IT HAS BEEN billed as the Battle of Crowe’s Bridge, the dividing line between one Mid Clare tribe and another ahead of a most hotly anticipated county final.
In their rural outpost, Inagh-Kilnamona and Kilmaley could hardly be closer. As the crow flies, it’s less than five miles from one pitch to the other.
Lifelong friendships and rivalries have been distilled into a first-ever senior hurling final between the two parishes.
Inagh are seeking a first title since their merger with Kilnamona, who were last champions 118 years ago. They were still separate clubs when Kilmaley won their most recent title, and second in their club’s history, back in 2004.
Kilmaley's 2004 county champions. INPHO
INPHO
The small stone bridge has become the frontline for their good-natured banter.
“I’d say there wasn’t as much written and conflict about the Strait of Hormuz this week,” laughs Kilmaley chairman John Cahill, who will be on the blue and white side of the divide at Cusack Park.
“It got painted blue last Monday or Tuesday week in the early hours of the morning or during the night. Yellow and green flags went up on it the following night. Then blue flags went above the yellow and green flags the night afterwards.
“It’s a good laugh and everybody’s having a good bit of banter about it. It’s all good humour.”
Inagh-Kilnamona PRO David Foudy lives only over the road from Crowe’s Bridge.
“I could belt a sliotar across to Connolly (the biggest settlement in Kilmaley parish), so I’d be on that border. I’d be very close to it,” he says before adding. “I definitely haven’t been painting it now… I’m not a painter!
“We put up a few flags and a bit of bunting alright, but we’ll let other lads take it as far as they want to bring it. It’s all harmless fun.”
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Locals have been showing their support for Inagh-Kilnamona.
In seeking a barometer for the excitement, both men separately compare it all to the same feast day.
“It’s just like the lead up to Christmas,” says Cahill, “it’ll be three sleeps and we’re hurling.”
Foudy adds: “It’s a bit like Christmas. The build-up is great and then you get to it and you just hope it goes your way and you get what you want.”
They have divergent hurling histories. Kilmaley were senior for years. Inagh and Kilnamona, two halves of the same parish but separate clubs until 2008, were more often playing at intermediate level.
The prime rivalry in those days was Kilmaley and Kilnamona. Being in different grades, it was mostly contested in underage competitions.
Yet the two areas are similarly rural, located 15 minutes west of Ennis.
The Kilmaley Inn and a local car have been resprayed blue and white.
“It’s probably the biggest parish in the diocese area-wise, but it is fairly sparsely populated,” says Cahill of Kilmaley. “I don’t know actually the population. It’s less than 2,000 definitely.
“The parish is kind of three areas, Kilmaley, Inch and Connolly. Three churches, three schools, and three… I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re villages. There’s a few clusters of houses.
“There’s only really two estates, what you’d call estates, in the whole parish, and even those aren’t big. There’s probably a dozen houses or so in them.
“I suppose I’ll get pillioried from the rest of County Clare if I don’t mention that we do pick up a few players, the likes of Conor Cleary, who’s a Miltown man originally, Oisín Looney, Evan Cahill, and Brian Mc(Namara) from Cooraclare, because they come from football areas.
“But they didn’t join us as inter-county hurlers. They came at five and six into the nursery, the same as the kids from Kilmaley and learned their trade in Kilmaley.”
Inagh-Kilnamona are also bordering football heartlands.
“Ourselves and Ennistymon would be your last hurling clubs on that side of Ennis. Anything north of that then would be all football,” says Foudy.
For Inagh, it’s their second shot at glory following a one-point loss to Ballyea in 2021.
“We joined as a club in 2008 and at the time, we would have had hopes of winning the senior title, which is every club wants, but you’d have hopes of winning that pretty soon,” says Foudy.
“We were two good clubs joining together, so the signs were positive. It didn’t happen for whatever reason. We got to semi-finals and quarter-finals, and that’s as far as we got.
“We got the breakthrough in 2021, and we got to the final. It didn’t go our way and sure, next thing, you’ve five years gone before you’re back there again.”
Aidan McCarthy. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Through all the anecdotes, the friendly nature of the rivalry is a running theme.
“We made the final before Inagh-Kilnamona did, so I was at the Éire Óg match, and sure, plenty of chat with loads of friends that we have in the area,” says Cahill.
“I spent a good bit of time talking to Davy Fitz’s parents and crowds of the McInerneys, a big family of them there, my own cousins married into them.
“Before the match it was very cordial, but I was told to stay in my own corner for the rest of the two weeks when I came back to them after the game,” he says with a laugh.
“Ah look, it’s all good banter. We’re all good friends. We’ll go in on Sunday and no doubt we will stay on our own side and we’ll shout for our own.
“Somebody will be elated and somebody will be deflated on Sunday evening, and hopefully we’ll be elated, but come Monday, the two teams will no doubt get together as is the tradition.”
Foudy adds: “Usually it’d be a case of where you’d be shouting for Kilmaley if they were in it, and vice versa. This time around, you have to tie your colours to the mast because we’re against each other.
