Sports

On this week’s podcast: Derrick Lynch & Peter O’Connell are joined by Rory Hickey and Noel Marshall of BackBaller for this week’s podcast. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/671247995?secret_token=s-pfaqX” params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Chairman of Clare GAA Joe Cooney has confirmed to the Clare Champion that a final decision on the relegation process from Group One of the Clare SFC will be made at next week’s county board meeting. Uncertainty continues to surround the issue, with varying opinions on whether or not the newly formed Naomh Eoin – O’Curry’s are at risk of the drop. The 2019 Master Fixtures notes state that “In the event that one or more Grouped Teams (amalgamation) enter the Senior Championship in 2019, the Grouped Team will be added to a Group by open draw with no more than one Grouped Team in each Group. Should a Grouped Team finish bottom of the Group, the third team in the Group will contest the relegation semi-final”. With one round remaining, the amalgamation are bottom of the group after defeat in their two games, and are now guaranteed to finish in last position. It means the losers of the Kilmihil …

The race for the 2019 Clare Senior Football championship gathers pace this weekend with the round two ties down for decision. Group One Sunday at 3pm in Cooraclare:  St Joseph’s Miltown v Kilrush This is a clash of two sides that already have the first win of the campaign under their belts. The champions saw off a stubborn challenge from Kilmihil in the opening round, while Kilrush did likewise against Naomh-Eoin O’Curry’s. While both sides picked up the win, Kilrush will likely have the more points to work on, as the new-look side pushed them all the way before just falling short. The concession of two very sloppy goals will be an obvious concern, while the fact they did not really create many goal chances will also be something they need to address. The one that did come their way had more than a touch of fortune about it and had the peninsula side shown a little more composure in …

Chairman of Clare GAA Joe Cooney is confident progress will be made early next week on the appointment of management teams for the Banner’s inter-county sides for 2020. Football boss Colm Collins has already told The Clare Champion that he is likely to remain in his position for the coming season with confirmation of his backroom team expected in the next few weeks. The make-up of the senior hurling management is creating the most talking points with Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor having come to the end of their three-year term following Clare’s exit from the championship earlier this summer. Following that, delegates requested a review of Clare hurling to be undertaken following a disappointing provincial campaign which saw Clare fail to advance to the All-Ireland series. Cooney confirmed that the review is currently underway and outlined the steps being taken. “It was only for the hurling that the review was requested and that is ongoing at the moment. We …

With the first two rounds now complete, the make-up of the business end of the 2019 Clare senior hurling championship is starting to take shape. We now know our first four quarter-finalists, we know who will meet who in what could be a rip-roaring round three, and we know the four clubs whose focus from here on in will be all about staying in the top tier for 2020. Ballyea and Cratloe are two of those teams who now have to put an extra date in their diaries in their pursuit of the Canon, and for me it was the performances of both those teams that were most disappointing from last weekend’s action. We have spoken before about how both teams have football commitments to also contend with and I really felt they looked tired and had no energy which has to be a major concern for the next few weeks. For Cratloe, I know they were down two key …

On this week’s podcast: Derrick Lynch, Peter O’Connell and Fergie O’Loughlin break down the big sporting stories of the week.

The race for the Canon Hamilton is heating up and the Round Three draw has thrown up some red-hot fixtures. The Senior Round Three draw reads as follows: Cratloe v Kilmaley Ballyea v Wolfe Tones Feakle v Clooney-Quin Éire Óg v Newmarket-on-Fergus The relegation semi-final fixtures were also announced and read as follows: Clarecastle v Tulla Whitegate v O’Callaghan’s Mills   The Intermediate Round Three fixtures announced were: Parteen v Killanena St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield v Bodyke Corofin v Sixmilebridge Inagh-Kilnamona v Cratloe The Intermediate relegation semi-finals are: Ruan v Éire Óg Newmarket-on-Fergus v Clarecastle    

While there might be quarter-final places up for grabs in the Clare senior hurling championship this weekend, it is the games in the losers round that I feel are the really big ones to look forward to. Would we have thought before the championship started that after this weekend, Kilmaley, Newmarket, O’Callaghan’s Mills or Clooney-Quin could all be in the relegation pot? That is not a scenario they would have wanted to find themselves in so they now must deal with that and make sure they are ready. I know that the likes of Cratloe and Ballyea will be gunning to get the win this weekend so they can give themselves that four week break before the quarter-finals, because players in those clubs are also looking towards some really big games in the football championship. In those losers round games, I think Clooney-Quin will have too much for Clarecastle. The key question for Clarecastle is who they will put on …