2013 season nears

WITH the new GAA playing season just over two weeks away, the full schedule of games is sure to be of help to Clare fans.

 

The senior footballers will be the first into competitive action as they take on Limerick IT in the opening round of the McGrath Cup on Sunday, January 6.

It will be Mick O’Dwyer’s first competitive outing with the team and there is sure to be a big attendance.

The hurlers will have their first competitive game of 2013 on Sunday, January 27, when they play either Waterford or University of Limerick in the Waterford Crystal Tournament.

Prior to that, they will have a number of challenge games in preparation for the new season.

Fixture schedule

January
6: McGrath Cup: Clare v Limerick IT at a Clare venue.
13: McGrath Cup: Limerick v Clare or LIT (McGrath Cup, a knock-out competition continues on successive weekends to its conclusion on January 27).
16: Dr Harty Cup hurling quarter-finals.
23: Corn Uí Mhuirí football quarter-finals.
27: Waterford Crystal: Clare v Waterford or UL (like the McGrath Cup, it is a knock-out tournament, which continues on successive weekends to its conclusion on February 17).

February
3: National Football League (NFL) Round 1: Clare v Waterford.
9: All-Ireland Club Senior Hurling semi-finals: St Thomas, Galway v Lougheil, Antrim and Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) v Kilcormack-Killoughey (Offaly).
10: NFL: Leitrim v Clare.
16: All-Ireland Club Senior Football semi-finals: St Bridget’s (Roscommon) v Crossmaglen (Armagh) and Ballymun (Dublin) v Dr Crokes (Kerry).
17: Inter-provincial hurling and football semi-finals: Leinster v Connacht and Ulster v Munster.
23: All-Ireland Scór na nÓg finals in Derry; Inter-provincial football final.
23: National Camogie League, Round 1: Clare v Dublin.
24: National Hurling League (NHL) Round 1: Clare v Waterford.

March
1 & 2: Fitzgibbon Cup (hurling) finals at Athlone.
3: NFL: Offaly v Clare; Inter=provincial hurling final.
9: NFL: Clare v Tipperary (2pm.)
10: NHL: Clare v Galway; camogie league: Galway v Clare.
16: NFL: Clare v London.
17: All-Ireland club finals at Croke Park.
18: NHL: Cork v Clare.
22 & 23: GAA Congress in Derry.
24: NFL: Carlow v Clare; NHL: Clare v Kilkenny.
27: Munster U-21 football semi-final: Clare v Tipperary or Waterford.
31: NHL: Tipperary v Clare; camogie league: Wexford v Clare.

April
7: NFL: Clare v Limerick.
10: Munster U-21 football final.
10: Munster minor hurling: Cork v Clare.
14: NHL semi-finals; camogie league, Division 1 play-offs.
17: Munster Minor Hurling: losers of Cork/Clare v losers of Waterford/Tipperary.
20: Munster Minor Football: Clare v Tipperary.
21: Camogie league semi-finals.
27: Munster Minor Football: losers of Clare /Tipperary v losers of Limerick/Waterford; Division 4 NFL final; All-Ireland senior Scór finals in Derry.

May
5: Division 1 NHL final; Division 1 camogie league final.
15: Munster Minor Football semi-finals.

June
2: Munster Senior and Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter-finals: Clare v Waterford at Thurles.
16: Munster Senior and Junior Football Championship semi-finals: Clare v Limerick or Cork at Cusack Park.
22: All-Ireland Camogie Championship: Clare v Derry (neutral venue).
23: Munster Senior and Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-finals: Clare v Cork.
26: Munster Minor Hurling semi-final.
29: Camogie Championship Round 2: Kilkenny v Clare.

July
7: Munster Senior and Minor Championship football finals.
13: Camogie Championship Round 3: Clare v Galway.
14: Munster Senior and Minor Hurling Championship finals.
18: Munster U-21 Hurling Championship semi-final: Waterford v Clare.
20: Camogie Championship, Round 4: Wexford v Clare.
27: Camogie Championship play-offs.

August
7: Munster U-21 Hurling Championship final.
17: Camogie Championship semi-finals.