Clare SHC Final: Shane McGrath helps Feakle bridge 36-year gap in Ennis

Feakle’s fairytale ending finally came true in Cusack Park, Ennis on Monday after a commanding display bridged a 36-year gap to their last Clare Senior Hurling Championship title.
In front of an attendance of 6,557, Feakle hit the ground running to lead from start to finish and could even afford a penalty save on their way to a fully merited victory. With the final postponed for a week due to Storm Ashley, the advantage appeared to be with a vastly experienced Sixmilebridge side that had captured five senior titles in eight years up to 2020.
However, if anything, it seemed as if the ‘Bridge were the newcomers as they ended up chasing their fellow east Clare opponents in vain.
Despite being man-marked by Seadna Morey, Feakle’s talisman Shane McGrath pulled their strings once more with eight placed balls while also teeing up five points for others. Indeed, his only blip was a superb penalty save from Sixmilebridge goalkeeper Derek Fahy in the 23rd minute that threatened to derail Feakle’s bright start.
It was their fourth spurned goal chance, but they did have much more luck over Fahy’s crossbar as six different scorers, including a trio of McGrath frees, powered Ger Conway’s side 0-8 to 0-3 in front by the start of the second quarter.
Captain Oisín Donnellan, Ronan O’Connor, Adam Hogan, Conn Smyth, Eoin Tuohy and Steven Conway were others to excel on Feakle’s biggest day, whereas a below-par ‘Bridge had Shane Golden, Seadna Morey, Colm Flynn, Barry Fitzpatrick and goalkeeper Fahy to thank for providing the greatest resistance.
Indeed, Sixmilebridge found the treacherous underfoot conditions much more difficult to negotiate than their rivals but did carve out two goal chances of their own for David Kennedy and Matthew O’Halloran, only to see both repelled.
The penalty save did spark a mini-revival as Lorcan Fitzpatrick, Kennedy and Alex Morey cut the deficit to just two by the half-hour mark. Feakle did manage to end an 11-minute barren patch in injury-time though as Packie Daly and Steven Conway ensured a 0-10 to 0-6 half-time cushion.
With the conditions in their favour, Feakle only grew further in confidence as the second half developed as three McGrath points were finally accentuated by a sublime first touch from substitute Owen McGann to fire to the net for the only goal of the hour after 40 minutes to make it at 1-13 to 0-7.
Game over? Not quite yet as a ‘Bridge backlash saw unanswered points for Alex Morey, Golden, Brian Corry and Jamie Shanahan lessened the damage to just five entering the final quarter.
Two-time All-Ireland senior winner Seadna Morey did his utmost to turn the tide only to see his 56th-minute effort excellently tipped away by county team-mate Eibhear Quilligan. Bookended by points for McGrath, Oisín Donnellan and Eoin Tuohy, it was a clinical end to an impressive collective display.
Fittingly, Oisín Donnellan collected the Canon Hamilton trophy 36 years after his father Val had done so in 1988 as Feakle completed the club’s seventh senior crown and only their second in the last 80 years.
FEAKLE: E Quilligan; O Clune, A Hogan, E Daly; K Bane (0-1), C Smyth, E Tuohy (0-2); R O’Connor, E Noonan; O Donnellan (0-2), S McGrath (0-8, six frees, two 65s), S Conway (0-2); P Daly (0-1), M Daly (0-1), O O’Connor.
Subs: O McGann (1-0) for O. O’Connor (37 mins), R Bane for P Daly (46), E Madden for Noonan (54), F Donnellan for M Daly (59)
SIXMILEBRIDGE: D Fahy; C Flynn, B Fitzpatrick, N Purcell; C Deasy, S Morey, P Fitzpatrick; J Loughnane, M O’Halloran; L Fitzpatrick (0-1), J Shanahan (0-1), S Golden (0-2); B Corry (0-2), A Morey (0-5, five frees), D Kennedy (0-1)
Subs: C Morey for Deasy (25 mins), B Carey (0-1) for Loughnane, A Mulready for Kennedy (both 37), F Ó Braoin for A Morey (60), L Kelly for Purcell (61)
Referee: J Mullins (Clonlara).