Sports

IT IS a very busy time for Quin Taekwon-do head coach Stephen Ryan as his Team Ireland members prepare for the European Championships in Spain next week and he reflects on his club’s success at last weekend’s Irish Cup in the University of Limerick (UL) Sports Arena. Six of the club’s black belts will join a 60-strong Irish squad when they travel to La Nucia, Spain, for the long-awaited return to international competition. Experienced competitors Shane Tuite (-70kg senior sparring); James Tuite ( -68kg junior sparring); Alice Larkin (2nd Degree Patterns and –68kg senior sparring) and Luke Moriarty (-70kg senior sparring) will be joined by Aoibhin Copeland (- 55kg junior sparring) and David Larkin (1st Degree Patterns and –50kg junior sparring), who have been selected to the Irish team for the first time. “It’s been great but challenging to be back training for the Euros with this group of athletes,” said Stephen, who is also Head Coach of the Irish …

THREE days of unbridled success for Tony Kelly and for once, he didn’t have to hit a ball, writes Eoin Brennan. Sidelined with injury as he recuperates from ankle surgery that will keep him out of playing action until the New Year, the current All-Star is instead making his mark on the sidelines. Ballyea secured their third ever Senior Hurling title on Sunday before he added a prestigious Dean Ryan Cup to his CV as mentor of St Flannan’s triumphant Under 16.5 side. Having lost provincial Under 15, Dean Ryan and Harty Cup finals during his own St Flannan’s career at the backend of the noughties, Kelly lauded the current crop of young stars for grasping their opportunity with both hands. “It’s a big day. We haven’t been in a Dean Ryan final since 2010 when Shane O’Donnell’s age group won it last. We’ve an exceptional bunch of young lads inside there that are keen to learn and keen to …

Munster Under 16.5A PPS Hurling Championship Final St Flannan’s College 3-16 Ardscoil Rís 0-16 The ‘buzz’ is unquestionably back in St Flannan’s after a masterful finish ensured that they bridging a ten year gap to their last Dean Ryan Cup in TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick on Wednesday afternoon, writes Eoin Brennan. Two years on from a long-awaited 15 year Harty Cup success in 2020, Munster’s Post-Primary Schools’ roll of honour leaders confirmed the richness of their conveyor belt of emerging talent in what was a novel final against Ardscoil Rís. With 27 of the 26 players on show being Clare natives, it was a noteworthy occasion capped off by a fairytale finish that included clinical goals for chief marksman Oisin Whelan, the lively Luca Cleary and fittingly captain Dylan Keane Hayes to cement St Flannan’s 13th Dean Ryan crown. It was an outcome that certainly didn’t seem likely when trailing a Danny Chaplin (4) and Eoin Begley (2) led Ardscoil …

Clare Senior Hurling Championship Final Ballyea 1-17 Inagh-Kilnamona 1-16 THE Canon Hamilton Cup is back in Ballyea for the third time in six seasons after a scintillating finish pipped debutants Inagh-Kilnamona to the post in dramatic fashion in Cusack Park this afternoon, reports Eoin Brennan. Put simply, despite being without current All-Star Tony Kelly as well as remarkably firing 17 wides, Ballyea’s sheer ‘refusal to lose’ mentality was eventually rewarded coming down the final straight with a four point blitz in as many minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Being a fourth one point victory in their six championship outings that also included a group decider draw with Cratloe, it was their experience and winning know-how that ensured that Ballyea never reached for the panic button at any stage despite falling by as much as four points in arrears nearing the final water break. The turning point of the final was undoubtedly a penalty awarded to Aaron …

At aged 22, Cian McInerney has accomplished more than most on the hurling field. However, he isn’t satisfied to just add a county final appearance to his ever expanding CV with the talented hurler hoping to be part of history by helping Inagh-Kilnamona lift the Canon Hamilton Cup on Sunday afternoon. He wants to atone for previous defeats, most notably his side’s 2019 semi final defeat to Sixmilebridge. The secondary school teacher believes his side took plenty of lessons from that loss but he does not want a repeat result when coming up against an experienced Ballyea outfit. The former Clare minor insists his side have developed a greater mental toughness since that loss, highlighted by their gritty win against Éire Óg in the semi finals a fortnight ago. “Two years ago in that semi final we led for most of it but the ‘bridge used their experience to get over the line. We lost that game and it was …

From the outside looking in, Ballyea have the experience while Inagh-Kilnamona have the momentum ahead of Sunday’s novel showdown for the Canon Hamilton Cup in Cusack Park. Having been down this road twice before and managed to prevail on both occasions, Ballyea’s senior triumphs in 2016 and ’18 will still be fresh in the memory while the heightened county final build-up, occasion and understandable nerves will be a completely new experience to an Inagh-Kilnamona side competing in their first senior decider. There is one obvious flaw in that theory however as Ballyea’s Jack Browne quickly pointed out. “We happened to win the first county final we were in too so there is no secret formula. Look, you’d hope that having played in finals before that it helps but there’s no guarantees. “Take us for example, it’s fair to say that every year you play in championship, you don’t want to lose any game and we’d love to be in a …

Inagh-Kilnamona manager Eugene Cullinan insists his side don’t lack belief despite the club appearing in their first ever senior final. Cullinan states that the belief his side possesses comes from their underage success with the club winning the U21 title in 2016 and ’18. They have also secured top honours at minor level in 2017 and were victorious once more at this grade after beating Clooney-Quin last weekend. “When you are winning you start believing. The players have gotten a taste of success and so when they came up to senior they were able to win. This group have belief in themselves. That belief comes over a period of time and for us it’s come from the work at underage.” “There is a lot of work going on at underage level. It doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes a lot of people willing to give up their time to coach the players all the way up to this. It’s something …

There’s a turning point in every season that ultimately defines whether a team converges or diverges. In Ballyea’s storied season of 2016, it was arguably their rousing Round 3 fightback to pip a goal hungry Clooney-Quin to the post which placed them on an unforgettable journey of momentum that included historic breakthroughs at county, provincial and almost national level to boot. Upon his return to the helm for the first time since that momentous year, Robbie Hogan didn’t have to wait long for their defining juncture of the championship as it came with an opening dogfight with relative newcomers Broadford that Ballyea were extremely fortunate to survive by the minimum. It was a sobering scare that has kept Ballyea firmly on their toes ever since according to Hogan. “I still have a sliotar in the door of my van with the Broadford crest on it and that’s a reminder of how fine the margins are in the Clare Championship. You …