“It’s a long week. I was only saying last Saturday, I wish the match was tomorrow. But no, we just have to go through it.”
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The Battle of Crowe’s Bridge: 'There wasn't as much written about the Strait of Hormuz'
IT HAS BEEN billed as the Battle of Crowe’s Bridge, the dividing line between one Mid Clare tribe and another ahead of a most hotly anticipated county final.
In their rural outpost, Inagh-Kilnamona and Kilmaley could hardly be closer. As the crow flies, it’s less than five miles from one pitch to the other.
Lifelong friendships and rivalries have been distilled into a first-ever senior hurling final between the two parishes.
Inagh are seeking a first title since their merger with Kilnamona, who were last champions 118 years ago. They were still separate clubs when Kilmaley won their most recent title, and second in their club’s history, back in 2004.
The small stone bridge has become the frontline for their good-natured banter.
“I’d say there wasn’t as much written and conflict about the Strait of Hormuz this week,” laughs Kilmaley chairman John Cahill, who will be on the blue and white side of the divide at Cusack Park.
“It got painted blue last Monday or Tuesday week in the early hours of the morning or during the night. Yellow and green flags went up on it the following night. Then blue flags went above the yellow and green flags the night afterwards.
“It’s a good laugh and everybody’s having a good bit of banter about it. It’s all good humour.”
Inagh-Kilnamona PRO David Foudy lives only over the road from Crowe’s Bridge.
“I could belt a sliotar across to Connolly (the biggest settlement in Kilmaley parish), so I’d be on that border. I’d be very close to it,” he says before adding. “I definitely haven’t been painting it now… I’m not a painter!
“We put up a few flags and a bit of bunting alright, but we’ll let other lads take it as far as they want to bring it. It’s all harmless fun.”
In seeking a barometer for the excitement, both men separately compare it all to the same feast day.
“It’s just like the lead up to Christmas,” says Cahill, “it’ll be three sleeps and we’re hurling.”
Foudy adds: “It’s a bit like Christmas. The build-up is great and then you get to it and you just hope it goes your way and you get what you want.”
They have divergent hurling histories. Kilmaley were senior for years. Inagh and Kilnamona, two halves of the same parish but separate clubs until 2008, were more often playing at intermediate level.
The prime rivalry in those days was Kilmaley and Kilnamona. Being in different grades, it was mostly contested in underage competitions.
Yet the two areas are similarly rural, located 15 minutes west of Ennis.
“It’s probably the biggest parish in the diocese area-wise, but it is fairly sparsely populated,” says Cahill of Kilmaley. “I don’t know actually the population. It’s less than 2,000 definitely.
“The parish is kind of three areas, Kilmaley, Inch and Connolly. Three churches, three schools, and three… I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re villages. There’s a few clusters of houses.
“There’s only really two estates, what you’d call estates, in the whole parish, and even those aren’t big. There’s probably a dozen houses or so in them.
“I suppose I’ll get pillioried from the rest of County Clare if I don’t mention that we do pick up a few players, the likes of Conor Cleary, who’s a Miltown man originally, Oisín Looney, Evan Cahill, and Brian Mc(Namara) from Cooraclare, because they come from football areas.
Inagh-Kilnamona are also bordering football heartlands.
“Ourselves and Ennistymon would be your last hurling clubs on that side of Ennis. Anything north of that then would be all football,” says Foudy.
Powered by Aidan McCarthy, they ended Éire Óg’s title defence in the semi-finals, while Kilmaley steamrolled Scariff.
For Inagh, it’s their second shot at glory following a one-point loss to Ballyea in 2021.
“We joined as a club in 2008 and at the time, we would have had hopes of winning the senior title, which is every club wants, but you’d have hopes of winning that pretty soon,” says Foudy.
“We were two good clubs joining together, so the signs were positive. It didn’t happen for whatever reason. We got to semi-finals and quarter-finals, and that’s as far as we got.
“We got the breakthrough in 2021, and we got to the final. It didn’t go our way and sure, next thing, you’ve five years gone before you’re back there again.”
Through all the anecdotes, the friendly nature of the rivalry is a running theme.
“We made the final before Inagh-Kilnamona did, so I was at the Éire Óg match, and sure, plenty of chat with loads of friends that we have in the area,” says Cahill.
“I spent a good bit of time talking to Davy Fitz’s parents and crowds of the McInerneys, a big family of them there, my own cousins married into them.
“Before the match it was very cordial, but I was told to stay in my own corner for the rest of the two weeks when I came back to them after the game,” he says with a laugh.
“Ah look, it’s all good banter. We’re all good friends. We’ll go in on Sunday and no doubt we will stay on our own side and we’ll shout for our own.
Foudy adds: “Usually it’d be a case of where you’d be shouting for Kilmaley if they were in it, and vice versa. This time around, you have to tie your colours to the mast because we’re against each other.
“It’s a long week. I was only saying last Saturday, I wish the match was tomorrow. But no, we just have to go through it.”
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