Sports

This week saw the return of underage players across every discipline return to training after the latest easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Among them were the young stars in West Clare who are keeping the tradition of hurling and camogie alive in the heartland of football country. With stalwarts like Mick O’Neill and Paddy McDonnell having been central to the revival of the small ball game in the seaside town of Kilkee, the Kilkee-Bealaha hurling and camogie club has grown from strength to strength over the last number of years. Tina Roche is another of those who is a key member of the club and she outlined that the development in recent times has been great to see. “We have been hurling for six years at underage level and we are now into our fourth year of underage camogie. We started with the hurling to test the appetite, and the girls were allowed play with the boys up to U-12. After …

The chairperson of the group tasked with working toward a plan to address the issues at Clare GAA’s Centre of Excellent has outlined the three main priorities to begin that process. The much maligned €4.8 million venue at Caherlohan has been the subject of intense scrutiny and discussion over the last few months, with clubs being invited to visit the facility for themselves last weekend before making any submissions to the new strategic group for the future of Clare GAA. The Clare Champion understands that 13 clubs sent representatives on the day to view the facility, just less than a quarter of all clubs in the county. Issues have been raised in relation to the condition of the pitches at the venue, with the Clare senior hurlers opting to train at the county grounds in Cusack Park or at club pitches in Meelick, Wolfe Tones and Tubber last year. The Clare senior footballers continue to train on their pitch at …

SPORT Ireland has announced €347,216 for sports in Clare as part of a €40 million investment in National Governing Bodies for Sport (NGBs), High Performance athlete support and the network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) for 2021. This includes funding of €9.5 million for the network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships across Ireland, representing an increase of 15% on 2020 funding. This increase in investment provides an opportunity for Sport Ireland to support a locally led, safe return to sport and to further build the capacity of LSPs, increasing their reach and impact across Ireland. Welcoming the investment in Clare Sport, Inagh Senator Róisín Garvey said, “The pandemic has highlighted how important sport is in supporting our physical, mental, emotional and social health and providing us all with enjoyment and it is good news to see this funding coming to Clare” This funding will work alongside the Covid-19 Grant Scheme announced in December 2020. Under Covid-19 restrictions, many sports at …

With more outdoor sporting activity sparking back into life over the coming days, the countdown is also on for the return of the popular Friday evenings for the members of the Clare Branch of the Irish Pony Club. The 50 strong club, which is based at the showground in Ennis, caters for young people ranging from eight years old right up to 23 years old, and provides a number of different opportunities within the equine field. The Irish Pony Club has branches right across the country, with one of its former members in Tipperary making all the headlines recently as the all conquering Rachael Blackmore smashed the glass ceiling for female jockeys. DC of the Clare Branch Nicki Harvey outlined that the focus in the club is on developing the relationship between the young person and their pony in order to maximise the experience. “The club was founded just over 40 years ago and is really a child centred club …

The wait for a return to competitive GAA action is now almost over, with just over two weeks to go until the 2021 National Hurling League gets underway. The draws for the Munster championship made this week saw Brian Lohan’s charges sent on something of a revenge mission, as they will meet Waterford once more in the provincial quarter final. The winners of that tie will face Liam Sheedy’s Tipperary in the last four, with All Ireland champions Limerick taking on Cork in the other side of the draw. For Colm Collins, his eighth year in charge will see him facing Kerry for the sixth time with his squad set to travel to Killarney for a quarter final showdown. The winners of that tie will meet the reigning provincial champions Tipperary in the last four, while last years beaten finalists Cork take on Limerick in the other semi final tie. November 21 was the last time that the Clare senior …

When the hard work, sacrifice and frustrations were stripped away, what remained were memories of good times, days out, shared experiences and enduring friendships with great people. Maria Carey’s summation in the 2016 publication The Inside Track to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ennis Track A.C goes a long way to capturing the feelings of the vast majority of those who have been involved in the club since its inception. This year marks another major milestone as the club celebrates 30 years in existence with some outstanding achievements along the way. Whenever Ennis Track A.C is mentioned, the name of Gerry Hayes is usually mentioned too with the current club president hailed as being the heartbeat of the club. It is a fitting accolade, given that he was at the core of the clubs formation at O’Keeffe’s Bar in Lifford on April 19 1991. “I was always interested in athletics, and it was usually the main topic of conversation whenever …

When the question is asked as to which Clare GAA team were the first to get back training in 2021, the answer might be something of a surprise. That is because the answer is the newly reformed Clare hurling club in New York, who saw 22 players out training under the watchful eye of management last week. That management team is made up of former Clare ladies football manager and dual county star Noelle Comyn, with the Tubber native joined by Galway All Ireland winner Jonathan Glynn as the coach of the side. East Clare is also represented, with Feakle’s Barney Breen involved in the backroom team. The rebirth of the Clare hurling club came about when Noelle approached one of the stalwarts of Clare GAA in New York, Lissycasey native Pat Scanlan, about reviving the club after a 17 year absence. Scanlan, who runs Ned Divine’s Saloon in Yonkers along with his business partner Kevin McMahon (Eire Óg Ínis), …

THE dates, times and venues for Clare’s National League games have all been released by the GAA. Clare hurlers National League fixtures 8/5/21 Antrim v Clare, Corrigan Park, Belfast, 1pm 16/5/21 Clare v Wexford Cusack Park, Ennis, 1pm 23/5/21 Laois v Clare, Portlaoise, 3pm 5/6/21 Dublin v Clare, Parnell Park, Dublin, 5.15pm 12/6/21 Clare v Kilkenny, Cusack Park, Ennis, 3pm Clare footballers National League fixture 16/5/21 Clare v Laois, Cusack Park, Ennis, 3.45pm 23/5/21 Kildare v Clare, St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, 2pm 30/5/21 Clare v Cork, Cusack Park, Ennis, 1.45pm.