Martin O'Brien will bring drive and energy as new Clonakilty football boss

“HE will get instant respect due to his track record both from a playing and coaching perspective and he will get the best out of the players.” 

That's the view of former Clonakilty senior footballer Denis Murphy following the appointment of Martin O’Brien as the new manager of Clon.

O'Brien, who won a senior football county title with Clonakilty alongside Murphy in 2009, succeeds Haulie O’Neill for the 2023 playing season. Since his retirement, O'Brien has earned a formidable reputation as one of the most promising coaches in the county following successful tenures with the Cork camogie team, various Cork underage football teams, Newcestown, Mitchelstown, and Kanturk.

Denis Murphy, a decorated Clon footballer, is thrilled with the appointment of O'Brien. 

“I am delighted with the news. It is very exciting and a great appointment. We are disappointed to see Haulie step aside, but he doesn’t owe anything to the club. Martin has big boots to fill, no doubt about it. Haulie has been very successful down through the years with Clon,” he said.

He will bring huge ‘drive’ and ‘commitment’ to the Clonakilty senior football team. 

“It will be a job that he will carry out and perform to the utmost of his ability. Martin will bring a huge drive and commitment to the camp. He has worked with several teams and has enjoyed success wherever he went. He has also amassed so much coaching experience in recent years which will be very beneficial for Clon.” 

O'Brien, a talented corner-forward, initially joined Clonakilty from his native Mallow. He was a ‘central’ figure in their 2009 county final success. 

“As soon as he joined us, he brought a huge drive to our team. He was a central figure the year we won the county final. He really drove that team. He is a hugely committed individual. He is very innovative. He is always looking for that extra little bit within the game as games are often decided by very small margins. 

He has his finger on the pulse. He will bring huge knowledge and experience from his playing days.

“He is a good communicator and can relate to players,” said the former Clonakilty dual player.  “He gets people on board. He is fiercely passionate and players like that. He has a way of unlocking players' potential. He is very adaptable as well. If something isn’t working, he will not be afraid to make changes and he will try something else. He has a way of getting players on board with him.

“The most important thing about him is that he has this ability to consistently improve players. He has proved that in every coaching role. I always knew he was a guy who would go into coaching as he ticked so many boxes. He has improved the teams everywhere he went which is a great testament to his coaching work,” he added.

Despite his undoubted coaching prowess, Murphy said O'Brien will be stepping into a tough gig with the Clonakilty senior footballers who will be missing a few key players for next year. 

“The Clon senior footballers reached the county final recently but there have been a few changes since. It is going to be a tough gig. 

"Martin will know there is a big job of work there. You would think the ingredients are there, but we are missing three starting players from the team that reached the county final. Dara O’Shea who was a huge scoring threat has gone back to Kerry. Eoin Deasy our captain has gone to Australia and Gearoid Barry our wing-forward has gone. Defensively we are not too bad if everybody is fit. Hopefully, Liam O’Donovan will be fit as he is a huge asset.” 

TOUGH

Clonakilty has been drawn in a tough championship draw for the 2023 premier senior championship. They have been drawn in Group A which also features Castlehaven, Carbery Rangers, and Valley Rovers. The players will have to ready for the challenge. 

“Clon have been drawn in a tough group. Knowing how competitive Martin is, however, he will get the players ready to meet those challenges. Martin will leave no stone unturned in his quest for success. I hope it all goes well for him, but I don’t think they will be looking further than Valleys in the first round.

“Clonakilty has three lads involved with the Cork senior footballers in Thomas Clancy, Liam O’Donovan, and Maurice Shanley which is a good base to build from. If I was a Clonakilty player, I would be excited to work with him. He transferred to Newcestown after he finished with us, but he would always say he is a Clonakilty man. He is fiercely driven. The lads will respond to him very positively,” he added.

Martin will be joined by Neil Deasy and Eoin Ryan on the management team. The latter duo will be a huge help. 

“Neil is an excellent coach. He has enjoyed good success with the various Clonakilty U21 teams, and he was also coaching our team in 2009. The two of them will work well together. Eoin Ryan is also staying on. He has very good knowledge of the club scene. He knows every player inside out. There is a nice mixture between those three.”