Sports

Clare SHC Round One: Ballyea 0-16 Crusheen 0-14 Ballyea saw off a stiff challenge from Crusheen to get their 2020 Clare SHC campaign off to a winning start. The sides were level on four different occasions in the opening period but Crusheen were by far the most wasteful with 11 wides before the half-time whistle having had the wind behind them. Both teams were operating with a spare man at the back as Cian Dillon and Jack Browne were revelling in the space. Breffni Horner and Cillein Mullins worked hard up front for Crusheen while Niall Deasy and Morgan Garry were also causing plenty problems in the Ballyea full-forward line. Tony Kelly was as central as ever with four first half points, but it was the score just before the waterbreak from out on the sideline that won the prize for most spectacular. They led 0-5 to 0-3 at that point, but a trio unanswered on the resumption sent Crusheen …

Feakle 0-21 Whitegate 0-16 Feakle kickstarted their 2020 senior club championship with a deserved victory over rivals Whitegate in Sixmilebridge this afternoon. Shane McGrath was the star of the show for Feakle, bagging 0-11 (0-6f, 0-2 ’65), in a game that took 30 minutes to get going. McGrath punished Whitegate’s indiscipline in the first half with six points to give Feakle a 0-9 to 0-5 lead at the break. The first half was a messy, physical affair with melees and handbags, but not much quality hurling. The slick conditions meant a lot of possession went astray as the two sides tried to come to terms with the flow of championship hurling once again. Gary Guilfoyle and Eoin Tuohy landed classy points from play for Feakle while scores where harder to come by for Whitegate, who largely relied on frees from Paul Burke and Michael Hynes to keep them in the game. Whitegate came with a renewed enthusiasm and the wind …

Clare SHC Round 1: Cratloe 3-15 Kilmaley 2-11 Cratloe maintained their Indian sign over Kilmaley with a third consecutive championship victory over the same opponent in recent years. As with previous encounters, it went to the wire before a Shane Neville goal at the death finally settled an entertaining contest. A run of 2-6 without reply either side of the first half water break was the platform for Cratloe to take a 2-8 to 1-4 lead at half-time. Conor McGrath, Diarmuid Ryan, Rian Considine and Liam Markham were doing most to orchestrate the damage but that was aided by a Kilmaley side that looked all at sea at times. There was little shape to how they set up in the middle third meaning any decent supply to the inside line was non existent while Cratloe’s ability to break at pace was going unhampered. Cratloe hit the front when Podge Collins was adjudged to have been fouled in the square after …

O’Callaghan’s Mills earned East Clare bragging rights as they edged a tight tussle with neighbours Broadford in the opening round of the Clare SHC. A dominant third quarter proved the ultimate difference as the Mills outscored their opponents 1-5 to 0-3 in that period, with Sean Cotter’s goal after 38 minutes eventually turning the tide of the contest in favour of the winners. There was drama even before Niall Malone’s opening whistle, as Broadford were forced into wearing their jerseys inside out due to a colour clash between the two kits. The Broadford wides tally went well into double figures which is an area Jimmy Browne and his backroom team will mark for improvement before their next outing, but there were encouraging signs in defeat for the new boys to senior level. By the time the first half water break was called, it was welcomed by all as a hectic opening quarter had Broadford 0-8 to 1-4 in front, with …

Clare SHC R1: Sixmilebridge 0-17 Eire Óg 0-12 Sixmilebridge got the defence of their Clare SHC title off to a winning start after battling past Eire Óg in the opening round of this year’s championship. Tim Crowe’s outfit were forced to play majority of the second period with 14 men after the dismissal on a straight red card of Alan Mulready but experience told as they saw out the victory. Alex Morey was the scorer in chief as he accounted for 0-13 of his sides tally with all bar one coming from placed balls, while Seadna Morey’s man marking job on county team mate Shane O’Donnell was a telling factor. Missed chances for Eire Óg were a telling factor too, as Danny Russell struggled at times from frees while they were also without the dynamic David Reidy. Two goal chances in the second quarter of the contest also went astray with two late Russell frees from close range failed to …

The first round of the Clare senior hurling championship will feature eight games this weekend. Derrick Lynch previews the action. O’Callaghans Mills v Broadford A mouthwatering East Clare derby with the men from Broadford finally at the promised land of senior hurling. That will carry momentum with it, while the Mills are coming off the back of a disappointing 2019. Form goes out the window in these games, but the greater senior experience of the Mills should see them through. Verdict: O’Callaghan’s Mills Clonlara v Newmarket Two sides who will see this game as one that is there to be won, and two sides who will desperately want to hit the ground running. Clonlara are without John Conlon and his loss will be immense. Newmarket may hold the edge in the physicality stakes, but a greater scoring threat for Clonlara might just see them through. Verdict: Clonlara Crusheen v Ballyea This game provided one of the results of the year …

The opening rounds of the 2020 Clare GAA club championships will be played behind closed doors. The decision was reached following a virtual meeting of clubs on Friday evening with a number of delegates outlining their concern about the tensions that distributing such a limited number of tickets could cause among members. With only 200 people being allowed to outdoor gatherings, it means capacity would have been limited for championships games with secretary Pat Fitzgerald outlining his view that only in the region of 30 tickets would have been available for each club to sell. Some clubs also outlined concerns that extra panel members would have been excluded outside of the match-day squad. It was decided that each club will now have in the region of 55 tickets to divide between the panel, backroom team and club officials. The third phase of the roadmap to reopen the country is paused until August 10, at which point crowds for outdoors events …

Derrick Lynch O’Gorman Cup Preliminary Round: Ennistymon 3-9 Miltown 0-1 This was not a result or a game that will live long in the memory for either side, but it was a significant one nonetheless. 11am on a misty Sunday morning is never where you will find the glamour ties, but this one was all about the fact that competitive football was back for the first time since Covid-19 brought everything to a screeching halt in March. There was also something of an irony towards the end, with everyone wishing Robert Harte’s full-time would come quickly, having waited so eagerly to hear his first one. The new normal was evident for all to see, as Hennessey Memorial Park was well decked out with signage advising patrons of their responsibilities to help prevent the spread of the virus. The stand played host not only to the handful of spectators, but also to both teams for togging out. There was hand sanitiser …