Sports

“It’s safe to say that no Clareman in modern history has made the same impact on the country as Michael Cusack did.” – Brendan Vaughan, 1984 THE great Clare GAA man that was Brendan Vaughan was chairman of the Munster Council when he uttered those words in Centenary Year as the GAA — locally in Clare, provincially and nationally celebrated 100 years since Michael Cusack had his famous meeting in Thurles that started the association that has now wrapped itself around the world. If he were still alive this week as the GAA marks the 175th anniversary of Michael Cusack’s birth, he’d repeat those words to anyone who was listening, or wasn’t listening for that matter, just because the GAA founder’s impact was that great, far-reaching and beyond any of the wildest dreams he could have had that November 1 day in Hayes’ Hotel that started it all. In the words of An Bráthair Liam Ó Caithnia, the author of …

Ireland chef d’equipe Michael Blake speaks to Dan Danaher and looks back at his riding career, what he had to do to buy his first pony, setting the world bareback championship record, and guiding Ireland’s showjumpers to a string of successes   MICHAEL Blake has made history by bringing the Aga Khan trophy back to Tuamgraney following a very successful showjumping year that included qualifying for the Olympics less than seven days before the thrilling jump-off against France in the RDS. On paper, Michael knew he didn’t have the riding pedigree to become Ireland’s Showjumping Manager. However, through hard graft and precise planning, the Tuamgraney man put himself firmly in the hunt for selection. From 2012 to 2016, Michael took over the Ireland Youth Showjumping team and helped young riders to an impressive haul of medals. In 2017, the senior riders asked him to get involved so he became Development Manager and started working with Chef d’Equipe, Rodrigo Pessoa. This …

Eoin Brennan previews the weekend’s hurling action with quarter-finals and relegation play-offs on the menu   Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-Finals Cratloe v Newmarket-on-Fergus at Cusack Park Ennis, Saturday 3pm Commencing Saturday’s derby-fest in Cusack Park is a rivalry that has rather cooled in recent seasons which is perhaps indicative of differing development paths. In fact, it’s a full decade almost to the month since Cratloe and Newmarket’s last senior championship clash, one that the Blues won’t be forgetting in a hurry as 3-10 to 0-9 county final victory over their neighbours finally bridged an seemingly interminable 31 year gap to their previous Canon Hamilton crown. In hindsight, Newmarket will be relieved to have snatched that solitary crown as they were in danger of not fulfilling their potential with a golden crop of players following final defeats in 2006, ’08 and subsequently in 2013. Cratloe did bounce back to win their second title in five years in 2014 but that was …

Michael O’Connor watched Clonlara’s forwards point their way to a 1-25 to 3-13 win over Crusheen in the Senior B Championship   Reigning senior B champions Clonlara are back in the semi-finals of this year’s version following a deserved six-point win over a shot shy Crusheen side at the Clare GAA centre on Thursday evening. A sizable attendance was present for the first ever competitive Clare GAA game played at the GAA centre. The excellent conditions at the GAA centre allowed for a fast-moving game that was dominated in the main by Clonlara bar the last quarter when Crusheen initiated a late attempt to put respectability on the scoreline. Both sides showed positional and personnel changes from their last championship ties as Ross Hayes pointed for their games first score as Cian Moriarty and Oisin O’Donnell hit scores over after four minutes. Clonlara took absolute control of the game up to the end of the opening quarter as Cathal O’Connell …

Burren Cycling Club’s Paul Kennedy has described his second placed finish at the UCI World Time Trial Championships the best result of his career. Kennedy stated he was hoping for a top five finish with 46 competitors competing in the division with the Championships held in Italy. Kennedy secured silver in the 40-44 age category as he admits that after visiting the course five times in the lead-up to the event, he was surprised by alterations made to the layout prior to the commencement of the competition. “It was a strange Time Trial. I drove it five times the day before we competed. The organisers closed off the opposite side of the road than what I had expected so we had to drive the other side of the road. I expected to be going around the long side, but it was the same for everyone I imagine. I just had to get used to it as it went on.” After …

Avenue United started their FAI Junior Cup campaign in style as they inflicted a 6-0 defeat on fellow Maloney Hardware Premier Division side Tulla United. Six different players got their name on the scoresheet for David Russell’s side as they continue to respond impressively to their opening round league defeat to Lifford AFC. Tulla United had pulled off a surprise by dumping Lifford AFC out of the Munster Junior Cup but that result only served to refocus Avenue minds ahead of this Cup showdown. The reigning Maloney Hardware Premier Division champions secured an impressive triumph with Eliaz Kunz, Ronan Kerin, Cullen McCabe, Mark Roche, Tomas Hehir and Nneji Nnabuike all managing to find the target as Avenue dominated this tie. This result will not define Tulla United’s season as they try to build on the encouraging form they had shown before this game. Mike Moloney’s side have shown that they can mix it with most sides in the Maloney Hardware …

Eoin Hayes’ early quickfire brace sent Newmarket Celtic on their way to a 6-1 thrashing of Lifford, and helped his side maintain their unbeaten start to the season. Fresh from that double the Newmarket man justified his call-up to the Republic of Ireland amateur team for their double header against Northern Ireland with the winner in the first leg this Wednesday. Hayes, who captained Ireland on the night in Dungannon, was on hand as strike partner Eoin Murphy knocked on a long clearance from keeper Gary Cunningham to bury the ball in the Northern net. @Fai Amateurs V Northern Ireland Amateurs @DgnSwifts @NewmarketCeltic striker Eoin Hayes gave Gerry Davis's team the away win.@FAIGrassroots @FAIreland @LSLLeague @RockmountAFC @NewmarketCeltic @Striker1Online @olivercelticfc @TerryHealy2 @EamonScott1 pic.twitter.com/bcIxrciml4 — Terry Healy (@TerryHealy2) September 22, 2022 The return leg will be played in Whitehall, Dublin next Wednesday, September 28. RESULT | Northern Ireland 0-1 Rep. of Ireland Fantastic result in Dungannon as the Amateur International side make …

Ennis golfer Aideen Walsh will compete at this year’s KPMG Women’s Irish Open in Dromoland that tees off this Thursday morning. The amateur golfer will come up against some of the elite players in the women’s game with Leona Maguire set to compete while Major champion Catriona Matthew, who won the Irish Open when it was last held in 2012, is part of a stacked field. Walsh states this is not a completely new experience for herself as she aims to produce her best golf next week with Sky Sports set to broadcast the event. The Irish international amateur is no stranger to competing alongside the stars of women’s golf having twice played her way into the ISPS Handa World Invitational. “I’ve been lucky enough to play in a pro event up in the North about two years ago so this will be at a similar level. It’s at home of course so maybe it makes it a little bit …