Tag Archives: final

By Seamus Hayes Kilmaley 1-13 Feakle-Killanena 0-13 Kilmaley are the minor A hurling champions for the third time in six years, thanks to a merited one goal victory over Feakle-Killanena at Cusack Park on Saturday afternoon. Appearing in the final for the third year in a row, they bounced back from last year’s loss to win back the title they last held in 2012. The game’s only goal proved to be a crucial score and it came five minutes before the break when the elusive Sean O’Loughlin found the net The winners went into the game with a full squad available and this meant that Sean Kennedy who missed the semi-final was back in the side. He emerged as the game’s top scorer with 0-11 to his credit, ten coming from placed balls. This was one of a number of key performances for the winners. At the other end of the pitch, goalkeeper Conan Fitzgerald was outstanding, producing three particularly …

By Seamus Hayes Fit again Conor Cleary returns to the Clare team for tomorrow’s All-Ireland under 21 final clash with Wexford at Thurles. The Miltown Malbay native who plays his club hurling with Kilmaley, missed the semi-final win over Antrim because of a broken thumb suffered while playing in the Clare senior championship with Kilmaley against Sixmilebridge. In the only change to the starting line up from the team which started against Antrim  in the semi-final, Cleary returns at centre back to the exclusion of Alan O’Neill. Cathal O’Connell who, like O’Neill, was in the starting team in last year’s final, has failed to get into the starting line up on this occasion but he is listed amongst the substitutes. The game against Wexford throws in at 7p.m. and will be refereed by Cork’s Cathal McAllister. The Clare team is; Keith Hogan (Clooney-Quin); Jarlath Colleran (St. Josephs), Jack Browne (Ballyea), Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge); Gearoid O’Connell (Ballyea), Conor Cleary (Miltown), Jamie …

WEXFORD senior manager Liam Dunne believes Wexford have a good chance of winning the county’s first U-21 All-Ireland since 1965. “Clare play a running game but a lot of our guys were involved with the seniors, who played against a Clare team that play a similar style to the U-21s. If Wexford can be with Clare by half-time in this game, I’ll give them every chance of winning it; they won’t falter, they won’t die. Clare could open them up in the first 20 minutes but if they can hold that off, I think they’ve a great opportunity,” Dunne says. He masterminded an unexpected victory over the Banner this summer, something almost no one outside the Wexford camp saw coming. Eight of the senior panel are involved again on Saturday and while he is adamant that Wexford do have a real shot, he is under no illusions about the strength of the Clare threat. “They’ve (Wexford) beaten Offaly, Kilkenny, Dublin …

By Seamus Hayes The all parish clash of Ballyea and Clarecastle in the quarter final of the Clare senior hurling championship is just one of a number of interesting pairings thrown up when a number of draws were made at Clare GAA headquarters in Clareabbey on this Monday evening. Ballyea, runners up to Clonlara in their group, were first drawn from the three runners up (Clarecastle and Crusheen were the other two) to join the group winners, Cratloe, Newmarket and Clonlara in bowl 1. This left Clarecastle, Eire Og, Crusheen, and O’Callaghans Mills in the other bowl. In the case of Clonlara and O’Callaghans Mills, this will be the third year in a row that the teams will clash at the play off stage. Clonlara have won the past two clashes, narrowly on both occasions The following quarter final pairings resulted; Cratloe v Eire Og; Ballyea v Clarecastle; Newmarket v Crusheen and Clonlara v O’Callaghans. There was also huge interest …

By Seamus Hayes Ennis Town Rock A manager Francis Daniels is no stranger to cup final day and he is well versed on what it takes to compete at this level. Back in 2008 he was team captain when Rock Rovers captured the title, beating Bunratty in the final. A win o n Saturday evening would see him join a select group who have captained and managed cup winning sides. Current panel members Shane Daniels, Barry Woods and Ronan Judge were also part of that cup winning side. Ennis Town and Rock Rovers joined forces in 2012 and have made steady progress since then although manager Francis is quick to point out “we didn’t have a good year last season when we were in a relegation battle in the league and were knocked out of the cup at an early stage”. “We set out this season with the aid of not being involved in relegation and of getting a good …

By Seamus Hayes Burren United 3 Newmarket Celtic 1 Burren United were crowned Clare under-17 soccer cup champions when they defeated Newmarket Celtic at a wet and windy county grounds on Saturday afternoon. The bad weather conditions made it very difficult for the players who, in the circumstances, served up a good game with the North Clare side emerging as worthy winners. Having played a 2-2 draw in the final game in the league the previous week in Lisdoonvarna, another close contest was expected. Incidentally they have finished on level terms in the league and must now play off for the title, a game expected to take place in the coming week. They were dealt an early blow when they lost goalkeeper Cathal Guerin to injury and this resulted in the introduction of James Howard. Newmarket were also forced into a change in the opening half when they lost Jack O’Connor to injury. Alan Sweeney and Thomas Cullinan scored for …

By Seamus Hayes Clare 1-12 Cork 0-11 Clare will contest the division 1 A camogie league final for the first time in their history next week as a result of a fully merited win over Cork at Kilmallock on Saturday. Beaten by the same opposition after exta time at the same stage last year, Clare dominated on this occasion and fully deserved their victory which has earned them a tilt with Kilkenny in the final. The decider will take place as a curtain raiser to the Allianz hurling league final between Tipperary and Kilkenny at Thurles next Sunday. A magnificent display b y the defence inspired this Clare win on a day when the Banner ladies led by a goal, 1-4 to 0-4 at half time. The goalscorer was centre forward Fiona Lafferty after great work by Ellen Horgan and Laura McMahon. Facing into the wind in the second half, there were fears that Clare might struggle but the hit …

Tipperary 4-22 Clare 3-11 A fourteen point defeat in the week before the 2014 Allianz National hurling league gets underway will certainly have given Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald and his backroom team plenty to think about over the coming days as they finalise plans for the county’s clash with Kilkenny in Ennis next week. Such a comprehensive defeat from Tipperary in a repeat of last year’s final wasn’t what Clare followers expected as they headed for the Gaelic grounds in Limerick on Friday evening after the match had been switched from Sixmilebridge because of the inclement weather. Clare’s display was well below anything they had shown since last summer and the management team will certainly have plenty to ponder on as they prepare for the Kilkenny game. Particularly disappointing for Clare fans in the attendance of 1,248, was the manner in which Clare’s challenge faded when Tipperary stepped up a gear after half time. With the exception of a period …