Anthony Daly: A memorable year for Adam Hogan, a momentous day for Feakle
The Clare Donnellan Over Feakle: Picture: ©inpho/natasha Oisin Sixmilebridge In Fantastic Celebrate And Shc Victory Barton Final Adam Hogan
When I was pushed on the podcast last Monday, and told not to sit on the fence when trying to predict the winners of the Clare final, I firmly nailed my colours to the Feakle mast. My prediction might not have been full of conviction but I was nearly more convinced that they would win after such an incredible weekend of drama over the previous two days.
While I was in the pub on Saturday and Sunday, the drama was electric. Champions were falling like dominos, in hurling and football, but Cappatagle knocking out St Thomas’ in Galway, and Doon beating Na Piarsaigh to finally win a first Limerick title just made it feel like the time was ripe for Feakle to do the same and end a 36 year wait yesterday.
I really enjoyed the day, even going to the Park firmly as a neutral. I was in the north Stand with three other lads from Clarecastle. Ger Loughnane and his son Barry were just over from us. I was going to go over to Loughnane at the final whistle to congratulate him on Feakle’s success but I said I’d let him have his moment because I’m sure there were plenty of others trying to do the same. By that stage anyway, anybody from Feakle was only going in one direction – straight onto the field.
There were no arguments here. Feakle were by far and away the better team. They would have won by far more only for the ‘Bridge’s outstanding Derek Fahy, who made four excellent saves.
Feakle were outstanding but it was almost an untypical Sixmilebridge performance in a county final. The one thing you always expect with the ‘Bridge at this stage of the championship is that they will perform. Yet they certainly didn’t here.
The only players in blue and gold that will be happy with their displays are Fahy, and two of his full-back line outside him - Barry Fitzpatrick and Colm Flynn. The other thing you always associate with the ‘Bridge – not even in county finals – is how up for it they are on the line. I’m not saying that Tommy Liddy and Stiofán Fitzpatrick weren’t up for it, but they still looked as passive as the players on the field.
Thirteen points won’t win much, even at this stage of the year, but the ‘Bridge never even had a clearcut goal chance. Seadna Morey did have a goal shot late on but I was directly behind it and the shot was actually going wide before Eibhear Quilligan got a hurley to it. Eibhear didn’t know, and it was a brilliant save, but that was as close as the ‘Bridge came to raising a green flag, when they needed at least two on the day to have any chance with how they were playing.
Still, this was all about Feakle. I’m genuinely delighted for them. I remember being in Tulla back in 2017 when Clarecastle relegated them to Intermediate. Well there were 11 lads who played that day playing yesterday. They have given some service, but it takes some heart and resilience too to keep coming back year after year, especially when some of those years ended with nothing only heartbreak. They went into last year’s semi-final full of hope and were well beaten by Clonlara. There was no shame in that but, when you saw Clonlara dismantle Crusheen in the final, it would have been hard to think that Feakle could get to that level. Well, they did here.
Some of their players were outstanding. Con Smyth, Ronan O’Connor and Killian Bane were immense in the half-back line, while the full-back line were rock steady behind them, which was even more impressive again with them being without their full-back, Evan McMahon, who injured his knee in the semi-final.
Eoin Tuohy got through an amount of work, as he always does, while Oisin Donnellan was brilliant too. So was Stevie Conway, who returned from injury and who started after only coming off the bench in the quarter and semi-finals.
Shane McGrath didn’t score from play but he was still vintage Shane. For me the moment of the game was when was penned in close to the sideline in the second half but he just swivelled and pinged a ball across the pitch to Oisin Donnellan, who slotted the ball over the bar.
Shane was well shackled by Seadna but I thought the ‘Bridge could have handed that job to Paidí Fitzpatrick and pushed Seadna further up the pitch. They did late on but the game was effectively gone from them by then.
Feakle did take their foot off the gas after Owen McGann’s goal. They were just craving the final whistle but they still weathered the storm as the ‘Bridge came at them late on.
The only reason I wasn’t as strong with my conviction on Feakle last Monday was because I wasn’t fully sure how they would handle the occasion. Yet they did so masterfully. I thought the extra week might not suit them but it actually did. With two football finals played on Sunday in terrible conditions, the sticky conditions suited Feakle more because they are such a huge physical team. That was obvious in the parade when they were walking alongside the ‘Bridge lads.
Everything just lined up perfectly for them. Val Donnellan captained the last team in 1988, so it was almost perfect that his son Oisin lifted the Canon Hamilton cup again yesterday. It’s been some year for the club but nobody underlines that more than Adam Hogan.
In the last 12 months, Hogan has won an U21A title, a Fitzgibbon Cup with Mary I, league and All-Ireland honours with Clare, and now a Clare title. By next Friday, Adam will surely be an All-Star and have been presented with Young Hurler of the Year.
What a year for him. What a day for Feakle.