EIGHTEEN-year-old Martin Keenan from Ennis was crowned Irish novice heavyweight boxing champion on Friday night last. Twenty seconds into the final against John O’Connor from Thurles, Keenan landed a combination that ended the Thurles clubman’s involvement in the fight. Having taken up the sport only 18 months ago, Keenan has made spectacular progress to date. O’Connor threw a few left-handers in the opening flurry but Keenan caught him with a left counter and followed up with a right uppercut, which finished the Tipperary boxer’s final. The new Irish champion, whose father Jim also boxed with the club and whose younger brother Davy is expected to do well in the upcoming juvenile championships, had four fights on his way to the title. He won the first two inside the distance, before being taken the full distance in the semi-final against Bobby Kingsley. Martin told The Clare Champion this week that his interest in the sport developed from going to the …

Clare 1-21   Tipperary 1-13 A much sharper Clare deservingly captured the Waterford Crystal senior hurling title at Semple Stadium in Thurles on Saturday night when they proved too strong for the home county.  

Recognised as one of the greatest hurlers never to win an All-Ireland medal, Clare’s Jimmy Smyth was laid to rest in his native Ruan on Tuesday.

TWO former GAA greats, Offaly footballer Tony McTague and Limerick hurler Eamon Cregan, were inducted into the new Hall of Fame at the GAA Museum at Croke Park this week. The Hall of Fame was opened as part of the museum’s ongoing refurbishment.

Tulla United A 3   Newmarket Celtic A 1 TULLA United A completed a good weekend for the club’s junior teams when they scored a merited win over the premier league champions.

Robert Frost from O’Callaghan’s Mills became the seventh Clare chairman of the Munster Council when he was unanimously elected to the position last Friday night.

ELICTING a few post-match comments from Mark ‘Cookie’ McCarthy was a seamless exercise until a stream of his team-mates strolled by. Lending a momentary ear to what he had to say, they couldn’t pass the opportunity to toss a jovial dig or two at the Kilmurry Ibrickane forward, who had given his last drop for Clare in Páirc Seán.

COROFIN Drama Society, which tasted All-Ireland drama success last year coming third in the open drama category, returns to the fray this year with its latest production By the Bog of Cats, written by Marina Carr.