By: Cian O’Connell
Sport is all about maximising resources. In Offaly, 2026 is the latest encouraging chapter in Seir Kieran’s history. The population base Seir Kieran draws from in Clareen is 608.
The fact that three adult teams are being fielded is remarkable in its own way. That the Senior B and Intermediate outfits contest county finals at the weekend against Clodiagh Gaels and Shamrocks embellishes the story. The Junior Cs meet Kilcormac-Killoughey in a county semi-final too.
Matches are arriving thick and fast. “Clareen is the parish, Seir Kieran is the club, all we have is a school, church, and the hurling field,” Seir Kieran chairperson Shane Murphy explains.
Hurling is always on the agenda. “It’s massive even just to be able to field three adult teams never mind to compete,” he adds.
“Would I say we’re overachieving? No, I don’t think we’re overachieving. I just think it’s the nature of the beast in Clareen, we’re a very, very proud club although things haven’t been that successful.”
Most of the past decade has been focused on survival. “We were relegated in 2018, we came back up in ’19 to Senior A,” Murphy says.
“We’ve been floating around in Senior A, avoiding the trap door. We got relegated one year, but luckily Kilcormac-Killoughey’s second team won a Championship, so we didn’t go down.
“Last year we went down, but the boys have regrouped. A good structure has been put in place. A new manager came in – Brian Troy – he’s a brother of the famous John and Jim Troy, who hurled for Lusmagh and Offaly.
“Brian came in, a super structure has been put in place, along with S & C Stephen Mahon, and a couple of local guys – Pat Gilligan, who was the chairman before me and Billy Connors.
“Billy unfortunately had to give up hurling due to an injury he picked up last year, and Emmet Scully, another man coming back from a cruciate knee injury, he’s also a selector.”
Murphy, a Games Development Administrator with Longford GAA who previously worked as a GPO with Birr and Kilcormac-Killoughey, acknowledges the manner in which the management teams in the Clareen club have collaborated. “They’re all good guys involved, they’ve worked across the board with each other from the very start this year in January,” he says.
“If you’re a hurler in Clareen, your main objective is to hurl senior. The management underneath the senior management, they don’t mind that.
“If we’ve to pull a guy from the intermediates, that’s fair enough. The senior is our main objective. To win anything after that is a bonus really and truly.
“In 2019 we hurled two county finals on the same day. Clara unfortunately beat us in the intermediate final. We beat Clodiagh Gaels in the B Final so it’s a repeat of ’19 in a way, but not with personnel.”
While the numbers at underage are low, Seir Kieran have still developed players. “Our seniors are fortunate that a crop of guys came together, they’re all in or around the 22/23 mark now,” Murphy says.
“They just progressed through together. The senior managements before Brian and the boys, they persevered with them, and now they’re senior hurlers. They persevered over the course of two or three years. Now, they’re established senior hurlers – the leaders of the team. You’re talking about your John Coughlans, Barry Kealys, Luke Careys.
“You’ve a couple of guys that were there in ’19 are still leading the charge. Adrian Hynes was the captain then, he’s still there. Michael Gilligan is captain this year, he was there, Kevin Dunne hurled a bit with Offaly, he was there. Joseph Connors – Mouse – is still there. The rest are relatively young.”
Families have contributed so much to the Seir Kieran story throughout the decades. “The intermediate team is made up of guys who carried the charge for Clareen for a long, long time,” Murphy reflects.
“You’ve Joe Bergin, who hurled 12 or 13 years with Offaly seniors, Dermot Mooney, Donal Coughlan, these guys hurled senior since they were 16 years of age. They just stepped down this year so we’ve a strong intermediate team. The seniors and intermediates all train together, the juniors train separately.”
Murphy highlights Barry Bergin’s immense contribution to the cause. “I think we’ve used 19 senior hurlers, ranging from the age of 18, our youngest is Seán Carey, who is just eligible this year,” he remarks. “The oldest is Barry Bergin, Joe’s brother. Barry Bergin, what he has done this year is crazy.
