The 2021 GAA provincial championship draws were made this week, with the countdown now firmly on to the return of competitive action across the country.

While no details are yet available as to when club players are allowed to return to training, it is believed that a date toward the end of May is being considered ahead of the Government’s next announcement in the roadmap to reopening the country.

Ahead of that, there is something for club football players in Clare to look forward to after the draws were also made this week for the 2021 O’Gorman Cup.

The competition, which has been played since 2006, is named in memory of the late John O’Gorman, who was a central figure in Clare GAA and beyond throughout his life. He was also a former officer of the Clare football and county boards.

With club teams unlikely to see action in the championship until the autumn, this year has seen the biggest entry to date in the competition, which is only for players who have not been involved with the county panel. It means that if the Government give the go ahead for a return to action at club level in the coming weeks, the O’Gorman Cup could well be the first competition to start in Clare in 2021.

Fifteen teams have informed the organising committee, headed up by Michael Neenan of Doonbeg GAA, that they will be entering this year’s competition. Banner GAA Club are debutantes in the competition, while multiple winners Kilmurry Ibrickane are also back in the mix this year.

Lissycasey are the defending champions, and are bidding for a third successive title. They were also the inagural winners when the competition started in 2006.

This year will see the competition arranged into three groups of five teams, with full details of the fixtures to be confirmed once there has been a further update in relation to Covid-19 restrictions.

The defending champions Lissycasey are drawn in Group One, where they will face strong opposition in the form of St Breckan’s, Doonbeg, Banner GAA and Miltown, St Joseph’s.

Kilmurry Ibrickane, who are the competition’s most successul team, have been drawn in Group Two alongside Cooraclare, Ballyvaughan, Naomh Eoin and O’Curry’s.

The final group is made up of Kilrush, Clondegad, Ennistymon, Kilmihil and Kildysart.