, as Turloughmore boss.
The recruitment of Cratloe native Considine certainly underlines the intentions of Turloughmore – a club that reached the knockout stages the past two years and has a wealth of underage talent about to filter through.
For the last four years, Considine was at the helm at Kilmallock in Limerick, leading them to county senior championships in 2010 and ’12. Replacing Clarinbridge native Micheal Donoghue, he is joined by selectors Bosco Hurney and Tom Costello in his management set-up.
Another former Clare manager to join a Galway club is Mike McNamara, who, coincidentally, was the other selector in Loughnane’s All-Ireland winning backroom staff. The Scariff man has signed up to Mullagh, forming a management also consisting of former club players John Murphy and Seamus Coen.
Of course, former All-Star and Galway selector Coen is also no stranger to All-Ireland success, with the ex-left corner back having been part of the historic Galway side that claimed the Liam McCarthy Cup in 1980.
Reigning All-Ireland club champions St. Thomas’ – knocked out of the Galway championship after a semi-final replay by Portumna last Autumn – have also turned to a Clare man in the great Colin Lynch to steer the club back to the promised land. Full report in this week's Connacht Tribune