Tag Archives: football

ST Anne’s Killaloe will be hoping to make history on Saturday by winning a Munster senior football title for the first time. Coming from a traditional hurling area, St Anne’s have surprised many by getting to the final with a team that includes just six players who play regular club football. Not surprisingly, they will carry the underdogs’ tag against Boherbue Community School from Cork, with the throw-in time scheduled for 12.30pm at Ballyagran. Managed by teachers John Gleeson (Ballina) and Raymond Murray, who hails from Mountbellew in Galway, a final decision on the line-up will not be made until shortly before throw-in, as they await a fitness report on Liam Harte, who missed the semi-final due to injury. According to Gleeson, Harte’s chances of playing are 50/50. Harte’s brother Colin is the team captain and he will fill the centre-back position. Others that the Killaloe side will be looking to as they seek to bring home Corn Sheáin Uí …

ON Saturday, St Joseph’s Spanish Point will attempt to win a third Munster colleges title. They will play St Augustine’s College, Dungarvan in Bansha at 12.30pm, as they seek to add to Munster titles won in 1983 and 1995. Four clubs, St Joseph’s Miltown, Kilmurry-Ibrickane, Cooraclare and Doonbeg supply players to the panel, many of whom were part of last year’s team that was beaten in the U-16½ Munster final. St Joseph’s beat Beara from Cork in the first round, Miltown Castlemaine (Kerry), Douglas (Cork) and Causeway Comprehensive (Kerry) to reach the final. St Joseph’s are managed and coached by Paul Reidy (Kilmihil), John O’Sullivan (Miltown), Cathal Crowe (Ennistymon) and Paul Dillon (Doonbeg). Two years ago, the school won the Clare U-15 competition and last year won in Clare U-16½, while they lost the Munster final to Kenmare. Fourteen of the current team are eligible again next year. “We didn’t expect to go on this sort of run but we …

The tenth annual O’Gorman cup senior football tournament will get underway on Saturday next, February 25. Ten teams will take part and they are divided into two groups of five which means that all participants will have a minimum of four games. The competition will be played on a home and away basis with the final going ahead in Doonbeg as Doonbeg GAA host the tournament. In group 1 next week St. Josephs (Doora-Barefield) will entertain Cooraclare and Ennistymon will have home advantage against Miltown with O’Currys having a bye. In group 2.St. Breckans will play Kilrush and Kilmihil will entertain competition title holders Lissycasey while Doonbeg have a bye. Current members of the Clare senior football panel cannot play in this competition Round 2 is set for March 4.

Clare 1-12 Limerick 0-12 INSPIRED by  0-9 from Lissycasey’s Conor Finucane, who put over 0-8 from play, the Clare U/21 footballers won their fourth successive game in this competition in capturing the Peter McNulty Memorial Tournament. The final was played at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday evening. Ironically the only game Clare lost was to Limerick in Kilmihil in early January. Since then they have beaten Kildare, Wexford, Galway and now Limerick, all away from home. Clare led narrowly, 0-8 to 0-7, at half time with Finucane and Eimhin Courntey accounting for all of Clare’s points. Hugh Bourke kept Limerick competitive with 0-6 from frees over the hour, although he missed a couple of scoreable frees towards the end. Approaching full time, Clare were just two points up, 0-12 to 0-10 but a close range goal from Joe McGann, following build up playing involving Keelan Sexton and Finucane, placed the St Breckan’s man for the goal. Limerick responded with points …

THE Clare footballers will play their first competitive match of the new season when they meet Waterford in Meelick at 2pm on Sunday in the McGrath Cup. Next Wednesday, Clare will play Limerick at 7.30pm in the Gaelic Grounds in their final game in the three-team group. The group winners will play Kerry, Cork or Tipperary in the final on January 22. On Sunday, Clare will be without their Ballyea players, who are preparing for their All-Ireland Club Hurling Championship semi-final, against St Thomas’ from Galway, on Saturday, February 4. The county footballers will play Derry away the following day in their opening Division 2 league fixture. Clare manager Colm Collins said they will use the McGrath Cup to give a game to as many players as possible. He also noted that the two upcoming games are more useful than challenge matches. “There is no question, they are way better than challenge games. Anything that’s organised properly and officiated at …

SIXTEEN days before Christmas Day and nine months after the Cusack Cup started on March 19, the league, which consists of seven rounds before the top three are finalised, will conclude in Kilmihil on Friday evening. When referee John Hannon throws the ball in for the 2016 final, two fierce rivals will shorten the winter’s evening as they go in search of the cup, €2,000 in prize money for the victors from The Clare Champion and a winning conclusion to their footballing year. Kilmurry are seeking an unprecedented six in-a-row, a feat never achieved by any club. Kilmurry have won 10 Cusack Cups up to now, while Doonbeg have 14 on the sideboard but none since 1994. Kilmurry have enjoyed a superb year, winning their 14th senior championship and 13th U-21 title, while their minors and juniors also reached their respective county finals. The one downside to Kilmurry’s year was their 1-14 to 0-8 loss at home to Dr Crokes …

AS Sunday’s U-21A county football final nears, Kilmurry Ibrickane and Lissycasey are approaching with a common agenda, yet a vastly contrasting record at this level. While Lissycasey are seeking their first U-21A title, Kilmurry have already put 13 on their sideboard, although none since they completed five in-a-row in 2007. They were beaten in the 2008 replay by St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield. This weekend’s final in Corofin will represent Lissycasey’s third at this level, having won successive minor A championships in 2013 and 2014. They lost their previous U-21 finals to Kilmurry Ibrickane and Ennistymon. En route to the final, Lissycasey have beaten Cooraclare, reigning champions Éire Óg and Kilmihil/Shannon Gaels in last Friday’s semi-final. Kilmurry will field for the fifth successive weekend, having defeated Kilrush-Killimer, St Breckan’s (replay) and Ennistymon in the semi-final. Interestingly, in the three games that Kilmurry have won, the club they defeated scored 1-7. Most of these players participated in the 2013 minor A final, when …

Kilmurry Ibrickane will host Dr Crokes from Killarney in Quilty at 1pm on Sunday in the Munster club Football Championship quarter-final, a repeat of similar fixtures in 2011 and 2012. Beaten 0-12 to 0-9 five years ago, Kilmurry were very unlucky to lose 2-8 to 0-13 just 12 months later in West Clare, largely thanks to two superb saves from Crokes goalkeeper David Moloney. At one stage the Kerry club led by eight points but Kilmurry battled their way back manfully. On October 16, Crokes defeated Kenmare District by 2-16 to 1-12 in the Kerry county final, setting up this tie against the Clare champions. “We’ll enjoy tonight and Monday but we intend to get back preparing for Sunday fairly quickly. “We have a small bit of history with Dr Crokes over a few years. We’d be hoping to give a good account of ourselves. I think we have the players to be able to match these teams. We won’t …