Sports

Dromoland Golf and Country Club came agonisingly close to a first national title at the weekend. Competing in the Irish mixed foursomes final, they were pipped for the crown by Donegal club Rosapenna in a competition played at Clontarf.The competition is now in its 40th season and clubs from all over the country compete for the title. This year, 325 clubs participated in the competition and Dromoland’s progress to the final is a tremendous achievement.In Thursday’s semi-final, Dromoland were three and two winners over Claremorris. The results from this match were (Dromoland names first), Kieran McDermott (12) and Julie Fitzgerald (17) lost 4/3; Nicholas Duggan (3) and Angela White (23) lost 2/1; Tony Cleary (+1) and Dorothea Madden (34) won by two holes; Declan O’Leary (7) and Mary Arthur (18) won 3/2; Mark Hogan (7) and Yvonne Shanahan (20) won by one hole.This win sent the Clare club through to a final against Roseapanna, who beat Rathfarnham four and one. …

Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium once again proved to be a good hunting ground for Clare owners, who had a big strike rate at two meetings last weekend. They had four winners at the College Road venue on Friday night when trainer Gerry Holian had a treble and they paid five visits to the winner’s parade ring the following night.Quin-based owner-trainer Frank Browne had a double on Friday night, starting off with his Mine Moment in the very first race of the night, an S9-graded sprint. In her debut race, the daughter of Hades Rocket-Classical Moment was installed the 6-4 joint favourite in trap three, with Killea Lark in trap two. However, it was Stumpa Bea who set the pace from trap one but after dominating matters for most of the way, he was caught near the line by Mine Moment, who got the verdict by a short head in a time of 19.75. Killea Lark took third spot, three-and-a-half lengths …

  Crusheen 2-13   Newmarket 2-13 CHAMPIONS Crusheen are not going to easily relinquish their grip on the Canon Hamilton Trophy if Sunday evening’s performance against Newmarket is an accurate indicator. CHAMPIONS Crusheen are not going to easily relinquish their grip on the Canon Hamilton Trophy if Sunday evening’s performance against Newmarket is an accurate indicator. In what was their best performance of the season, they played out a draw with Newmarket, who showed they are also strong contenders for the crown. Commenting on the fact that the game was so competitive, Newmarket manager Bob Enright said, “You can’t approach a championship game any other way than to go looking for victory. It was easy to motivate the boys as we were playing against the county champions. We wanted to measure ourselves against them. It was a fiercely competitive game. “I am happy. We were four and five down. In previous years we haven’t recovered from that. The lads showed an …

A COMMITTEE of eight will commence meetings next week to search for a new Clare senior football manager.That decision was taken at this week’s meeting of the county board at which Miltown St Joseph’s delegate Noel Walsh put forward a proposal which, with a few additions, was adopted.

The dream of a second All-Ireland JB Carr title in three years ended at Woodenbridge on Sunday when Ennis were pipped by Ballinrobe.

COMMENT RESPONSIBILITY for the sourcing of the next Clare senior football manager rests with a group of people who have no recent inter-county management experience.  

NEW dates have been agreed for the latter stages of this year’s Clare senior hurling and football championships.

Tulla 0-21   Broadford 1-12 ALTHOUGH now finished with hurling until 2013, Tulla cut loose in what was their last half hour of action for the year in Shannon last Sunday evening.