Sports

FROM early morning, while residents were still getting some shut eye, they were pounding the pavements around Sixmilebridge in the inaugural Eddie Murphy Memorial Marathon.Eight hardy runners set off at 7am to complete a double-marathon on a one-mile circuitous route of the village. They were joined at a later stage by over 70 runners who undertook either a 30-mile or a marathon run. Some were undertaking their first marathon, others had already broken the 100 mark. There was also one wheelchair competitor, Gerry Forde from Cork who recently completed his 200th marathon in Dublin on the October Bank Holiday.

THE Munster masters and juvenile B U-9 to U-19 cross country championships took place at Limerick Racecourse on a sunny afternoon  when underfoot conditions were good for all competitors and Clare athletes once again dominated the championships.In the rerun of the girls’ U-11 1,500m with over 200 competitors at the starting line, Daniela Svensson (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) ran a cracking race to take the silver medal, with Clare taking the silver medals on 86 points and Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare also taking silver medals in the inter club section. Both teams will go forward to the All-Ireland finals in the Curragh in December.   The juveniles Bs (U-9 to U-19) produced fine individual performances with John Connelly (St Cronan’s) winning the boys’ U-9, Shauna Harvey (St John’s) winning the girls’ U-17, Jack Devitt (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) taking a bronze medal in the boys’ U-15 and Eoin Devereaux (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) also taking a bronze medal in the boys’ U-17.The masters men and …

COURSING enthusiasts should see plenty of action at the Killimer-Kilrush coursing meeting at Aylevarroo next weekend with two interesting all-age events on the card.The Pat Curtin-trained Windfarm Eiscir and Marie Field’s Kyle King will be seeking their second cups wins of the season and the extra points for their passage to Clonmel when they compete in the Gilligan McMahon all-age dog stake (16).Castleisland cup winner, Cheryl, the Parteen-owned Ocean Tolula, beaten in the Oaks semi-final in Clonmel by Skellig Babe and Chiang Mia, who won the trial stake at Killimer-Kilrush last year and went on to win the Spirit of Mischief Stakes at Clonmel are among the big names challenging for the all-age bitch stake (16).Bookmaker Dinny Gould makes Kyle King the 6/4 favourite to land another cup for his Patrickswell connections with Windfarm, Eiscir the second favourite at 6/4.  Recent Ballyheigue trial stake winner, Eshwary Sea, is also in the line-up and he is given a 4/1 chance.The Cree-based …

PARTEEN owner, Tom Fitzgerald, senior, had a big win at the Limerick Greryhound Racing Stadium last Saturday night with his Ocean Crash showing brilliant form to win the Con Kirby Memorial Open 550.The Limerick track record holder broke well from trap four and although hard pressed in the run to the opening bend, he managed to go clear at the bend. Saint Bernard, in trap one, and Royal Patrol, the  5/4 favourite in trap six, tried hard to catch up with him but Ocean Crash stayed in front to come home a two lengths winner in a time of 29.98. The winner, who had good times in this year’s Leger, is trained by the owner’s son,Tom Fitzgerald,junior.Newmarket-on-Fergus owner, Myles Cummins also had a rewarding trip to the Dock Road venue after his Snugborough Gent was first to cross the line in the Shaneboy Lee at Stud A2 575 final. The son of Group Rooster-Christains Lady was smartly away from trap …

EAST Clare trainer Ronnie O’Leary got on the score sheet at last Sunday’s Dungarvan Harriers’ point-to-point at Affane where his newcomer, Western Man, ran out a good winner of the first division of the opening four-year-old maiden.Nicely backed from 7/2 into 5/2, the son of Westerner, who races the silks of his trainer’s wife, Vicky, was ridden by Derek O’Connor with the pair quickening up in good style in the closing stages to beat the Ciarán Fennessy-ridden runner-up, Bardeli, by three lengths.Cork-born former jockey O’Leary, who rode many big race winners when attached to the late Jimmy Fitzgerald’s yard in the north of England, predicts a big future for the winner who is now likely to go through the ring at the Brightwells Sale at Cheltenham Racecourse early next month.“This is a smashing horse,” said O’Leary. “He was working really well at home and we were very confident he’d win today. He has a very good pedigree and a lot …

Crusheen 0-19Carrigtwohill 1-10 PRODUCING arguably their best performance of the season, Crusheen overcame the challenge of Cork champions Carrigtwohill in the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship semi-final, played before a crowd of 2,344 at Pairc Ui Caoimh on Sunday.

SINCE winning the first of their two provincial club titles in 2004, Kilmurry Ibrickane have achieved at every turn.

Clonlara   2-11   Clondegad  2-7Clonlara were crowned Clare junior B football champions at Gurteen on Sunday when a storming finish, which yielded 1-2 in the last four minutes, saw them overcome the challenge of Clondegad