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Clare Cup Final Kilmaley 0-25 Clonlara 0-15 AN ideal pre-championship boost for Kilmaley who deservedly garnered their second Clare Cup crown in three attempts in Cusack Park on Sunday evening. Leading from the eighth minute to the finish and never behind at any stage of the contest, Kilmaley seamlessly moved through the gears to record a comfortable victory and more significantly a 25 point turnaround from their group stage clash only three weeks earlier. Contrasting fortunes were stark as despite losing talisman Mikey O’Malley to injury in the opening period, Kilmaley will be not only be thrilled with securing timely silverware ahead of their championship opener against Éire Óg in three weeks time but did so thanks to nine different scorers. On the flip side, Clonlara saved their most lacklustre Clare Cup display of 2022 for last but more worryingly saw early retirements through injury for captain Cathal O’Connell, former All-Star Colm Galvin, Gareth Kennedy and chief marksman Micheál O’Loughlin …

All-Ireland Intermediate Ladies Football Semi-Final Clare 2-19 Laois 2-21 (AET) HEARTBREAK for Clare in extra time as Laois superstar Mo Nerney guided her side to victory after what can only be described as a contest of epic proportions, writes Derek Dormer. An absolute outstanding opening thirty minutes with massive intensity by both teams, great scores, point blank saves, a huge penalty claim ignored before another being awarded and missed. Mo Nerney opened the scoring straight from the throw in after only twenty nine seconds her first of five first half points. Fidelna Marrinan with an immediate response landing a beauty before the game’s first green flag. Sensational work by Niamh O’Dea bursting through the centre shrugging off tacklers with ease before off loading to Roìsìn Considine who blasted home superbly. The teams traded scores but it was Clare who were the dominant force however lady luck was most certainly not on their side hitting the post on no less than …

SIOFRA Ní Chonaill isn’t one for backing down from a challenge. The Doora-Barefield clubwoman has spent much of her inter county career balancing work commitments, her studies and competing for Doora-Barefield and Clare. In September Ní Chonaill will enter her final year studying Mental Health Nursing in UL which has seen her work in a psychiatric ward, a vaccination centres and in a nursing home. She decided to jump in at the deep end when COVID hit these shores two years ago as she welcomed at the opportunity to work in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Ennis. Ní Chonaill believes the experience of working in a hospital setting at the onset of the pandemic provided her with the perfect opportunity to gain hands on experience. “It was very tough but it was something I wanted to do. I got an email one day from college, seeing if we wanted to be healthcare assistants. I had my course work done and I had to …

GHOSTLY echoes of a dark time in Ireland’s history are still being felt in a home in Ballyvaughan, believed to be located on the site of a former workhouse.  The house is part of a complex that is understood locally to comprise a dispensary, a child detention unit and workhouse proper, which opened in the mid-1800s and housed around 500 people. Resident Eilís Haden-Storrie, a journalist and author with long experience working in the North in education around the peace process, bought the property and, for a time, ran a B&B. She found that, from the start, the house attracted people with a curiosity and sensitivity about its history. “The most amazing visitors came,” she said. “The house just seemed to appeal to people with an interest in history and they would often remark on the funny energy they sensed. We also found people were able to point out the place where the original front door was located, even though …

AN Ennis sports club which recently launched a fundraising campaign for the development of a multi-sport facility has received a boost which will support their goal for expansion. Established in 2019, Ennis Hockey Club is the first and only hockey club in County Clare, and players currently have to travel for matches as they have no home pitch. It is the club’s ambition to build a multi-sport 2G facility in Ennis where they can play, compete and develop the next generation of people passionate about this Olympic sport. The club has now been named county winners in the recent Texaco Support for Sport initiative, and has been presented with a cheque for €5,000 which will be used by the club to expand its membership and to cater for adults with mental and physical disabilities. After only three years in existence, it has already shown enterprise and creativity with programmes for children age 5 to 18 and for adults familiar with …

A 1947 DODGE car once owned by Eamon de Valera has been moved from its display building in Harmony Row to a new home in the newly refurbished exhibition area at Clare Museum. The car, which was used by Eamon de Valera during his years as President of Ireland, was often to be seen on the roads of Clare in the 1960s and is fondly remembered by the Clare public. It was manufactured in Detroit, Michigan, US, in 1947 and was originally the property of President Sean T O’Kelly. Although de Valera continued to use a Rolls Royce for State occasions while President of Ireland, he purchased the Dodge from Sean T O’Kelly, the outgoing President, and had it resprayed from its original maroon to black for his personal use in the late 1950s. The black Dodge would go on to be a familiar sight in Clare. Many older Clare people associate the vehicle with the annual Clare Agricultural Show …

A “very upsetting” incident in which a man burgled the home of an elderly lady in Ennis is being investigated by gardaí. At 9pm on Thursday, June 30 a male entered the home of the lady on Lifford Road and stole her purse containing cash from her handbag which was in the front room. The culprit left the scene on foot. Fortunately the woman was unharmed during the burglary and gardaí are appealing for anybody who may have seen anything suspicious in the area around the time to contact them. According to Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks, “No harm was caused to the lady but an incident like this is very upsetting.” She is asking anybody with information to contact the local Garda Station or any Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

CONSTRUCTION has commenced on the Clarecastle Sewerage Scheme, Irish Water have confirmed. The new sewerage infrastructure to be constructed as part of this scheme aims to eliminate the discharge of raw sewage into the River Fergus and Shannon Estuary. Irish Water, working in partnership with Clare County Council, are commencing with the installation of new below-ground infrastructure at the site of the existing Quay Road Pump Station and construction of a new rising main pipeline along Quay Road, Barrack Street and the Ennis Road that will transfer sewage from Quay Road Pumping Station for treatment at the existing Clareabbey Wastewater Treatment Plant. Irish Water aim to have the project completed by mid-2023. Once operational, this infrastructure will ensure compliance with wastewater discharge regulations. It will also improve water quality in River Fergus and Shannon Estuary and protect recreational water whilst protecting the integrity of the local marine environment. Speaking about the project, Seamus Glynn, Infrastructure Delivery Regional Lead with Irish …