Sports

THE dates, times and venues for Clare’s National League games have all been released by the GAA. Clare hurlers National League fixtures 8/5/21 Antrim v Clare, Corrigan Park, Belfast, 1pm 16/5/21 Clare v Wexford Cusack Park, Ennis, 1pm 23/5/21 Laois v Clare, Portlaoise, 3pm 5/6/21 Dublin v Clare, Parnell Park, Dublin, 5.15pm 12/6/21 Clare v Kilkenny, Cusack Park, Ennis, 3pm Clare footballers National League fixture 16/5/21 Clare v Laois, Cusack Park, Ennis, 3.45pm 23/5/21 Kildare v Clare, St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, 2pm 30/5/21 Clare v Cork, Cusack Park, Ennis, 1.45pm.

Chairman of Clare GAA Jack Chaplin has committed to addressing two contentious topics at the next meeting of clubs in the county. Following questions by Kilmaley delegate Niall Romer in relation to the details surrounding secretary Pat Fitzgerald’s contract, the chairman promised to “research that” for the next meeting. Speaking at last week’s meeting, Romer outlined “What people seem to forget is that I’ve represented my county at all levels for a long, long time. I captained Clare to win an All Ireland in the dark days and I have also been a selector and a coach to win an All Ireland so I have an idea of what’s going on, on and off the field. My question goes back to a simple thing that I would like an answer to. It is not personal, I just want an answer once and for all. Can the chairman please let me know, when the county secretary’s contract is due to expire, …

The 2021 GAA provincial championship draws were made this week, with the countdown now firmly on to the return of competitive action across the country. While no details are yet available as to when club players are allowed to return to training, it is believed that a date toward the end of May is being considered ahead of the Government’s next announcement in the roadmap to reopening the country. Ahead of that, there is something for club football players in Clare to look forward to after the draws were also made this week for the 2021 O’Gorman Cup. The competition, which has been played since 2006, is named in memory of the late John O’Gorman, who was a central figure in Clare GAA and beyond throughout his life. He was also a former officer of the Clare football and county boards. With club teams unlikely to see action in the championship until the autumn, this year has seen the biggest …

The Clare District Soccer League committee has proposed to clubs that the 2020/2021 season would be declared void, with the focus moving to the start of the 2021/2022 season in the coming months. The proposal was outlined to clubs at this week’s delegate meeting, with plans being put forward to begin the new season in mid-July, which would be dependent on Covid-19 restrictions at the time. It was detailed that should junior players get the expected green light to return to training toward the end of May, it would leave a period of up to six weeks for teams to prepare for the new season. It was also proposed that the new season would begin with the League Cups across each division. League treasurer Tony Downey also informed the meeting that players at U-17 and U-18 level would not be scheduled for a return to games until after the Leaving Cert exams have been completed, with July also being identified …

Dates have been confirmed for Clare’s 2021 National Hurling and Football league campaigns In the National Hurling League, Brian Lohan’s charges face a trip north of the border for the opening game as they travel to take on Antrim on Sunday May 9 at 1pm. It is the first of three consecutive games with a home tie against Wexford on Saturday May 15, and a trip to Portlaoise to face Laois on the weekend of May 23. The group stage finishes with a trip to the capital to face Dublin on the weekend of June 6 before rounding off the campaign at home to Kilkenny on Saturday June 12. Colm Collins and the senior footballers will have two home games in Division 2 South, and they host Laois in the opening round on the weekend of May 16. That is followed by the familiar trip to Newbridge to take on Kildare a week later before a home tie with Cork …

Clare will face familiar opposition in the 2021 Munster Senior Football and Hurling championships. This morning’s provincial draws saw the footballers paired with Kerry in the Munster SFC quarter-final, marking the sixth time that Colm Collins has faced the Kingdom in his eight year tenure. The winners of that tie will go on to face the reigning provincial champions Tipperary in the semi-final, while Cork and Limerick will square off in the other last four encounter. The hurlers have been handed something of a revenge mission, with Brian Lohan’s charges set to face the Waterford side who ended their 2020 championship campaign. The prize on offer for the winners of that encounter is a semi-final clash with Tipperary. All Ireland champions Limerick face Cork in the other provincial semi-final. No fixture details have been confirmed for those games yet, with the GAA expected to issue an update on all fixtures in the coming days.

The group tasked with preparing a five year strategic plan for Clare GAA has outlined that they will be adopting a “grass roots up” approach in its workings. Group member Mark O’Connell, CEO of Repucon Consulting, addressed club delegates at this weeks county board meeting to detail the process the group will be following. He stated that they will be following a “structured approach” with an emphasis on ascertaining the views of club members and supporters of Clare GAA to identify their views on how the association should move forward over the coming years. Surveys have been compiled which have been issued to club secretaries to feed back information with further surveys planned for the coming weeks for both club members and the public to have their say. He also outlined that development squad coaches, S&C coaches along with referees and past and current players will also be canvassed for their opinion on the process. Once all that information has …

Clare’s ladies footballers will have just one home game in the group stages of the 2021 National Football League. Evan Talty’s side are grouped with the Meath side who ended their championship run last year, along with neighbours Kerry and fellow intermediate side Wexford. The campaign will start on May 23 with a home tie against Wexford, before trips to Kerry and Meath to round off the group stages. Talty has also confirmed his management team for the coming year, with former Mayo ladies goalkeeping coach Donal ‘Doc’ Hughes, former Meath star Odharnaith McKenna (Performance Analysis) and Cooraclare’s Andrew O’Neill (physio) joining the set up. Training is set to begin in earnest next week when restrictions will be lifted to allow elite level sides to resume on field training, with that session being the first time in 2021 that the squad will have met face to face. It will also be the first opportunity for new Clare ladies football chairperson …