Sports

OUTSTANDING Clare midfielder Gary Brennan acknowledged there were anxious moments during the second half of Saturday’s provincial football semi-final but he was satisfied that Clare’s win was deserved, if only for the workrate. We never do things the easy way. “We are not good for people’s hearts but we got there. It would have been easy to fold in the second half but lads stood up and when we needed to find the crucial scores, we found them.

Two weeks after it looked like Clare might not take part in the 2012 Munster Junior Football Championship, the county is preparing for a Munster final date against Kerry.

THERE will be late fitness tests for Sean Collins and Enda Barrett before the Clare team to play Waterford in the provincial senior hurling semi-final on Sunday is named on this Friday evening.

WHEN the Munster Senior Hurling Championship draw was made last autumn, there was no surprise when Clare and Waterford were drawn to meet. A few weeks earlier, Clare’s Davy Fitzgerald had stepped down after three years at the helm in Waterford during which time he had led them to provincial honours and to a place in the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny.

Clooney-Quin’s Fergal Lynch, one of two vice-captains in the Clare senior hurling squad, was away from collective training recently for a couple of weeks. Lynch was in Chicago and New York on honeymoon but being away from Clare didn’t mean a break from training.

According to Clare hurler Nicky O’Connell, being part of the county senior panel is practically a full time commitment but he loves it. “Being with the lads everyday is like a breath of fresh air. All we want to do is play for Clare and I am no different to the rest,” he said this week ahead of Sunday’s Munster senior hurling semi-final date with Waterford at Thurles.

O’Callaghan’s Mills    9-15Bodyke                        5-9A contribution of 7-9 from Gary Cooney inspired O’Callaghan’s Mills to victory in the U-14C Championship final at Cusack Park on Saturday.

Cratloe             3-7 Clarecastle     0-12Cratloe advanced to the semi-final of the U-14A championship with a four-point win over Féile finalists Clarecastle in very exciting game played as Sixmilebridge on Friday evening.