Éire Óg, Inis GAA

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

Éire Óg, Inis GAA

formerly Ennis Dalcassians
Founded:	1952
County:	Clare
Nickname:	The Town Townies
Colours:
Grounds:	Clonroadmore, Ennis
Coordinates:	52°49′54.6312″N 8°59′26.754″W
Playing kits
Regular Kit Change Kit
Senior Club Championships
All Ireland Munster champions Clare champions Football: - - 18 Hurling: - - 15

Their last major achievement came on 20 October 2019 when they won the Senior B Football Championship for the first time, defeating Kilmihil by 2-15 to 0-13 in Cusack Park.

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

The Ennis Faughs were an amalgamation of the club with local rivals Doora-Barefield. They competed together from 1944-1956 and 1994-1996 when both clubs were not actually competing at senior level themselves.

When combined with their predecessor the Ennis Dalcassians, Éire Óg are the most successful club in Clare at senior level. A combined total of 33 county titles have been won by the capital town, 15 Senior Hurling titles (1990) and 18 Senior Football titles (2006).

History

The club 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. The club’s first colours were white with a green shamrock and these jerseys were bought by the residents of Steele’s Terrace and the Boreen. In 1954 the club colours were changed to red with white collar and cuffs.

In 1953 the club decided to enter the senior ranks but were defeated by Clooney that year. In 1954 the club had its first senior victory when it beat Tulla in the semi-final of the Gaelic League tournament. In 1955, with victories over Ruan, Clarecastle, Doora-Barefield and Tulla, Éire Óg reached its first senior final but were beaten by Newmarket. The first trophy won was the Clare Cup when Feakle were beaten in the final by nine points.

In 1956 Éire Óg went one better by winning the Clare Senior Hurling Championship, defeating Clarecastle in the final on a score of 4-05 to 2-08. In 1957 it won the Championship by defeating Whitegate in the final on a score of 5-09 to 2-03. The club reached the final in 1959 but was defeated by Ruan. Éire Óg reached the final in 1965 only to be defeated this time by Newmarket. In 1966 the club defeated Whitegate in the final on a scoreline of 2-8 to 1-4. A number of the team had been successful with Ennis Dalcassians, which had won Minor titles in '61, '62, '63, '65 and '66 and at Under 21 level in '64, '65 and '66. The club qualified for the final in 1975 only to be defeated by the East Clare amalgamation, Brian Boru's. The next success was to come in 1980 when the club was victorious over Newmarket. In 1982 Éire Óg defeated Sixmilebridge in the final on a score of 3-08 to 2-09. The following year Sixmilebridge reversed the result after a replay. In 1985, having reached the final, Éire Óg were defeated by Kilmaley. In 1990 Éire Óg was victorious in the final, this time defeating O'Callaghan's Mills 1-05 to 1-03. The club reached the final again in 1992 only to go down to Sixmilebridge.

In 1971 Éire Óg fielded its first football team and Clare Junior Championships were won in 1975 and 1976. The Clare Intermediate Football Championship was won in 1985 and so Éire Óg moved up to senior. Immediately after promotion in 1986, the club reached the senior football final but were beaten by Cooraclare.

The Intermediate Football Championship was won again in 1995 and Éire Óg returned to the senior ranks. In 2000 Éire Óg football came of age when the club won the Senior Football Championship for the first time. Éire Óg took over the organisation of underage Gaelic games in the town from Ennis Dalcassians by forming a minor club in 1974. This club has been very successful, winning titles at every grade in hurling and football in its 26 years, the highlight being the Féile na nGael Division 1 (Christy Ring Trophy) which was captured in 1999 in Wexford.

Senior Championship success came again in 1980, ’82 and ‘90 but the years since have been barren, despite final appearances in ‘92 and 2002. In 1971 Éire Óg fielded its first football team and Junior championships were won in 1975 and ‘76. 2000 was the first year that a club has qualified for both senior finals since Ennis Dals won the titles in 1929. The footballers beat Doonbeg while the hurling team lost out to Sixmilebridge. A second Senior football title followed in 2006.

In 1975 Éire Óg purchased land from St. Flannan’s College at Clonroadmore, where the club is now based. Since then a lot of money and hard work has gone into pitch development, building the 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.

2000 was the first year that a club has qualified for both senior finals since Ennis Dalcassians won both titles in 1929. The footballers beat Doonbeg while the senior hurling team lost out to Sixmilebridge. In 2001 roles were reversed as Doonbeg snatched the senior football title away from Éire Óg.

