The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
IN the October 14 Clare senior football final, Kilmurry Ibrickane retained their title and won their fourth county championship in five years. They defeated Doora-Barefield 0-10 to 0-4, despite not scoring in the last 22 minutes. The club has now won 13 Clare senior championships.
The first half was a near exact repeat, scoring wise, of the 2011 final between the clubs. In that game, Kilmurry led 0-8 to 0-0 at half-time. Last October, they led by seven points, 0-8 to 0-1. Cathal O’Sullivan scored St Joseph’s only first-half point in the 30th minute.
Once man of the match Niall Hickey pointed the game’s first score in the eighth minute, a sense of foreboding enveloped Cusack Park. Even most of the Kilmurry supporters in the small crowd would have liked to witness a competitive final after their 12-point win over St Joseph’s the previous year.
Kilmurry were subsequently beaten 2-8 to 0-13 by Dr Crokes in the Munster Club Championship quarter-final in Quilty in November.
Eight points down, 2-7 to 0-5, 11 minutes into the second half, Kilmurry Ibrickane looked finished. Their normally vocal support, in the 1,324 attendance in Quilty, were all but silent. Yet Kilmurry mounted a superb fightback into the wind and outscored the three-in-a-row Kerry champions and reigning Munster title holders, 0-8 to 0-1 in the closing 19 minutes. Dr Crokes managed to hold on in what was their toughest fixture as they maintained their Munster crown.
Elsewhere, Kilmurry again retained their Cusack Cup and O’Gorman Cup titles, while Kilrush were the most improved team of the championship. They reached the semi-final and only lost by a point to Kilmurry in a replay.
St Joseph’s, Miltown were relegated to intermediate ranks for the first time in their history, while Lissycasey may join them if an amalgamation is forthcoming. Wolfe Tones won the Senior B title for the second time in three years, defeating Shannon Gaels in the final.
O’Curry’s defeated Kilmihil in the intermediate county final, while Clarecastle defeated Michael Cusack’s to win the Junior A Championship.
At U-21 level, it was an historic year for Clondegad, who won their first A title at that grade. They defeated Ennistymon in the final played in Corofin. Cooraclare won the U-21B title, while Ennistymon won the minor A title. A North Clare amalgamation defeated Lissycasey in the replayed minor B county final.
