Sports

  The Golden Vale Clare Community Games U-16 basketball competitions for both boys and girls were held last Saturday in St Flannan’s College. The number of teams participating increased this year and the standard of basketball was high. The gold medal winners go on to compete in the Munster finals in July.The competition was co-ordinated by Emer Considine and Grainne Ryan with the support of referees Damian Power and Sean Stack. Seven teams took part in the girls competition with the much stronger Ennistymon-Lahinch-Liscannor side coming out on top. In the first round Ennistymon-Lahinch-Liscannor beat Clarecastle-Ballyea, Cooraclare-Cree beat Sixmilebridge-Kilmurry and Kilrush beat Doora-Barefield. In the semi-finals Ennistymon beat Quin-Clooney and Cooraclare-Cree just pipped Kilrush by one point, 25 to 24. Ennistymon-Lahinch-Liscannor ran out winners beating the Cooraclare-Cree side while Kilrush beat Quin-Clooney for the bronze medals.Six teams competed in the boys competition with Doora-Barefield emerging as the winners.In round one Quin-Clooney beat Ennistymon/Lahinch/Liscannor by just one point, while Doora-Barefield beat …

Champion jockey Derek O’Connor will not ride at this year’s Cheltenham Festival and is facing up to 10 weeks out of action as a result of a broken leg he suffered in a crashing fall at Musselburgh last Thursday.Flying high at the head of the 2011/12 point-to-point jockeys’ table with 46 winners (25 clear of his nearest rival, Bon O’Neill), O’Connor headed to the Scottish venue last Thursday to partner Simonsberg for Northern Ireland trainer Ian Ferguson in a hunter’s chase but it all went wrong when the son of Sonus crashed through the fourth-last fence, giving O’Connor a horrible tumble.Sadly, Simonsberg’s fall was fatal, with O’Connor also coming out the worse for wear as he suffered a break to his left leg just above the shin.The Tubber rider was transferred to Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary Hospital, where he was fitted with a plaster that looks set to remain in place for between eight to 10 weeks.Speaking to The Clare Champion …

The curtain comes down on another coursing season, with a number of Clare challengers for both the JP McManus Irish Cup and a very competitive Select All-Age Bitch Stake at the Limerick Racecourse at Greenmount, Patrickswell, this coming weekend.The meeting will mark the end of the racing career of four-time cup winner, Windfarm Eiscir, who will be among the challengers for the Irish Cup and his connections, owner Clare Eustace, Ennis and trainer Pat Curtin, are hoping that he will bow out in style. A qualifier for the Champion Stakes last year and unlucky not to make the eight qualifiers this season, Windfarm Eiscir can beat the best on his day. From his base at Monard Stud, trainer Pat Curtin reports the fawn son of Bexhill Eoin-Windfarm Lady in fine form for his opening round clash with the Gerry Holian-trained Star Chaser in the first quarter. Should he get through, Windfarm Eiscir could have a second-round date with this year’s …

Clare owners landed as total of 10 races over two nights at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last weekend.Cooraclare owner, Tommie Gallagher came close to bringing off the feature race on Friday night when his Good Slick was beaten by a short head. This was an A3 550 final in which Outback Kirsty, in trap five, and Springwell Mandy, in four, disputed the advantage on the long run to the opening bend, where Good Slick, in trap one, and Comeonthebanner both made ground on either side of the leaders. Good Slick and Springwell Mandy led Comeonthebanner by a length as they headed down the back but the locally owned Comeonthebanner made ground rounding the second-last bend to lead by a length turning for home. Off the bend though, the son of Head Bound and Maroochydore swung wide but held out to beat Good Slick in 30.91.The concluding three 550 yard contests were semi-finals of an A5 mini stake and the …

SCORING 1-6 in the third quarter, while conceding just a point helped Clare lay the foundations for a comfortable win over Waterford in the semi-final of the Waterford Crystal Tournament at Walsh Park in Waterford on Sunday.

IF Clare are to have any chance of establishing themselves as promotion contenders, they will have to work on expanding on the leadership capacity of their panel.

Prior to Saturday’s All-Ireland senior club hurling semi-finals, there were many who predicted a final between Gort and Na Piarsaigh, two clubs well known to all in Clare hurling. At the end of the day, neither made it through to the St Patrick’s Day final and there can be few complaints as, on the day, Coolderry and Lougheil were the better-balanced teams.

A discussion on payment to managers arose at last week’s board meeting  “I can’t figure out why the GAA didn’t take the bull by the horns and say ‘lads this is what we are going to do, end of story’.