Sports

Eoin Brennan previews all the Clare Cup hurling action over the weekend Clare Cup Division 1A Round 2 Sixmilebridge v Inagh-Kilnamona at O’Garney Park Sixmilebridge, Friday 7.30pm Amazingly, a first competitive senior meeting since their 2019 championship Semi-Final clash that appeared to be going in Inagh-Kilnamona’s favour, only to be outflanked by a more wily ‘Bridge side that went on to claim the Canon Hamilton before backing it up in 2020. Inagh-Kilnamona are now the ones in the ascendency after last year’s final appearance so it makes this an intriguing early battle as both are off the back of disappointing first round reverses. Clooney-Quin v Ballyea at Clooney, Saturday 2pm One thing’s for certain, there won’t be a 23 point margin between the sides as there was in 2020 when the sides clashed in the senior championship. That was a particularly low-ebb for Clooney-Quin who were languishing without Peter Duggan at the time. The County senior’s return last time out …

Cyclists from across the country will descend on Clare in mid July for the Eurocycles Eurobaby sponsored Junior Tour 2022. After the pandemic led to the cancellation of the past two hostings of this competition, the event will now take place across Clare with stages running from Tuesday July 12 to Sunday July 17. There will be six stages in total with a 48km first stage that starts at the Auburn Lodge, Ennis. Competitors will subsequently travel through Beagh, Tubber and Crusheen before finishing in Barefield. On July 13, the 103km route will see racing start on the Ennistymon Road at Inver Filling Station before cyclists will travel through Inagh, take part in a KOH at Bawnslieve and pass through Lahinch and Liscannor. Another KOH at the Cliffs of Moher follows before passing through Kilfenora, Killanaboy, Corofin and finishing on the bypass. The following day, racing starts in Ballyvaughan before the 104km route sees competitors travel through the Bell Harbour …

Three Clare clubs are set to host Aviva Soccer Sister Easter Camps this April in what is the first in-person Soccer Sister camps to take place since 2019. The three-day camps, launched on Tuesday by Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team duo Áine O’Gorman and Abbie Larkin, will take place over two weeks in April. The first camps take place between Tuesday April 12th – Thursday 14th and the second camps kick off on Tuesday April 19th, with the camps coming to a close on Thursday April 21st. Clare’s Corofin Harps Schoolboys & Girls FC, Ennis Town FC and Fern Celtic FC are just three of the 100 football clubs nationwide that will be hosting Aviva Soccer Sisters Easter Camps, open to all girls aged 6 to 14, next month. Each camp will take place over three days and will cost €30. Participants will receive an Aviva Soccer Sisters training top, football and a certificate on completing the camp. Registrations …

CLARE has a new All-Ireland champion after a thrilling victory for Diarmaid Nash in Senior Singles 40×20 Handball at the weekend. The Scariff man took the honours with a 21-8, 17-21, 11-8 final victory over Westmeath’s Robbie McCarthy at a packed Kingscourt, Cavan on Saturday. McCarthy, a four-time senior singles champion, was a clear favourite going into the final but it was Nash who dominated the first game, turning in a phenomenal display of shooting to win 21-8. The Westmeath man was never going to give in without a fight though and it was he who took the initiative in the second game, powering his way to a 17-9 lead. Again though, Tuamgraney clubman Nash settled and gradually battled back to only lose out by four points, 17-21 to set up an enthralling third game tie-break. The tension in the huge crowd was palpable as, with everything on the line, Nash raced into a 6-0 lead. McCarthy again rallied but …

National Football League Division 2 Round 6 Meath 0-10 Clare 0-9 By Eoin Brennan CLARE’S current rut continued as bogey side Meath inflicted a fifth successive victory over Colm Collins’ side in as many seasons in front of 1,375 in Cusack Park, Ennis. Following back-to-back defeats, Clare looked to have stopped the rot when snatching the whip hand in the second period without ever getting away from the obstinate visitors. However, with a merited share of the spoils being the most likely outcome as the clock ticked inexorably into its final minute of additional time, Clare would be made to stomach their most gut-wrenching reverse to date as a defensive lapse allowed Meath to counter-attack and pop up for a winner at the death. Victory ensured Meath’s Division 2 status for another year but while Clare are virtually safe as well, they still need to finish the league on a positive note in Down next Sunday following their recent glut …

Clare 1-20 Galway 0-25 By Ivan Smyth CLARE’S winless run against Galway continues as Brian Lohan’s charges suffered a two point defeat in Pearse Stadium The result means Clare have not beaten the Tribesmen since 2013 with six winless games during that period against Sunday’s opponents. In the end Galway’s greater spread of scores told with eight Galway players finding the target in comparison to five for Brian Lohan’s men. Galway outscored their opponents by 0-10 to 1-3 between the 31st and 47th minutes. A Tony Kelly penalty helped Clare reel in their opponents but despite Brian Lohan’s men firing in four points in a row midway through the second half, they were never able to draw level as GaLway held on. Although Brian Lohan won’t be unduly concerned by the defeat, the sight of Ian Galvin going off 24 minutes after coming on is a concern. Peter Duggan got more minutes under his belt after coming on in the …

National Hurling League Division 1 Round 5 Galway v Clare at Pearse Stadium Salthill, Sunday 1.45pm (James Owens, Wexford) It’s not only Brian Lohan’s first competitive clash with Galway but also Clare’s first meeting since that epic 2018 All-Ireland Semi-Final Championship series. That thrilling two match wrestle for supremacy still inevitably holds plenty of regret for Clare who had opportunities to win on both days but ultimately failed to do so in Croke Park or Semple Stadium. Four years on and Galway probably stand their best chance in the country of finally toppling back-to-back All-Ireland champions Limerick who made their breakthrough in that subsequent 2018 decider to dethrone the Tribesmen. The same goes for Clare who despite a veritable ward full of injuries, have finally warmed up to their task in the last two outings against Offaly and Limerick and will look to finish the National League on a high. Ironically, while there’s nothing technically to play for as Cork …

National Football League Division 2 Round 6 Clare v Meath at Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 2pm (Derek O’Mahoney, Tipperary With Clare’s best start to Division 2 rapidly fading into the distance following back-to-back defeats to promotion favourites Derry and Galway over the past fortnight, the last team Colm Collins would have wanted to see coming next would be Meath. After all, Clare’s poorest record in Division 2 is against Andy McEntee’s side who have inflicted four successive defeats on the Banner since 2017. More than that though, while Clare unquestionably produced their best display against Meath in the All-Ireland Qualifiers in 2019 to only miss out on the Super 8’s by a solitary point, the Banner’s league record against them is best read between your fingers as Meath have averaged double figure wins in three successive seasons. That said, that agonising minimum championship defeat to the Royal’s by 2-16 to 1-18 in Portlaoise in July 2019 was the county’s last …