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Littlewoods Ireland Camogie League Division 1 Round 2 Clare v Limerick at Fr McNamara Park Ennis, Saturday 4pm (Justin Heffernan, Wexford) The perfect winner-takes-all showdown for a Division 1 Semi-Final spot as Clare and Limerick renew rivalries for the first time in 28 months. At the time, Limerick, two years on from a historic Munster Senior Championship success, were the ones looking to make the breakthrough into the top four in the country and duly demonstrated that with a comprehensive 1-14 to 0-10 victory on home soil. Coming only three matches into Ger O’Connell’s reign, it was also the ideal eye-opener of how far Clare needed to develop in terms of physicality, movement and scoring prowess. Almost two and a half years on and the roles are completely reversed as Clare, off the back of an encouraging League and Championship campaign in which they contested the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals, are bidding to dine at the top table. That evolution of physicality …

Eight months on from the last competitive action, Coiste na nÓg Peil have announced fixture details of their underage football championships from June onwards. Commencing with the Under 13 Championships on Friday, June 11, the Under 15 equivalent begins the following Wednesday (June 16) before the Minor (Under 17) is set to get underway on Friday, August 6. Over the past few weeks, Coiste na nÓg Iomaint and Peil along with Micheal Duffy and Sean O’Halloran from the Coaching and Games Committee have been coordinating an underage football and hurling schedule for the summer ahead. Full details of the Under 17 competitions will be finalised upon confirmation of Inter-county minor fixtures along with a decision from the Clare GAA County Committee on the prospect of an Under 19 Competition which would also impinge on the minor grade. In addition, the underage hurling fixtures are due to be confirmed in the coming week. Under 13 Division 1 Championship (Start Date – …

CLARE people are being urged to continue following public health guidelines to minimise the spread of Covid-19 as acute hospitals in the region struggle to cope with the severe impact of the cyber attack on HSE information technology systems. The UL Hospitals’ Group has confirmed the number of Covid-19 positve patients admitted to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) has increased from two to 14 from May 13 to May 20. While the group stressed these figures should be interpreted with a large degree of caution, their clinicians are reporting an increase in Covid-19 related activity presenting to the ED at a time when the department, and all acute hospital services, are facing massive disruption as a result of last week’s cyber attack. The group continue to follow all national guidance on Covid-19 testing and we continue to take all the necessary infection control precautions. Separate Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 pathways remain in place for all patients attending the ED. The effects of …

SMITH O’Brien’s GAA Club has received the green light for the construction of a new €100,000 multi-use games area (MUGA). Approval has also been granted for associated side fencing and netting, artificial grass surface, floodlighting and all associated ancillary and incidental works. The local authority considered the development would not seriously injure the area’s amenities. Clare County Council has passed the club’s planning application for its proposed works at their grounds in Shantraud, Killaloe, subject to three planning conditions. Prior to the start of the development, the club must submit full specification of the proposed floodlights, including wattage, for the written agreement of the planning authority. The floodlights have to be directed onto the playing surfaces of the astroturf pitch and have to be directed and cowled to avoid glare on the adjacent properties. According to the planning conditions, flood lighting on the site can only operate between the hours of 7am and 9.30pm only in the interest of traffic …

CAHERCALLA Hospice are urging the public to sponsor a virtual sunflower in memory of a loved one for this year’s Hospice Sunflower Days. Together for Hospice, the National Hospice Movement, has launched a ‘Virtual Sunflower Remembrance Garden’. This online space has been created for people to dedicate a virtual sunflower in memory of a loved one, whilst helping to raise much-needed funds for local hospice and home care services throughout the country this June. The ‘Virtual Sunflower Remembrance Garden’ campaign has been launched to raise funds for Hospice Sunflower Days, whilst also recognising the difficult year families and communities have faced. Together, 26 hospices nationwide, including Cahercalla, have joined to provide an online space where loved ones can be remembered and precious memories celebrated, reminding us that we are not alone. Mary Maloney, Fundraising Manager at the Clare hospice at Cahercalla, commented, “The last year has been incredibly challenging for many people in our communities and our intention is that …

Adult competitive club action could return as early as Monday, June 7 according to the proposed Clare GAA Club Masters Fixtures Programme for 2021 that was issued to the clubs on Tuesday. Scheduled for ratification at the re-convened May meeting of the county board next Monday evening, the draft plan sets out a condensed Football and Hurling League structure over June and July before the County Championships commence in August and conclude with both the senior hurling and football finals on the first weekend in November. Comprised of Martin Hehir (Ballyea/Clondegad), Tony O’Donnell (Crusheen), Paraic Boland (Broadford), Tom Duggan (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), David O’Brien (St Joseph’s Miltown) and Colm Browne (Kilrush Shamrocks), the Masters Fixtures Committee, in their accompanying notes, outlined their reasoning for their scheduled calendar. “We have approached the 2021 Masters Fixtures Schedule with a mindset of getting clubs back playing games after the long layoff since Autumn 2020 and this is very much the focus with the …

Clouna pupils treated to display of sheep shearing as part of their Story Of Wool project for Cruinniú na nÓg THE creative work of children in a North Clare national school will be showcased as part of an exhibition for Cruinniú na nÓg on June 12, subject to Covid-19 guidelines. Scoil Cholmcille, Clouna has been a hive of activity and imagination in recent weeks as the children were introduced to The Story of Wool, first from a heritage perspective, including where the wool comes from, how it is carded, dyed and spun. They learned how wool takes on various forms moving on to the various uses such as felting, knitting and crochet. Students discovered how felt is made through the process of bonding wool fibres together and have designed and made their own pieces of felt, using the wet felting method, which they have used to make a pencil case. They are currently in the final phase of the project …

With a first competitive outing as Clare Ladies’ Football Manager inexorably drawing closer, there is an understandable excitement and anticipation in Evan Talty’s voice ahead of a welcome Cusack Park National League showdown with Wexford this Sunday (2pm). A nine time County Senior Football champion with his native Kilmurry Ibrickane, Talty is more than comfortable in Clare headquarters and is also familiar with the Clare ladies football camp after answering the call from his cousin James Murrihy to get involved in the backroom team twelve months previously. Three lockdowns later and the hectic existence of an inter-county manager has suddenly hit home for Talty after an admittedly comfortable initial transition period. “I suppose I thought this inter-county management craic was very easy there as for the first couple of months [during lockdown] as I was saying ‘Jesus I don’t have to do anything.’ Joked Talty. “But I’ll tell you one thing, I’m really get a dose of reality now in …