Blues blow past Magpies

Under 13 Hurling Academy A Round 1
Newmarket-on-Fergus 4-4 Clarecastle 2-7

Newmarket and Clarecastle derbies have never been dull affairs no matter what the age grade and this opening Under 13 battle of the neighbours’ second strings proved no different in Clarecastle on Saturday morning.
With a strong wind blowing towards the national school, both sides took full advantage but in the end Ryan O’Leary’s electric 11 minute first half hat-trick proved sufficient for the Blues to prevail.
Opting to have the conditions at their backs, Newmarket had to recover from an early set-back when chief threat Cathal Murphy raided for a Magpie goal after only five minutes.
Points from Donal O’Callaghan (2), John Burke and the lively Dylan Routley eventually nudged the Blues back in front before stopping their authority on the tie with a goal either side of the water break for powerful poacher O’Leary at 2-4 to 1-0.
Clarecastle responded with inspirational points from influential pair Eoghan Gears and Barry Murphy, only to be floored once more by another brace of sucker-punch goals through O’Leary and Routley on Newmarket’s way to a handsome 4-4 to 1-2 interval advantage.
Welcoming the wind, Clarecastle quickly set about toppling that advantage while remarkably keeping their opponents scoreless for the second half.
Points from Cathal Murphy and Eoghan Geers were all that the Magpies could muster in the third quarter though as Newmarket’s miserly rearguard headed by Rory Freeman, Liam Hehir and Tadhg Guinane repeatedly frustrated the home attempts at 4-4 to 1-4.
The switch of talisman centre-back Harry O’Donoghue up front did up the ante for the hosts as following a point on the restart, his blistering 20 metre free was kept out by centre-back counterpart Tadhg Guinane.
A second Cathal Murphy goal allied to immediate points from Geers and Caoimhin Geraghty did tee up a nervy grandstand finish. However a resilient Newmarket-on-Fergus eventually held out to edge the derby honours and get their Academy bid off to an ideal start.

Newmarket-on-Fergus: Sean Lee (Captain); Gearoid Crowe, Rory Freeman, Joshua Moroney; Reuben Ginnane, Tadhg Guinane, Dylan Routley (1-1); Liam Hehir, Sean Quinn; Donal O’Callaghan (0-2, 1f), Eorann Hegarty, John Burke (0-1); Oliver Sanger, Ryan O’Leary (3-0), Micheál O’Leary Subs: Liam Collins, Evsan Cusack

Clarecastle: Luke Donnelly; Sean McGonnell, Oisin Considine, Jack Mullahy; Oisin Cunningham, Harry O’Donoghue (0-1), Barry Murphy (0-1); Arthur Cecotka, Eoghan Geers (0-3, 2f); Caoimhin Geraghty (0-1), Gavin Reidy, Cian Earle; Rhys Farmer, Kieran Healy O’Sullivan (Captain), Cathal Murphy (2-1)
Referee: Rory McGann (Newmarket-on-Fergus)

Under 13 Hurling Championships

Ballyea laid down a significant early marker to lead the way in the inaugural Under 13A Hurling Championship after raiding for 13 goals in just two matches over a four day period.
A comprehensive 6-12 to 2-04 away victory over St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield last Friday was validated in spectacular fashion on home soil on Tuesday evening when overcoming previously unbeaten Clonlara by 7-9 to 2-1.
Five first half goals including a Zak Phelan hat-trick ensured that Sixmilebridge got off to a perfect start with a 5-10 to 0-04 victory over Kilmaley in O’Garney Park on Friday evening.
The game was also noteworthy for Rory Chaplin’s impressive 1-10 tally, Stephen Gavin was the ‘Bridge’s other goalscorer while Odhran Murphy led the line for Kilmaley.
Luke Vaughan was instrumental as Éire Óg edged out neighbours Clarecastle by 3-08 to 1-10 in their opening bout in Ennis last Thursday, Inagh-Kilnamona eased to a 5-15 to 3-05 opening win over Tulla while the championship commenced last Wednesday when Newmarket-on-Fergus and Clonlara played out a thrilling 3-12 to 5-06 draw.
In the Under 13B Championship, there were commanding opening wins for Clooney-Quin, Bodyke/O’Callaghan’s Mills and Crusheen/Tubber while Cratloe held off a resurgent Corofin/Ruan by 3-9 to 3-5.

