Sports

The festival of racing continued at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last Thursday night when two of the finals on the card went to Clare owners, Pat Hogan from Templemaley, Ennis and Michael O’Brien from Miltown Malbay.A winner at this venue last week, Aulton Percy, owned by Pat Hogan, followed up with another impressive run in the Flaherty Market A6 mini stake final, the first race on the card.  As the traps rose, Aulton Percy, running from trap 6, was smartly into his stride and showing pace outside led by a length from Smithstown Mick, owned in Shannon by Albert Burke, rounding the opening bend. Extending his advantage to three lengths passing halfway the son of Westmead Hawk -Newbridge Jewel maintained the tempo all the way home to justify strong support in the ring in a winning time of 29.47.  The runner-up was the 5/2 chance, Tarquynn Bluey, who won his semi-final heat for owner Dermot McInerney, Hurlers Cross, Clonmoney, …

The second annual Dan O’Halloran Memorial 10k fun walk and 10k road race was held in Kilmihil on Saturday and atracted competitors from  as far away as japan and Canada as well as Galway, Dublin, Tipperary, Limerick and many Clare clubs. All proceeds went towards the West Clare Cancer ­Society and Milford Hospice. With the senior race starting on the Ennis Road, competitors faced into a stiff hill and the leaders went through the 1k mark in 2.59. Seamus Power (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) along with Michael Shannon (Kilnaboy) set a blistering pace from the start with Willie Devitt (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) leading out the chasing pack that included Michael ­Fennell (Civil Service), David Brew (Kilrush), Pat Healy (Marian), Ambrose Heagney (Kilnaboy) and Colm Fitzgerald (Shannon), with Maria Carey (Ennis Track) the leading lady in the top six from the early stages.Seamus Power produced a time of 3.03 for the next four kilometres, going through the 5k mark in 15.29 and …

Seven swimmers from the Ennis Swimming and Lifesaving Club recently competed at the Division 1 National Championships, which were held at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin.    The sole medal winner of the group was Hugh McMahon.  Swimming in the boys’ 13 age group, Hugh put in a well-paced swim and came home with the bronze medal in the 1,500m freestyle in a time of 19:27.74.  Hugh also swam in the 100m and 200m freestyle and posted times of 1:04.66 and 2:21.81.  In the girls’ 11-12 age group Róisín Cahill had strong swims in her 200m backstroke, finishing in 2:58.12 and the 200m freestyle in 2:36.98.  In the girls’ 14 age group, Lily Barrett was the most consistent of the Ennis swimmers, making the finals in all five of her events and established personal bests in each of them.  In the preliminary heat of her 200m individual medley, Lily posted a time of 2:37.52.  In the finals she upped that …

Clare’s dream of a fourth successive Munster U-21 hurling final appearance was comprehensively killed at Cusack Park on Tuesday evening.Before an attendance of 6,083 on a sun splashed evening, Limerick dominated in all the vital areas and were full value for their victory, which sees them through to a final clash against Cork next week.The visitors led from the second minute when Michael Ryan had their opening goal and while the home side fought back to within two points on a couple of occasions, the physically stronger Shannonsiders always looked to be in control.The foundations for the win were laid in the middle third of the field where the winners dominated the half-back, midfield and half-forward sectors.They settled much quicker and Michael Ryan exposed weaknesses in the Clare defence when he got through for the opening goal in the second minute. Clare replied, straight from the puckout, with a Paudge Collins point but the visitors then hit four unanswered points …

KILMURRY-Ibrickane bridge a three-year gap when they captured The Clare Champion-sponsored Cusack Cup for the third time at Cooraclare on Sunday evening.Possessing the greater scoring potential, they deservingly overcame the challenge of their neighbours and arch rivals Doonbeg who last won this title 16 years ago.Level five times throughout the first half, the winners got the upperhand after the break and held a slight edge for much of the second.The determination of both sides to win this game was evident from the start and is reflected in the fact that a total of 10 players were booked during the tie, which was well refereed by Ennistymon’s Michael Rock.For the throw-in, Enda Coughlan was at centre-back for the winners but within a minute, he had switched to centre-forward in a change with Evan Talty.The winners were first to score when the very impressive Ian McInerney converted a 30m free from near the sideline in the second minute. The lead was shortlived …

Ennistymon 0-12   Éire Óg 0-9 ENNISTYMON continued their move up the Clare football ladder when they defeated Éire Óg in the final of the Garry Cup (Division 2 league) at Cooraclare on Sunday evening.Showing greater hunger for victory, they led from the 20th minute and any time the Ennis side threatened to close the gap in the second half, the winners went upfield and scored.The North Clare side showed the greater scoring potential throughout and this is reflected in the fact that four of their forwards got on the scoresheet as against two for the Ennis men, whose forward line managed just one score from play during the hour.Defences dominated in the opening quarter in particular when each side managed just one score. Éire Óg captain Stephen Hickey gave his side the lead when he converted a 13m free in the second minute and it was a further 12 minutes before Joey Rouine hit the leveller.At the turn of the …

SHANNON’S Chris Bryan turned in a fantastic performance to finish in eighth place at the 5km open-water event at the World Swimming Championships in Shanghai last week.It was a great result for the 21-year-old who was just 11 seconds behind gold medallist Thomas Lurz in a time of 56 minutes 28 seconds.He had already come through a difficult 10km race, in which he didn’t perform as he had hoped. “The conditions out there were tough and I hadn’t much experience of them. During the race, there was 32˚C heat. The 10km was the first event and I found it hard enough. I swam it wrong, I was a bit weary and I hung on near the back of the group but there was a fast pace the whole time and it meant a lot of work at the back. When groups split, I was left at the wrong end of it, so I was a bit disappointed with the 10km. …

Speaking after Tuesday’s defeat, manager John Minogue readily accepted that “the better team won”, before confirming that his management team’s term had ended.“We have finished up tonight. We have done five years and that is quite a lot. I suppose we thought last year was our last but we decided to give it one more go. We have done our time and its time for a new voice. “Obviously the guys who have been successful with the minors for the last few years are there. There’s a new group coming through and I think somebody else needs to come along and take this over. It’s hard to keep the energy going after five years and we are gone after tonight,” the St Flannan’s teacher confirmed.Asked if this decision means he would be a candidate for the vacant senior manager’s post, Minogue responded, “we only made one decision tonight”.Commenting on Tuesday’s match, he noted, “Limerick were by far the stronger and …