We have an exciting day ahead tomorrow, Saturday 28th October. First up, Clarecastle/Ballyea and Kilmaley will battle it out for the Glenomra Shield at Fr. McNamara Park. Throw in time is 12 noon. A short trip then to Cusack Park for the McMahon Cup Final @ 3pm.
Admission for each match is €10 for adults, €5 for students and pension age, U16s go free of charge.
Bring your programme from the Glenomra Shield Final to Cusack Park to gain half price admission.
There will be a bumper, special edition match programme on sale at Cusack Park for just €5.
Pay at the gate
Preview of the McMahon Cup Final is below :
Derek Dormer
Clare Champion. 26/10/2023
SENIOR CAMOGIE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
SCARIFF-OGONOLLOE V TRUAGH-CLONLARA
Cusack Park Saturday 3pm
FAMILIAR FOES LOCK HORNS ONCE MORE
For the third year in a row it will be an all East Clare final with perennial rivals Scariff-Ogonolloe and Truagh-Clonlara squaring off. Without question these are the top two clubs in the County and although Truagh-Clonlara have been ravaged by injuries they somehow showed immense resolve to take down raging favourites Inagh-Kilnamona in the semi final. Missing quality players in almost every line they didn't feel sorry for themselves and triumphed in extra time. Scariff-Ogonolloe on the other hand ruthlessly demolished Feakle-Killanena in a powerful display and had the game won long before the final whistle. Alphie Rodgers and the Scariff-Ogonolloe machine seem to have a conveyor belt of talent at their disposal after winning two of the last three Minor A titles, integrating such top young players like Danielle Beston, Alison Collins and Robyn McKenna to name just a few. Their rise to the top of the County has been stunning to say the very least. Formed in 2012 they've amassed two Intermediate titles, three Senior crowns and two Munster club titles in just eleven years.
These successes won't unnerve Truagh-Clonlara though as they will remember the drawn final two years ago where they pushed Scariff-Ogonolloe all the way and probably should have seen the game out when leading by four points deep into extra time. The replay however was a different story though as Scariff-Ogonolloe upped the ante and led from start to finish to record a comfortable and deserved seven point victory. Last year Truagh-Clonlara came into the final in top form but just didn't perform on the day and they will be desperate to win their first ever Senior crown. It is however a tall order as it's extremely difficult to find any weakness in this Scariff-Ogonolloe line up. They have a wealth of experience with Aoife Power and Mairéad Scanlon both crowned Munster player's of the year in 2019 and 2021 respectively. They also have a whole host of Inter-County players both at Senior level and from the recently crowned All Ireland Junior winning side. Truagh-Clonlara without star forward Eimear Kelly due to a long term injury are very reliant on Aine O'Loughlin but what a player to be reliant on. She is the proverbial goal machine and when in possession always goes for the jugular. If Truagh-Clonlara are to make it an incredible week for the people of Clonlara after their male counterparts claimed Canon Hamilton glory they will most likely need goals. At the other end their defence has been boosted by the return of the always reliable Sinead Ryan from a cruciate injury which kept her sidelined for a year and if she can manage to keep Aoife Power quiet it will certainly help their cause. The only trouble is Alphie Rodgers side aren't reliant on any one player for scores with all six of their starting forward unit huge scoring threats and that's before you consider the impact their bench consistently make. Any team that can afford not to start a player of the quality of Alva Rodgers in a County semi final has serious firepower at their disposal.
Scariff-Ogonolloe will undoubtedly go in as raging favourites and understandably so but this is a County final and these occasions often take on a life of their own. If sport teaches us anything it's that nothing is guaranteed once the ball is thrown in. It should be a cracking contest for camogie enthusiasts to savour and there should be a big crowd in Cusack Park on Saturday afternoon.
Verdict: Scariff-Ogonolloe
SCARIFF-OGONOLLOE
PATH TO FINAL
GROUP STAGES
Scariff-Ogonolloe 0-18 Newmarket 0-10
Scariff-Ogonolloe 4-26 Sixmilebridge 1-5
Scariff-Ogonolloe 2-12 Inagh-Kilnamona 1-15
Scariff-Ogonolloe 5-16 Kilkishen Bodyke 0-8
S/F
Scariff-Ogonolloe 2-18 Feakle-Killanena 0-8
Total Scored 13-90
Total Conceded 2-46
ALPHIE RODGERS SCARIFF-OGONOLLOE
IT'S ABOUT BEING THE BEST TEAM ON THE DAY.
Alphie Rodgers is as cool as they come. Being the boss of the Queen's of the County Rodgers maintains that it's always about their performance and their standards. He firmly believes that there's no such thing as a favourites tag and that you have to perform on the day. At the beginning of the campaign he told the Clare Champion that
" You don't have to be the best team in the County to win the championship. You just have to be the best team on the day."
Moments after seeing his side ruthlessly demolish Feakle-Killanena and book their spot on Camogie's biggest day his thoughts immediately turned to Truagh-Clonlara.
" We are very familiar with each other having played in the last two finals, three if you include the replay and I'd say they feel that we did a number on them last year. They came into that final as most people's favourites to win such was their displays on route but we actually played really well that day and I've no doubt they'll be hurting from that."
