Clarecastle GAA

Major honours

Hurling

• Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship (1): 1997
• Clare Senior Hurling Championship (12): 1928 (with Ennis Dalcassians), 1943, 1945, 1949, 1970, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2003, 2005
• Clare Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Runners-Up: 2025
• Clare Intermediate Hurling Championship (1): 1931
• Clare Junior A Hurling Championship (2): 1985, 2012
• Clare Under-21 A Hurling Championship (4): 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000

Gaelic Football

• Clare Senior Football Championship (1): 1908
• Clare Intermediate Football Championship (3): 1984, 1993, 1998
• Clare Junior A Football Championship (3): 1936, 1982, 2012

History

The name Clarecastle has its origins in the local medieval castle, first built around 1250 and reconstructed in the late 15th century. The castle was built on an island formed by a divide in the river Fergus. In the medieval Irish Annals, the place is called Clár Átha Dá Choradh or Clár adar Dá Choradh, meaning ‘the plank bridge or ford between two weirs’. The shortened form of this placename, An Clár in the anglicised form eventually gave its name to the modern county of Clare.

Hurling and football have been played in the parish since early times but the club's present existence dates probably from the spring of 1887. A football tournament is recorded as having taken place in October of that year. It is also on record that the Killone hurling club and the Clarecastle football club took part in a funeral procession of a Clarecastle Fenian in March 1888.

There have been many changes since those times. The name of the club has been changed many times, from "Robert Emmets", "Parnells" to "An Clar", "An Clar Mor", "Droichead an Chlair" etc., until in 1971 the historic name of "Clár Átha an Dá Choradh" was restored to the club. The club remained without a home ground until the early 1980s, when a first permanent site was purchased from St Flannan's College at Clareabbey. That ground was purchased from the club by the Ennis Urban Council in 1998, was subsequently bought back from the Council by the Clare County Board of the GAA and is now the official headquarters of Clare GAA. The club's present grounds, back in the heart of the village of Clarecastle, consists of a clubhouse (opened in 2002) and five playing pitches (first used in 2001).

On the playing field, having joined up temporarily with their neighbours Ennis Dalcassians, the club won the 1928 Clare Senior Hurling Championship for the first time. The club contested three county finals as an independent club in the 1930s, before their breakthrough in the county finally came in 1943 with a win over Scariff. Further successes followed in ’45, ‘49, ’70, ’86, ’87, ’91, ’94, ’97, 2003 and 2005. In between, 12 finals were contested and lost. In 1997, Clarecastle also made the historic breakthrough in the Munster Club Hurling Championship with victory over Patrickswell, following final defeats in 1970 and ’86, and were subsequently unfortunate to lose in a replay to a great Birr team at the All-Ireland semi-final stage.

In football, Clarecastle won the Intermediate Football Championship in 1984, 1993 and 1998 while at senior level, the only championship secured was in the early days of the club in 1908. The club has witnessed a resurgence at adult level following a County Junior A Championship victory in 2012. That success ensured a first representation at Munster level and the club now fields adult teams at Intermediate, Junior B and Under 21 levels. Clarecastle also possesses thriving Camogie, Ladies Football and Handball Clubs.

Hurling

Clarecastle has produced many hurlers, including All-Stars Johnny Callinan (1979, 1981), Anthony Daly (1994, 1995, 1998) and Ger 'Sparrow' O'Loughlin (1995, 1997). Six Clarecastle players featured in Clare's All-Ireland Senior Hurling breakthrough of 1995: Daly and O'Loughlin along with Fergie Tuohy, Alan Neville, Kenny Morrissey and Stephen Sheedy. Jonathan Clancy, Stephen O'Halloran and Patrick Kelly were part the 2013 All-Ireland-winning panel that bridged a 13-year gap for Clare.

Notable players

• John Callinan
• Jonathan Clancy
• Anthony Daly
• Haulie Daly
• Bobby Duggan
• Tom Howard
• Mick Murphy
• Alan Neville
• Ger O'Loughlin
• Paschal Russell
• Fergus Tuohy
• Stephen O’Halloran
• Patrick Kelly

References