Tag Archives: Brendan Bugler

CLARE GAA has become the first county board in the country to set up a youth committee. The new Clare GAA Youth Committee met for the first time at the Ennis offices of TTM Healthcare in the past fortnight when plans for the new group were laid out. Newly appointed Head of Operations with Clare GAA, Deirdre Murphy was among those present in what was her first official engagement since taking the post. Young people from eight different schools from Clare were present, namely St Flannan’s College, St Joseph’s Tulla, Rice College, St Joseph’s Spanish Point, Scariff Community College, St Anne’s Killaloe, Coláiste Muire and St Caimin’s Community School. Establishment of a youth committee for Clare GAA was one of the action points of the Strategic Plan for the association. Planning and training officer with Clare GAA, Paddy Smyth said the “life and vibrancy” of young people should never be underestimated as he welcomed Transition Year students who were studying …

Brendan Bugler believes Clare’s consistency so far in this year’s Championship bodes well for their aspirations this weekend. With Brian Lohan’s side travelling to FBD Semple Stadium for their quarter final showdown with Wexford, the pressure is on to replicate the performance produced in the epic Munster final a fortnight ago. Bugler feels that although Wexford have been building momentum ever since they managed to defeat Kilkenny on away soil in the final round of group games, Clare’s consistent performances will ensure they are confident of reaching a first All Ireland semi final since 2018. “Clare have really good hurlers. There is a massive desire there and they have given a performance every game. It’s been a really good year so far. This is another test and a big challenge. It’s such a huge occasion but I’m sure Brian will have worked on getting them back up for this game again after the Munster final.” The former All-Ireland winning defender …

Plenty of distractions have eased Brendan Bugler into retirement from the inter-county scene, while he also has come to enjoy being a spectator again, writes Owen Ryan. MUCH has been written in the last couple of years about the plight of the sportsman whose career at the highest level finishes, leaving a gap in the structure of his life. Brendan Bugler could be in that position, having invested thousands of hours into preparing for Clare hurling teams but, having drawn a line under it at the end of 2017, he is very happy in his own skin. “I’m lucky this year, I’ve had a couple of distractions as well. I’ve thrown myself into a couple of little things and there’s a little nine-month-old as well who is keeping us fairly busy. We’re building a house too. “This year I’ve been really busy, maybe next year, when I’ve a bit more time to sit down in the evenings, I might miss …

A “one-size-fits-all approach” to training was instrumental in Brendan Bugler’s decision to retire from inter-county hurling at the end of 2017. In an article he penned last week for AIB’s website, the Whitegate man said he was annoyed at this approach to training. “Motivation and enthusiasm are two key ingredients to becoming an inter-county player. It’s grand when you’re 19 or 20 years of age and you’re sitting there in a lecture hall counting down the hours until you can go training, buzzing to get out onto the field, irrespective of what time of the year it is, no responsibilities; but that can’t go on forever. “Physically, the pre-season hard slog was never a problem but as the seasons passed, it became mental torture. That motivation and enthusiasm wasn’t there in the last year. How could it be? As you grow older in life, you pick up more and more responsibilities, so your family and your career have to become …

WEXFORD manager Liam Dunne went home from Ennis  content that his gear bag contained a particular jersey. A combative half-back in his own day, Dunne headed for Ennis last Saturday intent on winning and heading home with Brendan Bugler’s jersey. He half succeeded on the first count and followed that up by getting his hands on the Whitegate man’s number five jersey. “I asked him for his jersey. I got to him last year but he was after swapping his jersey. He’s a man that I have admired for a long, long time. I think he’s a great bit of stuff and a great hurler. He gave me his jersey and I’m delighted going home with that,” Dunne revealed. He feels Wexford will benefit from the game. “To score 2-25 apiece, would any team deserve to lose a game? Clare are not All-Ireland champions for nothing and they proved it today. We put them under pressure in the first half …

By Seamus Hayes CLARE went into last year’s National Hurling League campaign under the radar but it’s a different situation this year, according  to  defender Brendan Bugler, winner of All star awards for the past two years at right wing back. Brendan is completely focused on hurling. Acknowledging that there are a lot of demands on inter county hurlers, he  said, “It’s a lifestyle now not just a hobby. We are well used to it. It’s like a full time job. At the end of the day, we are very privileged to be involved. We enjoy it.” Last year Bugler led his club Whitegate back to senior ranks in Clare when he captained the team to the intermediate title, beating Feakle in the final. Sunday’s game has particular interest for the Whitegate man, who is a member of the teaching staff at Callan Community School in Kilkenny. He said “It’s a mouth watering fixture. Kilkenny are sore over the way the …