Kilmaley secure semi‑final win as Daire Keane looks to final

Kilmaley will face Inagh‑Kilnamona in the Clare Senior Hurling Championship final at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg, Ennis, on Sunday at 4.15pm after a semi‑final victory.

Captain Daire Keane, who made his senior debut in 2009, said the win puts “a monkey off our backs” following a 22‑year gap since Kilmaley’s last county senior final appearance.

Keane reflected on the club’s history of semi‑final defeats, including a replay loss to Clonlara in 2015 and a narrow loss to Cratloe after 19 wides, noting that the current management under Brian Culbert has changed the team’s approach.

He praised the management’s motivation and the squad’s improved consistency, describing the panel as the best in several years and expressing confidence they can “finish the job” in the final.

Keane also recalled his father Tommy’s role in Kilmaley’s first Canon Hamilton triumph in 1985, highlighting the club’s evolution from a “good stickmen” side to one that can compete physically with the strongest teams in the county.

The final will be the first senior county final for Kilmaley since 2001, offering a chance to end a long wait for a senior trophy.

Source: Clare Champion. Photo: Kaio Murilo / Pexels.