Sports

  Kilrush  0-12 Miltown  1-5 LONG-time servants of Kilrush senior football, Donal O’Sullivan and Peadar McMahon, came out of retirement for Sunday’s crucial Round 2 clash with Miltown St Joseph’s at Cooraclare. Their experience played a part in the team’s one-point win, a result that keeps their championship hopes alive and sees them move away from the relegation area. Both former Clare players hadn’t played this season but they answered the call as the Shamrocks set out to secure their senior status.“We fought hard. We had been missing that fight for the battle but it’s there this year and it was evident in the second half. At times we looked to be in trouble but the lads kept hanging in there and in the last five minutes we took over,” commented Kilrush coach, Aidan Moloney. “You can’t beat experience. Peadar came into it seriously in the last 10 minutes. These lads [McMahon and O’Sullivan] have been around the block and …

  Doonbeg  2-14 Clondegad  3-9 THE timing of this second-round tie, which clashed with the second half of the All-Ireland hurling semi-final, mitigated against a decent crowd in Kilmihil on Sunday evening. Those who paid their €10 admittance fee, which is much too expensive for a single fixture, did at least witness an open game, full of attacking football. Neither full-back line gave an exhibition on the defensive side of Gaelic football but both sides notched some quality scores. Doonbeg made a lightning start and led 1-3 to 0-2 inside seven minutes. Conor Downes put over two of their opening three points, with Jamie Whelan scoring the other. Doonbeg wing-back, Joe Blake, picked up breaking ball in the middle third to set up two of these points. Eoghan Donnellan and Gary Brennan, from a free, notched Clondegad’s opening points. A sublime David Tubridy pass, right into the path of the speeding Shane Ryan set up Doonbeg’s opening goal. A minute …

  Kilmurry-Ibrickane  0-17 Cratloe  0-9 FORTUNATE to have been given a second chance, senior football champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane stepped up their performance considerably to overcome the Cratloe challenge in this first-round replay at Clarecastle on Sunday evening. There was no doubting the merit of this win, which has given them a second-round date with Éire Óg, while Cratloe now go on to play Lissycasey. “We were lucky to survive the last night. There was a lot of emotion around Kilmurry and we knew we didn’t do ourselves justice, maybe on and off the field. We had a good meeting. Lads had to come out and play to their potential and show that they were better players and that’s allowing for how good Cratloe are. Tonight is not a true reflection on Cratloe’s performance but we played exceptionally well,” commented Kilmurry-Ibrickane coach John Kennedy after Sunday’s win.He was, however, quick to point out, “We have nothing won. There have been questions about …

THE new adult soccer season officially kicks off next week with the opening games in the League Cup competitions.On Wednesday, Hermitage A host Burren United at the Fairgreen, while Connolly Celtic will have home advantage at Kilmaley school against Ennis Town A. Both games kick off at 6.45pm.On the same evening in Section B, Mountshannon Celtic entertain Newmarket C, while Avenue United A will have Rhine Rovers as visitors to Lees Road.In the First Division, Avenue B entertain Inch Crusaders at the Fairgreen, while Turnpike Rovers have home advantage against Moher Celtic. In Section B, Bridge Celtic play Newmarket Celtic B at Bridgetown, while Shannon Olympic A will entertain Bunratty-Cratloe A at Shannon.In the Second Division, Kilkishen Celtic entertain Manus Celtic, Kilrush Rangers have home advantage against Sporting Ennistymon and Kilmaley United entertain Ruan United.On Friday, Coole FC will welcome Bridge United B in Section A of the Second Division, while games in the Third Division will see Hermitage C, …

CLARE’S third juvenile team to take to the national stage this season will play in the U-16C All-Ireland final when they take on Leitrim on Saturday at 2.30pm in Banagher. Clare, captained by Katie Connolle, fell in the first round to Tipperary, who eventually won Munster and are appearing in the All-Ireland B final against Cavan this weekend.A cracking Munster C final against Limerick saw Clare fight all the way for a two-point win, having led comprehensively in the first half. A second-half revival by Limerick led to a Player of the Match performance from the Clare goalie, Aoife O’Neill, which showed the character displayed on the day by the Saffron and Blue defence. Since then, O’Neill, Orla Devitt (Munster minor final player of the game), Gráinne Harvey and Marie Foran have played for the Clare minors, bringing home an All-Ireland title recently.A number of the Clare panel have secured regular places in their club championship teams and gained much …

THE Clare U-14 camogie development squad will travel to Thurles this Sunday to participate in the Orla McDonagh U14 Inter-County Camogie Blitz. The games will begin at 10am at Dr Morris Park for the A and B divisions, while the C competition will take place at the Tipperary Camogie Grounds at The Ragg.The squad, consisting of 57 players, will have teams in the A, B and C divisions. There has been a huge improvement in the standard shown by all the players who have been part of the squad over the past months.The squad is made up of players from across the county, with 22 clubs represented. This is a huge boost to the development of the game within the county and there is strong evidence that this is one of the strongest development squads that the county has produced in many years. The Tipperary blitz on Sunday is considered one of the top competitions for the summer.The Clare A …

THE Munstergroup Clare Community Games will have 104 children from 20 areas travel to Athlone this Friday for the last weekend of the national finals.    Most of Clare’s participation this weekend is in athletics, while there are two teams, boys U-15 rounders from Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry and U-14 mixed tag rugby from Quin/Clooney also taking part. Ennis St John’s will be flying the flag for Clare in eight of the nine relays with neighbours Clarecastle/Ballyea taking up the other one.A large number of athletes are no strangers to the national finals with some winning medals in 2011 and in May 2012.  They will all be hoping to bring back gold this time round. Rachel Clancy in the high jump is looking to improve on last year when she was very unlucky not to be among the medals. Niamh O’Brien (Tulla)  will compete in the ballthrow, a competition clubmate Grace Moloney won bronze in 2011.Tony Odubote (Ennis St John’s) has been attending …

THE Munster Group Clare Community Games had a very successful weekend in Athlone at the HSE national finals.Clare was represented by 104 children from 11 areas across the county in cycling, swimming, gymnastics, judo, variety, pitch and putt, soccer and volleyball. They brought home a total of 77 medals to seven areas, 21 gold, three silver, 34 bronze and 19 fourth-place medals.Doora-Barefield won 15 of the gold medals, while Ennis St John’s won six. Clare started off well on Friday evening at the opening parade when they were judged the best turned out county and received the Radio 2 Perpetual Trophy, which they last won in 1984.The first medal of the weekend was won by the lone judo representative, Róisín Cahill, who was narrowly pipped for gold.The Ennis St John’s girls’ pitch and putt team, bronze medal winners last year, won gold this time round, with Rachel Coote also receiving gold for the best individual score.The Doora-Barefield boys’ U-16 squad, …