Sports

Ivan Smyth rounds up the Clare soccer action across league and cup competitions BRIDGE United progressed to Round Two of the Munster Junior Cup as they saw off Newmarket Celtic B 4-3 after extra time. Paul Corry scored the decisive goal as Newmarket’s B side provided a stern test. Brendan Harkin, Damien Halpin and Conor McCarthy all found the net for Newmarket but it wasn’t enough for them to cause a major upset. Leon Daly grabbed his side’s first goal but after Bridge fell behind, substitute Ronan Tuohy put them back on level terms with U16 players Jack O’Halloran and Darragh Hayes playing pivotal roles for their third goal before Corry edged Bridge through. Tulla United produced an upset of sorts as they knocked out fellow Maloney Hardware Premier Division side Lifford AFC. Mike Moloney’s side were 2-1 winners as they gained revenge after losing to Lifford AFC in league action the weekend previous. Ian MacNamara and Daragh Corry grabbed …

THE man who managed Ireland to their first Nations Cup victory in seven years at the RDS Dublin Horse Show last month was accorded a hero’s welcome as he brought the world renowned Aga Khan trophy home to Tuamgraney on Wednesday evening. Michael Blake was lauded by senior officials from the RDS and Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) for the key role he played as Chef d’Équipe in leading Team Ireland to victory in the prestigious showjumping event. This coveted show jumping trophy was presented to, Michael, and his team, by President Michael D Higgins in August. It followed a nail-biting jump-off against France in front of a capacity audience at the RDS. This thrilling victory ensured the return of the Aga Khan Cup to Ireland after a seven-year gap. Michael was joined by two members of Team Ireland – Tipperary’s Max Wachman and Meath’s Cian O’Connor. Hundreds of spectators packed the East Clare Memorial Park, with many watching from outside …

Clooney’s Deirdre Murphy has been appointed as Head of Operations with Clare GAA. She will take up the role in the middle of October. In an interview with The Clare Champion, County Board Chairman Kieran Keating stated that Murphy’s previous experience both outside and within the county made her stand out from the rest of the field. “I suppose her experience and background makes her ideal for this type of role. Her work with the Camogie Association and UL speaks for itself while her natural ability on the field with Clare is well known. She knows Gaelic Games very well and has served a number of roles that have enhanced her knowledge of the games and business side.” There was an initial field of 16 candidates for the role which over time was whittled down to the final three. Keating insists there was strong competition for the role and candidates from a wide variety of disciplines interested in this position. …

AS someone who has been a member of Dromoland Castle Golf Club for over 30 years, Mark Reynolds is well placed to judge the significance of the club hosting the KPMG Women’s Irish Open from September 22-25. The Quin native has seen the club expand from humble beginnings in to a picturesque course that continues to be improve upon with Reynolds playing an important role in the continuous enhancing of the players’ experience. Since becoming a member in 1988, he has a keen understanding of the importance of golf as part of the overall Dromoland Castle experience as he hopes to see a large crowd turn out to watch the world’s best women’s golfers in action from September 22-25. “I was 10 years of age when I joined Dromoland Castle. I was hitting a few shots when I was approached about joining and the rest is history. I’ve been a golf member since 1988 and I joined the golf team …

It cannot be attributed to luck. Everywhere Eamonn O’Donnell goes, success follows. The Dungarvan man holds the role of Director of Golf at Dromoland Castle Golf Club as he continues to leave a lasting impression. He has spent over three and a half years in his current role, helping to plant the seeds for Dromoland Castle hosting the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, which he hopes will leave a lasting legacy behind. Despite trying to spread the praise, O’Donnell’s role in ensuring the venue will host this event, which is being held for the first time since 2012, cannot be understated. “I first met Mark Nolan (Managing Director at Dromoland Castle) three and a half years ago. Himself and the Board of Directors were eager to host a major golf event and roughly six to nine months after that I mentioned the possibility of hosting this event. “We held discussions behind the scenes and the next stop was contacting the Ladies …

Michael O’ Connor was on hand for the Champion as Tubber crushed Killenana on a score of 2-31 to 0-10   Consigned to the relegation zone before the game Killanena were making their first appearance at county headquarters since their famous 2010 intermediate win that was masterminded by the late Colman Houlihan. It was a sobering experience for the proud hurling folk nestled around Loughgraney as Tubber are emerging quietly with younger players who earned their crust in two Under 21B successes and Under 21A final appearance in the last four seasons. With Pat O’Connor acting as sweeper in Cusack Park the many times Intermediate finalists set out their stall early as this has been a winning tactic to date. Expectation of a end to end high scoring tussle was muted but one was hopeful that Killanena would play to a level to prepare themselves for the coming month. The Droney cousins were to the fore throughout in the duties …

The weather was more mid-November than early September, but the west Clare amalgamation of Kilrush-Killimer will care little for that after beating St Joseph’s Miltown in the U15 Div 3 final by 4-5 to 0-4   Spectators in Doonbeg last Friday night were in shock. Leaving home in comfort and hitting Shanahan McNamara park at 6pm the darkness that one encounters in a mid-November game was now the overbearing feature. By half time the constant downpour that commenced as soon as Martin Downes threw in the ball had the surrounds as dark at 7pm as it was at 8.45pm the previous evening. That aside, the final – whilst dominated by an older Kilrush/Killimer outfit against a St Joseph’s Miltown squad that possessed a large number of players who are underage in 2023 – had a number of fine personal performances by players on both sides. Kilrush/Killimer midfielder Josh O’Brien was on hand for the opening score in a low scoring …

Eoin Brennan previews this weekend’s hurling championship action Senior Hurling Championship Round 5 Group 1 Sixmilebridge v Clonlara at Shannon, Saturday 2.30pm In terms of championship advancement or danger, this is essentially just a dead rubber that will be dependent on the derby juices to animate the contest. Of course, Clonlara can catapult Feakle into third position in the table if they win and Feakle don’t, which would gain a seeding for the Senior B Quarter-Finals, a competition which they are bidding for a three-in-a-row in. However, it all hinges on how seriously group winners Sixmilebridge treat it as being their last competitive match ahead of the knock-out stages, they will arguably want to keep their winning streak intact. Verdict: Clonlara Feakle v Whitegate at Dr Daly Park Tulla, Saturday 5pm Everyone loves a fairytale but this is fundamentally more miracle territory as nothing but a 28-point victory for Feakle will be sufficient to leapfrog Newmarket-on-Fergus in the group table …