Sports

This is where Newmarket Celtic expect to be. In their eyes it’s where they belong. In contention for a fourth successive league and cup double, the reigning champions are keen to assume their place on top of the pile once more. By the time they arrive at Frank Healy Park for Saturday’s showdown Newmarket Celtic will have gone 4087 days without a defeat in the Banner Carpets and Flooring Clare Cup. Their dominance of this competition has been nothing short of remarkable with the goal of hitting the magic 10-in-a-row and showing that they are in fact far from finished ruling Clare soccer is motivating them according to manager Mark O’Malley. “The lads have done this nine years in a row. I’ve been involved in the club all my life and our cup form has always been good. This batch of players have set their stall out. Ten is a nice number. Ten is better than nine. Avenue are a …

Avenue United manager David Russell doesn’t mince his words. He wants silverware, preferably both the Premier Division and Banner Carpets and Flooring Clare Cup. With his side coming up against Newmarket Celtic in an eagerly awaited Banner Carpets and Flooring Clare Cup final tomorrow, the possibility of a domestic double looms large for both these outfits. Avenue United lie two points clear of Newmarket Celtic in the Premier Division. The sides meet in the final game of the season next Wednesday with a draw enough to see Avenue crowned league champions. However, Newmarket Celtic are the current holders in both the league and cup as they will certainly be in no mood to give up either piece of silverware without a fight. Russell feels that his side need to win silverware if his current tenure in charge of the club is going to be regarded as a success. “I said I’d give it three years and see how things stand …

It seems a little too soon to revisit such an epic Munster Final showdown a fortnight ago but perhaps the reparation process can be accelerated by another bout between Clare and Cork on Saturday. Being Clare’s fifth weekend of championship action in-a-row, an already war-weary Banner side had to use all their experience and nous to take what could be yet prove a valuable share of the spoils against Tipperary last Saturday. However, a lack of freshness against the Rebels is a much more daunting task as Cork’s perennial challenge for All-Ireland honours has built up a much more experience and deeper senior squad than most to be able to contend with their own hectic schedule. It means that despite an unflinching determination and unquestionable spirit, it’s all about how Clare approach their latest trip to Cork as with Aoife Power, Alannah Ryan and Orlaith Duggan fully back in the mix along with a free weekend for the juniors, it …

Clare Cup Division 1A Round 7 Sixmilebridge v Broadford at O’Garney Park Sixmilebridge, Friday 7.30pm A keen derby that would be a juicy prospect come championship time but realistically there’s merely only pride to play for in Sixmilebridge this evening. Of course the sides did clash in the 2020 Senior Championship that the then county champions Sixmilebridge prevailed in with a degree of ease on their way to retaining their Canon Hamilton title. However, that was Broadford’s first year back in the top flight and they’ve been growing in stature in the intervening period. While Sixmilebridge are stuck in a mid-table limbo, Broadford do require the points to steer clear of safety. Inagh-Kilnamona v Feakle at Inagh, Friday 7.30pm It’s safe to say that Inagh-Kilnamona have had the Indian sign over Feakle in recent seasons. Indeed, the East Clare side’s last senior win against their hosts was in 2015 and in the seven years since, Inagh-Kilnamona have recorded five consecutive …

Ennis Town are just one game away from becoming the first Clare team to secure a provincial title as they face Cork side Midleton FC in the Munster U19 Cup final this Friday. Tony Downey, who is in charge of both the U19 and senior squads within the club, is aware that this would represent a huge achievement for Ennis Town to win in their first ever Munster final appearance while he believes it would also be a huge boost for soccer within the county. “We have so much to play for. Avenue have reached the FAI Cup final before while Newmarket have gone deep in competitions before but this would be a big achievement for the club. It would be huge for Clare soccer if we were to win.” “I think Clare soccer is improving every year. For nearly every team it’s about the retention of players and advertising the game to the players so we hope we can …

Forty years after his first win in the race, age-less Curragh trainer, Dermot Weld, secured a fifth Irish 1,000 Guineas when his Homeless Songs routed her rivals in the Tattersalls-sponsored contest at the Curragh on Sunday. Weld has enjoyed a glittering career, with names like Vintage Crop, Go And Go, Vinnie Roe and Media Puzzle doing him proud all over the world. In recent times things have been a bit quieter for the master of Rosewell House, but in Homeless Songs he has the makings of another superstar. Chris Hayes was entrusted with the mount aboard the 11/2 shot who was smartly away from the stalls. Fifth at the two-furlong marker, Homeless Songs cruised into the lead on the stands side as the field entered the final furlong. The victorious daughter of Frankel was in top gear now and, with consummate ease, the Moyglare Stud-owned filly powered home to beat 11/4 favourite Tuesday by five-and-a-half-lengths. This really was a demolition …

No tickets are currently available for the Munster Hurling Final after the 11,000 put on general sale this morning were all bought in a mere 11 minutes. All stand tickets and some for the terraces were allocated to clubs earlier in the week, meaning that only a portion of the terrace tickets were put on sale this morning. Yesterday, some of the county’s clubs had announced that the allocations they received were not sufficient to cover the demand from their members, such is the level of interest in what will be the first Clare-Limerick Munster final since 1995. While Clare GAA has been beset by infighting for the last couple of years, the performances of the hurlers this year have been outstanding, and supporters have backed the team in large numbers, with an attendance of over 16,000 at Cusack Park last Sunday, the vast majority backing Clare, even though the Banner had already qualified for the Munster final. With Limerick …

SEMPLE Stadium is set to be sold out on Sunday week for the Munster Senior Hurling Championship final, according to the Munster Council. On Wednesday Munster GAA Communications Manager Ed Donnelly stated that 90% of the stand tickets had already been allocated to clubs in Clare and Limerick, and to season ticket holders. He said that the remainder of the stand tickets had gone to other Munster counties, the Camogie Association (the curtain raiser is a senior camogie game between Waterford and Tipperary), and Munster GAA. Mr Donnelly said that terrace tickets have also gone to the clubs of Clare and Limerick and the remaining tickets for the two terraces will be going on sale at 10am this Thursday morning, May 26, online at Ticketmaster and at participating Centra and Supervalu outlets. The launch of the new trophy for the Munster Senior Hurling Champions took place at the Castle Oaks Hotel, Castleconnell on Wednesday night. The Mick Mackey Cup will …