In 2018, the club achieved a historic double winning both the Clare Junior Hurling Championship and Clare Junior Football Championship.

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 the ages of U6 to U16 in the skills of both Hurling and Football. Our most successful year to date was 2017 when we won 5 County titles including representing Clare in the All Ireland Hurling Féile. However, the success of the Academy is not measured on County titles alone, as or even more important is that the Children enjoy coming to Éire Óg and enjoy the friendly, fun and safe environment.

Major Honours

Hurling

Clare SHC Champions 1990

Clare SFC Champions 2006

Clare SFC Champions 2000

Clare Senior Hurling Championship: 15

• 1956, 1957, 1966, 1980, 1982, 1990
  • As Ennis Dalcassians: 1890, 1911, 1914, 1915, 1924, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1941

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

• 1955, 1959

Clare Senior B Hurling Championship: 2

• 2007, 2014

Clare Intermediate Hurling Championship: 5

• 1958, 2011
  • As Ennis Dalcassians: 1927, 1945, 1952

Clare Junior Hurling Championship: 5

• 1990, 2002, 2018
  • As Ennis Dalcassians: 1927, 1951

Clare Under-21 Hurling Championship: 6

• 1964, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1977, 2010

Clare Hurling League Div. 4: 5

• 1989, 1990, 1995, 2002, 2008

Clare Under-21 Hurling Championship: 6

• 1964, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1977, 2010

Clare Minor Hurling Championship: 12

• 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1974, 1978, 1989, 1991, 1993

Féile na nGael Div. 1 (Christy Ring Trophy): 1

• 1999

Gaelic Football

Clare Senior Football Championship: 18

• 2000, 2006
  • As Ennis Dalcassians: 1890, 1897, 1899, 1904, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929
  • As Ennis Faughs: 1947, 1948, 1952, 1954, 1994

Clare Football League Div. 1 (Cusack Cup): 4

• 2003
  • As Ennis Dalcassians: 1929, 1931, 1932

Clare Senior B Football Championship: 1

• 2019

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

• 2018

Clare Intermediate Football Championship: 3

• 1985, 1995
  • As Ennis Faughs: 1946

Clare Junior Football Championship: 8

• 1968, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2018

Munster Junior Club Football Championship Runners-up

• 2001
  • As Ennis Dalcassians: 1927, 1943

Clare Football League Div. 4: ...

• 2018

Clare Under-21 Football Championship: 5

• 2000, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018

Clare Minor Football Championship: 8

• 1979, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2012, 2017

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 Div 2 All Ireland Féile na nGael competition 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

• Clare Senior Camogie Championship: 12
  • 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
• Clare Intermediate Camogie Championship: ...
  • 2017
• Clare Junior 'A' Camogie Championship: ...
  • 2010
• Clare Under-21 'B' Camogie Championship: ...
  • 2017
• Clare Minor 'B' Camogie Championship: ...
  • 2017
• Féile na nGael Div. 2 (Caithlín Ní Thoimín Shield): 1
  • 2010
• Féile na nGael Div. 3: 1
  • 1986

Ladies Football

• Clare Junior Ladies Football Championship: ...
  • 2014, 2015
• Clare Under-21 Ladies Football Championship: ...
  • 2017
• Clare Ladies Football League Div. 3: ...
  • 2014

Notable Players

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

Hurling

Player	All-Stars	Senior			Intermediate		Under 21		Minor
		All-Ireland	Munster	League	All-Ireland	Munster	All-Ireland	Munster	Munster
Seamus Durack	1977, 1978, 1981			1977, 1978
Stephen McNamara		1995, 1997	1995, 1997, 1998
Colin Lynch*	1997	1997	1997
Kevin Moynihan					2011	2011	2009	2009
Ronan Keane					2011	2011
Davy O'Halloran		2013					2012, 2013	2012, 2013	2010, 2011
Shane O'Donnell		2013		2016			2013, 2014	2013, 2014	2011
David Reidy				2016			2013, 2014	2013, 2014
Liam Corry							2014	2014
Danny Russell						2016
Dara Walsh						2016

* Transferred to Kilmaley in 1998.

Gaelic Football

Player	Senior
	Munster	All-Ireland (B)	League (Div. 3)
James Hanrahan	1992	1991
Stephen Hickey		2004
David Russell		2004
Sean O'Meara		2004
Dean Ryan			2016

External links

• Official Éire Óg, Inis GAA Club website