Sports

Derrick Lynch It was a case of job done for Clare’s LGFA side last Sunday afternoon with their first championship win of 2020 keeping those hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive. It means this weekend’s showdown with Sligo is still a live contest with Clare needing to win while also hoping Laois can overcome Kildare, with that admittedly being a shock proposition. Murrihy was pleased to get the result but admitted that the performance did not always match the result. “It did for parts of it. We were sloppy at times and patchy, and it was nearly a mirror image of when we played them last year. We had 2-4 on the board after 10 minutes that day and we had 3-3 at that stage today. I was a bit disappointed that we did not push on and we were sloppy at times, but at the end of the day a win is a win. I was pleased with …

Derrick Lynch 2020 has not panned out the way that most people planned and for Chloe Morey, that also rings true. The former All Star had been set for a year on the sidelines to resolve some longstanding injury issues, but that initial break led to a renewed hunger once action resumed. She outlined that getting a taste of club action gave her that drive to work her way back to the county panel, something she was only glad to take the opportunity of doing. “The plan was not go back at all because I was to have keyhole surgery on my knee in September so I was going to give myself the year to get myself right. Conor (Dolan) had helped out with Sixmilebridge camogie and I was chatting to him. I have always said that I would never be arrogant enough to wait for someone to ask me, and I felt that I had a good club campaign. …

Derrick Lynch Conor Dolan is no stranger to big camogie occasions, having tasted the biggest day of all during his time involved with Galway. The Meelick man is now very firmly in the Clare camp as coach, and has played a key role in helping the Banner back into the knockout stages for the first time since 2014. With so much uncertainty having surrounded the 2020 campaign due to the outbreak of Covid-19, it meant teams were left in limbo for large parts of the year before the decision was taken to commence the championship. Dolan outlined that while he was initially wary about the dangers involved, everyone has been making a huge effort to ensure that everything passes off as safely as possible. “It is great to be back playing. I was as cagey as anyone else about going back without a vaccine but everyone is really towing the line and making sure that they are looking after themselves. …

Match Preview with Ann Marie McGann: Clare v Cork All Ireland Camogie Quarter Final This game has the prospect of being a tasty encounter with Clare getting into their groove and Cork teetering through the Championship so far with only one real competitive game against Galway. It may have been noted that it was the case of ‘anyone but Cork’ in general chat but Clare should take solace in the fact that reaching a quarter final in six years is nothing to be sneered at. The past wins in the 2012 Munster Camogie final and the 2014 National League will be nothing to fall back on come Saturday though. Both teams bring youth and experience to the mix this weekend. Cork had tried to lay down a marker against Galway in their final round game but failed to do so. It was nearly more enticing to see the commotion that was occurring on the line rather than watch some of …

Derrick Lynch Ballyvaughan will always be on the map for its place in the famed Burren landscape, but another string can now be added to that bow. The North Clare village can now proudly boast to have played its part in developing a world champion, who first developed his skills as a young boy in the area. It’s after Liam Jegou became the first Irish paddler to win gold in the canoe slalom at the World Cup after a brilliant performance in Pau on Sunday. 24-year-old Liam spent the first seven years of his life in Ballyvaughan, before the family decided to make the move to his father’s native France. His mother, Denise Sheridan, is a native of Shannon with Liam being a regular visitor back to Clare prior to the outbreak of Covid-19. 2020 has already been a hugely successful one for Jegou, having become the first Irish athlete to formally qualify for the now postponed Tokyo Olympics. He …

Derrick Lynch When the final whistle blew in Nowlan Park on Saturday afternoon, the first instinct for everyone with a saffron and blue persuasion was to head straight for the exit in case anything changed. Daylight robbery might be too strong a term to describe what had unfolded over the previous few hours, but given that legitimate late claims for a Laois penalty had been turned down and just one point separated the sides, there was certainly a huge sense of relief of having gotten away with a win that could have easily swung the other way. During his playing days, Brian Lohan was renowned for his no nonsense approach to defending and that same attitude continues in Lohan the manager. After getting the job done, there was not much time for hanging around after as he reflected on the win. “Very relieved to hear the final whistle. It was a tough struggle all day and a tough game, particularly …

From watching the games last weekend, it is clearly evident that the successful teams had a clear and structured game plan and executed it clinically. Of the losers, Wexford certainly do have a game plan and unusually were below par, but the remaining teams looked devoid of ideas even in trying conditions. Unfortunately, if anything, the weekend just strengthened Limericks favourites tag. They look like they are on a mission and as I discussed last week, each player is so familiar with their role. The razor sharp passing around the middle third, working the ball into the best position for a score or delivery to the forwards was a joy to watch. On the other hand, Tipp fell into the trap of lumping ball into Limericks full back line with the wind, unsuccessfully. I have been involved in teams who fell into the same trap and when it does not work it is as demoralising for you as much as …

Derrick Lynch Clare’s 2020 hurling championship season moves into the last chance saloon this weekend as they travel to Nowlan Park Kilkenny on Saturday afternoon to take on Laois in the opening round of the All Ireland qualifiers. Both sides suffered disappointing defeats in the opening provincial ties, with Laois going down by 2-31 to 0-23 against Dublin, while Clare were beaten 0-36 to 1-13 by Limerick. Clare were trailing Limerick by just a point after Ryan Taylor’s goal midway through the third quarter, but a storming finish from the Treatymen saw them advance. They since followed up that form with a stunning dismantling of All-Ireland champions Tipperary, and Clare selector Ken Ralph feels their performance on that day should be viewed in the context of the level that Limerick are currently operating at. “There were plenty positives for us to take from the Limerick game. There are of course things we were not happy about and we have been …