Sports

The opening round of the Clare senior football championship gets underway this weekend and marks the beginning of the latest era in the race for Jack Daly. 2018 was the year of the big cull as five teams were chopped from the top tier, with just 13 now in the hunt to be crowned champions. It also meant a reshuffling of the structures with group stages coming back into play. The intrigue increased when a new group team emerged as peninsula neighbours Naomh Eoin and O’Curry’s joined forces to have a crack at the senior championship, and the draw saw them pitted against defending champions St Joseph’s Miltown along with 2018 intermediate champions Kilrush and 2017 intermediate champions Kilmihil. A major talking point in this group has been the issue of how the relegation process will work, with confusion still surrounding how it might play out. The notes which accompanied the 2019 Master Fixtures suggested that the new group team …

Clare SFC Round One Preview Group One St Joseph’s Miltown v Kilmihil It is a sign of far each club has risen that this senior championship opening round is a repeat of the 2013 intermediate final. On that day, Miltown were comfortable winners and their curve has been on the upward trajectory ever since. 2015 and 2018 saw them crowned champions with the core of that team being with them throughout that journey. They have also got the man who led them to that intermediate title back in their corner as David O’Brien takes up the reins once more. Kilmihil eventually got over the line after consistently contesting for intermediate honours, and built on that last year by consolidating their senior status. Club legend Mark O’Connell is the man on the line and along with former international rules star Odran O’Dwyer they will have Kilmihil well primed for this test. It has already been a successful year for Miltown as …

The 2019 Clare Senior Camogie Championship gets underway on Monday evening, with Inagh-Kilnamona bidding for a fourth consecutive McMahon Cup. There are plenty contenders lining up to have a crack at the champions who have contested every final since 2015. Joining them in Group One for this year’s championship are Kilmaley, Truagh/Clonlara and newly crowned intermediate champions Kilkishen-Bodyke. Clare Senior Camogie Championship Group One  Inagh-Kilnamona After overseeing the most successful period in their history, Margaret Lafferty called time on her spell on the sideline after guiding her side to another title last year. A new management team led by joint managers Eugene Foudy and Paul McInerney take over the reins for the coming season, and will bring plenty experience to the role.  Along with dominating the county scene over the last few years, Inagh-Kilnamona have also made real strides on the provincial front and have come agonisingly close to summiting that peak in recent times. The champions will be strongly …

It is a new look Clare SFC in 2019 with 12 teams competing for the top prize Group One: St Joseph’s Miltown, Kilmihil, Kilrush, Naomh Eoin-O’Curry’s Fixtures Round One: St Joseph’s Miltown v Kilmihil; Kilrush v Naomh Eoin-O’Curry’s; Round Two: St Joseph’s Miltown v Kilrush, Kilmihil v Naomh Eoin-O’Curry’s; Round Three: St Joseph’s Miltown v Naomh Eoin-O’Curry’s, Kilmihil v Kilrush. Group Preview St Joseph’s Miltown are the defending champions and on all known form this year, they have no intention of letting that title slip. The Cusack Cup and Jack Daly are now sitting together at Hennessy Park and there is a very strong possibility that scenario won’t change come Christmas 2019. The presence of the last two intermediate champions in the same group adds to the intrigue as both will be confident of taking a top two spot. That intrigue is deepened with the addition of the newly formed Naomh Eoin-O’Curry’s group team, with the clubs bidding to transfer …

13 teams will make their bid to be crowned the 2019 Clare SFC champions when the first round gets underway this weekend. We have profiled each of the teams involved as the countdown to the opening game gathers pace. Group One St Joseph’s Miltown Last two years: 2017 saw Miltown just fall short at the semi-final stage as they lost out to Clondegad. They atoned for that last year as victory over Ennistymon in the decider gave them a second title since 2015. Players Out for Round One: Seanie Malone (knee injury), Colin Hehir (travel). Key Men: County duo Eoin Cleary and Gordon Kelly will be central cogs at either end of the field. Kelly continues to defy Father Time with outstanding displays while Cleary consistently justifies his rating as one of the top forwards in the province. With Conor Cleary, Cormac Murray, Oisin O’Looney and Sean O’Brien all providing real leadership, the champions have plenty to call on. Manager: …

Clare’s Junior Camogie side go in search of a place in the All-Ireland Premier Junior final this weekend when they take on Kerry in their last four showdown in Cusack Park on Saturday at 2pm. The Banner’s second string come into the game on a strong run of form, as they recovered from an opening round loss to Roscommon to record impressive wins on the road against Tyrone and Armagh to seal their spot in the knockout stages. Two of Clare’s key players for Saturday’s showdown are Broadford’s Niamh Mulqueen and Rebecca Crowe of Ruan, who will soldier together in the saffron and blue before lining out in opposition for their clubs in the championship 48 hours later. Mulqueen is confident they can get the result to see them into the All-Ireland decider. “We have worked really hard since mid-October. The group has gelled really well together, so much so that everyone nearly knows everyone’s dogs names at this stage. …

St Joseph’s Doora Barefield made it back-to-back Clare U16 Division One football titles with a clinical 6-9 to 2-12 win over Ennistymon. It is the second year in succession that the sides have met in the decider with the Parish also coming out on top 12 months ago. Ennistymon hit the first two points of the contest with Josh Guyler taking all of 20 seconds to get off the mark as he raced clear before slotting over. County minor star Brendan Rouine was next to score as he won a brilliant kick-out before being on the end of the move to apply the finish. St Joseph’s response was clinical, as Michael Nash slipped a pass through to Matthew Power and his deft flick saw the ball into the net. Another county minor was next on target as Diarmuid Fahy arrowed over a clinical point for Ennistymon and Rouine restored their lead as he arrowed over a free from a tight …

A dramatic injury-time free from Thomas O’Dwyer saw St Breckan’s crowned Clare U16 Division Three champions as they overcame Naomh Eoin-O’Curry’s-Kilkee by 1-9 to 2-5. The North Clare men made the perfect start to the game as they raced 1-2 to 0-0 clear after the opening ten minutes. Their first attack almost produced a goal as Lorcan Doolin stormed clear but saw his dipping effort come cannoning back off the crossbar. He tried his luck again soon after and this time split the posts. Quick thinking from Thomas O’Dwyer saw him pick out Cian Burke in space on the left wing and his curling effort dropped into the top corner of the net. O’Dwyer sent over an impressive from the left soon after and St Breckan’s looked in control. The West Clare side started to grow into the game and it was Brian Lynch who got them off the mark with a solid effort after good patient build-up. He followed …