West Cork Championship
Numbers on teams were reduced from seventeen to fifteen in 1913 as Clon began their season with a 1-4 to 1-1 win over Skibbereen in Bandon on 4th May. Outstanding for Clon were the two Donovans, the 'Count' and 'Cash', who had also played for the county junior team.

The semi-final again saw 'Count' at his brilliant best against Kilmacabea in Skibbereen. 'Clonakilty were fortunate in having the services of Donovan, the All-Ireland player, and to his admirable play is due the victory achieved by them.' The result was a close win for Clon, 0-6 to 0-4.

West Cork Final
Opponents in the West Cork final were Kinsale on their own newly-laid grounds on 3rd August. It was the very first match played in the new pitch and the winners had a bye straight to the county final. Clon were well on top for the whole hour, with only Buckley, the Kinsale Goalie, standing between them and a big score. At one stage Clon attacked and 'O’Leary buckrooted a point.' In the end Clon emerged winners on a 0-5 to 0-0 score. 'The Donovans showed well for the victors who deserved their victory.'

The team contained three players who were to play prominent and different roles in the fight for independence, John 'Flyer' Nyhan, after whom the present junior A hurling cup is called, Patrick Harte and 'Cash' Donovan.

County Final
Kinsale was again the venue for the county final, Clon's first-ever county football final. Opponents were the famous William O'Brien’s of Cork City, who had been a top senior team twenty years previously. Their top player was 'Sandow' Donovan, another hero of the Black and Tan war. Date of the game was 31st August.

The match was 'a stubbornly contested' one throughout. O'Brien's led at the break by 1-0 to nil, with 'Sandow' scoring the goal. In the second half, 'the game became very fast and exciting and it was apparent that the city team was not as well trained as Clonakilty. The latter displayed much improved form and, playing better football, began to make attack after attack on the O'Brien's end.'

A point by 'Count' Donovan and a goal by John Sheehan put Clon in the lead and a high lob by Jimmy 'Saddler' Hayes deceived the O'Brien's goalkeeper for the clinching goal. On a 2-1 to 1-0 scoreline, Clonakilty had won their first ever county title.

'Clonakilty were the better-trained team and to this may be attributed their victory.' No doubt the trainer, 'Count' Donovan, had spared nothing in whipping the players into shape.

The attendance at the game was very small and one story held that only three Clonakilty supporters attended, one of them being the wagonette driver.

The game was definitely not one for the purist. 'An amount of unnecessary roughness was introduced, with the result that frees had to be repeatedly awarded by the referee, Mr. J. J. Collins of the Co. Board.'

We also read - 'A number of players indulged in strong language at different periods throughout the game. This got so bad that Fr. James Murphy of Kinsale entered the pitch before half time and threatened to stop the game if the bad language continued. He had the desired effect but the roughness continued right to the end of the game.'

There are different reports as to the composition of the winning Clonakilty team but the team which appeared in the Skibbereen Eagle included – John 'Count' Donovan (captain), Connie Driscoll, Pat Sheehan N.T. (Ross), Jimmy 'Sadler' Hayes (Ross), Seán 'Cash' Donovan, Pat 'Postboy' O'Brien, John Sheehan, John 'Flyer' Nyhan, Mick Ahern, Laurence McCarthy, Denis 'Rock' Collins, John O'Leary, John Tobin, Joe Flynn, John O'Sullivan.

One name missing from the team all season was that of Jack 'Rockett' Ahern, a star Clon footballer and hurler in the first decade of the 20th century and captain of the football team in 1912. John O'Leary was the last surviving member of the team, living to be 105, and he was always adamant that his brother Andy, who was a star player with the London-Irish GAA team, was home on holidays and definitely played on the day. Other names mentioned are those of Johnny Googan and Mick Minihane N.T., Barryroe.