Sports

Cratloe’s Podge Collins has announced his inter county retirement in what is another blow for the Clare footballers. As first reported by Clare FM, Collins has decided to step away from the inter county scene after a successful dual career. Collins was an integral part of Davy Fitzgerald’s side that defeated Cork to lift Liam McCarthy in 2013, winning an All-Star in the process. He was also nominated for Hurler of the Year after a string of stellar displays helped Clare secure the ultimate prize. The Cratloe club man also secured All-Ireland hurling medals at U21 level in 2012 and 2013. In the small ball code, he claimed two Munster minor titles and a NHL Division 1 title, which came in 2016. The 31-year-old played both football – under the stewardship of his father, Colm – and hurling with Clare up until 2017, when he chose to focus his efforts on the small ball. He later switched codes to focus on …

Details have been confirmed for Clare’s 2024 National Hurling and Football league fixtures. Mark Fitzgerald’s opening league game in charge of Clare will see his charges host Sligo in Cusack Park on Sunday January 28th with the game pencilled in for a 2pm start. Exactly seven days later, the Banner will enjoy their first away game of their Division 3 campaign as they travel to Mullingar for a showdown with Westmeath. Following a weekend off, Clare’s campaign resumes on February 18th with another road trip. This time Clare will head to Glenisk O’Connor Park for a clash with Offaly before hosting Wicklow a week later. In the fifth round of games, Clare will take the short trip to Mick Neville Park as they face Limerick on Saturday, March 2nd. These sides met in Division 2 and the Munster Championship last year with Clare emerging victorious on both occasions. On St. Patrick’s Day, Clare will host Antrim in Cusack Park in …

26 March, 1972 Newmarket-on-Fergus 5-8 Ballygunner 4-3 at Sean Treacy Park, Tipperary Town A note in The Munster Express the week before the game said much about this Munster final showdown that had been a very long time coming — three years in fact. “It’s been a long time coming and without question the game has lost all of its appeal — except, of course, for the clubs involved,” the short preview noted. And it was true because when it came down to the winning and playing of this 1969 Munster final there were plenty of takeaways from a contest that The Clare Champion said was “tough and uncompromising” before the Blues emerged with an eight-point victory to put Munster Club titles back-to-back. The first half decided it as “after playing into the jaws of a near gale force wind, victory was as good as on its way to Newmarket”. This was all down to their great finish to the …

Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship Final Clonlara v Ballygunner (Waterford) at FBD Semple Stadium Thurles, Sunday 3.30pm (Ciaran O’Regan, Cork) Momentum is a sporting phenomenon that is impossible to manufacture and easy to lose but when that wave does come, one has to make the most of it. Undoubtedly, not unlike Ballyea in 2016, the stars have aligned for Clonlara this year as while their potential has never been questioned, their own application and ability to reach that optimum made most including themselves wonder would regaining a first Canon Hamilton since 2008 ever happen. It’s what has made this journey all the sweeter and heartening as this year’s succession of highs has even surprised themselves at times but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find that the pieces of the jigsaw have been gradually put into place over the past few seasons. Experienced stars: John Conlon, Colm Galvin, Ian Galvin, Check. Maturing youth: The minor class of 2018 please stand …

The last time Clonlara were in a Munster final Jim Gully was the manager — 16 years on from the club’s provincial victory at intermediate level comes the opportunity of winning a senior title with the family connection being Séimí, who mans the gap in goal, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh. As dusk fell over Clonlara on a famous evening 15 years ago Jim Gully remembers everything about the day as if it was yesterday. The build-up; the team marching behind the Tulla band with Paul Collins at the head of affairs; the game; the win and Paul’s speech that announced the Canon Hamilton Trophy’s return to the village that gave the GAA the redoubtable cleric. Meanwhile, Jim’s son Séimí can only see the fires burning brightly on the hills as the Clonlara cavalcade made its way back to the village as a senior championship title was won for the first time in 89 years. It’s October 2008 and Clonlara have …

While their college and inter-county careers flourished, a coveted county senior hurling medal had eluded brothers Colm and Ian Galvin until Clonlara’s breakthrough six weeks ago. Now they stand only 60 minutes away from an unprecedented double as Clon look to stop Ballygunner from creating provincial history and open a new chapter of their own according to Eoin Brennan. Clonlara’s surge to a first Canon Hamilton crown in 15 years is completely justified now but in the overall context it was still a major shock. After all, manager Donal Madden wasn’t exaggerating when he said that avoiding relegation was their chief objective and anything after that would be a bonus. What a bonus it turned out to be though as once Clonlara gathered confidence and momentum, they have blossomed to unprecedented heights and are now preparing to take on back-to-back champions Ballygunner (Waterford) in Sunday’s Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship Final in FBD Semple Stadium (3.30pm). Let’s start with that …

There’s nothing like winning with a local team to ingratiate yourself into the community so for Alan Murnane, he couldn’t have chosen a better year to get involved in his new home of Clonlara. The Parteen native who, two decades on from first lining out between the sticks for the Blue and White, is still Parteen-Meelick’s custodian but now living in Clonlara for the past six years, the parish leap, from a coaching perspective anyway, was perhaps inevitable. Perhaps it’s no coincidence even that Alan’s introduction has come amidst Clonlara’s greatest ever season to date? “I’m glad you said it.” He laughs. “Ah no seriously, I’ve a young family now and that was one of the first things Donal [Madden] said to me was it would be a great way to get to know more people in the community. I think said in an interview after the Kiladangan game that there’s isn’t much there but that people in Clonlara love …

Every club team left standing in competitions across the land has battled a hectic fixture list but few if any will have dealt with the congestion that Corofin have. A dual club who will now see their flagship sides both operate in the top tier next year have had to work extremely hard to enjoy that right. Such a demanding run of games in both codes can fatigue a team, but it can also empower an outfit when they accomplish their goal. With Corofin’s footballers coming through a relegation final win over Clondegad, the focus is on the small ball code as the North Clare club enter a Munster Intermediate Hurling final with Castlelyons, Saturday at the Gaelic Grounds (throw in 6pm). Corofin manager Joe Cahill feels the dual status of the club has helped forge a bond within this group of players: “The club has been a while doing both codes together, so it is not new. We have …