The celebrations went on long and late to mark the success of the Ennistymon-owned and trained Middlepark Mal in the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby trial stake final at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium on Saturday night.Owned by Ennistymon publican Michael Marrinan and trained nearby in Russa by Tom Flanagan, the son of Droopys Maldini-Scattery Maid will now represent the Galway stadium in the first round draw for the Ladbrokes.com Irish Greyhound Derby at Shelbourne Park.The Gerry Holian-trained Starry Messenger in trap four went off the evens-money favourite but it was Middlepark Mal who set the pace. He flew from trap three to lead in the long run to the opening bend from Patsy Richardson’s reserve runner, Faithful Man, in trap five and Starry Messenger. Still well in front by four lengths as they turned down the back, Middlepark Mal looked the winner from a long way out and at the line he had a full six lengths on Faithful Man.His time …

The West Clare-owned Jacksies Roar was among the winners when first-round heats of the €17,000 Oran Majestic A5 525 got underway in Galway on Friday night.The white and fawn son of Ballymac Maeve-Jacksies Nicki, carrying the hopes of owner, Martin Sexton, was racing for the first time and afer a good break from trap one, he forced his way through by the inside rail as they rounded the first bend. He managed to go five lengths clear by the halfway stage and when he crossed the line, he had almost the same distance to spare on Chocolate Solder, trained by Noel Mullins for Eleanaor Mullins and Bernie Curtin, Gort. The time was 29.61.The Pat Guilfoyle-trained Runaway Turbo in heat three was the fastest of the first-round winners with a clock of 28.66.Among the heat winners were Forest Sam (Royal Impact-Forest Swallow) trained by Maurice Mullanney, Gort for Philip Mullaney. Running wide on the run up, he went into the lead …

“I would do the same again,” county manager Tom Coughlan said this week, talking about his handling of the closure of three popular Clare beaches for a time last weekend.

HAVE you any tips for Galway? That will be a much-used phrase over the next week or so as the world-famous Galway summer racing festival kicks into gear.The seven-day extravaganza, which is estimated to be worth €50 million to the Western Region, kicks off on Monday evening and it will be helter skelter in around the City of the Tribes until proceedings come to a close at the Ballybrit course the following Sunday.Monday’s action will kick off at 4pm and the feature race is the Carlton Hotel Galway Amateur Handicap, which is always a very competitive affair and a prestigious one to win with all our top amateur riders competing against each other.   The Topaz Mile EBF Handicap tops the bill on Tuesday afternoon when the action will again get underway at 4pm.Wednesday is Tote.ie Galway Plate day and this sees a mid-afternoon start time of 3pm with the Plate itself going to post at 5.25pm. In recent years, Thursday, …

THE race for the Junior C Hurling Championship title should be at the semi-final stage by the middle of next week.Clarecastle, last year’s beaten finalists, have already booked their place in the last four following their win over Bodyke.In the remaining quarter-finals, Ogonnelloe will play Feakle this Sunday in Scariff and Feakle are seeking to keep their league and cup double hopes alive. They played a draw with Scariff in the junior B league semi-final last week.Inagh will be the venue on Sunday evening for the meeting of Clonbony and the Banner, while the remaining quarter-final will take place next Wednesday when O’Callaghan’s Mills face Sixmilebridge at Meelick.  

WHILE the finer details of the local government reforms will not be outlined until the autumn, Environment Minister Phil Hogan gave his strongest indication yet that the Government will cut the number of councillors and local authorities.

SEVEN second-round games in the race for the Junior B Hurling Championship will take place this weekend.Broadford and Kilmaley meet at Newmarket with Broadford fancied to come out on top. Tubber will wear the favourites’ tag for their game against Smith O’Brien’s as will Newmarket when they play Inagh-Kilnamona. Wolfe Tones are fancied to overcome Éire Óg as are Scariff to account for Ballyea. The meeting of Corofin and Whitegate could prove to be a close affair. The remaining game will see neighbours Ruan and Crusheen clash at Tubber and this should be a close tie also.  

Last week it emerged that money allocated to Clare County Council from the Local Government Fund would be “withheld” by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government because of “non-compliance” with the Household Charge.