Tag Archives: clare

GLOBAL warming has seen southern Europe endure hellish conditions this month, while it has been relatively moderate here, following the exceptionally warm weather seen in June. The intense heat being seen in many part of the world lately shows the impact of global warming, while new figures from Met Éireann show that more locally temperatures are also on the way up. This week saw Met Éireann release average figures for the 1991-2020 period. They showed that the average temperature per year at Shannon during the period was 10.7 degrees. This compared to an average of 10.1 degrees for 1961-1990. Summers are certainly warmer going by the data, with mean temperatures of 14.5, 16 and 15.8 degrees for June, July and August in the 1991-2020 period. This compared to equivalents of 14.0, 15.7 and 15.5 during 1961-1990. On average there were 20.3 days of air frost and 70.9 days with ground frost during 1991-2020. This was down from 25.4 and 68.6 …

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final Kilkenny 1-25 Clare 1-22 A completely different Clare All-Ireland Semi-Final performance but still the result remained the same as a never-say-die Kilkenny weathered a strong second half Banner storm to tee up a final rematch with Limerick in a fortnight’s time, writes Eoin Brennan. In front of a Banner-dominated 48,360, Brian Lohan’s side brushed off a disappointingly cautious opening period (0-15 to 0-10) to go for the jugular on the restart, with a swashbuckling 0-9 to 0-2 third quarter turnaround, six from Mark Rodgers, catapulting them two clear. However, a defensive lapse provided a lifeline that a wily Kilkenny inevitably snatched with both hands as a TJ Reid interception set up Eoin Cody for the opening goal of the game in the 55th minute at 1-18 to 0-18. Such a sucker-punch was difficult to stomach but a moment of magic regained full parity in the 63rd minute when Diarmuid Ryan’s delivery over the top was …

When Sunday comes Clare’s prospective All-Ireland opponents will already be known and the dizziness among the Dalcassian Army on the long road to Dublin will be such that many will be racing ahead to the Big Dance. The Last Dance. The All-Ireland final. We know that the fourth Sunday in July doesn’t quite have the first Sunday in September ring to it, but it’s pitch-perfect at the same time, and in the minds’ eyes of the supporters it will be opening out before them. It’s because, what ever way the sliotar falls between Limerick and Galway on Saturday afternoon there’ll be a derby to look forward to for Clare — and a famous first. To a man, woman and child, they’re convinced. My 16-year-old says it’s a mix between manifesting and the placebo effect. Kilkenny have met Galway and Limerick in All-Ireland finals on more occasions than anyone from Clare cares to remember, so for Clare why not have something …

Terence Fahy knows better than most how to develop hurlers and cultivate success at underage. Although a proud Clare man, he possesses experience of the underage set up in Kilkenny. Fahy spent nine years working in Castlecomer Community School in the North of the county. The Whitegate man came across his fair share of quality hurlers on Noreside including four time All Ireland champion Conor Fogarty. Fahy feels that the tradition of success has helped Kilkenny players coming through the ranks believe they can win on the big stage. “There is obviously a massive tradition in the place. Life revolves around hurling down there. It’s a small county really but the thing that ignites it is hurling. Hurling is very strong in all areas down there. The tradition is handed down and despite the success they are humble enough.” Where does the culture of success in Kilkenny come from? Fahy’s answer is simple yet well constructed. “The culture comes from …

The deadline for Club Clare membership for 2023 approaches this week, safe in the knowledge that no stone has been left unturned in the pursuit of making Clare a hurling and camogie force once more. With the players guided by their management teams and the county board backing the teams, Club Clare’s direct financial support from its members essentially provide those crucial extra elements that have helped transform the hurling landscape over the past few years. The fundamentals of the game haven’t altered but the unprecedented levels of preparation and meticulous attention to detail on and off the field require a whole suite of supplementary resources that are now considered almost a prerequisite. The additional essential ingredients of nutrition, sports psychology, advancements in Strength and Conditioning, video analysis and recovery ensure that playing at inter-county level is now a lifestyle and not just a hobby. As Clare Senior Manager Brian Lohan admitted himself when launching the current Club Clare set-up …

When Brian Lohan’s men take to the hallowed turf at the GAA headquarters on Sunday, this will be only the third time in six years for the majority of this squad of players. Standing in their way of a first All-Ireland final appearance in a decade, a familiar foe in Kilkenny. This weekend’s opponents dismantled Clare’s dreams of reaching the 2022 decider after a humbling 2-26 to 0-20 loss at the hands of a then Brian Cody led Kilkenny side. However, time has now passed, old wounds have healed and it’s been little over a year and redemption is on the cards for the banner side. Clare fans who are expected to travel in their thousands to the capital will be hoping for an improvement this time round if they’re to see their team reach the 2023 All-Ireland final. David Fitzgerald, who lined out at wing forward for the banner in that defeat, is optimistic that Clare can come out …

Clare and Kilkenny have clashed at the All-Ireland semi-final stage on four occasions, with the Banner County’s only victory coming at the first time of asking writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh. 10 August 1997 Clare 1-17 Kilkenny 1-13 At Croke Park This was the first championship clash between Clare and Kilkenny in 65 years since they’d crossed sticks in the 1932 All-Ireland final. That final in ’32 was a case of what might have been for Clare as they were left to rue a late missed goal chance by Tull Considine. There were no regrets here though as Clare ruthlessly showed how hurling was singing to their tune as they eased to a four-point victory that was much more comfortable than the margin suggests. And it showed what a difference two years can make — when these two played in the 1995 National League final it was Clare that cut forlorn figures on the field afterwards on the back of a …

All-Ireland Quarter-Final Clare 5-26 Dublin 2-17 at The Gaelic Grounds, Limerick Clare’s failure to put real daylight between themselves and Limerick before half-time ultimately cost them the Munster title, but it was Dublin that really felt the backlash of those shortcomings in this All-Ireland quarter-final as a devastating burst put the Banner on the road to Croke Park on Sunday week, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh. The match was delicately poised at 2-5 to 1-7 in Clare’s favour as the clock ticked over 30 minutes, but from there Brian Lohan’s side just took flight and in the process hit 2-3 in the space of five minutes to break Dublin’s resolve and give them a nine-point interval lead. That this advantage was doubled in the second half told the story of a one-sided encounter that was only briefly competitive as Clare won this as they pleased to book a second semi-final joust in a row with Kilkenny. The floodgates opened once the …