The Clare county football team represents Clare in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Clare GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Munster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.

Clare's home ground is Cusack Park, Ennis. The team's manager is Paul Madden.

The team last won the Munster Senior Championship in 1992, but has never won the All-Ireland Senior Championship or the National League.

History Clare has won two Munster Senior Football Championship (SFC) titles. The county competes in Division 2 of the National Football League.

1917: First Munster SFC title and only All-Ireland SFC final

Clare won its first Munster SFC in 1917, defeating Cork on a scoreline of 5–4 to 0–1. This was after losing deciders in 1912 and 1915 to Kerry and in 1916 to Cork. Clare then faced Galway in the 1917 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) semi-final and won by a scoreline of 2–1 to 0–5. However, in the 1917 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final, Clare narrowly lost to Wexford by a scoreline of 0–9 to 0–5. Wexford had won the All-Ireland SFC in 1915 and 1916 and would complete a four-in-a-row in 1918.

1954: Not part of the Munster championship Due to 1 sided defeat to Kerry by 6–10 to 0–2 in Ennis in the 1953 Munster SFC semi-final, it was decided that Clare would not be part the 1954 championship.

1979: "Milltown Massacre" A low point for the county team was the so-called "Milltown Massacre" in 1979. During a game played in Milltown Malbay, Clare lost to Kerry by a scoreline of 1–9 to 9–21, a difference of 35 points. Tommy Tubridy, the father of David, played in that game.

1990–1994: John Maughan and second Munster SFC title Clare football's greatest day since 1917 arrived in 1992 when, under the stewardship of Mayo native John Maughan, the county won its second Munster SFC by defeating Kerry in the final at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, by a scoreline of 2–10 to 0–12. This victory was aided in no small part by two second half goals from Colm Clancy and Martin Daly. This victory was also historic in that it is the only year from 1936 to 2020 (when Tipperary won) that neither Kerry nor Cork won the Munster SFC. Clare's luck would run out however, and in the 1992 All-Ireland SFC semi-final, the team lost to Dublin by a scoreline of 3–14 to 2–12. Full back on the team of 1992 was Seamus Clancy, brother of full-forward Colm, and he was rewarded for his performances in the 1992 championship with a place on the All-Star team of that year.

2013–2023: Colm Collins Collins led Clare from Division 4 to Division 2 of the National Football League.

Clare qualified for a 2016 All-Ireland SFC quarter-final by defeating Roscommon.

The team qualified for another All-Ireland quarter-final in 2022 after beating Roscommon again; they lost to in the quarters.

Collins left.

2023–present: After Collins Kerryman Mark Fitzgerald was appointed in September 2023. Fitzgerald guided Clare to a third-place finish in the NFL, before leading the team to the 2024 Munster SFC final. He stepped down on 13 September 2024 to take up a role with the Kerry under-20 football team. Peter Keane, former Kerry manager and Fitzgerald's fellow Kerryman, replaced him. After one campaign, Keane departed and was replaced by Paul Madden of Éire Óg.

Support Clare has its own supporters' club, which is separate from the supporters' club of the county hurling team.

Panel

Management team Manager: Paul Madden Coach: Kieran Murphy Selectors: Shane Daniels, Ger Quinlan Strength and conditioning coach: Antoine Mobian Goalkeeping coach: James Hanrahan (appointed January 2025)

Managerial history Clare have a history of appointing "foreign" managers, with John Maughan, from Mayo, proving to be the most successful; Maughan led Clare to the 1992 Munster SFC (a first in 75 years). Other outsiders to manage Clare include Frank Doherty (Galway) and the Kerrymen Donie Buckley (who managed jointly with Michael Brennan from Galway), John Kennedy, John O'Keeffe, Mick O'Dwyer and Páidí Ó Sé. However, Colm Collins (from Clare GAA club Cratloe) began managing the team in 2013 and lasted so long that RTÉ called him "an icon of stability" in 2022, in contrast to less successful managerial appointments elsewhere. Following the departure of Collins, Clare returned to appointing outside managers: Kerryman Mark Fitzgerald was followed by Kerryman Peter Keane.

