Tag Archives: Clare hurler

A CLARE hurler is the latest person to come on board to help the nation keep fit and well when confined to home due to the Coronavirus pandemic. David Reidy, the sports and marketing officer at Limerick Institute of Technology, has developed an online exercise programme. Starting next week, he will present recorded videos of 20 to 30 minutes, which will be posted on The Clare Champion and LIT social media forums at lunchtime on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Starting on Monday and running over three weeks, the Éire Óg hurler will present a total of nine training routines, which will suit people of all level of fitness and ages. “I’m looking forward to this challenge. People who are stuck in their home during this crisis need to keep their mind and body active. I’m showing them through The Clare Champion and LIT social media how they can do this without having any kind of gym equipment. If they have …

    Clare hurler Shane O’Donnell has scored a major coup by securing a scholarship to the prestigious Harvard University in the United States of America. Having spent four years studying Genetics in University College Cork (UCC), he is due to take up the Fulbright scholarship in Harvard next September. The Éire Óg hurler became a household name when he helped the Banner to win the 2013 All-Ireland senior hurling final with an impressive tally of 3-3. He is a regular starter on the Clare full forward line and featured from the start in the Banner’s recent Allianz League Division 1 quarter-final defeat to Limerick, which was notable as the first competitive game of hurling decided by a free-taking competition. “I have loved my four years studying Genetics here in UCC,” Shane told the college’s website. “In fact, I enjoyed my degree so much that I am starting a PhD here in UCC next month!” The Fulbright scholarship scheme facilitates students …

2014 marks the centenary of the outbreak of the World War I and Clare’s first All-Ireland senior hurling triumph. These two diverse events have their own historical importance but an interaction between them is highlighted by the story of Newmarket hurler, John Fox. Fox featured at right half-back on the Clare team that defeated Laois by 5-1 to 1-0 in the 1914 All-Ireland final. A year later, he joined the British Army. He is the only Clare man to have won an All-Ireland senior hurling medal and to have fought in World War I. Fox later sold his cherished Celtic Cross. His All-Ireland medal was purchased by the late Kevin Keogh from Newmarket. When John Fox died in 1967, Mr Keogh generously returned the medal to the possession of the Fox family from Knocksaggart. John Fox – The Man Born in Newmarket-on-Fergus in 1892, John Fox died in June 1967. He was the longest surviving member of the 1914 Clare …

THE announcement of the All-Star hurling and football teams never fails to provide plenty of discussion. No more than with the selection of any team, there will always be different views as to who should be picked and in what position and this year’s selections have certainly led to plenty of debate. When this scheme was launched back in 1971, it was welcomed by all in the GAA world. While there is still huge support for such a scheme, there appears to be widespread agreement that changes are required to the selection process. The basic principle at the outset, and its still supposed to be the case, is that the scheme honours the best hurlers and footballers over a year’s performance. However, in more recent times, the All-Ireland finalists have dominated the selections and while they, by their progress, get to play the greater number of games and, accordingly, the greater number of chances to impress, its hardly the fairest …

Clare’s Conor McGrath in among the nominees for the 2014 Hurling All-Stars. The young Cratloe man, who won a Clare Senior Hurling Championship medal last weekend, is named in the full-forward list. McGrath will be on the Cratloe football team hoping to complete a double when they meet Éire Óg from Ennis this Sunday. Recently crowned All-Ireland champions Kilkenny lead the All-Star nominations count with no fewer than 13 players making the shortlist. They are followed closely by beaten finalists Tipperary, who receive 11. The remainder of the 45 places go to Limerick (7), Cork (6) Wexford (3), Dublin (2) and one apiece for Clare, Offaly and Galway. This shortlist of nominees was selected by GAA journalists and the awards for the successful 15 candidates, along with the Player of the Year awards, will be made at the All-Star banquet on October 24 in Dublin. Contenders for both the Player of the Year and the Young Player of the Year awards are …

The Clare senior hurling management team tried to accommodate the dual player in 2014 but it did not work for either part, player or management, according to Davy Fitzgerald. “This was not the reason why we did not win a Munster or All-Ireland championship; we are well aware of that. However, it was one of many factors”, the manager said on Wednesday evening, when revealing some details of the management structure for the coming season. “Podge Collins informed us a while back that in 2015 he will be playing football only. We have no issue with that except, of course, that we’d love to have him with us. For the coming year we want players on our panel fully committed to Clare hurling. Our goal is to get Clare hurling back to Croke Park in September,” Fitzgerald said. The Clare manager went on to say that the management team had spoken to Podge and explained their position. “We felt Clare …

As the CAO Change of Mind deadline on July1 looms, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is reminded parents and students considering whether to study science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) at third level to visit www. smartfutures.ie. Clare’s All-Ireland hurling final hero, Shane O’Donnell, who is studying genetics at University College Cork (UCC), is an ambassador for Smart Futures and will help Smart Futures highlight the opportunities available to young people in the areas of STEM. Smart Futures is a Government-industry initiative providing access to STEM careers information and role models to second-level students, parents, teachers and careers guidance counsellors in Ireland. At this important time in the education calendar, this online resource will be important for parents looking for information about STEM careers, to help best support their children in making study and career decisions. An online resource for students and parents alike, Smart Futures demonstrates the huge range of opportunities open to post-primary students that study STEM subjects at second and …

HAVING spent the past year coaching Cork side Newtownshandrum, Ger ‘Sparrow’ 0’Loughlin is on the move once more, this time to take charge of the Kilmallock senior hurlers. The former Clare manager replaces another former Banner boss, Tony Considine at the helm in Kilmallock. During his tenure with The Balbec, Considine guided them to two senior county titles. Considine vacated the Kilmallock hot seat this year after four years in charge and his services were quickly snapped up. For 2014 he will manage Galway club side Turloughmore. Clarecastle clubman O’Loughlin is no stranger to the club scene in Limerick, having worked with Adare previously. He won a hat-trick of titles from 2007 to 2009 with Adare and also brought them to the 2012 county decider, a final they lost to Kilmallock.