Sports

Éire Og  7-4 Inagh/Kilnamona  1-2 SCORES, particularly points, were difficult to come by on this murky, windy July evening when Éire Óg were hosted by Inagh-Kilnamona at Inagh in Round 1 of the Minor B Championship. Orla Devitt opened the scoring for Éire Óg with a well-taken goal. A pointed free, followed by a goal from Shaunagh O’Brien, gave the Ennis side a five-point lead before Inagh-Kilnamona pulled back a point from a 45. 2-1 from Devitt pushed Éire Óg into a 12-point lead at the break, with the hosts managing just another point in the half.Once again, it was Éire Óg that made their mark first in the second half with a Gráinne Nolan point. Further scores from Orla Devitt (1-0), Shaunagh O’Brien (1-1) and a goal from Nolan ensured victory for the visitors. The host’s only score of the half came from a free that was initially saved but they found the net after a goalmouth tussle.Éire Óg: …

A POWERFUL defensive display against a strong wind in the first half was the primary reason Killanena/Whitegate captured the Division 2 Munster League title on Sunday. A three-way play-off between Killanena/Whitegate, Wolfe Tones and Feenagh/Kilmeedy was won by the East Clare side to gain qualification to the final against Cork side Carrigaline.In their previous two games, the Killanena/Whitegate defence had been miserly, conceding just 1-5 and this continued in this hard-hitting final played in Charleville on Sunday evening.  The winners elected to play against the elements in the first half and Rachel Bleach, who was superb at midfield, opened the scoring. Two converted frees from Evelyn Glynn, who was top scorer again, left Killanena/Whitegate three points clear before Carrigaline had managed an attack. The Cork side scored three frees in the first half and in the second quarter, Glynn added two more scores. The winners were in a comfortable 0-5 to 0-3 position at the interval with the strong wind …

Ennis athlete Keith Whyte made a little bit of history on Sunday when he won the Anglo Celtic Plate in Cardiff. The Plate is the prize for the winner of a 100k race around Cardiff. The race is contested by athletes from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales and the race was run over 32 laps of a two-lap course.“I started running about five years ago with the Clare Crusaders in preparation for the Dublin marathon. It kicked on from there,” Keith told The Clare Champion this week after returning from Cardiff.A member of Ennis Track Club, he has been part of the Irish team for the past few years. “Ireland had a team in this event last year and I was a scoring member. This year, they didn’t have a team but I entered as an individual and managed to win the race outright,” Keith explained. He is the first Irishman to win this race, having led from start to …

The Munster Juvenile B Track and Field Championships for U-9 to U-16 were held in humid weather conditions at the Lees Road Sports Complex last wekend. Clare athletes captured 18 gold medals, 19 silver and 23 bronze.In the girls’ U-9, Ella Duff (Shannon) captured gold in the long jump and a silver medal in the 60m sprint while in the boys’ U-9, Ian Collins (Olympic Harriers) took gold in the long jump with Colin Curran (Shannon) winning gold in the ball throw and Noah McConway (St Cronan’s) taking gold in the 300m, silver in the long jump and bronze in the 60m.In the girls’ U-11, Niamh Conlon (Kilmihil) came through three rounds to take the gold medal and also captured a bronze medal in the 600m, with Keisha Attewell (St Mary’s) taking gold in the 600m and a bronze medal in the ball throw. In the boys’ U-11, Shane Harrison (St Cronan’s) won the 60m title. There was double silver …

IN the JB Carr Seniors’ competition, Ennis qualified for the Munster final when they defeated Limerick at Limerick on Friday.Ennis came through in a very tight contest on a 3-2 scoreline. They will now play Kenmare in the final, which will take place on a home-and-away basis with the combined scores deciding the winners.Tony Coote and Paul Higgins were first into action for Ennis and they lost a very tight game on the 18th. The teams were level when the second Ennis pairing  of Pat Murphy and Matt Flynn recorded a comfortable win in their game. Next up for Ennis were Noel Pyne and Johnnie Cullinan, who won their match on the 18th to give their side the lead. Luke Coote and Sean O’Gorman were pipped on the 19th leaving the outcome of the game dependent on the result of the final match. Eamonn Corry and Eamonn Kelly won a tremendous tussle on the 18th to seal victory for the …

THE best amateur golfers from all over Ireland and overseas have travelled to Lahinch over the years to take on the formidable challenge of the famous links in the South.Many great golf personalities spanning different generations have featured as winners or challengers in the competition for the trophy presented by Alexander Shaw, the club’s co-founder.Golfers and caddies from the local Lahinch-Ennistymon parish have made an indelible mark on the championship down through the decades.“Locals have greatly enhanced the South’s proud history with their fine achievements,” said Fr Enda Glynn, Lahinch club historian, who edited the club centenary book published in 1992. “The golden era for the parish was undoubtedly from 1928 to 1957. Over that remarkable 30-year period, there were six locals who shared 25 final appearances and 18 victories between them,” said Fr Glynn. Burke’s 11 winsThe most famous of these was legendary John Burke, born near Lahinch village at Carrowgar. Burke won the title on his first attempt …

Parteen trainer Joe Collins and members of the Shanakyle Syndicate swooped for another win with their Scariff Hawk at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium last Friday night.For his seventh career win, the black and white son of Westmead Hawk-Patterdale Duna emerged as winner of the Limerick and Clare GOBA A1 575 final in a time of 31.55. With his trademark slow start and a strong finish, he had three lengths to make up at the home bend. However, he was on the move at this stage and with the late dash, he got in front near the line to win by a length from Hidden Jester. It was a win savoured by Joe Collins and his wife Kitty, son Peter and daughter Clare, all members of the Shanakyle Syndicate.This was the second win on the trot and seventh career win for Scariff Hawk.East Clare trainer Donal Cooney, winner of the Newmarket-on-Fergus GAA A4 Buster final at this venue last week …

The celebrations went on long and late to mark the success of the Ennistymon-owned and trained Middlepark Mal in the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby trial stake final at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium on Saturday night.Owned by Ennistymon publican Michael Marrinan and trained nearby in Russa by Tom Flanagan, the son of Droopys Maldini-Scattery Maid will now represent the Galway stadium in the first round draw for the Ladbrokes.com Irish Greyhound Derby at Shelbourne Park.The Gerry Holian-trained Starry Messenger in trap four went off the evens-money favourite but it was Middlepark Mal who set the pace. He flew from trap three to lead in the long run to the opening bend from Patsy Richardson’s reserve runner, Faithful Man, in trap five and Starry Messenger. Still well in front by four lengths as they turned down the back, Middlepark Mal looked the winner from a long way out and at the line he had a full six lengths on Faithful Man.His time …