Former Clare Star Sums Up the Magic Of Éire Óg Double After Returning From Dublin Club

It has been a fairytale fortnight for Clare’s Éire Óg, with the Ennis club completing a historic hurling and football double. For one of their key figures, Garda Ciarán Russell, the past week has been nothing short of unforgettable.

“Look, the last seven days have been the best seven days I’ve had in sport, to be honest with you—and I’m around sport a long, long time,” said the former Clare footballer, still soaking in the moment after the club’s football triumph.

Having ended their long hurling famine the previous week, Éire Óg were favourites heading into the football final against their neighbours, St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield. And while the Ennis side ultimately lived up to expectations, the 1-16 to 2-6 scoreline didn’t tell the full story.

Doora-Barefield pushed hard for long stretches of the game, even threatening to spoil the party and write their own chapter of history, before Éire Óg’s experience finally told.

It completed a remarkable week for the club, who also won the county's senior hurling final last week. Russell would star in the two games, capping off a fantastic season in both codes.

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For Russell, who for many years balanced his inter-county commitment with his work as a Garda, the double victory carries even deeper meaning. Stationed in Dún Laoghaire on Dublin’s southside, he spent years commuting back and forth to represent his hometown club. Eventually, the long drives began to take their toll.

Ahead of the 2019 season, Russell and his partner, now wife, Amy decided to settle in Dublin for a few years, with Russell transferring to Kilmacud Crokes. Not long after, they discovered they were expecting their first child, and the call of home soon became too strong to ignore.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner a few years ago, he explained why he decided to move back to his hometown team after some time on the Dublin club scene.

“When the baby was on the way, we made the decision to move back west,” he explained. “It just made sense, being close to family and having that support around us.”

When asked if things might have turned out differently had he stayed in Dublin, Russell smiled. “Yeah, it could have been" he admitted. “But I wouldn’t change any of it. I’m delighted to be back home with my own club.”

Despite fond memories of his time with Crokes, Russell says there’s nothing quite like lining out for his own club. “It was a fun time in Dublin, but I’m thrilled to be back in Ennis. These past two weeks have been incredible. To do the double with Éire Óg—it’s something I’ll never forget.

Russell is certainly vindicated in his decision after his heroics over the past fortnight cementing himself as a club legend.