Clare 0-15 Dublin 1-5 CLARE bagged their opening points in Division 1 of the National League on Sunday with a decisive victory over visitors, Dublin. Crisp sunny weather and a good dry sod enabled both sets of players to display their skills and Clare proved to be the stronger and more determined team and ran out deserving winners.Clare started strong and had four points on the board in the opening 12 minutes. Máire McGrath had the opening point from play in the first minute, followed by points from Claire McMahon and Naomi Carroll. Dublin should have been on the scoreboard but Sarah Ryan’s shot hit the side netting from close range, while Marie Moynihan saw her attempts from placed ball go wide of the mark and these misses proved costly.Dublin were thrown a lifeline at the mid-point of the half when a well-executed move the length of the field ended with Áine Fanning goaling after receiving an Aisling Carolan …

THE greatest threat to the GAA is not soccer or rugby but the GAA itself two former inter-county players, both of whom are now senior club managers, told last week’s special meeting of Clare GAA.Donal Madden, a native of Tulla, who manages Clonlara and Tulla’s Jim McInerney were speaking during a two-and-a-half hour debate on the proposed masters fixtures schedule for 2013. Both wanted a round of the championship to be scheduled for June.At the end of the debate, delegates voted to have a round on June 28/29 in the event of Clare qualifying for the Munster Senior Hurling Final. Otherwise, the schedule will remain as proposed as presented to delegates at a meeting a week earlier.“The impression I get from the master fixtures plan is an overwhelming bias towards the inter-county player, players involved in the county panel. I appreciate it’s an extremely difficult job that Padraic Boland and his committee had to do. We have 20 senior clubs …

THE Clare U-16 Football Championship season got off to an earlier than usual starton Saturday last and due to the recently improved weather conditions, most games were able to go ahead.  The first round in Division 1 saw high-scoring games with the Naomh Eoin/O’Currys group team beating Wolfe Tones, 3-10 to 1-9. A long delivery from Conor Magner was deflected to the net by a Wolfe Tones defender, before Cathal Downes converted from the penalty spot as the West Clare side took a 2-5 to 0-4 interval lead.Jim Marinan hit 1-1, while points followed from Liam Keating, Magner and Douglas Lynch to seal an impressive victory.St Breckan’s overcame Ennistymon 2-14 to 4-4, while Cooraclare had a very comfortable win over Doora-Barefield scoring 0-20 to Doora-Barefield’s 0-5. Miltown St Joseph’s scored 5-8 to Clondegad’s 2-6 giving them a good start to their campaign. There are six more rounds in this division and the top four teams will contest the division one …

GAA Handball Ireland have announced the National All-Star award winners for 2012 and among them is Clare’s Colin Crehan who has been named as the youth male player of the year. The Kilkishen teenager is the only Clare winner.Last season was one of the most outstanding in handball history with unprecedented success at the World Championships.There was little surprise at the announcement of the national players-of-the-year awards, with Paul Brady and Aisling Reilly collecting the two major accolades following their World Senior Singles Championship triumphs, as well as US Open glory.“2012 was the most fantastic ever in the history of GAA Handball and the World Championships showed the sporting world in general what we have to offer. That was the most breathtaking spectacle ever in world handball and the atmosphere when 5,000 spectators filled the Citywest arena for our world finals will be remembered for a very long time. These awards further highlight the brilliant high standards now reached by …

THERE was an abundance of handball action over the past weekend in both juvenile and adult grades.On Thursday night in Clooney, in front of a capacity crowd, some fantastic handball was dished out to those in attendance.It was an all-Clare final in both the minor singles and U-21 singles grades. First up was eagerly awaited battle between Colin Crehan (Kilkishen) and Colin Corbett  (Tulla) in the minor decider and the two did not disappoint. The first game was a nip-and-tuck affair with service changing on many occasions. It looked as if Crehan was going to take the first but Corbett produced some blistering serves to clinch the opening game on a 21-18 scoreline. The second started like the first but Crehan upped the ante to scoop the second on a score of 21-16 and force the tie break. Both produced some superb handball agility and court craft but in the end, it was Crehan who claimed the Munster title with …

The county Community Games draughts competitions for U-10, U-12 and U-14 took place on Saturday last in St Joseph’s Secondary School, Tulla. The co-ordinator was Sean McNamara with the support of all the Tulla Community Games committee and scorekeepers were Áine O’Callaghan and Kevin McSweeney. The standard was extremely high and an extra round of games was needed to decide the outcome after a number of matches finished level.This is the first time in 25 years that Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry was not represented in any of the categories. In the U-10 competition only three teams took part. Tulla beat An Droichead to progress to the final where they beat Quin/Clooney 15-5. In the U-12 competition six teams took part. In the first round Inch/Kilmaley/Connolly beat Quin/Clooney and Ennis St John’s beat An Droichead A. In the semi-finals Ennis St John’s beat Inch/Kilmaley/Connolly and Tulla beat An Droichead B. An Droichead won the bronze medals from Inch/Kilmaley/Connolly by the narrowest of margins. In …

THE 50th anniversary juvenile and junior boxing championships were staged in Ennis over the past week and a total of 62 boxers went on the scales, with the inclusion of boxers from the newly formed Doolin club, a highlight of the weigh-in and subsequent draws.It was expected that boxing would be completed by the Wednesday sessions but with the new one-fight per-day ruling, officials and boxers were obliged to congregate once more on Sunday last to box off the last of the finals.The strength in depth and huge membership of the Ennis club was the prevailing factor in the championships with Ennis boxers accounting for 27 of the 38 titles on offer, testament perhaps of the strength of the sport in the town. Kilfenora’s youth squad won four titles, while Doolin boxers accounted for the remaining seven. It must be said that the ladies from the Kilfenora club, who generally sweep the boards in the county championships, will not be …

LADY captain Maria Nolan and captain John O’Halloran had their drive-in on Sunday at Dromoland Castle. Their popularity was reflected in the attendance at the captains’ scramble prior to the drive-in and at the social occasion that followed.After week six of the men’s winter league, team 14, which includes Paul O’Brien, Gerry McInerney, Michael Flannery, Diarmaid McMahon and Gerry Malone lead the way. In second place are Jimmy McManus, Aidan McMahon, Dermot O’Neill, Frank O’Grady and Sean Conway with third spot filled by Ian Mulready, Calthal Kilmartin, Hugh O’Neill, Richard Flynn and Brian Kelly.The individual week six winner was Hugh O’Neill.Week seven of the league takes place this week, which is the final week and the format is 18-hole singles Stableford competition.Team eight comprising Sandy Smyth, Mary O’Donnell, Maeve McMahon, Annette Ryan, Ursula McManus and Anne O’Toole lead the ladies’ winter league.They are just ahead of Mary Arthur, Sheila Kent, Carola Wixted, Anne Murphy, Sheila Ryan and Dervla O’Neill.Mary Galvin …