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All roads lead to Belharbour point-to-point this weekend

RACING fans in the Mid-West are in for a real treat this weekend with the County Clare Hunt Point-to-Point meeting at Belharbour on Sunday set to attract huge crowds to the popular Burren venue. This well-appointed track on the lands of Dermot and Jennifer Linnane has been the subject of very favourable reports from owners, trainers and jockeys alike since what was the old Quin meeting moved there back in 2002 and this is reflected in the interest that has been generated on the build-up to this year’s fixture.Regional secretary, Frankie Ward, has been very busy handling the entries for the six-race card which kicks off at 1pm.The first race is a four-year-old maiden over two and a half miles, which will be followed by the always popular confined maiden. Half an hour later, it will be the turn of the five-year-old geldings to strut their stuff with a similar event for six-year-old geldings next on the list. The penultimate …

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Clare dominate North Munster Schools Championships

THE North Munster Schools Cross Country Championships were held in very cold weather conditions at Salesian Secondary College, Pallaskenry, County Limerick where Clare athletes dominated all eight races. Aisling Kelly (Spanish Point) won the minor ladies with Elaine Shannon (Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon) taking the bronze medal. In the minor boys, gold went to Eoin Looney (Spanish Point) with Jamie Roche (St Flannan’s) taking the silver medal.Niamh Markham (St Flannan’s) won the senior ladies’ title, while Laura Egan (St Michael’s, Kilmihil) captured the bronze medal.In the minor girls’ 1,500m, Aisling Kelly (Spanish Point) and Elaine Shannon (Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon) took command from the start. In heavy underfoot conditions, Aisling took control with 600m to go and held the lead to the finish line with Elaine Yelverton (Newport) just getting in ahead of Elaine Shannon with Sharon Egan (St Michael’s, Kilmihil) fourth.The team title went to St Michael’s, Kilmihil on 34 points followed in second by St Flannan’s on 39 points and …

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Mini marathon fills West Clare roads

THE road from Doonbeg to Kilkee was filled with hundreds of cancer care fundraisers last Sunday as the 14th West Clare Mini Marathon and walk wound its way along the 10km trek. The walkers and runners were bussed to Doonbeg, with the walk starting at 1pm and the run an hour later.The mini marathon committee spent close to €150,000 in 2011 and running costs are expected to reach a similar level in 2012. The mini marathon has raised more than €1.2m since the event was first held in 1998. A minibus service, funded by the committee, currently operates from West Clare to Limerick five days per week. The bus brings patients to Limerick for cancer treatment, while taxi services, again supplied by the mini marathon committee, operate from Kilmihil, Miltown and Ennistymon.The West Clare Cancer Centre is open Monday to Thursday from 11am to 2pm and on Saturdays from 2pm to 3pm. The centre, which is located just off O’Curry …

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Martin leaves The Park

Martin Flanagan has seen the best of them come and go. Footballers, hurlers, camogie players have had their moments in the sun, rain and hail at Cusack Park and moved on. Caretaker Martin Flanagan has, however, been a constant figure at The Park for the past 22 years. He’s seen a hell of a lot of action – great games, tense games, awful games at club and county level – and it’s been his responsibility to have the pitch in top notch condition before and after.A few weeks ago, Martin retired from his post at Clare GAA headquarters having started initially on a FÁS scheme. His time there coincided with some great success stories for both the county’s hurlers and footballers. It was the era when Clare hurling manager Ger Loughnane infuriated the media by regularly naming dummy teams ahead of big games. It was also a time when Martin had to map out Cusack Park to replicate measurements at …

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Missed chances are a worry

THE final margin in this senior hurling challenge at Gort on Saturday was two points but Clare will know that failure to convert good second-half possession into scores cost them a more comfortable margin.Ahead by two points at half-time, Clare turned over to have the assistance of the wind but, despite having the better opportunities, failed to convert these into scores. A late goal from impressive Gort substitute Michael Mullins left just two points between the teams at the final whistle.With most of the third-level students unavailable due to commitments with their college sides, Clare fielded a team likely to be similar to that which will line out in the opening round of the Waterford Crystal tournament on Sunday when Waterford IT will provide the opposition at O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge.Gort, preparing for their All-Ireland semi-final clash against Coolderry on February 11, lined out without two regulars, full-back Michael McMahon and full-forward Ollie Fahy. McMahon entered the action at the …

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Hurlers entertain WIT in Waterford Crystal opener

CLARE will have their first competitive outing under manager Davy Fitzgerald when they take on Waterford IT in a first-round game of the Waterford Crystal Tournament on this Sunday in Sixmilebridge at 2pm.The starting line-up will be finalised nearer match time but it is likely it will be similar to that which played against Gort last Saturday. A large number of the current senior panel are not available for this tournament as they must play with their college teams, Limerick IT and UL, while some more are part of the NUI Galway team, which is participating in the Walsh Cup in Leinster.Amongst the Clare panellists who will play with their college teams in this competition are Donal Tuohy, Eoin Hayes, Patrick Kelly, Caimin Morey (NUI, Galway); Andrew Fahy, Eamonn and Brian Glynn, Sean Collins, Cathal McInerney (Limerick IT); Brendan Bugler and Conor McGrath (UL).“Waterford IT are a strong side and this is a game I am certainly worried about. They …

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Vaughan out for league

Last year’s Clare senior hurling captain, Pat Vaughan from Crusheen will miss the upcoming national league campaign and much of the early part of the club season due to injury.Following a visit to a specialist earlier this week, the Ennis-based national school teacher learned that surgery is required to correct a hip injury which has been troubling him in recent times.“I am awaiting a date for the surgery which I hope to get done in February and it will be three months from then before I can play. I just have to have the problem corrected,” the Crusheen star said this week.With the first round of the domestic championship likely to be at the end of May, he faces a race against time to be ready for this outing when Crusheen will begin their challenge for a third successive title.Vaughan’s experience will certainly be a loss to Clare in the forthcoming league.

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Shane McGrath to declare for Clare?

Clare’s preparations for the upcoming National Football League, which begins on Sunday week when they will entertain Waterford, look set to be boosted with the addition of Dublin native Shane McGrath.A member of the Thomas Davis club in Tallaght, McGrath is son of former Shannon Gaels and Clare star, John, who played for the county throughout the ’70s during which time he won favour with the Railway Cup selectors and helped Munster to win the inter-provincial title in 1977.McGrath has, it is understood, responded positively to approaches from Clare to declare for the Banner county under the parentage rule, which allows players to declare for stipulated counties of which Clare is one. McGrath’s official application to be allowed play with is currently being processed.Meanwhile, Clare will continue their preparations for the league when they travel to play Westmeath this Sunday (2pm).Last Saturday Clare scored an easy 1-13 to 0-4 win over a Wexford selection at Clonmel.There are a number of …

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