Sports

THE grand finale of the social mixed (two ladies and two men) will conclude for the season next Tuesday, August 21 on the Castle Course from 1pm. It will be an 18 hole scramble stroke. The Shaw cup, a men’s singles v par competition was won by Kerrill O’Mahoney (6) with 5 up from Kevin O’Siochain (5) with 2 up, Aaron McNulty (5) with 2 up, Mark Barrett (8) with 1 up, David Givens (7) with 1 up and Diarmuid O’Mahony (9) who was all square. Ger Maher won the gross with 1 down In the Heskin trophy, which was played for on the Castle course the winner was Mary Dowling (36) with 42 points from Bronagh Abernethy (34) with 40 points, Janet Cavanagh (30) with 39 points, Miriam Hillery (20) with 39 and Therese Conway (20) with 38. Miriam Abernethy won the gross with 38 In the silver section Valerie Shannon (7) won with 37 points from Marie O’Connor (18) …

THERE was a huge entry for captain, Kevin O’Keeffe’s prize at Lahinch last weekend. Six handicapper Conor J. Hoey emerged as the winner following the nine hole play off when he returned 61 points to win by one from Jonathan Fennelly (14). Vivian Killeen (14), also with 60 points, was third followed by Michael Sullivan (16) with 59, Frank Doherty (10) with 59, Brian McCarthy (5) with 58 James Byrne (12) with 58, Tommy Dalton (13) with 57 Kerrill O’Mahony (4) with 57 and Michael O’Friel (4) with 56. Michael O’Kelly won the gross with 57 from Fergal Deasy with 56. Jim Felle (17) had the best nett on Friday with 39 points from Domhnall O’Mahony (4) with 37 while best nett score on Saturday was provided by Liam Dalton (11) with 42 from Kevin Flynn (10) with 41. Dan O’Donovan (10) wont he past captain’s prize with 35 points while the seniors section was won by Thomas J. Hogan …

Galway 1-17 Clare 2-13 AFTER an epic second half, played in front of a crowd of 44,246, Clare agonisingly lost by a solitary point to Galway, who will now play Limerick in the 2018 All-Ireland final on August 19. Superb second half goals from Shane O’Donnell and Peter Duggan, brought Clare right back into the game and the attendance was treated to an epic second half shootout in Semple Stadium on Sunday afternoon. However, Galway managed to hang on and are still in with a chance of winning a second successive Liam McCarthy Cup for the first time since 1988. At half-time Galway led 1-9 to 0-6, although Galway didn’t score for the last 17 minutes of that half. They led 0-5 to 0-1 after 10 minutes, with Joe Canning (0-2), David Burke and Conor Whelan contributing scores in those early minutes. Peter Duggan put over Clare’s opening two points from frees, while Tony Kelly pointed his sides first from …

The Clare senior hurling management team has delayed naming the team for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final replay with Galway at Semple stadium in Thurles until before throw in time (2p.m.) Following the impressive performances made by a number of substitutes last week, there has been much speculation since the drawn game as to whether or not Clare will make chances to the team for this week. There is a school of thought which suggests that David Fitzgerald and Aron Shanagher will be in the starting line up on Sunday but given the manner in which the Banner side have  got over Wexford and drawn with Galway in their last two outings, many are of the belief that an unchanged team will line up at the throw in on Sunday. Galway have yet to name their starting line up for the eagerly awaited tie but, given the injury concerns in their camp, this is not surprising. the expectation is that apart from …

The lady captain’s (Ann White) prize was played for at Spanish Point last weekend when the format was 18 hole stableford. Maura O’Boyle emerged as the winner with 35 points. Evanna Farrelly was second on 33 points with Helen McGrath, also with 33 points, in third spot followed by Yvonne O’Keeffe with 32 points. Kathleen Haugh with 19 points and Evelyn Kelly with a similar score won the nines. Eileen Murrihy won the best over 30 handicap section with 31 points. Karen White won the committee prize with 29 points, Valerie Shannon won the past captain’s prize with 29 points. The long drive was won by Yvonne O’Keeffe while Evelyn Kelly was nearest the pin. Maureen Clune with 21 points won the visitor’s section. The winners of the nine home mixed scramble were Denis White, Noel Pilkington; Jim Dowling and Patrick O’Boyle Kilrush THE winners of the senior ladies scramble at Kilrush last week were Imy Kerrigan, Marion Brennan, Maeve …

Clare 1-30 Galway 1-30 (AET) CLARE will meet Galway again, next Sunday in Thurles at 2pm, for a place in the All-Ireland final on August 19, following an extraordinary and epic semi-final in Croke Park this evening. Substitute Jason McCarthy rescued Clare with an injury time equaliser, at the end of extra-time, in what was a classic encounter. The teams were tied 1-23 to Clare’s 0-26 at the end of normal time. Peter Duggan, who scored 0-14 in total, equalised for Clare as the game entered injury, after 70 minutes. Substitute, Aron Shanagher goaled for Clare at the start of extra-time and from there to the end it continued to evolve into an increasingly epic contest. It was his first game game following a lengthy lay off, after an operation on his cruciate. Galway made a superb started and raced into a 1-7 to 0-1 lead after just 16 minutes. Clare could not win a break and struggled badly on …

ALL conquering last year and having turned in some dominant displays this summer, Ger Loughnane still feels Galway may not be the irresistible force some feel they are. He believes if Clare take them on from the first whistle, they may find some flakiness in the Galway ranks. “What I do hope is that Clare go in and ask the questions from the very beginning and just play with total abandon. Not wildness now, with structure; but absolutely have a right cut at them from the start. I think that fellas that collapsed before can collapse again, that’s always my belief. Fourteen of that Galway team, that played the last day, played in the 2016 Leinster final, which was the most abject surrender I’ve seen in the last 10 years in a championship game.” The Feakle man adds, “They’ve won an All-Ireland since, maybe they’ve turned into a brilliant team since, they look to have, but Clare have to test …

As expected the Clare team to face Galway in Saturday’s eagerly awaited All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final is unchanged from that which lined out against Wexford in the quarter final two weeks ago Aron Shanagher (Wolfe Tones) is included in the match day twenty six for the first time this season having overcome an operation on knee ligament damage in late 2017. He replaces Tulla’s Darragh Corry while another change to the substitutes list sees Jason McCarthy recalled and he replaces Ryan Taylor (Clooney-Quin) The team is. Donal Tuohy (Crusheen); Patrick O’Connor (Tubber) – CAPTAIN,. David McInerney (Tulla, Jack Browne (Ballyea); Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge), Conor Cleary (St Josephs Miltown), Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge); Colm Galvin (Clonlara), Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge); Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Tony Kelly (Ballyea), David Reidy (Éire Óg); Podge Collins (Cratloe), John Conlon (Clonlara), Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg) Subs; Andrew Fahy (Whitegate), Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones) Cian Dillon (Crusheen), David Fitzgerald (Inagh-Kilnamona), Michael O’Malley (Kilmaley), Jason McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona), Niall Deasy (Ballyea), …