Sports

CLARE District Soccer League (CDSL) PRO Jim Madden is looking forward to an exiting conclusion to the season with action resuming this weekend, writes Ivan Smyth. Newmarket Celtic sit on top of the Premier Division table with 18 points after seven games while Shannon Town have the same poinst total having played a game more. Avenue meanwhile sit on 16 points but have a game in hand on Newmarket and two on Shannon Town. With Newmarket facing Shannon Olympic, Avenue coming up against Lifford AFC and Town playing off against Sporting Ennistymon this Sunday, Madden is looking forward to seeing how the title race unfolds in the coming months. “There is a lot to play for. In the Premier Division you have three teams there going for the title. I reckon this weekend there may not be much change to the table. However, Shannon Town are away to Sporting and that won’t be an easy game. Sporting tend to play …

Munster GAA has said it is open to increasing capacity for Sunday’s Munster Hurling Cup match between Clare and Limerick if restrictions are lifted in time. Ed Donnelly, communications manager for Munster GAA, told The Clare Champion,  “We’re not going to cap attendance at 5,000 if we’re allowed to have more but it really depends on when we find out and what the specifics are. “The key word is ‘if’, at the moment, as it is all speculation. We have no direct line into Nphet or the government, no more than anyone else,” said Mr Donnelly. “In the event that restrictions are lifted, hopefully this evening, and they take effect ahead of Sunday’s game then we can put plans in place to increase the capacity for Sunday. “The key things are a) is it going to happen and b) if it does happen, what are we talking? Are we talking 6,000 people, 10,000, is it unlimited?” Hurling fans who missed out on the …

Munster Senior B Post-Primary Schools Camogie Championship Final Coláiste Muire, Ennis 1-8 St Mary’s Nenagh (Tipperary) 1-6 COLÁISTE Muire, Ennis are Munster Senior B Camogie champions for the very first time after edging a quintessential wrestle for supremacy with holders St Mary’s Nenagh in Caherlohan on Thursday night, reports Eoin Brennan. The unique floodlit backdrop and sizeable crowd encircling the pitch was duly matched by a rip-roaring tie that ebbed and flowed until Coláiste Muire seized control come down the final straight. With the lead changing hands on six occasions and never more than a puck of a ball between the sides at any stage, it was a tie that essentially could have gone either way. However, while they were slow to start, the Ennis school certainly warmed up as the tie progressed and in the end were worthy winners following a three point unanswered final quarter. The ultimate difference between the sides was the clinical performance of Mary Hanrahan …

The final scoreline of 6-15 to 1-12 may be misleading but there’s certainly no doubting the pedigree of the latest breakthrough Kerry representative to soar to Munster Intermediate Club Championship honours in Mallow on Sunday afternoon. Becoming the 13th different club from the Kingdom to garner this provincial crown in the last 15 years, it was a rite of passage that a much heralded Na Gaeil capitalised upon with six timely goals. That said, aside from a third quarter meltdown in which they were pummelled into submission by 3-8 to 0-1, Corofin more than matched their Tralee opponents who only two years previously had garnered provincial and national Junior silverware. Indeed, the North Clare outfit were arguably the better side in the opening period, only to be twice struck by impact goals at the start of the first two quarters while passing up a glorious opportunity of their own through Robin Mounsey as Na Gaeil gladly took a 2-4 to …

Munster Senior B Post-Primary School Camogie Championship Final Coláiste Muire, Ennis v St Mary’s, Nenagh (Tipperary) @ Caherlohan, Thursday 7pm (Joe Mulcahy, Limerick) COLÁISTE Muire Camogie Captain Tierna Hegarty is determined to make it third time lucky when it comes to facing Tipperary opposition in a Munster Final this Thursday evening, reports Eoin Brennan. Having already suffered defeat with the Ennis school in the Munster Junior C version against Cashel Community School in 2019 before an even more agonising reverse for her club Inagh-Kilnamona against Drom & Inch in the delayed 2020 provincial senior club decider only two months ago, the Leaving Cert student is eager to redress the balance when leading her side out for a Munster Senior B Final showdown against St Mary’s Nenagh in Caherlohan tomorrow (Thursday) at 7pm. “Luck wasn’t on our side in those finals but hopefully this one can provide a good start to the year and that we can keep on going. “It’s a …

TICKETS for the Munster Hurling Cup final between Clare and Limerick at 2pm in Cusack Park Ennis are set to be released at 10am this Wednesday. Ticket Prices are General Admission €10, Under 16s €5 and they can be bought at https://www.universe.com/users/munster-gaa-TR8ZGN Currently government guidelines permit a maximum of 5,000 patrons to attend outdoor sporting events. Whether the government’s planned announcement on Friday has any effect on the numbers allowed to attend Sunday’s game remains to be seen. The result will be settled on the day, with penalties if required after normal time.

ENNIS Girls rugby season took another big step forward at the weekend when the U16s ran out 48-0 winners over Ballincollig in the Munster semi-final played at the Cork club. The Ennis girls have had a great season to date and their successful run in the league led to this semi final against the well-fancied Cork outfit. Straight from the kick-off and for the first ten minutes of the game both teams ran at each other’s defences to identify any points of weakness, but hard tackling from both sides restricted any attacking moves. The dry weather and hard pitch allowed for a fast pace and good handling was evident with few errors from either team. Ennis broke the deadlock at the 10-minute mark when centre Aine Long picked up an offload after a great run by winger Ellis Flaherty and touched down under the posts. The try was converted by scrumhalf Emma Keane. The Ennis forwards begin to gain a …

A STRONGLY contested derby between Ennis and Kilrush went the way of the former as they made better use of possession to register a 23-0 win at their home ground on Sunday. The early exchanges of this Phase 2, Round 3 U16 Pan Munster clash were quite even as both teams had their fair share of territory and possession. Ennis made better use of the ball however, and two Odhrán Flynn penalties saw the hosts push out to a six point lead with close to 20 minutes gone. Both teams contested the breakdown with ferocity which made building phases difficult. Andrew Purcell for the visitors and Jacob Cassen Reinne for Ennis were very strong in this area causing most of the problems for the team in possession. However after building a little pressure through three or four phases inside the Kilrush 10 metre line, it was Cassen Reinne that found a gap in the Kilrush defence and went under the …