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Tag Archives: hurling

Collins likely to opt for hurling

While he is adamant that he has not made any announcement as to his plans for 2017, social media is rampant this Monday morning that Podge Collins will concentrate on hurling at inter county level in 2017. “I haven’t made any announcement as my focus is on getting back to full fitness”, the Cratloe man said today. He is presently concentrating on gym work three or four nights a week and is understood to have indicated to Clare GAA officials that he will be sticking with hurling at inter county level. Some weeks ago the Bank of Ireland official confirmed that he would only be playing one code in 2017 but at the time he said he would not say which until his domestic season with Cratloe was over. In 2015 Collins only played football at inter county level after the then Clare hurling boss Davy Fitzgerald ruled that he would not have any dual players on the squad. Fitzgerald …

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Daly withdraws from manager’s race

Confirmation that Anthony Daly has withdrawn from the race to succeed Davy Fitzgerald as Clare senior hurling manager could mean that the only other nominees for the position, Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor will be elected to the post at Tuesday’s October meeting of Clare GAA. As joint managers they have been in charge of Clare at  minor and under 21 levels in the past decade leading the county to Munster minor and to Munster and All-Ireland under 21 titles. Daly’s withdrawal may well have solved a potentially difficult situation for the Clare GAA executive who, now, will not have to choose between the joint team of Moloney / O’Connor and Daly. Daly decided to withdraw “in the interest of unity within the county”. It is understood that he was disappointed that he had no contact from the Clare GAA executive since nominations closed on Monday last. The two time All-Ireland winning captain with his native Clare, the Clarecastle man …

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Wexford manager Liam Dunne and former Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald following their All-Ireland qualifier replay at Wexford Park in 2014. Photograph by John Kelly.

Fitzgerald to be named Wexford manager

SOURCES in Wexford have indicated that Davy Fitzgerald will be ratified as the new manager of the Model County’s senior hurling side tonight (Friday). Manager of Clare from 2012 until last month, it had been widely expected that the Sixmilebridge man would make a return to management sooner rather than later. However, the speed at which he has secured a new high-profile appointment, less than three weeks after finishing with Clare, is still something of a surprise. It is understood that Fitzgerald had discussions with officers of the Wexford County Board and faced an interview panel in Portlaoise earlier this week. Others to have been linked with the job included outgoing Offaly manager Eamon Kelly and former Galway manager Anthony Cunningham. Wexford haven’t won an All-Ireland since 1996 or a Leinster title since 1994 but they won three Leinster U-21 titles in-a-row between 2013 and 2015 and there is some young talent available with the likes of Lee Chin and …

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End game for Davy Fitzgerald

DAVY Fitzgerald has stepped down as Clare senior hurling manager after five years in the position during which time he led Clare to the All-Ireland senior title in 2013 and to the National league title earlier this year. The Sixmilebridge man’s decision to vacate the post, despite still having a year of his current term to run, has come following a meeting of around 30 players on Monday night at the Inn in Dromoland. While a vote wasn’t taken, there is general agreement that the players were evenly divided on the issue. A formal statement on Wednesday evening confirmed “Davy Fitzgerald has informed the Clare County Board that he will not be seeking reappointment to the position of Clare Senior Hurling Manager for 2017”. He insisted, “I was not asked to step down. The decision is entirely my own. In taking this decision however, I wish to reaffirm my absolute love and passion for Clare hurling. “I leave the Clare …

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Fitzgerald set to leave Clare job

REPORTS are circulating this evening that Davy Fitzgerald’s colourful five-year term as Clare senior hurling manager will end within days. There had been speculation that several high-profile members of the Clare squad were set to depart if the Sixmilebridge man remained in place. However, sources who were part of the Clare backroom team throughout 2016, have indicated that around two-thirds of the panel were actually in favour of him remaining in place for 2017. The position of Clare manager has been much discussed throughout the county since Clare’s disappointing exit from the championship at the hands of Galway and many supporters wanted to see change. While Fitzgerald’s departure has not even been confirmed yet, Donal Moloney and Jerry O’Connor would clearly be among the front runners to succeed him, given their role in bringing three U-21 All-Ireland titles to the county. The highlight of Fitzgerald’s time in the Clare job was the 2013 All-Ireland, when he brought a team that …

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Podge to play one code for Clare in 2017

Cratloe’s dual star Podge Collins has ruled out played both codes at inter-county level in 2017. Collins, who was the only senior inter-county dual star this year, has arrived at the decision as he feels the dual role is no longer sustainable. Crucially, though, he didn’t revel which code he will play. Speaking on Clare FM he said, “I suppose this year, just the way the fixtures fell with both teams getting to the quarterfinals… big games were on the same weekend. Playing two games in a weekend it’s unfair, I suppose, on myself and both teams so, unfortunately, I don’t think that’s sustainable so next year I’ll just be playing the one.” Collins won national league medals in both codes this year. He was a member of Davy Fitzgerald’s senior squad that won the Division 1 national hurling league title for the first time in nearly 40 years, defeating Waterford in a replay, while he was also on the football team, managed by his father Colm, which won the Division 3 league title beating …

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Hurling quarter final pairings decided

The quarter final pairings in the senior, intermediate and junior A hurling championships were decided this Monday evening at Clare GAA headquarters in Clareabbey. With senior title holders Sixmilebridge out of the race, there will be a new home for the Canon Hamilton trophy at the end of the season and each of the eight teams remaining will fancy their chances of success. The pairings for the quarter finals which will go ahead on Saturday and Sunday week are Eire Og v Cratloe; Clonlara v Tulla; Crusheen v Ballyea and Feakle v Wolfe Tones. In the senior B championship the semi-final pairings are O’Callaghans Mills v Clarecastle and Sixmilebridge v Clooney-Quin. The quarter final pairings in the intermediate championship are Broadford v Scariff; Cratloe v Sixmilebridge; Smith O’Briens v St. Josephs and Parteen v Tubber. In the junior A championship the quarter finals games will see Sixmilebridge play Ennistymon, Bodyke play Ballyea, Ogonnelloe take on Meelick and Broadford tackle Kilmaley. …

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Hurling champions crash out to Wolfe Tones

The shock results in the 2016 Clare senior hurling championship continued on this Sunday afternoon as the defending champions, Sixmilebridge were knocked out of the title race by their neighbours Wolfe Tones, last year’s intermediate winners. The margin of victory was only a point (2-13 to 0-18) but the Shannon side were deserving of their success as they showed the greater hunger for success throughout the contest. Inter county players Aron Shanagher and Aaron Cunningham were the goalscorers on a day when the winners were  two points clear at half time, 1-8 to 0-9, Shanagher’s goal having come just on the half hour mark. With the lead back to a point Cunningham struck for his goal nine minutes into the second half and while the title holders replied with a couple of great points, the closest they got to the winners was a point. In the opening game at Cusack Park, Cratloe booked their place in the quarter finals when …

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