IT IS TOUCHING on 34 years since that epic day for Clare football, stunning Kerry to sweep to Munster glory.
Current Clare captain Cillian Rouine was not even born when that magical 1992 breakthrough occurred, but growing up in Ennistymon the significance of that Gaelic Grounds afternoon was impossible to ignore.
Cillian and his brother Brendy, also a member of the Clare setup gearing up to face Kerry this Saturday, are sons of Brendan Rouine, a member of that Clare panel. Their uncle JJ Rouine anchored the Clare defence from centre-back that day.
Brendan Rouine in action for Clare against Dublin in the league in 2023. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Links to Banner history everywhere you look.
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“He (his father) was on the bench, he was young and I think he’d been injured during the league.
“We grew up watching the video tapes of Clare matches in the ’90s and the ’92 final was obviously a big one, but 1997 (as well) when Clare beat Cork in the Munster semi-final, Martin Daly got a goal, and then that ’97 final was versus Kerry as well. It’s been great to have those people to look up to and have them so close.”
The tradition isn’t just maintained by the Rouines, connecting the past and the present.
“There’s a good bit of that on the team at the moment. It’s not just me and my brother. Mark McInerney is the vice captain and Francis (his Dad) was captain in ’92, but Dermot Coughlan (another vice-captain) as well, his dad played for the ’92 team, Dermott Senior. So there’s a good bit of interlink between the two teams.”
If the outside view is that the present group have been starved of such rich experiences, here’s the opposing view.
Three years ago, Cillian got on the end of a team move after venturing up from his corner-back slot and he fisted over the priceless point that saw Cork defeated in a Munster quarter-final.
“Went on a gallop at the end of the game and got in the right place at the right time and thankfully made the right decision.
“I think there was a man tracking me, but I kind of got caught up in the middle of the pitch then, and he got caught up in that, and I continued my run and just got kicked into me.
“I hadn’t much to do now, but I’ve got a lot of credit for it since, but I didn’t do much really. That was a great feeling to be fair, we’ve had a few great results with Clare in in my career.
“Like I remember one of my favorite days looking back and it was the last 16 match versus Roscommon in 2022 Croke Park. That was a phenomenal feeling winning that. Every day you get to play with Clare is an honour.”
Cillian Rouine celebrates Clare's win over Roscommon in 2022. Evan Treacy / INPHO
Evan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
That honour increases this Saturday with the leadership role that has been bestowed upon him. It’s been a frustrating time of late with a broken thumb suffered last November and then a hamstring injury sustained during this spring.
But he’s fit and fighting now, back for the last round against Fermanagh as they finished off an inconsistent league campaign. Saturday’s task is naturally daunting, facing a Kerry team thave defeated them in their last three Munster finals.
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But under the guidance of new manager Paul Madden they feel they are in a good place.
“Paul, he’s just a really, really good guy. He’s very professional. He’s assembled a really good backroom team, really good coaches there, Shane Daniels, Kieran Murphy, Ger Quinlan.
“Delighted to have them, and they’re all just really sound good people as well, so that’s the main thing.
“Kerry are phenomenal, like a great tradition. It’ll take a massive, massive performance and things like that, and probably a bit of luck to cause an upset.”
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'Great to have those people to look up to': Links between Clare's present and 1992 glory
IT IS TOUCHING on 34 years since that epic day for Clare football, stunning Kerry to sweep to Munster glory.
Current Clare captain Cillian Rouine was not even born when that magical 1992 breakthrough occurred, but growing up in Ennistymon the significance of that Gaelic Grounds afternoon was impossible to ignore.
Cillian and his brother Brendy, also a member of the Clare setup gearing up to face Kerry this Saturday, are sons of Brendan Rouine, a member of that Clare panel. Their uncle JJ Rouine anchored the Clare defence from centre-back that day.
Links to Banner history everywhere you look.
“He (his father) was on the bench, he was young and I think he’d been injured during the league.
“We grew up watching the video tapes of Clare matches in the ’90s and the ’92 final was obviously a big one, but 1997 (as well) when Clare beat Cork in the Munster semi-final, Martin Daly got a goal, and then that ’97 final was versus Kerry as well. It’s been great to have those people to look up to and have them so close.”
The tradition isn’t just maintained by the Rouines, connecting the past and the present.
“There’s a good bit of that on the team at the moment. It’s not just me and my brother. Mark McInerney is the vice captain and Francis (his Dad) was captain in ’92, but Dermot Coughlan (another vice-captain) as well, his dad played for the ’92 team, Dermott Senior. So there’s a good bit of interlink between the two teams.”
If the outside view is that the present group have been starved of such rich experiences, here’s the opposing view.
Three years ago, Cillian got on the end of a team move after venturing up from his corner-back slot and he fisted over the priceless point that saw Cork defeated in a Munster quarter-final.
“Went on a gallop at the end of the game and got in the right place at the right time and thankfully made the right decision.
“I think there was a man tracking me, but I kind of got caught up in the middle of the pitch then, and he got caught up in that, and I continued my run and just got kicked into me.
“I hadn’t much to do now, but I’ve got a lot of credit for it since, but I didn’t do much really. That was a great feeling to be fair, we’ve had a few great results with Clare in in my career.
“Like I remember one of my favorite days looking back and it was the last 16 match versus Roscommon in 2022 Croke Park. That was a phenomenal feeling winning that. Every day you get to play with Clare is an honour.”
That honour increases this Saturday with the leadership role that has been bestowed upon him. It’s been a frustrating time of late with a broken thumb suffered last November and then a hamstring injury sustained during this spring.
But he’s fit and fighting now, back for the last round against Fermanagh as they finished off an inconsistent league campaign. Saturday’s task is naturally daunting, facing a Kerry team thave defeated them in their last three Munster finals.
But under the guidance of new manager Paul Madden they feel they are in a good place.
“Paul, he’s just a really, really good guy. He’s very professional. He’s assembled a really good backroom team, really good coaches there, Shane Daniels, Kieran Murphy, Ger Quinlan.
“Delighted to have them, and they’re all just really sound good people as well, so that’s the main thing.
“Kerry are phenomenal, like a great tradition. It’ll take a massive, massive performance and things like that, and probably a bit of luck to cause an upset.”
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