Sports

Fixture details have been announced for the Clare senior and junior camogie squads 2021 Littlewoods National League campaigns. Ger O’Connell’s charges have been grouped with neighbours Galway and Limerick in Group One of Division One, and begin their campaign with a trip to take on the Tribeswomen on Saturday May 15. Clare will have home advantage a week later against Limerick, before a bye in the final round. Last weekend also saw the Camogie Congress taking place, where the trial rules introduced last year were ratified for the coming season. Clare captain and Inagh-Kilnamona clubwoman Clare Hehir, feels it was a progressive step. “It was all very positive with the new rules being passed which is good to see. We are no longer allowed handpass goals or drop the hurley, but hopefully things like the contact rule will make a big difference. It is something we had been waiting to happen so it was good to see that passed and …

Fixture details have been announced for the Clare senior and junior camogie squads 2021 Littlewoods National League campaigns. Ger O’Connell’s charges have been grouped with neighbours Galway and Limerick in Group One of Division One, and begin their campaign with a trip to take on the Tribeswomen on Saturday May 15. Clare will have home advantage a week later against Limerick, before a bye in the final round. The Division One quarter-final is set for the weekend of June 5, with the semi-finals and relegation playoffs taking place a week later. The Division One final and Relegation final are both fixed for the weekend of June 19. Group Two in Division One is made up of Cork, Tipperary and Waterford with Kilkenny, Dublin and Offaly competing in Group Three. The Junior side, who missed out on last year’s championship after “second teams” were forced to stand down amid Covid-19 restrictions, will also get their Division Three campaign underway on Saturday …

There will be plenty Clare interest in today’s Aintree Grand National as Tubber’s Derek O’Connor will be among the 40 strong field for the prestigious event. The point to point legend is set to take on the famous fences in one of the world’s biggest races for the first time in his career, as he partners with the Nicky Henderson trained OK Corral. The JP McManus owned runner is currently around an 80/1 shot with Henderson bidding for his first ever win in the race. O’Connor has already faced the big fences this week at the Aintree Festival, and finished fourth aboard Snugsborough Hall in Friday’s Topham Chase. The big race is set to go post this evening at 5.15pm.

Irish rugby legend and Clare man Marcus Horan is among the growing number of voices expressing their concern about circumstances surrounding the latest signing by Munster. It was announced last week that Johann van Graan has added the former Bulls and Springbok lock Jason Jenkins to his side, as cover to replace Munster stalwarts Billy Holland and CJ Stander. The move has led to much criticism as it is seen as favouring a big money move over homegrown players being given their chance to make that step to the next level. Clonlara native Horan, who played 225 times for the province, outlined it is a decision which has left those close to the scene confused as to its logic. “It goes against everything we have been told and it is hard to comprehend even from an IRFU point of view as to how it was allowed. If the player himself was more experienced and was going to be someone who …

It was clear from an early age that bravery was a prime trait for Jack Lynch, and one that he has carried through his entire sporting career. His battling qualities as a defender will come as no surprise to those who followed his father Tommy’s career in England, with his place in the annals of Shrewsbury Town history secured when he was voted on to the clubs greatest ever team in 2016. Like his son, Tommy also made his name as a defender, and the evidence of him passing on the tricks of the trade to the next generation at an early age were uncovered in the Lynch house recently. “My Dad was a huge influence on me. My first memories as a child always have some sort of a ball involved. I was watching back some home videos that my mother transferred on to DVD. I was only two or three years old and I was trying to slide …

THE Clare hurlers are set to begin their National League campaign on the weekend of May 8/9, while the county’s footballers will return to action the following weekend, according to the GAA fixture calendar released today. Intercounty teams are to resume training on April 19, and the football league will see a regionalised format this year, with Clare facing Cork, Laois and Kildare in Division 2 South. They will begin with an away tie against Kildare. After the action begins the hurlers will have five league games, but the competition will not have a specific final this year, with the winners of Divisions 1A and 1B being joint winners, or if they meet in the championship, this will double as a final. As in 2020 the Munster and Leinster hurling championships will be knock out, with a back door qualifier system. The football championship will be knock out, with no qualifier system. Both the football and hurling championships will get …

HEAD Coach Adam Griggs has named Clare’s Eimear Considine at full-back in his Ireland Match Day 23 to face Wales in Saturday’s Women’s Six Nations game in Cardiff. Considine returns to number 15 as one of the three changes in personnel from the victory over Italy last time out. Ireland will be captained by Ciara Griffin in the opening game of their 2021 Championship campaign at Cardiff Arms Park (Kick-off 5pm, live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player), with Griggs’ starting XV showing three changes to the side that beat Italy at Energia Park last October. Commenting on his selection, Head Coach Griggs says the competition for places within the squad has intensified in recent weeks as the squad stepped up their preparations at the IRFU High Performance Centre. “We are extremely confident in the squad we have selected,” he said. “We have had a great deal of time to prepare together and this group of players have earned the responsibility …

Clare senior football champions Kilmurry Ibrickane have added one of the best known names in Clare football to their backroom team for the 2021 campaign. St Senan’s Kilkee clubman and former county star David Russell has been confirmed as part of manager Aidan ‘Horse’ Moloney’s backroom team, with the ‘Bricks bidding to retain their title after winning a 16th senior championship last year. Russell, who coached Naomh Eoin to the Clare Junior A football title in 2014 and 2017, also had spells involved with his native club Kilkee and Cooraclare. He faced Kilmurry Ibrickane on the field in county finals twice in his club career, winning his second county title in 2005 scoring 0-3 in their in their 3-8 to 1-9 win. He was on the losing side when the sides met in the showpiece again in 2009, with the Brick’s winning 0-12 to 2-3 before going on to contest the All Ireland club final. It is understood that the …