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A NEW petition containing 15,000 signatures supporting the upgrading of acute hospitals in the Mid-West including Ennis Hospital is prompting correspondence between a local lobby group, the UL Hospitals’ Group and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. A petition submitted by the Mid West Hospital Campaign has been discussed by the Dáil Petition Committee, which sent their proposal to the UL Hospitals’ Group for its views. The Hospital Campaign’s response to the Hospitals’ Group submission is being sent to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and the UHL management by the Dáil Secretariat. The Petition Committee meets fortnightly and will discuss any response the Hospital Campaign’s receives if it is made within the next 14 days. Noeleen Moran of the Mid-West Hospital Campaign said if Ennis Hospital was upgraded with proper investment, it could open a surgical observation unit and it could perform elective procedures. “If Ennis was upgraded to a Model Three facility, it could do elective procedures and have a functioning emergency …

Eoin Brennan believes Ballyea’s guile and experience may just see them over the line against Éire Óg in the Clare Senior Hurling Championship Final Much has been made of the rarity of Ballyea and Éire Óg’s clashes but while the concentration has been on the Townies’ early spanner in the works of Ballyea’s momentous 2016 season, what hasn’t really been dwelled on was that Ballyea actually relegated their neighbours in 2008. Five points down with only minutes remaining in their understandably anxious relegation decider in Clarecastle, Ballyea somehow pulled it out of the fire to devastate Éire Óg and leave them in the tricky waters of intermediate for three seasons. The question is how would Ballyea’s narrative have altered had they been the ones to go down as with a rich crop of talent coming through, it was essential for Tony Griffin and Co. to hang onto their senior status by whatever means neccessary. Fast forward 14 years and the …

Eleven years after his last senior championship experience, Cathal O’Connor triumphantly returned to Ballyea’s ranks last year in what would arguably prove their greatest Canon Hamilton title feat of all. After all, without talisman and back-to-back All-Star Tony Kelly, the 2016 and ’18 champions’ chances of overcoming a momentum-fuelled Inagh-Kilnamona initially appeared bleak. However, a typically never-say-die final storm from O’Connor and Co. dramatically turned the tie in their favour. It proved the final element in the Clare Senior footballer’s assimilation process and he hasn’t looked back since. “It worked out to be a brilliant decision. With Coolmeen, we haven’t played senior so it was a great opportunity to see what the pace of senior championship was in Clare. I’m thoroughly happy that I made that decision as to contribute in some way and to win a senior championship medal is great. “There weren’t too many strangers in the dressing room anyway to begin with as there was a big …

Éire Óg captain Liam Corry believes the success that the club’s footballers achieved last season in lifting the Jack Daly Cup is helping the hurlers this year. The Townies are in the unusual situation whereby the club have ended a 22 year wait for a Senior Hurling final appearance but yet they still possess a fair degree of experience after the footballers managed to end their 15 year wait to lift the Jack Daly Cup in 2021. Corry feels the success experienced by Paul Madden’s side last year has helped instil the extra belief and confidence amongst the hurling fraternity within the club. “The main lads in that football panel are the main lads in that hurling panel too. We have played with them all the way up so we work together all through the years. It’s unreal to see them win. When you see your colleagues from the same club winning it makes you want to win even more …

The glamour tie this weekend may be the senior hurling final, but, here, Michael O’Connor shines a light on why the Junior B final on Sunday morning is so important to the finalists. When renowned GAA commentator Syl O’Connor was elected chairperson of Sixmilebridge GAA club last winter a list of objectives – as with all newly elected officials – was probably on his table to be implemented. Outside of winning the senior championship Sixmilebridge had the matter of getting hurling activity for a lot of hurlers from 18 to 43. This was achieved with four adult sides that were competitive and now they lie on the cusp, if successful in Tulla on Sunday morning, of fielding sides in senior, Intermediate, junior A and Junior B this season. Up the N85 Paul Gannon has been plotting and planning all season to bring home Junior B silverware. Following their historic appearance in the 2021 senior final there were hopes of going …

Éire Óg sharpshooter David Reidy believes his side’s near misses in recent years has helped them become battle hardened for this Sunday’s mouthwatering decider with Ballyea. After progressing through to seven quarter finals in a row with this year being the third in succession that they have reached the last four, Éire Óg finally reached the decider as they stand just an hour of hurling away from lifting the Canon Hamilton for the first time since 1990. “We’ve been knocking on the door for the last few years. We have been to a number of quarter finals, a semi final last year and just kept on not getting the job done. These setbacks stand to us. “You can’t beat experience. It’s probably not the experience that Ballyea have in terms of their pedigree but we built up a lot of experience. “With Mattie over us he’s brought another edge to us; that resilient side and never say die attitude. Again, …

If Éire Óg win on Sunday they will bridge a 32-year gap to their last senior hurling success, a famine that far outlasts the previous drought that stretched from 1966 all the way to 1980 — a landmark success for the Éire Óg Dalcassians team now recalled by Joe Ó Muircheartaigh. “I always remember Paddy Kelly turning up in the Éire Óg Grounds on the morning of final day. He did some warming up exercises, pucked about and when walking off the field remarked to me with great enthusiasm, ‘Today has got to be our day’. With that injection of confidence, he lit his first cigarette of the day.” Tony Kelly, 1980 HURLING hindsight is 20/20 vision, or in this case it was 1980 vision, but Éire Óg couldn’t have played it better in their quest for a first county title in 14 years. You can never be under the radar in a county final because you had to show …

SCARIFF Community College parents will host an Autumn/Winter Fashion Show in aid of the campaign to fund the school’s state-of-the-art astroturf development on Friday, October 28. The fun begins at 7.30pm, at the school, with prosecco on arrival and goody bags, full of mysteries. Once seated guests will be treated to a variety of outfits showcasing Autumn/Winter’s hottest trends with outfits from boutiques including Ailish McElroy, Joanne’s Killaloe, Frocks, Fine Rags, I-Spy clothing, Carraig Donn, All Occasions, Love it Fashions and many more. Fashion blogger Martina’s Mark will be on hand to provide lots of style tips. A prize of the perfect five-star getaway will be on offer for the most stylish attendee on the night. A bumper raffle and auction will be held at the interval, with dozens of prizes.  More details of the fundraising campaign are available on Instagram @scariffcc_sport  Anyone who cannot attend on the night can still enter the online raffle at idonate.ie