IT’S not every West Cork League footballer who has his retirement announced on social media by a Premier League star, but it’s the least Bunratty United Colm Cleary deserved.
Ahead of the 2023 Beamish Cup final, Bunratty United’s Facebook page carried a good luck message from Premier League footballer Tom Cairney.
‘Good luck to Bunratty United (Schull) in the Beamish Cup final and good luck to Colm Cleary in his final game and retirement. All the best!’ read the Fulham FC footballer’s post via his official Twitter account.
Fulham star Tom Cairney's tweet on the eve of this year's Beamish Cup final.
Unfortunately for Cleary, Dunmanway Town proved too strong in the cup decider, winning 2-1 at Turner’s Cross.
So, is there any truth to Cairney’s post? Is one of the West Cork League’s most versatile midfielders finally calling it a day?
‘First of all, I knew nothing about Tom Cairney’s message until I saw it while we were on the team bus on our way up to Turner’s Cross!’ Cleary told The Southern Star.
‘A good friend of mine living in the UK organised and sent the message on. My friend works with a number of Premier League footballers and has obtained a number of signed jerseys for me over the years.
‘He just got Tom Cairney to give the West Cork League, Bunratty and myself a shout out.
‘Tom was announcing that I was retiring, so he was making the decision for me!’ Cleary laughs.
It turns out Cairney’s announcement was accurate as Cleary has, for now, hung up his boots, but the door is not fully closed. If Bunratty come calling next season, his phone will be switched on.
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At the end of a long season, Bunratty United consolidated a third-place WCL Premier Division finish and Beamish Cup runners-up berth. Not a bad return for a young squad that suffered relegation to the Championship only to immediately bounce back up to the top tier. United look set to challenge for honours once again in 2023/24. Will that be enough of an incentive for the club’s most experienced player to return?
‘Heading into the Beamish Cup final, I had made the decision that if we won it, that was me done,’ Cleary admitted. ‘Purely because of how long I have been playing and maybe it is about time that I backed away and let some of the youngsters come through. At 42 and a bit, to still be in the first 11 is something I’m pretty proud of.
‘The way Bunratty’s younger players have grown over the last three years, our team has matured and developed a lot.
‘A lot of that is down to Dan McSweeney managing us to win three West Cork League trophies in 2022. This season, Jeremy Brosnan and Des O’Brien have built on that success and established us as Premier Division and Beamish Cup contenders.
‘Coming up from that Championship Division was one of the toughest seasons I’ve ever put down. It’s that difficult.
'This Bunratty team is evolving and improving. If the lads can stick together and improve as much as they have over the previous three years then we will be in the mix along with the big boys like Drinagh, Dunmanway and Clonakilty.’
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Cleary redefines the term ‘stalwart’ when it comes to the veteran midfielder’s contribution to his local club Bunratty United. Having first togged out for the Town Park side at the age of seven, he started playing competitively at the schoolboys league U12 age-grade. Cleary, who turns 43 later this year, has been a Bunratty United ever-present through many ups and downs.
‘Thankfully, there are loads of highlights to look back on from my time playing in the West Cork League,’ Cleary said.
‘There are two standout moments for me and I won’t ever forget either of them. The first one is my brother Robert, at the age of 16, scoring the winner in the 1999 Beamish Cup final. A lot of talk going into that final was about me as I was going for the Golden Boot (top scorer) award. Robert was the one who stepped up, coming off the bench and scoring.
‘The second memory is one of my proudest achievements even though it is probably long forgotten by everyone else at this stage.
‘We played in a Carling League Cup final against Riverside Athletic back in 2000. Bunratty won 5-3 and I scored all five of our goals. I’m not certain but I think that is still a West Cork League record for the number of goals scored by an individual player in a men’s final. That day, I took six shots and five went in.’
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The Bunratty midfielder could not have enjoyed such a lengthy playing career without the support of his family.
Colm’s wife Sinead, sons Caolan (9), Sonny (7), Teddy (3) and daughter Romi (6) are his biggest fans. By his own admission, were it not for his wife’s similar sporting interest and dedicated support, Cleary would not have been able to enjoy such a lengthy West Cork League playing career.
But while he has called time on his playing days for now, don’t be surprised if this local legend makes a surprise return next season.
