Galleries

FLIGHTS from the UK and America to Shannon this week are leading to hundreds of reunions in the airport’s arrivals area. On Wednesday morning Michael Doyle, who previously lived in Doonbeg before moving to Co Limerick, was waiting to see his daughter Lauren, who is a social worker in London. “She hasn’t been back for about six months now, so we’re looking forward to getting her home,” Michael told The Champion. As he was speaking, Lauren arrived and embraced her father. “I’m going to relax for the week really. It was a packed flight, but it was nice and quick,” she smiled. Alice O’Connell was there with her two sons, as they waited to greet Alice’s sister and grandnephew, who are now based in London – “I’m delighted, I can’t wait to see them.” When Alice’s sister Jacqui Moloney arrived, she had 14-month-old KJ with her, and Jacqui said it was the little boy’s fifth flight of his short life. …

The Banner edged out Clondegad on a score of 0-12 to 0-9 to win the Clare U21B football title in Cooraclare on Thursday evening A fitting finish to an ultra-competitive Under 21B football championship was enjoyed albeit in ultracold conditions in Cooraclare on Thursday evening. The fog that hides the countryside threatened to envelop the pitch whilst hiding one corner for most of the second half but rose as perhaps the temperature on the pitch rose dramatically in the final quarter. Was the Banner’s name on the cup since they sneaked past St Breckan’s at home missing Shane Meehan, Mark Cleary and Niall Walsh? The efforts of player of the championship Tomas Meeneghan proved central to the appearance in the final but as expected the onfield appearance of Meehan with 20 minutes tipped the balance the way of the Shanaway road men. From a Clondegad perspective the club competed well in senior after a forgettable 2021 season. Reaching this final …

ENNIS Educate Together National School had a winter fair at the school last Friday, looking at different countries and how they celebrate different aspects of their culture. Speaking about it, Deputy Principal Aoiffe Lynch said, “We’re an Educate Together School, a multi denominational school, so we have lots of different cultures within our school. “The only difference between ourselves and other schools would be that we don’t teach religion, we teach ethical education, which is teaching them about all the different religious traditions.   “With this we selected different countries to represent some of the students in our school, each class got to research a country and celebrate its cultures, religions through art, music, drama, poetry and dance. “We had a full winter fair and all the children got a passport to go into all the different countries. “Parents were invited in, a lot of them had cooked home made traditional dishes from their countries so there was a tasting …

Éire Óg have won back to back senior football championship titles. Here is a selecton of images from the match shot by John Kelly

Ennis Dons edged a hard fought derby to take the first silverware of the season. On a wet as windy night in Frank Healy Park, Ryan Jennings’ header early the second half ultimately proved the difference between the sides. The goal appeared to give Dons renewed energy and belief, qualities that were required to withstand everything Hermitage threw at them in the game’s final moments. This was a sold all round team performance from Ennis Dons with the individual moments of quality supplied by Jack Devitt at fullback, Kingsley Maokombe and Barry Woods in midfield. In an entertaining and fast paced contest, there was little to separate the teams. Hermitage had enough chances to take the lead and will reflect on those periods either side of half time when they played their best football. Much of what was good about Tage flowed from the performance of Davie Keenan who quickly set about making his mark on the final. Keenan already …

John Kelly was in Cusack Park as Ballyea defeated Éire Óg by 2-14 to 1-16 in the Clare senior hurling championship final

Ballyea’s victory over Cratloe in the senior hurling championship semi-final as shot by John Kelly

Éire Óg’s victory over Sixmilebridge in the senior hurling championship semi-final as shot by John Kelly