Clare Museum | Músaem an Chláir

While Limerick can boast the Mackey brothers and Wexford can boast of the Rackard and Quigley brothers, Clare can likewise feel justifiably proud of the hurling Considine brothers of Ennis, namely Brendan, William and ‘Tull’.

Born in 1897, Brendan Considine is reputed to be the youngest player ever to win an All-Ireland senior hurling medal. He was a student at St. Flannan`s when Clare captured the 1914 senior championship. Brendan was also a member of the 1911 Ennis hurling club, making him only 14 when he won his first county championship. He had an illustrious sporting career picking up a further All-Ireland medal with Dublin in 1917 and a Munster medal with Cork in 1920 (played in 1922 ). His position in the Munster and Leinster Bank took him to Waterford and he wore the Decies colours before declaring for a very strong Clare team in 1928.

Two of Brendan`s brothers, Willie (“Dodger”) and Turlough (“Tull”), also played for the famous Ennis Dalcassians and Clare. “Dodger” gave great service to Clare. He was a member of the Clare team from 1904 to 1916 picking up an All-Ireland medal in 1914 and a Croke Cup in 1908. He won three senior medals with Ennis Dalcassians in 1911, 1914 and 1915.

But perhaps the most famous member of this hurling family from the Turnpike area of Ennis was “Tull”. He was born Turlough Owen Considine in 1898, the youngest in a family of eleven. A dual player, he played hurling and gaelic football for Clare. Tull was a member of the Clare senior football team which lost to Wexford in the final of 1917. He played senior hurling for Clare from 1918 to 1934, winning a Munster championship medal in 1932. In the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final he scored at least 6-1 against Galway in Clare`s 9-4 to 4-14 win. Tull Considine was selected for Ireland in the 1928 Tailteann games versus the U.S.A. He was an automatic choice in the Railway Cup teams with Munster 1928-1931. In his time he was the only Clareman to have played hurling and football for the province of Munster in the Railway Cup. After retiring from the Clare team he continued to assist the “Dals” in the local championship and Old Mill Street in the famous town leagues. As well as training the successful Dals team of 1941 Tull Considine picked up senior county medals in 1914, 1915, 1924, 1928, 1929 and 1934. He won a county football medal with Ennis Dals in 1913 and 1929. Tull went on to train the St. Flannan`s teams of 1944-1947 which won four Harty Cup and All-Ireland titles in a row. Jimmy Smyth,who was a member of these teams, described Tull Considine as being “years ahead of his time in coaching methods”.

[Clare Library website, Accessed 12th September, 2022]