Sports

Clare’s reward for reaching the quarter finals for the first time since 2016 is a clash against Derry. The draw was made this morning on RTE, with the winners facing the victors in the tie between Galway and Armagh. Exact dates and start times for the tie are yet to be confirmed by the GAA, although the quarter finals will be played over the weekend of June 25-26. Colm Collins’ side will face the Ulster champions after they secured a famous win over Roscommon in Croke Park on Saturday. Jamie Malone kicked the winning score as Clare produced a defiant late comeback to beat a shell shocked Roscommon side. Anthony Cunningham’s charges led by five points after 68 minutes but an Eoin Cleary effort cut the lead to four points. Keelan Sexton stepped up to convert a penalty after Gavin Cooney was felled. Sexton arrowed over a free to level the game before Malone’s late winner sparked joyous scenes among …

The scoreline of 1-20 to 3-4 is a little misleading but there was no doubt about the merits of victory as Ennistymon cooly picked off the last eight points to finally cement a much-needed Under 15C crown over Whitegate in Clareabbey. Having laid the groundwork by only trailing by the minimum at half-time with the conditions to come, initially it didn’t quite pan out how Ennistymon would have wished for. Despite being on top, Ennistymon were duly pegged back by timely goals through Daragh Pearl and Whitegate talisman Jake Gibbons to ensure only a two point advantage for the North Clare side entering the final ten minutes. Indeed, it had to take a superb save from goalkeeper Liam Marrinan to somehow deny Gibbons once more and cling onto their advantage at 1-12 to 3-4. That stop proved inspirational as Ennistymon regrouped and got back on the frontfoot with successive points through Donncha O’Dwyer (3), Eoin Devanney (2), Eoin Byrne, Louis …

IF CARLSBERG did hurling… I always used to refer back to a memorable afternoon by the banks 21 years ago when Clare and Tipperary’s hurling rivalry was at its peak and they loved to hate one another. Those looking on loved it more. It was toxic masculinity, but in a hurling sense of the term and it was magnificent. The back story was that it was the eighth time the sides had played against each other in the championship in as many years and time had marched on from the glory years of the 1990s when the team that Ger Loughnane built changed the hurling world. Forever. It was Cyril Lyons’ time, with the Ruan man being the first member of the Munster and All-Ireland winning alumni of 1995 to step up to try and keep the train moving — other members of this famous club in Anthony Daly, Ger O’Loughlin and Davy Fitzgerald would follow that same track, all …

John Kiely didn’t reference it, but you know that his Limerick team had history on their minds in Semple Stadium as they tried to go where only one Limerick team had gone before. That’s the level they’ve reached in the last few years, how far they’ve raised their own bar. Winning a four-in-a-row was that history, something the great Limerick team of the 1930s had managed between 1933 and ’36. Mick Mackey was the star of that team — now the Mick Mackey Cup was up for grabs for the first time as the Munster Championship trophy and it was everything.  Everything, even allowing for that fact that they’ve banked three Munsters, three All-Irelands and two National League titles since 2018. Everything, because it’s always the game that’s ahead of them; the next mountain they chart, survey, and climb. And, as mountains go this was as big as they’ve ever had to climb. “It meant a huge amount to us,” …

There was pride and loads of it, but after the fall and after coming out on the wrong side of a hurling epic it was hard to find some words to explain the depths of Clare’s disappointment.  The hurt; the regrets, because there’s always more than a few in any losing dressing room. But Brian Lohan stepped out to talk the talk — as a player he had no truck for losing and as a manager, he’s the very same. It cuts to his core, as a man, as a hurler and as a manager.  Munster finals are for winning — he won three of them as a player and wanted this one for his players. He wanted it as badly as he wanted it when he had number three on his back, when Munster finals had all their distinct motivations — to beat Limerick in ’95 for that first one; Tipperary two years later because they were whipping boys …

All-Ireland Football Qualifier Round 3 Clare 2-15 Roscommon 1-16 HISTORY repeats itself. Roscommon once more the vanquished. Those who bemoaned travelling to Croke Park were not those who were present to see history being witnessed as one of the greatest successes in Clare football was secured and a place in the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals in two weeks’ time, writes Michael O’Connor. Memories of a glorious Saturday in Pearse Stadium and an emphatic six-point win all of six years ago were rekindled as Clare once more took on Roscommon in a qualifier with a place in the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals at stake. Six starters from the Salthill encounter started this latest instalment at GAA headquarters. The opening score went to Cathal O’Connor after a five man move ended with the Coolmeen man pointing. Roscommon rallied with Eddie Nolan going close with a goal chance before Cathal O’Connor with Clare’s second effort was off target after being set up by Podge Collins as Clare …

U14A League final Fergus Rovers 4-9 Kilrush 3-9 (AET) Extra time was required to separate Fergus Rovers and Kilrush in the U-14A League Final at Kilmihil on Monday last before Fergus Rovers emerged to claim a thrilling contest by a goal. In a first half that produced five goals it was Fergus Rovers that had the brighter start kicking the first three points, two from Sarah Hickey while dominating possession in the opening quarter. Kilrush equalised with a goal from Avamay Broderick while Ali Talty put Fergus Rovers back in front with her first goal. Kilrush goals from Jessica O’Sullivan and Caoimhe Griffin, a good save from Rovers goalie Kate Griffin and a second Ali Talty goal left the half time score Fergus Rovers 2-05 Kilrush 3-01. In the second half Fergus Rovers Maeve Clancy kicked a goal and a point adding to her first half tally of two points while the impressive Kilrush full forward kicked five points and …

A devastating finish of four final quarter goals saw Clonlara sink Clarecastle in truly dramatic fashion on their way to the U-15B title in Cratloe. The interval switch of centre-back Harry Hodgins would ultimately be decisive as trailing by five nearing the turn of the final quarter, he would dramatically fire two goals in the space of just four minutes to completely flip this decider on its head. Now soaring in confidence, further goals through Dan and Mark Hogan would remarkably complete a late 14 point turnaround which did certainly skew the final scoreline. Along with the impact of Hodgins, the lively Darragh Dillon, who scored the opening goal and set up two more, along with Ciaran Howard were Clonlara’s main protagonists in an unprecedented final win. And yet it was arguably Clarecastle midfielder Harry Doherty’s almost incredulous powers of fielding, especially from puck-outs that will live longest in the memory bank from this seesaw final. Doherty and excellent chief …