SO did Clare leave it behind them? Emphatically, no. The sight of Domhnall O’Donovan on his back, while all around him Clare men, women and children were leaping into the Dublin skyline illustrates the depth of courage and mettle that has been drilled into this panel of Clare men. Had there been a chink of self-doubt or self-pity, Cork would have Liam McCarthy with them this week in the southern capital. In a game largely ruled by Clare, Cork led just the once. That they did so, a minute and a half into a mere two minutes of injury time, underlines the perilous precipice on which Clare stood. Eighteen months of work was imploding before their disbelieving eyes, while decades of regret loomed. Had Cork clung on to their one-point lead, they would have snaffled a 31st All-Ireland title that they did not earn. If they win the replay, at least they will probably have to hurl for longer and …

MORE than five months after the National Famine Commemoration was held in Kilrush, local town councillors still cannot decide where to locate the commemorative sculpture. In fact, only one member of the public responded to a council invitation for suggestions as to where the sculpture by Paddy Murray should be installed. After a long debate at Tuesday’s Kilrush Town Council meeting, councillors decided to defer a definite decision until October. Some councillors admitted that the location issue has dragged on for so long they would struggle to recognise the sculpture if they saw it. “I’ve forgotten what it looks like and how big it is,” Councillor Ian Lynch said. “We don’t know what it looks like. Because of the plinth, we haven’t seen it all,” Councillor Mairéad O’Brien stated. Town clerk John Corry revealed that an invitation for submissions from the public, issued in July, was met with an under-whelming response. “I received one submission. The location that was identified …

  THERE  is one change in personnel on the Clare under-21 hurling team from the side which started against Galway for Saturday’s All-Ireland final clash with Antrim. Cathal Malone retains his place at wing forward in place of Aaron Cunningham. The Ennistymon man replaced Cunningham when the Wolfe Tones player suffered a hamstring injury in the semi-final. Cunningham is named among the substitutes. The Clare team is: Ronan Taaffe (Tubber); Paul Flanagan (Ballyea) captain, David McInerney (Tulla), Jack Browne (Ballyea); Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge), Alan O’Neill (St Joseph’s) Stephen O’Halloran (Clarecastle); Colm Galvin (Cratloe), Tony Kelly (Ballyea); Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Paudge Collins (Cratloe), Cathal Malone (Ennistymon); Cathal O’Connell (Clonlara), Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg) Davy O’Halloran (Éire Óg). Subs: Keith Hogan (Clooney-Quin), Niall Arthur (Inagh-Kilnamona), Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones), Jarlath Colleran (St Joseph’s) Enda Boyce (Cratloe), Mikey O’Neill (Kilmaley), Kevin Lynch (Sixmilebridge), Darragh Corry (Tulla) and Daire Keane (Kilmaley). Seamus Hayes

AT a meeting of the Munster GAA Council  in Limerick on Thursday, a proposal from the Provincial Competitions Control Committee (CCC) to change the format to a seeded draw for the 2014 Munster senior football championship was adopted. This means that the 2014 format will keep the 2013 finalists, Cork and Kerry, at opposite sides of the draw. The CCC  proposed a change back to the seeded draw and this was seconded by Cork. Tipperary proposed that Cork and Kerry get byes to the semi-finals, with the remaining four counties, Clare, Limerick, Waterford and Tipperary playing off for the other two semi-final spots after which the semi-final pairings would be decided by means of an open draw. The proposal to revert to the seeded draw was carried by six votes to three. Each County has one representative on the CCC while the officers with the exception of the full time officials (secretary and assistant secretary) are also allowed to vote. …

WITH autumn now upon us and dark evenings prompting a more sedentary lifestyle, Shannon Chamber has enlisted the help of sport and recreation expert, Dave Mahedy, Director of Sport and Recreation at the University of Limerick, to help members and business people generally to prepare a personal programme for a healthier lifestyle. Mr Mahedy will deliver a presentation, entitled ‘Fit for Work, Project Me: A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body’ in GECAS Shannon next Tuesdayevening  from 5.30pm to 7pm.   The event is being run by Shannon Chamber, with the support of GECAS, as part of Chamber Week, which runs from  September 16 – 20 nationally. Making the announcement, Shannon Chamber’s chief executive Helen Downes said, “Summer is a time for the outdoors and exercise comes naturally but it’s difficult to find the routine as we head into winter. It’s easy to fall into a sedentary pattern, yet exercise is so important for our well-being, it relaxes and stimulates …

  THERE  is one change in personnel on the Clare under-21 hurling team from the side which started against Galway for Saturday’s All-Ireland final clash with Antrim. Cathal Malone retains his place at wing forward in place of Aaron Cunningham. The Ennistymon man replaced Cunningham when the Wolfe Tones player suffered a hamstring injury in the semi-final. Cunningham is named among the substitutes. The Clare team is: Ronan Taaffe (Tubber); Paul Flanagan (Ballyea) captain, David McInerney (Tulla), Jack Browne (Ballyea); Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge), Alan O’Neill (St Joseph’s) Stephen O’Halloran (Clarecastle); Colm Galvin (Cratloe), Tony Kelly (Ballyea); Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Paudge Collins (Cratloe), Cathal Malone (Ennistymon); Cathal O’Connell (Clonlara), Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg) Davy O’Halloran (Éire Óg). Subs: Keith Hogan (Clooney-Quin), Niall Arthur (Inagh-Kilnamona), Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones), Jarlath Colleran (St Joseph’s) Enda Boyce (Cratloe), Mikey O’Neill (Kilmaley), Kevin Lynch (Sixmilebridge), Darragh Corry (Tulla) and Daire Keane (Kilmaley). Seamus Hayes

DOORUS resident Mark Dwyer, along with 10 experienced swimmers, will take to the sea later this month to raise money for facilities for local boy Conor Keane. Mark will swim 2.4km from Oileán Eide to Lynch’s Pier, Doorus to raise money for the Conor Keane Trust on Saturday, September 28. The swim takes place at 10am and Mark believes it can be done in 40 minutes. “It will be a high tide but the rate of knots in the deepest part will be slack. We have rescue set up with RibWest, a local company that run trips to the Aran Islands and the GOYA gang here will also provide kayak support. I am hoping that we will have 10 to 12 swimmers on the day but I don’t really want any more than that because I want to have sufficient support and safety really is paramount,” he said. Weather conditions will not deter Mark and his fellow participants and he …

A DECADES-long wait for a sewage treatment plant in Kinvara is nearing an end. An Bord Pleanála this week gave the go-ahead for construction of the wastewater treatment plant in the South Galway village. Currently, untreated sewage is pumped into Kinvara Bay about 100m from the pier. “It has been one of the longest running sagas in South Galway but the end seems near for the development of a new sewage treatment plant for the town,” Junior Minister Ciarán Cannon commented. “This is the last major stumbling block out of the way and we are now ready to begin the preparation of contract documents and commence the tendering process. There are no really onerous conditions attaching to the grant of permission and this makes the next stage very straightforward,” he said. “I have been liaising closely with council engineers and they have confirmed to me that they will now finalise the contract documents and are hopeful that we can go …