Sports

Derrick Lynch In Clare, we love our traditional music, but we love our cycling as well. It might not be the exact sentiment expressed by Ella Doherty last weekend, but like her fellow Magpie Anthony Daly, she too was crowned a national champion. The Leaving Cert student produced a stunning sprint finish to cross the line first in the National Junior Women’s championships in Limerick, in what has already been a historic year for her. Her performance in the recent Clare championships have been identified as the perfect barometer of her form coming into last weekend as she secured third place overall in a high quality field, becoming the first woman to claim the bronze medal in the race. Ella outlined that while she felt confident coming into the race, the win was unexpected. “It was a big surprise to be honest. I knew I was on form but I hadn’t raced a lot of those girls in a long …

Derrick Lynch The AGM of the Clare District Soccer League will take place on November 2 should Covid-19 restrictions be eased at that point. Next Monday evening had been pencilled in a possible date for the the meeting but this week’s announcement of Level 3 restrictions mean that plans have had to be put on ice for the time being. It also means that the start date for the new season will now be postponed until after that meeting has taken place, with hopes that the following weekend, November 7/8, will see action resume around the county. There are a number of positions to be filled when clubs eventually gather with chairman, secretary and PRO among the positions currently vacant. It is expected that Kilrush Rangers clubman Jason Ryan will take over from Oliver Fitzpatrick in the chairman’s role after Fitzpatrick brought his tenure to an abrupt end last month. Ronnie Pyne looks set to remain as vice chairman while …

Derrick Lynch The chairman of Clare GAA is hopeful that the last remaining adult championship in the county can still be completed. It is after GAA’s decision to suspend all club games in light of Covid-19 concerns means the Clare Junior A football title will remain vacant for the time being. A GAA management committee meeting on Monday morning cited post match celebrations and a lack of social distancing at certain events as being part of the reason to call a halt to proceedings. The cull on club action means that the last remaining adult championship in final in Clare, which was scheduled for Sunday afternoon, can not now go ahead with the Banner and Ballyvaughan having been set to lock horns for the silverware and a place in the 2021 Clare intermediate championship. The Banner secured the Clare Junior B hurling title last weekend and were bidding for a historic double for the club. In a social media post. …

Derrick Lynch There is mixed news for the Clare senior hurling and football panels ahead of the resumption of the intercounty season in the coming weeks. It is understood that Brian Lohan will be without another of Clare’s 2013 All Ireland winning heroes with Podge Collins leaving the panel for the upcoming campaign. The circumstances surrounding the Cratloe man’s departure from the squad are not yet known, but the former All Star joins the injured Clonlara duo of John Conlon and Colm Galvin on the absentee list. Clare take on Limerick in the opening round of the Munster hurling championship in Thurles on October 25 with the game also doubling up as the National League final. There is better news on the football front with All Star nominees Gary Brennan and Jamie Malone having linked up with the squad once more. Clondegad man Brennan opted out prior to the start of the 2020 season but the outbreak of Covid-19 scuppered …

Podge Collins has linked up with the Clare Senior Football panel for the coming campaign. The Clare Champion understands that the Cratloe man was invited on to the panel in the wake of the news that he was no longer part of the hurling squad for 2020. Collins was a key part of Cratloe’s march to the 2020 Clare SFC final with his goal in their last four tie with St Breckans being one of the highlights of the campaign. It’s the latest boost for the squad following the news that Gary Brennan, Jamie Malone and Aaron Fitzgerald are also back with the panel. Meanwhile it still remains to be seen when Clare’s 2020 season will commence after Fermanagh GAA announced they were ceasing all activity for two weeks in the wake of an outbreak of Covid-19. The Ulster side were due to face Clare on Sunday week in the penultimate round of the National Football league Division Two. No …

The Clare Athletics cross country championships took place in Clarecastle GAA grounds on Sunday last, with the event run under strict guidelines and a very successful day was had by all. U8 Girls: 1: Una McMahon (St John’s); 2: Orlaith O’Rourke (Fergus); 3: Leah Robertson (St John’s). Teams: 1: Ennis Track (45 points); 2: St Cronan’s (53 points); St Mary’s (71 points). U8 Boys: 1: Riain Duignan (St Cronan’s); 2: Sean Hick (Fergus); 3: Sean Hassett (St Cronan’s). Teams: 1: St Cronan’s (16 points); 2: Ennis Track (43 points). U10 Girls: 1: Nicole Griffin (Fergus); 2: Caoimhe McMahon (Fergus); 3: Aoibhin Daly (St Cronan’s). Teams: 1: Fergus (28 points); 2: Ennis Track (47 points); 3: (47 points). U10 Boys: 1: Jonah Quinn (St Cronan’s); 2: Daniel McNamara (Fergus); 3: Max Garvey (St Cronan’s). Teams: 1: St Cronan’s (18 points); 2: Ennis Track (30 points); 3: Fergus (70 points). U12 Girls: 1: Faye Mannion (Ennis Track); 2: Millie Watts (Ennis Track); …

Minor Championship  Minor A Semi Final  Scariff Ogonnelloe 3-11 Kilkishen/Bodyke 3-09 The final score of this tight match between neighbouring parishes again confirmed that there is very little between all four teams at the top of the minor championship. Scariff Ogonnelloe got the opening two points after which Kilkishen bodyke struck back with a goal and a point. Kilkishen Bodyke put the Scariff Ogonnelloe backs under serious pressure for a sustained period of time with Aoife Ryan and Leah Minogue looking dangerous but were thwarted in their efforts by the Scariff Ogonnelloe backs. After the water break both teams traded points after which scariff Ogonnelloe found their rhythm and scored a goal and five points without reply, to leave the score at 1-8 to 1-3 at half time. The second half began at lightning quick pace straight from the throw in with a worked goal from Kilkishen Bodyke. The play settled with hard battles being fought all over the pitch but …

Derrick Lynch In a year when uncertainty reigned, it was a familiar sight that unfolded at the end of the Clare senior football championship as Kilmurry Ibrickane hoisted Jack Daly aloft in Cusack Park before making the journey over the Hand hill. Before any assessment of the year as a whole is made, the first task is to praise those who worked diligently to ensure that for a few weeks at least, the constant barrage of Covid case numbers could be forgotten about for a few hours on a weekend afternoon. When lockdown arrived into our lives in March, the gaping void in people’s lives where sport used to be left everyone yearning for even the chance to watch an U-10 training session to get their sporting fix. It was also going to be a risk in bringing people back ino the live sport setting, and those who were handed the responsibility of ensuring it all passed off without incident …