Contrary to last year where Truagh-Clonlara were in scintillating form leading up to the final it's been a different journey for them this time round. Does that make a difference to the preparations?
" In fairness to them the mood music around the county and the so called experts had it that it would be a Scariff-Ogonolloe Inagh-Kilnamona final but you can never write them off. They are a fantastic team and have been knocking on the door in recent years. Yes they're still looking to break that door down and I've no doubt they eventually will but hopefully not this time" he says laughing.
His star studded side are chasing three in a row and will go in as red hot favourites to win but again the charismatic Rodgers doesn't buy into that.
" We're happy to be there to be honest. It's a unique day is the county final day and it's a fabulous experience for everyone involved. It's the game every team wants to be in and we're delighted that it's our fourth final in five years. Being favourites entitles you to nothing. We are only in a final. We have to perform and that's our sole ambition. Hot favourites don't always win. You have to get your performance right and then see where that takes you. Sometimes the perceived underdog can win but we will always feel that if we perform the result will look after itself."
His side seemed to have improved with every outing and they seem to be well able to time their run into form at the correct time.
" Well we certainly weren't shadow boxing in the group stages. Anyone who was in Tubber on the 25th of August for our group clash with Inagh-Kilnamona can testify to that. It was an unbelievable battle. But clearly the semi final is the date to be ready for. Yes you can't take group games lightly but you also have to try to peak at the right time. We got a couple of results early in the group and we knew we'd be in the last four. I feel we have been progressing nicely and hopefully we have timed our run right."
Will the sides familiarity with each other have an influence on proceedings?
" To be honest about it I believe that the opposition isn't really relevant I feel. It's always on yourself. It's always up to you to perform. You have to deliver for sixty minutes. It's about being the best team on the day. It doesn't matter to us who we play and that's not being disrespectful. We just concentrate on our own game irrelevant of the opposition. Yes of course there's a serious rivalry built up which brings it's own uniqueness in a way but it's still all about silverware. People only remember who lifts the cup not who played who and that's all we will be trying to do. We just want to be Champions
TRUAGH-CLONLARA
PATH TO FINAL
GROUP STAGES
Truagh-Clonlara 4-11 Kilmaley 0-15
Truagh-Clonlara 2-20 Clooney-Quin 1-6
Truagh-Clonlara 2-13 Feakle-Killanena 2-15
Truagh-Clonlara 4-16 Clarecastle Ballyea 2-4
S/F
Truagh-Clonlara 3-13 Inagh-Kilnamona 1-17
Total Scored 15-73
Total Conceded 6-57
RYAN MORRIS TRUAGH-CLONLARA
THIRD TIME LUCKY
Ryan Morris is in his third year as coach of his beloved Truagh-Clonlara and this will be the third year in succession that he locks horns with Scariff-Ogonolloe.
" They're an unbelievable team, a fantastic club. They really are a machine that just keeps on winning. We have been trying everything to win our first title but they just keep getting in our way. We feel we could have won it two years ago in the drawn encounter and last year we were in really good form heading into the final but we feel we let ourselves down on the day. We didn't perform like we know we can and that hurt if I'm being honest."
The experienced coach has had a hugely successful year with Clare winning the Premier All Ireland Junior title and the Senior side securing their status but did he feel he'd be back in the County final?
" Honestly we've had no luck as a group. We've had eight ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries in the last two years. It's like we are cursed or something. I mean you just have to look at this year alone where we have been without our keeper Liza Moloney, Michelle Powell, Becky Foley and Eimear Kelly. That's an awful amount of quality and experience to be missing. I mean Michelle would have been centre back for the Clare Juniors and is a top defender. Becky would have been playing for the Clare Senior side and Eimear Kelly is one of the top forwards in the country let alone the County so it truly is a remarkable achievement to be back in a final. A really remarkable achievement to be fair and we are just hoping, really hoping it's third time lucky."
How did they as a group cope with such struggles and perform so well especially when defeating the much fancied Inagh-Kilnamona in the semi final?
" Our mantra has and always will be next person up. You have the honour of wearing that jersey so you have to perform in it and represent your community and to a player our girls have done that. They never back down, they never give up and it's just so humbling to be involved with them. They never complain or bemoan their luck. They are great role models for young girls out there. They roll up their sleeves and just get on with it no matter the adversity that they face."
They will undoubtedly go into this final as underdogs but Ryan feels that will suit them.
" Sure we like to be written off" he says laughing, "Ah no seriously we know the challenge we are facing and it's a huge task. Scariff-Ogonolloe are just an amazing outfit and you have to admire them. When they've won the title they've always represented the County so well and when they've won provincial honours it makes you feel better about your team as you know you pushed them all the way. When we drew with them in the final two years ago and they won the Munster Club we felt like we could be the second best team in the province and that brings further belief and grows confidence. We know what we are facing every time we play them and they have fantastic players all over the pitch but we have inner belief and we do have a collective inner strength. We just hope that we can deliver a performance worthy of all the hard work because we didn't deliver last year and if we can give it our all and play with freedom we will see where that takes us."
If heart and courage are anything to go by Truagh-Clonlara will certainly dig deep and one never knows- it could be third time's a charm for Morris and his team.
Truagh Clonlara 2023 Photo credit: Aidan Ryan
Scariff-Ogonnelloe 2023 
