Tag Archives: U-21

Eleven teams will do battle for this season’s under 21 A football championship, the winners of which will receive the Marrinan memorial trophy. There will three preliminary round games with the winners going through to join the remaining five in the quarter finals. The title holders are Eire Og and they have secured a bye into the quarter finals where they could face the beaten finalists from last year, Ml. Cusacks/Kilfenora/Liscannor who play St. Breckans in the opening round Nine teams will compete for the B title while there are just four teams in the C competition. Extra time will apply in all games should matches finish level. The details are Under 21 A–Preliminary Rounds;  A–St. Breckans v Ml. Cusacks/Kilfenora/Liscannor; B-Cooraclare v Clondegad; C-Ennistymon v Miltown St. Josephs Quarter Finals; 1–Kilmihil v Cooraclare or Clondegad; 2–Lissycasey v Kilmurry-Ibrickane; 3–Kilrush v Ennistymon or Miltown; 4–St. Breckans or Ml. Cusacks/Kilfenora/Liscannor v Eire Og; Semi-finals;  1 v 3; 4 v 2 Under 21 …

  Fears that the Munster under 21 hurling final between Shannonside neighbours Clare and Limerick, scheduled for Thursday next, July 30, would be played outside Clare have been removed. A special meeting of the Clare GAA executive on Friday last voted to defer the commencement of renovation works at Cusack Park until after the final. Last month the executive had made a similar decision and deferred the commencement of work at the county grounds for a month in order to host the senior hurling and football Qualifier double header and the Munster under 21 semi-final against Waterford. A home and away arrangement is in operation for underage games in Munster and its Clare’s turn to host Limerick in the under 21 hurling championship, hence the reason for Clare’s latest decision. The Provincial body confirmed this week that the match will have a 7p.m. throw in time and it will be an all ticket game and supporters are asked to pre-purchase …

Kilmaley 3-17 Eire Og 2-5 A well drilled and well balanced Kilmaley bridge a forty year gap to their only previous success in the competition when they accounted for Eire Og in the under 21 A hurling championship final at Cusack park on Saturday afternoon. In the opening game of this double bill, a physically stronger Tulla side claimed the B title when they had a one goal victory over Cratloe. When Eire Og went a goal clear in the seventh minute of the A final, there were some anxious faces amongst the Kilmaley following in the attendance of 1,527. The anxiety was shortlived as the favourites stormed into the game and hit nine unanswered points to lead by six with seven minutes still to play in the half. With little ball going into their inter county star Shane O’Donnell, the town side’s mentors moved the UCC student to midfield which weakened their challenge in front of goal. At half …

Clare U- 21 A hurling champions, Sixmilebridge face a preliminary round tie in this season’s competition, which is set to begin in February. They were the first team out of the hat when the draw was made at GAA headquarters in Clareabbey on Monday evening and they will face Broadford, with the winners going through to a quarter final tie with Ballyea, last year’s beaten finalists. Nine teams will compete for the A title, with 12 in the B competition and a further nine competing for the C competition. Neighbours, Kilmaley and Inagh-Kilnamona will meet in a quarter final tie and this promises to be a lively contest. The full draw is; Under 21 A Preliminary round—Sixmilebridge v Broadford; Quarter finals—1—Kilmaley v Inagh-Kilnamona; 2—Newmarket v Éire Óg; 3—Feakle-Killanena v Clarecastle 4—Sixmilebridge or Broadford v Ballyea; Semi-finals—4 v 2; 1 v 3; Under 21 B— Byes to A—Tulla; B—Wolfe Tones; C—Smith O’Brien’s; D—Cratloe; Round 1—E—O’C. Mills v Scariff-Ogonnelloe; F—Parteen v Crusheen-Tubber; G—Whitegate …

By Seamus Hayes Eire Og 3-10 Liscannor/Kilfenora/Ml. Cusacks 1-7 A strong final quarter helped title holders Eire Og retain the Clare under 21 A football championship title at Hennessy Park in Miltown on Saturday afternoon when they proved too strong for the North Clare amalgamation of Liscannor/Kilfenora/Ml. Cusacks. The victory marked the Ennis club’s third in this championship and there is no denying the merit of their latest success. However, it took them a while to establish the upperhand and there were concerned faces in their camp at the half way point when they were just a point ahead after playing with the aid of the wind in the opening half. The amalgamation side showed one change to their starting line up to that which lined out in the semi-final a week earlier with Cian O’Dea ruled out due to suspension. The Kilfenora teenager’s appearance before the Hearings committee of Clare GAA on the previous night failed. He was replaced …

By Seamus Hayes Title holders Eire Og are one step away from retaining the under 21 A football title after their comprehensive 1-13 to 0-5 win over Clondegad at Lissycasey. In the final they will face a North Clare amalgamation known as Clan Lir after they proved too strong for Naomh Eoin/O’Currys at Cooraclare. Hennessy Park in Miltown will host the final on Saturday next (November 8). A seven point tally from Paddy O’Malley helped Eire Og to this latest win and their followers will be hoping that they can go on a retain the title and help make up for the disappointment suffered when losing the senior and minor championship finals. They dominated the first half and, helped by a Shane O’Donnell goal, were well on their way to the final by half time when they led 1-11 to 0-3. The other semi-final proved to be a much tighter affair but the physically stronger North Clare combination deservingly came …

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 …

By Seamus Hayes Clare 4-28 Antrim 1-10 Clare were on their way to a third All-Ireland under 21 hurling final long before the final whistle sounded at Thurles on Saturday afternoon. From an early stage their superiority was evident and when the half time whistle sounded they were eighteen points ahead of Ulster champions Antrim showed some lovely touches but just could not match the overall team work and skill of the defending champions. As was the case when they met in last year’s final, Clare were able to give game time to a number of substitutes, such was their dominance Antrim started well but Clare quickly took control and a beautiful Colm Galvin point gave them a lead they held throughout. They had 0-5 on the scoreboard when Aaron Cunningham struck for their opening goal in the eleventh minute. They added another four before Cunningham got through for their second major which came in the twenty first minute, just …