DatesNameProvincial titlesNational titlesChampionship record1990–1994John MaughanCrossmolina (Mayo)1992 McGrath Cup1992 Munster Senior Football Championship1994 McGrath Cup1991 All-Ireland Senior B Football Championship1992 NFL Division 262 0 41994–1998John O'KeeffeAustin Stacks (Kerry)1995 McGrath Cup1997 McGrath Cup1995 NFL Division 251 1 31998–2000Tommy Curtin St. Breckan's, Lisdoonvarna2000 McGrath Cup42 0 22000–2002Pat Begley Ennistymon2000 McGrath Cup52 0 32002–2005John Kennedy Ballylongford (Kerry)2002 McGrath Cup2004 Tommy Murphy Cup125 1 62005–2006Donie BuckleyCastleisland (Kerry)83 0 5Michael BrennanSt. Grellan's (Galway)2006–2007Páidí Ó SéAn Ghaeltacht (Kerry)31 0 22007–2009Frank DohertyCaltra (Galway)2008 McGrath Cup51 0 42009–2012Micheál McDermott Kilmurry-Ibrickane71 0 62012–2013Mick O'DwyerWaterville (Kerry)20 0 22013–2023Colm Collins Cratloe2019 McGrath Cup2016 NFL Division 33316 1 16as of 8 November 20222023–2024Mark FitzgeraldKerins O'Rahilly's (Kerry)51 0 42024–Peter KeaneSt Mary's (Kerry)

Players Notable players

Gary Brennan Gordon Kelly

Records David Tubridy became top scorer in National Football League history against Cork in May 2021, his total score in the competition after this game (22–412, i.e. 478 points) causing him to overtake the record of Mickey Kearins.

All Stars Clare has one All Star. Awards Players Seamus Clancy (1992)

Competitive record All-Ireland SFC final record List of appearances# Date Venue Opponent Result W/L/D1 9 December 1917 Croke Park, Dublin Wexford 0–5 : 0–9 L

Clare won an All-Ireland Senior B Football Championship in 1991, with John Maughan as manager.

James Hanrahan Seamus Clancy Gerry Kelly Kieran O'Mahony M. Roughan Joe Joe Rouine C. O'Neill B. Rouine Aidan Moloney Noel Roche L. Conneally Gerry Killeen D. Coughlan M. Flynn D. Keane

Honours National All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Runners-up (1): 1917 All-Ireland Senior B Football Championship Winners (2): 1991 Runners-up (1): 1997 Tommy Murphy Cup Winners (1): 2004 National Football League Division 2 Winners (2): 1992, 1995 National Football League Division 3 Winners (2): 1987, 2016 National Football League Division 4 Winners (1): 1982 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Winners (1): 1929

McGrath Cup

Provincial Munster Senior Football Championship Winners (2): 1917, 1992 Runners-up (15): 1912, 1915, 1916, 1919, 1925, 1929, 1936, 1937, 1941, 1949, 1997, 2012, 2023, 2024, 2025 McGrath Cup Winners (13): 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2019 Munster Football League Winners (1): 1933–34 Munster Junior Football Championship Winners (1): 1925 Munster Minor Football Championship Winners (3): 1929, 1930, 1953

Minor team Clare have won one All-Ireland and three Munster titles at minor level. They won the first of their three Munster Minor Football Championships defeating Waterford in 1929. Clare then proceeded to qualify for the inaugural All-Ireland Minor Football Final. In the final they faced Longford and prevailed by 5–03 to 3-05, to crown Clare All-Ireland Minor Champions. Clare defeated Tipperary in the 1930 Munster final to retain their provincial crown. The Banner County had to wait until 1953 for another Munster title. On this occasion Clare defeated Cork in the decider.

Competitive record All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final appearances List of appearances# Date Venue Opponent Result W/L/D1 22 September 1929 Croke Park, Dublin Longford 5–3 : 3–5 W2 27 September 1953 Croke Park, Dublin Mayo 1–6 : 2–11 L

References

External links "Clare's Munster miracle". Colm Keys. 2012.