Sports

Clare 2-14   Offaly 0-19 In the lead up to this Division 1B Hurling League tie at O’Connor Park in Tullamore on Sunday, there were suggestions that Clare weren’t too concerned about winning the game.After all, they were already assured of a place in the Division 1B final and win, lose or draw wasn’t going to change that. The result, however, could influence who their opponents in the final would be.Those who supported the view that Clare might prefer to lose the game had their belief strengthened when a team was named that did not include Pat Donnellan (captain), Nicky O’Connell, Conor McGrath, Cian Dillon, Brendan Bugler, Conor Cooney or John Conlon.If Clare had ideas about not winning this tie, then the players who were named for duty weren’t told. Two points behind with time ticking away, they refused to give in and were rewarded when Cathal Chaplin goaled a minute from the end of normal time.The winning point came from …

While this weekend’s third round of club league fixtures may be postponed, following ongoing consultation between the Clare senior football management team and clubs, Clare manager Micheál McDermott has stated clearly that if the games go ahead, the county management team is not opposed to their players lining out, provided they are injury free. Talks were talking place at the time of going to press in an effort to learn if clubs are agreeable to postponing this weekend’s round of Cusack and Garry Cup fixtures to Tuesday, April 17. McDermott also revealed that Conor Talty (son of Galway All-Ireland winning footballer Brian Talty), Enda Coughlan, Conor Ryan (Cratloe), Seánie Malone (Miltown) and Eamon Malone (Corofin) have been added to the extended Clare panel with the Munster championship in mind. As for player availability for club league games, a number of players including Alan Clohessy, Michael O’Shea, David Tubridy, Graham Kelly, Martin McMahon, Rory Donnelly, Joe Hayes and Gary Brennan didn’t …

Following the failure of all parties to accept the recent report with regard to the promotion of underage GAA in the town of Ennis, Éire Óg brought an appeal to the Munster Council earlier this week.Last year, Clare GAA appointed Sixmilebridge member PJ Fitzpatrick to examine the structures in the town, where Éire Óg, the Banner and the Urban Board (Naomh Fhlannain, An Boithrin, Na Fianna and Dalgais) all operate.He met with representatives of the various units in the town, individually and collectively, before making the units aware of his recommendations. Some expressed concerns and at least one ­requested the involvement of the Munster ­Council, as it was the provincial body that had set up the urban board structure in the first place. Representatives of the provincial organisation also met with the parties before a report was presented a few weeks back.One of the key recommendations in the report allowed both Éire Óg and the Banner to affiliate teams at …

Former Clare hurling captain Brian O’Connell trained with the Clare hurlers on Tuesday night but stressed that “it is on a trial basis and we will see how things go over the coming weeks. I will be trying to get my hurling up to speed”.At the end of 2010, the Wolfe Tones man emigrated to Australia, where he spent the past year. “I was involved with a club in Melbourne but I broke my hand at the beginning of last year and didn’t’ get much hurling,” he told The Clare Champion.O’Connell, who is hoping to get employment next week, played a recent challenge with a Clare selection against Galway. “I have been training with the club and am looking forward to the year ahead with them,” he said.He admitted to missing the hurling while he was away. “I certainly missed being involved. In Melbourne, we only got to see the championship games on TV. Yes, I missed the banter and …

Kilmaley 0-21   Newmarket 1-18 IN the 2009 Minor A Hurling Championship Kilmaley and Newmarket clashed in the semi-final and ended level. In the replay, they were level again and the game went to extra time. In the closing moments of that the extra period, Kilmaley converted a free to record a one-point win. They went on to beat Sixmilebridge in the final.Three years on and the same clubs with most of the same players qualified for a quarter-final meeting in the U-21A championship. They played a draw leading to a replay last Saturday. Another draw resulted and it was on to extra time at the end of which they were still level.The latest meeting produced 40 scores and provided plenty of entertainment for the good sized attendance. Both sides will look back and point to chances missed but at the end of 80 minutes, a draw was a fair result in a game in which they were level on seven …

Kilmurry-Ibrickane 1-13   Doonbeg 0-9 This is one of the few Cusack Cup games to generate interest amongst the general public. This was reflected by the sizeable crowd at the second-round game in Shanahan McNamara Park last Saturday evening. When Kilmurry play Doonbeg, incident and maximum effort levels are a given. The incident was catered for eight minutes before half-time when Doonbeg’s Conor Whelan was red-carded following an incident with Michael O’Dwyer. There was a time when Doonbeg lifted their game to a new level if they found themselves a man down. Last weekend wasn’t one of those times. Kilmurry led 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time, with Noel Downes, Enda Coughlan, Tom Lernihan and Peter O’Dwyer finding the target for the winners. Conor Downes, Enda Doyle and Brian Dillon scored Doonbeg’s first-half points. The home club upped their game in the early minutes of the second half. Points from Dillon and Frank O’Dea, sandwiched between a Noel Downes reply, left Kilmurry …

THERE will be a repeat of last year’s senior hurling championship semi-final meeting between Sixmilebridge and their neighbours, Cratloe in the opening round of the 2012 title race.That was just one of a number of interesting pairings thrown up when the draws for the 2012 championships were made last Friday.Title holders, Crusheen, who are chasing a third success in-a-row, have been grouped with Broadford, Tulla and Newmarket.The senior football championship has undergone a noticeable change in format this year. Instead of four groups of four, as has been the case for the past decade, the event is now organised on an open draw format with first-round losers getting a second chance to get back into the competition.Previously, there was no seeding involved and all 16 teams were in the hat when the draw for the eight first-round games was made. In the past couple of seasons, current champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane have struggled to account for Cratloe so when the draw paired …

Twelve-year-old Martin Mongans was crowned Munster 50kg boy 2 Munster boxing champion in Kilmallock recently. A pupil at Ennis National school, Martin boxes out of the Our Lady of Lourdes Club in Limerick.On his way to the title he stopped his opponent in both the semi-final and final.He will box for the national title next week in Dublin. Martin comes from a family that is steeped in boxing. His father, John, is a former Munster champion while his uncles and brothers have also boxed at provincial and national levels.   Clare boxers chase national honours The National Boys’ Boxing Championships, traditionally held during school holidays in Easter, will get under in the National Stadium in Dublin next Monday, continuing through to Saturday, when the finals will be boxed off. Clare boxers, who had a fantastic innings in last year’s championships, will defend their titles and are hoping for a repeat of last year’s heroics, having come through the Munster championships …