Under 15 Football Championships

A determined Ennistymon have set the early pace in the Under 15 Division 1 Football Championship after successive opening victories in the past week.
Commencing their campaign against Clondegad, the sides were level at a point apiece by the first water break before a James Hegarty wondergoal and some eye-catching points from Seanie McMahon ensured a 1-6 to 0-1 interval cushion for Ennistymon.
That powerful second quarter would be the catalyst for a dominant second period that saw Jack Mescall add a second goal along with points from McMahon and Fred Hegarty to run out 2-18 to 0-05 victors.
Fast forward five days and last year’s beaten Under 14 finalists maintained their winning start as an inspirational 2-3 haul from Seanie McMahon helped Ennistymon to a 2-12 to 2-02 victory over Kilrush/Killimer.
The only other team in the top tier with a perfect record is St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield who edged out 2020 Under 14 Division 1 champions Lissycasey by 2-11 to 1-10 in a brilliant opener on away soil last week.
Goals either side of the opening water break through Padraic O’Donovan and Darragh Ball were crucial to giving the Parish a 2-5 to 0-6 interval cushion, with the impressive Ógie Fanning also chipping in with five points.
Daire Culligan (3), Diarmuid McMahon (2) and Aaron Clohessy fronted Lissycasey’s challenge with the latter also seeing a goal denied by Luke Kennelly.
The defiant Parish goalkeeper was finally beaten on the restart to kickstart a full Lissycasey revival led by Culligan and McMahon. Ogie Fanning, who finished the hour with nine points, kept the scoreboard ticking over to inch St Joseph’s ahead by the turn of the final quarter at 2-7 to 1-9.
Lissycasey were eventually held off by a further brace of points each for Fanning and Nially Talty but to their credit, they did bounce back superbly to wining ways on Monday evening when taking their frustrations out on neighbours Clondegad by 6-12 to 1-04.
In the Under 15 Division 2 Championship, Corofin and Clooney-Quin have hit the ground sprinting in their respective groups after the completion of two rounds.
In Group 1, Jack Keane (3-3), Eoin Carroll (2-1), Diarmuid Leyden (2-0) and Tiernan O’Neill (1-1) ensured an 8-07 0-11 opening win for Corofin over St Joseph’s Miltown before following up with another four goal haul to see off the Banner on Monday.
Clarecastle and Cooraclare also have a win each, with the West Clare side coming out on top by 3-13 to 3-03 when the sides clashed in Cooraclare on Monday evening.
In Group 2, Clooney-Quin have also found their goal-den touch with 13 majors so far to overcome fellow East Clare brethren Cratloe (6-11 to 2-10) and Parteen (7-9 to 0-7) who have also grabbed a win each.

Finally, in the Under 15 Division 3 Championship, it’s Kilmurry Ibrickane and St Breckan’s who lead the way with back-to-back wins.

Results

Football

Under 15 Division 1 Championship Round 1
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 2-11 Lissycasey 1-10
Ennistymon 2-18 Clondegad 0-05
Kilrush/Killimer a bye

Under 15 Division 1 Championship Round 2
Ennistymon 2-11 Kilrush/Killimer 2-02
Lissycasey 6-12 Clondegad 1-04
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield a bye

Under 15 Division 2 Championship Round 1
Group 1
Corofin 8-07 St Joseph’s Miltown 0-11
Clarecastle 4-10 Banner 4-08
Cooraclare a bye
Group 2
Parteen 2-11 Wolfe Tones 1-10
Clooney Quin 6-11 Cratloe 2-10
Éire Óg a bye

Under 15 Division 2 Championship Round 2
Group 1
Cooraclare 3-13 Clarecastle 3-03
Corofin 4-11 Banner 2-07
St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay a bye
Group 2
Cratloe 3-12 Éire Óg 2-11
Clooney Quin 7-9 Parteen 0-7
Wolfe Tones Bye

Under 15 Division 3 Championship Round 1
St Breckan’s 5-11 Shannon Gaels/Kilmihil 3-09
Kilmurry Ibrickane 4-8 Naomh Eoin/O’Curry’s/St Senan’s Kilkee 0-6
Doonbeg 6-8 Kildysart/Coolmeen 6-6

Under 15 Division 3 Championship Round 2
St. Breckan’s 4-9 Kildysart/Coolmeen 5-6
Kilmurry Ibrickane 9-11 Doonbeg 4-07
Naomh Eoin/O’Curry’s/Kilkee 4-12 Shannon Gaels/Kilmihil 1-07

Hurling

Under 15 Academy A Competition Round 2
Ballyea 3-6 Corofin/Ruan 3-6
Inagh-Kilnamona 1-15 Sixmilebridge 0-14
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 3-13 Éire Óg 2-11

Under 15 Academy B Competition Round 2
Kilmaley 5-17 Kilkee/Bealaha 5-02
Clooney-Quin 3-9 Scariff/Ogonnelloe 1-9
Ennistymon a bye

Under 13A Championship Round 1
Clonlara 3-12 Newmarket-on-Fergus 5-06
Éire Óg 3-08 Clarecastle 1-10
Sixmilebridge 5-10 Kilmaley 0-04
Ballyea 6-12 St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 2-04
Inagh-Kilnamona 5-15 Tulla 3-05

Under 13A Championship Round 2
Ballyea 7-9 Clonlara 2-1

Under 13B Championship Round 1
Clooney-Quin 5-15 Broadford 3-05
Cratloe 3-9 Corofin/Ruan 3-5
Bodyke/O’Callaghan’s Mills 3-12 Feakle/Killanena 1-04
Crusheen/Tubber 5-4 Smith O’Brien’s 1-7
Scariff/Ogonnelloe a bye

Under 13C Championship Round 1
Wolfe Tones 6-2 Ennistymon 2-9
Banner a bye

Under 13 Academy A Competition Round 1
Ballyea 4-3 Kilmaley 1-5
Newmarket-on-Fergus 4-4 Clarecastle 2-7
Inagh-Kilnamona 2-8 St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 1-9
Éire Óg 6-2 Sixmilebridge 3-2
Clonlara a bye

Under 13 Academy B Competition Round 1
Scariff/Ogonnelloe 6-10 Clooney-Quin 6-07
Corofin/Ruan 2-4 Crusheen/Tubber 1-1
Tulla a bye

Compiled by Eoin Brennan