“Barry hadn’t hurled senior in six or seven years, he’s 42 or 43. We were tight for numbers early on in the year with injuries. We were just getting 18 or 19, Barry was asked on to the senior panel because he had been training consistently.
“He came on in the Division One League Final against Coolderry. When the chips were down, he got two points, Tom Dooley got the winning score. We hadn’t won a Division One in a long time, beating a Senior A team was a massive step forward going into the Championship.
“Barry has been introduced in the Senior B this year and he has come away with a score in nearly every game. We’d a very tight game last weekend against K-K’s second team, we only won by two points.
“He was introduced with 15 minutes to go, straightaway he gets a score. It’s a credit to him because of his age and what he has done in regards to the fact he hadn’t hurled senior in six or seven years. He had been a senior selector, hurling intermediate for four or five years. He puts his hand up again this year and takes his chance.
That’s what we’re dealing with. That’s the calibre of the players in Clareen. If you’re asked to do anything, you step up. It’s always been that way. Now, listen, it always hasn’t been successful. More often in the last 10 years we’ve been near the trap door or whatever, but we’re going in the right direction now.”
In the juvenile ranks Seir Kieran combine with Drumcullen. “We’ve permission for amalgamation with a club next door, Drumcullen,” Murphy says.
“We play with them from U14 up to U20. Our numbers are small underage. We used to have the majority of the number and Drumcullen had a lower number. Now Drumcullen have the majority.
“Whatever we have hurl and when they get to the age to hurl adult, they all come through. We retain 99 per cent of what we have. If you live in Clareen, you hurl. That’s it.
“If you don’t hurl, you’re involved in the club. That’s the bottom line. It’s what we do.”
There is a job for everyone. Hope is provided by an exciting crop of emerging hurlers. “Seán Carey is leading for us at 18 years of age,” Murphy says.
“He’s coming out every day topping the scoreboard with eight and nine points from frees, and plugging away getting three or four from play, he got a goal last weekend. He’s a great guy, a nephew of the famed Dooleys. His brother Luke is involved, and another brother Kevin will hurl next year.
“You’re talking about a lot of brothers. Barry and Joe Bergin. You’ve Joseph Connors in the goals for us, he’s cousins with Chris and Matthew, who’re on the intermediate team.
“You’ve the Connors brothers – Ciaran and Thomas hurling senior. The Guinan brothers – Oisín and Dara. You’ve cousins, brothers, and brothers in law, even. It’s a close-knit community.”
Keeping teenagers involved is critical. “If we have young lads that will be eligible next year, they’re involved,” Murphy says.
“We’ve two guys next year and two the year after, they’re involved. A couple of guys played minor for Offaly this year, Jack Collins, Aodan Carroll, Dylan Dooley, and Kevin Carey. They’re involved on matchday, without them we’d be lost. It’s just a thing we do.
“You’re coming on board, you can carry a hurl, do the water, you can be involved in the set-up.
“You see what’s expected of you next year and for the next 20 years. That’s the culture we’re after building over the last while in Clareen.”
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The Dooleys and Coughlans represented club and county with distinction. Connecting the past, present, and future matters deeply. “Johnny and Joe live in Tullamore, Shane is obviously still going with Tullamore, he won a Senior B football championship last weekend,” Murphy says.
“Seamus lives out of the parish. Kieran Dooley is another brother, he has a son Tom, who hurls senior. Billy has two guys, Conor at wing back, and Sean at wing forward. His other son Gearoid hurls intermediate. Billy still lives in Clareen, he’s highly involved in the club.
“You’ve the Coughlans, Eugene, who hurled for Offaly back in the 80s. He captained us to a championship in 1988, and he also trained the team along with Joe Dooley.
“His nephew John Coughlan is in our half back line, one of our standout players. You still have that connection through the famed lads we had in the club. You still have nephews and sons.”
This weekend 50 players will tog out for Seir Kieran in three Championship fixtures. Two finals and one semi-final. Keeping the game alive in Clareen, while also ensuring the club remains respected and relevant.
By Offaly Secretary Wed 30th Sep
