There were four Clare winners at the National Girls 1-6 Boxing Championships, held in the National Stadium in Dublin over the past fortnight. Ennis and Kilfenora Clubs shared two titles apiece for a hugely successful end to the boxing season and, while there was disappointment for defending champions, cousins Caoilinn and Shannon McCormack from Kilfenora, there was ample compensation in the victories of clubmate Niamh Ahern who was imperious through these championships. She stopped Stacey Curran from the Olympic Club in Galway for her second consecutive title in the 66kg final. Louise O’Regan won the 86kg title on a walkover. This is the first year since 2007, when Kayleigh McCormack won the first ladies title for the Kilfenora club, that a McCormack name was not on the winners’ podium in the National Stadium on finals day.Ennis girl Sally Carrig captured the 66kg title on a walkover to embellish the European bronze medal that she won last year, but the surprise …

Sixmilebridge  1-14 Clonlara  0-13 SIXMILEBRIDGE won their third Clare U-21A hurling championship title in five years and their 14th overall when they accounted for Clonlara at Cusack Park on Sunday.A fortunate goal in the ninth minute played a huge part in their latest success but it would be wrong to suggest this was the crucial score of the game.Overall, the champions were the better balanced side. Manager Niall Gilligan said, “I think we were the better team, even though we got a lucky goal. We were just that small bit better.“It’s been a brilliant championship. Every game was real tight. You can’t beat knock-out hurling as it really spices up things,” Clare’s former All-Ireland winning forward said.The teams swapped points twice before Cathal O’Connor’s delivery from midfield, in the ninth minute, bounced past Ryan Morris in the Clonlara goal. The score clearly rocked Clonlara and they conceded four unanswered points in the next five minutes, leaving the score 1-6 to …

Tubber jockey Derek O’Connor’s bid to land his tenth point-to-point riders’ championship in-a-row was dealt a severe blow when he suffered a broken leg in a horror fall while riding in a point-to-point at Dawstown, Cork on Bank Holiday Monday.O’Connor was partnering Massinis Adventure for Kinsale trainer Robert Tyner in the confined maiden when his mount, who was in the lead at the time, crashed out at the first fence. He was taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick where he was found to have broken his left ankle. Currently in a cast, it means the popular rider is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.   The full extent of his injury, which is similar to the one he suffered two years ago, will not be known until O’Connor visits his surgeon this Friday, when it will be determined whether or not the 29-year-old will need surgery.While O’Connor currently leads his nearest rival Jamie Codd by 18 wins (70-52) …

  Clarecastle  2-21 St Joseph’s  3-12 CLARECASTLE will play Feakle-Killanena in the final of the U-21B hurling championship, following their win over St Joseph’s in a very competitive and hugely exciting semi-final replay at Ruan on Sunday evening. This was a tie in which both sides enjoyed periods of dominance but the all-round balance of Clarecastle and their greater scoring potential proved decisive.After the sides had exchanged points, the Magpies struck for the first goal of the game, with Stephen Ward finding the net after receiving a pass from Mark Foley in the sixth minute. Mikey Casey and Bobby Duggan followed with points to open a five-point lead with just 11 minutes played.Points were then exchanged four times by the 20th minute, when the score was 1-7 to 0-5. A brace from Bobby Duggan saw the winners go seven clear with as many minutes remaining in the half.Two minutes before the half-time whistle, St Joseph’s, last year’s beaten finalists, were …

Clare 2-9 Waterford 2-8 AN epic encounter befitting of a Munster final saw Clare and Waterford go head-to-head for the second time in two weeks and produce a game of great quality and excitement. Both sets of players, their mentors and supporters were well and truly exhausted when referee Keith Delahunty sounded the final whistle after two agonising minutes of stoppage time, with Clare clinging to a one-point advantage.Nobody present could have predicted such a frenetic conclusion as Clare started the game in whirlwind fashion and looked to be well on the way to victory when leading 1-5 to 0-1 after just 15 minutes. Clare were dominant in all areas during the first period, only to find themselves floundering under the pressure of Waterford’s second-half onslaught. Both sides fought to the bitter end but Clare summoned the composure to rescue the game in the final minutes, when their dream of provincial glory was fading rapidly.Clare’s late revival was led by …

The Clare finals of the INTO Mini Sevens Football competition were held at the Gaelscoil pitch in Ennis last week.The winning teams from six divisions across the county contested the decider in two groups of three.  Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Ciosog, Knockanean,  Cratloe, Miltown, Lahinch and Annagh-Coore were the six finalists.After some great football, Annagh-Coore and Lahinch qualified for the final and Annagh-Coore emerged as the winners, capturing the title for the third year in succession.Representatives from each of the six schools will be chosen to play in Croke Park at half time on All-Ireland semi-final day.  

Kilmurry-Ibrickane 2-16 Clarecastle  0-4 THE semi-final of the Junior Ladies Division 3 took place in Clarecastle on Sunday evening, when Clarecastle entertained Kilmurry Ibrickane.Within minutes, Chloe Moloney opened the scoring with a point, followed by another from the captain Edel Lynch. It was a great weekend for Moloney, who was awarded the player of the match award in the Munster Minor B final, when Clare beat Waterford on Saturday. The West Clare girls were in flying form in all areas of the field, with points added by Ciara McCarthy, Tara Comber, Edel Lynch, Chloe Moloney and Melissia McCarthy on the way to a half-time lead of 2-14 to 0-0.The second half was a much more even affair with both sides contributing 0-4.Kilmurry-Ibrickane: Leanne Meaney; Audrey Cahill, Lauren McCarthy, Sharon Sexton; Áine Cunningham, Rebecca Doohan, Maura Garvey; Maeve Foley, Dympna O’Dwyer; Tara Comber, Ciara McCarthy, Fiona O’Neill; Melissa McCarthy, Chloe Moloney, Edel Lynch (capt).Subs: Loretta Hanrahan for Áine Cunningham, Shauna Healy …

  Kerry  0-15 Clare   0-9 A six-point win for Kerry suggests the home county won at their ease in Tralee last Saturday. Although they also led by six points at half-time, Kerry definitely did not simply swat the Banner men aside. Six minutes from time Clare had Kerry on the rack and trailed by just two points, 0-11 to 0-9. Lissycasey’s Conor Finucane had been on the field just two minutes when he cut through the Kerry defence, picked up a Kieran Malone popped pass and shot for goal. The home goalkeeper, Shane Ryan, despairingly dived towards his right post but luckily for him, the ball rocketed a few inches wide. Had that effort rattled the net, it’s very likely that Clare would have held on to win and secured a semi-final against Waterford on May 15. Even a point would have brought Clare to within a white flag of Kerry, who had not managed a score in a 16-minute …