Sports

And then there were four…Eoin Brennan previews this weekend’s senior football championship semi-finals Kilmurry Ibrickane v Ennistymon at Cusack Park Ennis, Saturday 4pm Remarkably, their group clash eight weeks previously proved the catalyst for both sides to ignite their championship challenge but this time around it’s winner-takes-all for a coveted place in the final. Bouncing back from an opening defeat to Clondegad, Ennistymon’s transformation from being an underwhelming attacking side to an effective defensive structure certainly caught Kilmurry Ibrickane unawares as the North Clare Magpies ground out a 1-9 to 0-9 victory on their way to sealing top spot in the group. It would be an equally impactful juncture for the ‘Bricks who knew that if they were to survive, they would have to win every remaining match and it was that necessity that drove them to new heights in the second period against previously unbeaten Clondegad a fortnight later. The 2020 champions haven’t looked back since as along with …

Michael O’ Connor watched Sixmilebridge dismantle Clonlara in the Junior B hurling semi final on a score of 2-23 to 1-7 From the start of this season the intention in Sixmilebridge was crystal clear. Get as many teams as possible out and make them competitive. So, to this end they had four adult teams in semi-finals over the weekend and special emphasis in its own quiet way was in getting one side into Junior A in 2023 and one side into Junior B for next season. One part was achieved within Tulla and on Sunday morning in dreadful conditions they eased past Clonlara in Cratloe for seal a place in the Junior B final against Inagh/Kilnamona on Sunday week in Tulla on county final day. The day before the Clonlara men suffered demotion to Junior A and so there was a need to rally the forces in this tie to bolster morale. Sixmilebridge played with the strong wind in the …

Derek Dormer watched on as mistakes proved costly for St Flannan’s College in their 2-20 to 5-12 defeat to Cashel Community School in round one of the Dr. Harty Cup DEFENSIVE mix-ups, last-line errors and a referee’s whistle all culminated in a heartbreaking one-point defeat for St Flannan’s in an immensely enjoyable contest that ebbed and flowed throughout in Cappamore on Wednesday afternoon. As mentor Jack Browne stated afterwards, “Anytime you concede five goals it’s very difficult to win,” and so it proved as the Ennis school now need to take down All-Ireland champions Ardscoil Rís in order to survive in the prestigious competition. The opening half never really sparked into life as first round nerves played their part with St Flannan’s dropping balls short and Cashel hitting a series of wides. Level on seven occasions, a decisive moment arrived in the seventh minute of injury time when Cashel full-forward Fabian Ryan cut inside the 20 metre line and as …

A weekend filled with Munster Junior Cup action threw up plenty of interesting ties as Tulla United suffered a surprise defeat while Avenue United survived a scare. Ray Quigley’s hat trick helped Shannon Olympic produced the result of the round as they beat Tulla United 4-2. Quigley’s trio of goals alongside Jay Regan’s strike helped the Shannon side claim a notable scalp against their Maloney Hardware Premier Division opponents. Fionn Ryan and Craig McNamara’s goals were not enough to prevent Tulla falling to a surprise defeat. Avenue United came away with a 2-1 win over Coole FC in a keenly contested encounter. The reigning Maloney Hardware Premier Division league champions were forced to battle hard for the win as an own goal and a Conor Hehir effort saw them through to the next round. Meanwhile, Newmarket Celtic secured a 3-0 win over Brownies Barbershop Third Division side Fairgreen Celtic. Paddy Purcell’s side progressed after Ian Collins opened the scoring before …

CLARE camogie star Michelle Powell has been nominated for the PwC Camogie Soaring Stars team for 2022. The Truagh-Clonlara star is contending for the full back slot against Ciara Donohue (Galway) and Niamh O’Leary (Cork). Michelle is the first ever Clare player to be nominated for a Soaring Star. Her role in the Clare defence throughout the 2022 Premier Junior Championship was pivotal in Clare reaching the penultimate stage of the Championship. In what is a busy week for the Truagh Clonlara player, Clare Camogie said it would like to congratulate Michelle on her nomination. The shortlist has been compiled by a dedicated All-Star Nomination Committee, to celebrate the high performance and commitment of players throughout the 2022 Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate and Premier Junior Championship season. All-Ireland Intermediate Champions Galway take prime position in the nominations of 36 players spread across 8 different counties. Players from Galway (11), Cork (7), Antrim (5), Meath (5), Derry (3), Armagh (3), Clare …

Eoin Brennan watched timely goals powered St Flannan’s College to a 5-10 to 3-7 defeat of St Francis Rochestown (Cork) in the Munster Under 15A Post-Primary Schools Football Championship Final SAINT Flannan’s produced an emphatic start to the Munster Post-Primary Schools Championships when firing five timely goals past St Francis Rochestown to cement the Under 15A Football honours for the first time in five years in Ballyagran, Limerick on Tuesday afternoon. Carving out a 3-6 to 0-2 half-time cushion after goals from St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield duo Graham Ball (2) and Leon Talty, the Ennis school would actually power 17 points clear by the two-thirds mark before their Cork opponents finally found their feet. A backlash was inevitable but perhaps a little too close for comfort as St Flannan’s cushion was slahsed to just eight after a 2-3 unanswered blitz that included goals for chief threats Ciaran Fitzgerald and Cillian Murphy. A 53rd minute goal for Luke Vaughan finally clinched the …

Kilmihil manager Kevin Callinan insists his side bear no wounds from their 10-point loss to Banner Ladies in last year’s Senior decider. Callinan’s side will line out in their sixth county final in seven years as they face the ever present Banner Ladies. With the Ennis side firm favourites and keen on securing a three in a row after Kilmihil pulled off a shock upset in the decider in 2019, Kilmihil enter the contest as firm underdogs. Throw in JJ O’Dea’s side securing a 10-point triumph in last year’s decider while beating Kilmihil 2-14 to 2-3 in this year’s round robin series and it goes without saying that Callinan’s charges face a mammoth task if they are to secure a second county title in four years. However, he is adamant that Kilmihil hold no burden on their shoulders despite suffering more than their fair share of county final heartbreak. “We wipe the slate clean, and we started again after last …

FORMER Irish Rugby international Rosie Foley has dived into an elite group of about 279 people who have achieved the gruelling Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. The 49-year-old Killaloe native recently followed in the footsteps of her mentor, Fionnuala Walsh, by completing the 32.3 km swim across the Catalina Channel between Santa Catalina Island and the Southern California mainland in the United States. In July 2014, Rosie completed the 33.5 km swim across the English Channel between England and France and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, a 45.9 km circumnavigation around Manhattan Island last June. She has also become just the second Irish woman to finish a marathon swimming challenge consisting of three historically important swims around the world. The mother-of-three undertook the charity challenge in memory of her brother, the late Munster and Irish rugby legend Anthony Foley, who died on October 16, 2016. All proceeds will go to the Mid-Western Cancer Foundation, children’s charity CARI and CRY, …