Sports

St Senan’s Kilkee will link up with their peninsula neighbours for the 2020 Clare Senior Football championship. Secretary of Clare GAA Pat Fitzgerald informed delegates at this week’s meeting that correspondence had been received from the St Senan’s club of their intention to join with Naomh Eoin and O’Curry’s in their senior amalgamation. The letter stated that it was a natural progression at the clubs were already joined at underage, and also confirmed that they will continue to field on their own at the lower grade. The 2005 Munster club finalists were relegated to the Junior A championship in a playoff against Naomh Eoin last year. No management has yet been confirmed for the West Clare outfit, with the outgoing backroom team of Joe Garry, Dermot Galvin and Johnnie Daly not continuing in that role. Meanwhile, East Clare neighbours Feakle and Killanena could become the first new amalgamation in the Clare Senior Hurling championship. It comes after the Killanena club …

Clare are preparing for a road trip in the quarter finals of the Inter-League Youths Cup. It’s after they lost 3-2 to Galway in their group tie in a wet and windy Frank Healy Park with that result seeing the Tribesmen go through as group winners. It was a game played in difficult conditions for both sides throughout, with the home side taking a 1-0 lead at the break. That lead goal arrived inside the opening 10 minutes when an own goal saw Clare go in front. The second half began in a frantic manner, with Galway levelling proceedings at 1-1. As Storm Ciara continued her path across the county, it was Storm Devanney who popped up on the hour mark to put Clare back in front. Galway continued to apply pressure, and it paid with 15 minutes to go as they struck for the leveller once more. They hit the front for the first time in the contest just …

The shortest game of the Clare Premier Division season, and perhaps Clare league history, will be played this weekend with the outcome of its six minute duration having a huge bearing on the destination of this year’s title. Newmarket Celtic and Avenue United will meet at McDonough Park on Sunday morning at 10.30am for the completion of a tie which was originally played last September. The home side were leading 2-1 with the game in the 90th minute, but a serious injury to an Avenue United player resulted in the game being abandoned by referee Shane Hayes. An ambulance was called to attend to the injured player, which arrived shortly after the game had been abandoned. Rule 52 of the Clare District Soccer League states:  “In the case of abandoned or unfinished fixtures the Executive Committee shall investigate the circumstances, and shall have the power to order a replay, play the unexpired time in two equal periods, or award the …

Defeat might have been Clare’s lot for a second week running, but looking beyond the scoreline, the Banner will be quietly content with the curve of their progression. It was an admittedly disappointing performance in the opening round against Armagh, but with only a six day turnaround and an arduous journey to Clones, Clare showed huge battling qualities in taking the game to the closing quarter. As the clock hit the 45th minute just one point separated the sides, with Grainne Nolan’s 36th minute goal seeing Clare only in arrears by 0-12 to 1-8. Monaghan, a side with considerable senior experience, would outscore their visitors by 2-3 to 0-2 in the closing stages, but it was a game that Clare can take a huge amount of positives from according to manager James Murrihy. “We have shown improvement from game one to game two which is probably what the league is all about. We were disappointed with the performance on the …

It is one thing to earn your first start for Ireland in the Six Nations. It is another thing to be awarded Player of the Match for such a sterling performance in that first start. This is the Sunday Edel McMahon had last week as Ireland secured their first win in the Six Nations after a tough 2019, with an 18-14 victory over Scotland. On Monday, she was back at home in London, recuperating and readying her body and mind for a tough Welsh challenge in Donnybrook this Sunday. “I really wasn’t expecting to get Player of the Match, to be honest. I was really looking forward to the game as it was going to be my first start in a Six Nations game in the number seven jersey which has a big history in this team. Claire Molloy wore this jersey before me, and I always looked up to her. It was a big day for me to wear …

The 2020 campaign for the Clare Camogie squad got off to the ideal start with Sunday’s win over Offaly in Birr. It was a game that Clare badly needed to win with tough tests coming down the track against Kilkenny and Cork before finishing off with a showdown against Waterford. One of Clare’s most experienced players, Orlaith Duggan, admits they were delighted to get the campaign started on a strong footing. She said: “We are very happy to get a win under our belts, because they were not easy to come by for us last year. It is a positive start and that is what we have been working toward over the winter in that first round of the league so we are happy. There are some aspects of the performance that we know need to be worked on, but we are glad to get the win and get off to a good start. That first game is all you …

Derrick Lynch Clare GAA clubs have decided that penalties will only be used to decide championship games when a replay finishes level after extra-time. A robust debate this week at the reconvened structures meeting, which lasted over an hour, saw clubs express their views as to how games should be decided if they finish deadlocked. The debate arose after concerns were outlined from the Master Fixtures Committee that under the current structures, it may not be possible to finish the club championships in Clare on time to meet the provincial deadlines. Committee member and Kilrush Shamrocks clubman Colm Browne outlined that an alternative needed to be found if those dates were to be met. He told delegates that the overwhelming feeling from the initial structures meeting was that no championship games should be played in April, and that the Master Fixtures committee had drafted the 2020 plan in accordance with that sentiment. Chairman Joe Cooney express his view that if …

The draws for the first Clare GAA championship of 2020 have been made with the pairings now known for the opening rounds of the U-21 hurling championships. In the A championship, Kilmaley begin the defence of their title with a mouthwatering showdown against Clarecastle. The winners of that game will face either Clonlara or St Joseph’s Doora Barefield in the last four. Inagh-Kilnamona have been drawn straight into the semi-finals, and they will take on the winners of Sixmilebridge v Tulla. The opening round pairings in the U-21 B championship are: Eire Óg v Clooney-Quin; Corofin-Ruan v Crusheen-Tubber; Scariff-Ogonnelloe v O’Callaghan’s Mills; Inagh-Kilnamona (2) v Bodyke; Wolfe Tones v Ballyea. The quarter-final draws are: Cratloe v Eire Óg or Clooney-Quin; Broadford v Wolfe Tones or Ballyea; Newmarket v Corofin-Ruan or Crusheen-Tubber; Scariff-Ogonnelloe or O’Callaghan’s Mills v Inagh-Kilnamona (2) or Bodyke. In the U-21 C championship, Banner meet Smith O’Brien’s in the opening round with the winners facing Ennistymon in the …