Sports

The rapid rise of Women’s Rugby in Clare continues this weekend when two Banner teams contest the final of the Munster U-18 League. Recent years have seen Edel McMahon and Eimear Considine become established international stars with the Irish team, with both being key figures in Ireland’s opening two wins of this year’s Six Nations campaign. That Clare focus will continue on Saturday afternoon with Ennis RFC defend their title as they take on their rivals from the west in the form of Kilrush in Thomond Park. These two sides have already met twice this year, and interestingly home advantage counted for little with Ennis coming away from Monmore with the win, while Kilrush left Lees Road with victory. It has already been a positive year for Ennis RFC’s girl’s sides, with the U-14 squad winning their league title in the last few weeks. The club has also begun recruiting for an adult women’s side in recent weeks with a …

As deputy principal of St Flannan’s College, John Minogue is more aware than most of the policies and procedures in the famed hurling nursery. There have been many changes to educational policies throughout the years for the Scariff native to keep up to date with, but at St Flannan’s the policy of encouraging and fostering the hurling fraternity of the future never wavers. One of the major concerns for modern day school management is the knowledge and implementation of health and safety procedures, but that hurling tradition is factored in at the Ennis school when assessing the potential hazards. “The biggest health and safety issue in St Flannan’s at the moment is trying not to fall over a hurley. They are all over the corridor, inside the classroom doors and anywhere else you look too. There must be 300 of them inside around the school every day and then you see all the lads out on the field playing at …

One look at the manner in which St Flannan’s go about their business on a Friday evening training session and it becomes apparent that the bar is set to the maximum in all aspects of their preparation. It is hardly surprising though when you take into the account the calibre of the management team, with manager Kevin O’Grady flanked by Brendan Bugler, Mike Kelly and Shane McCarthy. There is another link of outside of hurling that binds three of them together, with O’Grady, Kelly and McCarthy all teaching history and geography. Bugler is identified as the brains of the operation as he teaches Design and Communication Graphics, and he is adamant that he is keeping to the forefront of all the latest educational developments. O’Grady is the man in the Bainisteoir bib with the Beagh native long since associated with Clare hurling. He was part of John Carmody’s management team in Crusheen when they reached the 2014 Clare senior final, …

Derrick Lynch The task of trying to keep tabs on Diarmaid Cahill on a pitch is one that could be described as being a nightmare, but spending time in his company talking about his time on the pitch is anything but. The young Corofin man announced himself as one of the most prodigious talents in the country in 2019 with some outstanding displays for the Clare minor hurlers, and his notoriety soared when the footage of his wonder goal in this year’s Harty Cup quarter-final win over Tulla went viral. Despite some jibing from his equally talented brother Gearoíd that it might have been a shade on the lucky side, the younger sibling is adamant that the goal is what he had on his mind when he took on the shot. “I went for it alright to be fair. I spotted that the goalkeeper was a small bit off his line but it was a one in a million shot …

Derrick Lynch Tony Butler is no stranger to big sporting occasions, but arguably the biggest one yet is awaiting on Saturday in the Harty Cup final. The St Joseph’s Doora Barefield clubman knows all about what it takes to reach the big days, having lined out with Clare in the Munster Minor hurling final last year. It is not just hurling in the locker either, with the Ennis RFC man representing Munster and Ireland at underage level along with clubmates Ethan Coughlan and Conor Moloney. For now though, the sole focus is on hurling as St Flannan’s go in search of a 22nd Harty Cup title as the look to bridge a gap going back to 2005. Butler acknowledges the proud tradition within the school but warns they cannot allow that be something that distracts them from the task at hand. “If you look at the legends that have passed through the school, you see what all the tradition is …

2005 was the last St Flannan’s Harty Cup victory, and the man who lifted the famed trophy that day was Inagh-Kilnamona’s Ger Arthur. St Flannan’s had dominated the later part of the 1990’s, with titles being annexed in 1998 and 1999 before also claiming the Millennium title in 2000. Another final defeat would follow in 2001 while the 2003 decider was only lost to St Colman’s Fermoy after a replay, with the Cork school completing their own three in a row. Arthur, who is now based in Bahrain where he works as a teacher, recalls the 2004 win with mixed emotions. “We played an amalgamation of Waterford colleges who were hot favourites in Cashel. I remember Danny O’Halloran getting the first ball and scoring a goal which set the tone for the match. We ended up with a comprehensive victory that day. I was pleased with my days work as I notched three points but unfortunately also ended up being …

GAA clubs in Clare are being warned that more stringent controls will be in place in relation to applications for seeking loans. It comes after secretary Pat Fitzgerald informed delegates that the board currently has a contingent liability in excess of €450,000, while a credit line of €250,000 is also required to finance outgoings in the early part of the year. Chairman of the Clare GAA Audit committee Michael Curtin also commented on the matter and said that the days of clubs coming in to meetings looking for loans and having it proposed and seconded were over and done with. He outlined that any club who wish to apply for a loan will be required to outline a detailed plan as to how they intend to repay it, as the risk of the debt falling back on the board can no longer continue. Ruan delegate Ger Lyons also raised the issue of financing the cost of intercounty teams and suggested …

The sporting community in Clare is in mourning following the passing of one of the Banner’s most popular sportsmen. Newmarket on Fergus stalwart Jimmy ‘Puddin’ Cullinan passed away this week with tributes flooding in from former club and county team-mates along with the wider community. His club issued a statement in which he was described as a “lovely man and a hurling legend”. They also detailed that he was “one of the finest players ever to wear the Newmarket jersey and was equally brilliant in the colours of Clare and Munster”. The club also lauded his “incredible stickwork, an iconic ability to catch the high ball and total domination of matches from centre back”. During his time with Newmarket, Jimmy won an incredible 10 Clare Senior Hurling championship titles, along with a Munster club. His exploits in the county jersey were just as impressive and while success in the form of silverware might have eluded him with Clare, his defiant …