Sports

  Crusheen 0-15   Inagh-Kilnamona 0-15 FIVE points behind at half-time, Crusheen looked to be in trouble in this Clare Champion Cup play-off for a semi-final place at Clarecastle on Sunday evening.The introduction of Clare captain Pat Vaughan and former Clare All-Ireland medal winner David Forde in the second half sparked off a strong response from the current senior champions and it took an excellent point from a Ger Arthur free in the second minute of injury time to earn Inagh-Kilnamona another chance.A draw was a fair result in a game in which both sides enjoyed periods of dominance. They were evenly matched in the opening quarter during which both managed two points but the remainder of the half was dominated by Inagh-Kilnamona who scored five unanswered points to lead at the break on a score of 0-7 to 0-2. They were a little unlucky not to have been a bit further ahead at this stage but a couple of bad …

There are no arguments as to who is the country’s most successful minor hurling manager. Ask any GAA follower for an answer to that question and they will immediately say Galway’s Mattie Murphy.Throughout the past decade he has been at the helm at minor level in the county and in that time they have won the title on five occasions. With a record like that, it’s understandable that Clare followers are wary ahead of their side’s clash with the Tribesmen on Sunday.Is it an advantage or a disadvantage not to see action until late July each year in this particular competition?“It’s hard to know what’s best. Kilkenny like to win with the least number of games. Look it will be all on the day. Galway went into Leinster at senior level thinking that all the games would improve matters but they are still under achieving,” he said.“We have had no shortage of games as we have played Dublin, Waterford, Clare …

Meelick 1-5   Coolmeen 0-8 COOLMEEN staged a strong second-half fight back to earn a share of the spoils in the Division 4 football league final played at Clareabbey on Saturday evening.It was a game, which produced a lot of talking points not least the fact that Coolmeen played much of the tie with 14 men following the sending off of defender, Kevin McMahon early in the game. Another talking point, concerned the melee after the final whistle, while there were claims that Coolmeen had an extra man for a period in the second half, when it was claimed they made a substitution and failed to withdraw the player being replaced.Meelick, playing with the aid of the breeze in the first half, dominated the exchanges and raced into a 1-3 to 0-0 lead, the points coming from Kevin Hartnett and the goal from Brian O’Neill shortly before the end of the first quarter. They had chances to score more goals in …

O’Callaghan’s Mills 1-11   Kilrush 0-7 O’CALLAGHAN’S Mills  were crowned Division 5 football league champions when they defeated Kilrush at Éire Óg on Bank Holiday Monday.The Joe Joe Whelan-coached East Clare outfit laid the foundations for victory in the first half when they raced into a 0-6 to 0-0 lead.Kilrush hit back before the break and when the half-time whistle sounded, four points separated the teams with the score at 0-7 to 0-3. The Mills were relieved when John Kelly’s effort just before the break went over the bar. The winners struck a vital blow early in the second half when they were awarded a penalty, which Bryan Donnellan converted..Kilrush hit some good points in the second half but they needed a goal to get back into contention and they were unable to break down a solid O’Callaghan’s Mills defence to get through for this score. After the game, Clare GAA vice chairman, Joe Cooney, a leading light in the O’Callaghan’s …

St Joseph’s 0-14   St Senan’s 1-8 EOIN Kane and Mark Hanrahan were the chief scorers as St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield accounted for St Senan’s Kilkee in the Division 6 football league final played at Labasheeda on Saturday.The winners led by a point at half-time before stepping up a gear in the second half to pick off the important scores.After the game, Clare GAA treasurer Bernard Keane presented the trophy to the winning captain, Ger Dullaghan.St Joseph’s: Ger Dullaghan, Martin Brooks, Barry Galvin, Paudie Nugent; Leo Duggan, Noel Nagle, Eamonn Clohessy; Don Baron, Pa Mannion; Stephen Barron, Jamie Collins, Mark Hanrahan (0-5); Conor O’Reilly (0-2), Rory Millane, Eoin Kane (0-7).Subs: Brian Dilleen for Millane; Peter O’Toole for S Barron; Joe McNamara for Collins.St Senan’s: Georgie Roche; Eoin O’Sullivan, Robert Fitzpatrick, Ronan Browne; Darren Clarke, Robert Daly, Alan Russell, Derek De Loughrey, John Hickey; Brian Harte, Denis Russell, Trevor Clancy; Thomas McGrath, Brian Cummins, Gavin Melican.Subs: John Garvey, Brian Keane, Rory McCarthy, Eugene …

  Corofin 3-10   Clondegad 2-4 VETERAN Colm Clancy contributed 1-3 as Corofin captured the Division 7 football league title at Éire Óg on Monday.Corofin and Clondegad had drawn in the championship a week earlier and another close contest was expected. Corofin put down a marker in the opening half when they raced into a 13 point lead helped by goals from Colm Clancy from a penalty and Jason O’Connor who found the net twice.Clondegad did improve after the break but the gap was too great and a well-balanced Corofin who had a good mix of youth and experience, won the day.After the game, Clare GAA chairman Michael O’Neill presented the trophy to the winning captain, Sean O’LoughlinCorofin: Paul Moroney; Ronnie Meere, Sean O’Loughlin, Gary Tierney; Donnacda Egan, Keith O’Loughlin, Brian McGauran; Patrick Ryan, Jamie Malone (0-1); Pio O’Brien, Brian Halpin (0-2), Colm Turner (0-1); Gearóid Kelly (0-2), Colm Clancy (1-3), Jason O’Connor (2-1).Subs: Fiachra Daly for O’Brien; Stephen Gilligan for …

  Kilmurry-Ibrickane 2-10   Cooraclare 0-11 Kilmurry-Ibrickane collected their second title in just over a week and, in the process, brought their recent winnings to €4,500 when they defeated Cooraclare in the O’Gorman Cup final at Doonbeg on Monday afternoon.Their Cusack Cup victory over Doonbeg last week earned them €2,500 from sponsors, The Clare Champion and Monday’s O’Gorman Cup success brought then a further €2,000. Runners-up Cooraclare received €1,000.Two goals from Enda Coughlan in the final quarter turned this week’s final in Kilmurry’s favour. Five minutes into the second half they trailed by four points and were fortunate not to have been further behind at the time. They had the margin down to two at the three quarter stage and two minutes later Coughlan struck for the first of his goals. Johnnie Daly’s delivery was flicked on by the unmarked Coughlan who had move up from centre back and his effort beat Declan Keane in the Cooraclare goal and gave his …

THE upcoming National Showjumping Championships in Ennis have received a major boost with the confirmation that Dubai Duty Free, the largest single airport retail operation in the world in terms of turnover, has come on board as one of the main sponsors of the event. The championships will take place from August 30 to September 1 in the Showgrounds. Dubai Duty Free will be the main sponsor of the National Grand Prix Championship Final, which has a prize fund of €20,000, making it a very attractive competition.  Commenting on the sponsorship, Dubai Duty Free’s executive vice-chairman, Colm McLoughlin, said, “We are delighted to be involved with the National Showjumping Championships in Ennis.  Continuing our association in the horse industry in Ireland, this is a great opportunity to showcase our brand in the Mid-West of Ireland.” On behalf of County Clare Agricultural Show Society, Jimmy Quinn, show director, said, “We are delighted that Dubai Duty Free has come on board as …