Tag Archives: Ballyea

Eoin Brennan previews this weekend’s senior and intermediate hurling championship semi-finals Ballyea v Cratloe at Cusack Park Ennis, Saturday 2.30pm It’s a fifth championship clash in as many seasons but while all the other three were borderline affairs including the seesaw 2018 decider, it was their latest showdown at the tail end of August that provides the biggest focus. It’s too easy to label Cratloe’s 13-point group decider victory as false because there was no reason in the world why Ballyea wouldn’t have thrown everything at their opponents just as they did in similar circumstances in 2018 and 2021. After all, with a month’s break until the quarter-finals, Robbie Hogan’s side would surely have wanted to finish the group stages on the ultimate high and maintain their two-year unbeaten championship record. Indeed, if anyone was going to ease off the gas a little, it should have been Cratloe who were in the midst of a more intensive dual schedule. However, …

Eoin Brennan watched Inagh-Kilnamona draw 4-4 to 2-10 with Ballyea after extra-time in the U13A Academy final Inagh-Kilnamona and Ballyea will have to do it all over again for the Under 13 Academy A honours after Ballyea’s never-say-die attitude twice reeled in Inagh-Kilnamona at the death in Clareabbey last Thursday evening. Not that any supporters will be complaining about an extra helping of such a thrilling 80 minute rollercoaster ride that was as compelling as any final one is likely to witness this year. Having led for the last 40 minutes, Inagh-Kilnamona appeared poised to retain their Under 13 reserve title for the first time in their history. However, Ballyea’s character powered to the surface for a grandstand finish as points from talisman Ben Casey (2) and Ryan Galvin were dramatically capped off by an injury-time equaliser through centre-back Micheál Hanrahan to force extra-time. Buoyed by that reprieve, Ballyea maintained that momentum into the additional periods as despite facing into …

THE late Susan O’Neill was remembered at Ballyea National School on Wednesday, when a bench in her memory was unveiled. As secretary of the school Susan was a well known person in Ballyea and her former colleagues, her friends, her children, grandchildren and husband Michael were all present on the day. “She was here for 20 years, so it definitely is poignant. The grandchildren are around today, all the school kids who made a major impression on her,” said Michael. He said that one of the children who were confirmed recently had chosen the name Susan, which showed the esteem his late wife was held in. “She took Susan as her name and that epitomised what Susan meant to the school and to the kids who went to the school. An awful lot of 18 to 20-year-olds came to the house, during and after the funeral, whose lives she had touched. “She meant a lot to a lot of people, …

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 …

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 …

Senior Hurling Championship Final Ballyea v Inagh-Kilnamona at Cusack Park Ennis, Sunday 2.30pm (Johnny Healy, Smith O’Brien’s) IT’S that age old conundrum of experience versus momentum that in truth has no scientific formula to back either case up. Over the years, both sides of the divide have prevailed but in more recent local case studies, it’s the freshness and unstoppable propulsion of the newcomer that have edged matters. Take Éire Óg’s football equivalent victory over a vastly experienced Kilmurry Ibrickane last Sunday or Smith O’Brien’s upset over St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield in the intermediate hurling decider a week previously. That trend is of course good reading for Inagh-Kilnamona who instead of being caught up in the occasion, have been busy trying to patch up the likes of Aidan McCarthy and David Fitzgerald ahead of Sunday’s historic first senior final. Ballyea obviously have had their injury woes too. One would have to have been cocooning for the last two months not to …