Tag Archives: gaa

Clare tasted defeat on the double at Pairc Ui Csoimh this afternoon when the minor and senior hurlers both went down to #cork in their opening games in the new format Munster championsbhip. Making the disappointment all the gre\ter for the clare fans in the official attendance of 24,490 is the fact that both teams had opportunities to win their games. Their losses make next Sunday’s round 2 games against Waterford in Ennis all the more important as another defeat for either would considerably dent their chances of getting to the play off stages. Cork 2-23 Clare 1-21 Failure to convert a number of good goal opportunities proved costly for the senior side as Cork put in a storming finish to seal a somewhat flattering five point win Clare made a great start with three points in the opening four minutes but Cork had levelled by the seventh minutes and from here to half time it was score for score. …

THE lack of official ambulances for major GAA games is “worrying”, a Tipperary councillor has stated. Speaking at a HSE West Forum meeting in Galway on Tuesday, Councillor David Doran said it is “worrying” that there is no plan in place for an extra ambulance when Semple Stadium in Thurles is hosting a big GAA game. The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has confirmed it does not have the funding or the resources to cover any GAA match in any venue this year. While NAS chief ambulance officer, Paudie O’Riordan, acknowledged that there was a time when the service was in a position to provide ambulance cover within a GAA stadium, it is no longer in a position to do this. Mr O’Riordan pointed out the GAA is responsible for putting adequate medical services in place, as the main event organiser. In February, Tipperary football manager, Liam Kearns, expressed concern about the length of time it took an ambulance to arrive …

Waterford may only have a very slim outside chance of avoiding the Division 1 A relegation play-off but the fact that they have not managed a home win in this season’s competition is sure to be a major driving force, when they entertain Clare in the final group game in this season’s Senior Hurling League, which is scheduled for a 2.30pm start at Walsh Park on Sunday. After suffering their only defeat in this season’s competition when going down to Wexford on Sunday last, Clare are keen to return to winning ways. Victory on Sunday will keep them near the top and they could well be top of the table come Sunday evening, depending on other results. Last week’s cancellation of all fixtures, due to the heavy snowfalls across the country, will have given players a welcome rest at a time of the year when they are particularly busy, especially those who were involved in colleges competitions. The delay “has …

IN 2017, it took 36 weeks to complete the seven-round Cusack Cup campaign. It started on March 11 and concluded on November 29, when Kilmurry-Ibrickane won the competition for the seventh successive season. While a semi-final date has not been fixed for this season’s Division 1 football league, the aim seems to be to finish the league before the first round of the Senior Football Championship. The last round is on May 27 or June 9 and, with only one semi-final to be played, Clare GAA might pull it off. The team that finishes top of the table automatically qualifies for the final, while second and third meet in a semi-final. One of the issues raised last year was the absence of county players for a round played mid-summer. This weekend, with Clare playing Roscommon in their refixed NFL game, club teams will line out without their county players. Clubs are not enamoured about this but it seems likely that …

All-Ireland winning U-21 and senior star, Darach Honan, has disputed county board chairman Joe Cooney’s claim that Clare GAA did all it could to help with the medical costs incurred by him as a result of injury. On Wednesday, Honan said, “I am still very disappointed with the way I was treated by the county board. Joe Cooney did make overtures for me to come and speak to the officers last week but I was unable to do so, because of training commitments with Clonlara U-21s [he is their team manager] and work commitments. “I am disapponted that I wasn’t properly looked after. I went to the county board and no help whatsover was offered. On my own volition, I went to the GPA and they did help with part of the funds, for which I am very thankful,” he added. At Tuesday night’s county board meeting, Joe Cooney had said Clare GAA did not let down Darach Honan. “We …

Meath 0-21 Clare 0-7 COMPLETELY outclassed, particularly in the second half, Clare were beaten emphatically by Meath in Navan on Sunday afternoon. Clare now sit on one point from two games. They were outscored 0-15 to 0-3 in that second period, with Gary Brennan the only Clare player to score from play. In fact his point was the only score of the second half, with his rising shot going over the bar. Brennan was Clare’s outstanding player. However, Meath responded with 0-8 without reply and pulled away from a dishevelled Clare who lost their shape and increasingly lost hope as the second half evolved. Clare trailed 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time with Meath pulling two points ahead, when Bryan McMahon pointed, with the last kick, after a disputed free was taken quickly. Clare competed hard throughout the first half with Killian Roche kicking their opening score from a 45, while Pearse Lillis, Jamie Malone and Gary Brennan (free) added a …

CLARE referees are getting old and their representative association in the county is very keen to recruit up to 30 new whistlers for an upcoming training course. There are 39 active referees currently, with 70% of them over 40 and 10% over 60. Inter-county referees Rory Hickey and Rory McGann are adamant that a new injection of younger folk in black is imperative, with just five referees aged under 30. “We’re getting older. Clubs might be sick of looking at us but there is no one else. In Clare, we have an older demographic in our referees’ association. We need to be pumping new people into it,” Rory Hickey told The Clare Champion this week. Hickey has been refereeing since 2000 and has taken charge of seven county finals, while Rory McGann took charge of the 2016 drawn hurling final. Both are aiming to make it back to the list of inter-county referees this year and will know this weekend, …

THE surprise announcement on Monday last by the chief executive of Munster GAA, Simon Moroney, that he will step down from the post in May, has fuelled speculation that he will be the association’s next director general. Paraic Duffy, the GAA’s ard stiúrthóir is to leave his position at the end of March and, this week, the closing date for applications for the post was extended by two weeks. Ennis man Moroney was first appointed to the position of Munster Council secretary in 2004, when he replaced Donie Nealon. He resigned from the post in 2008 but he returned to the position in 2013, when he agreed to take on the role for nine months initially. “This became one year and after that year, I agreed with the then management committee to do up to five years, one year at a time. I have really enjoyed the last five years and when I finish up on May 6, I will have served just …