Sports

Having soared to a place in the Munster Final with a game to spare, Clare are faced with the same conundrum as Limerick were in the lead-up to last Sunday’s Shannonside derby in Ennis. Essentially that they don’t want to lose the unquestionable momentum built up so far by fielding a weakened team and possibly suffering defeat but at the same time their main focus must be on taking down the three-in-a-row champions and garnering a first Munster title since Brian Lohan himself was at his peak in 1998. What should transpire is a combination of both as any player that has any complaint or ailment will sit out this final round showpiece. Those that require some valuable game-time such as the returning Ian Galvin, Shane Meehan, David Reidy, Aron Shanagher and possibly even Mark Rodgers will get the opportunity to stake their claim for a stating berth in that provincial final showdown It must also be noted that this …

All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Galway 0-25 Clare 0-9 CLARE fell to a disappointing defeat in their opening round robin game of the All Ireland Minor Hurling Championship. Despite facing a Galway side who were playing their first Championship encounter of 2022, Brian O’Connell’s men shipped the opening eight points of the game, something which they never truly recovered from, writes Ivan Smyth. In the end Clare shot nine points and 15 wides on a disappointing day where little of anything went right for the Munster runners up. Their agonising Munster final defeat may have led to a hangover of sorts but they will need to improve if they are to keep their Championship dreams alive for this year. Their final round robin game against Laois is in two weeks time A win is needed to help secure an All Ireland semi final spot with the side’s confidence sure to have taken a hit after this bitterly disappointing display. With Joe …

BEFORE a ball was pucked the line ‘Are they Gods or real folk’ was belted out again and again on Cusack Park’s new surround sound system. It was part of an eclectic playlist that’s now part of the pre-match entertainment on big match days at Clare headquarters, in a welcome move away from ‘My Lovely Rose of Clare’ and more. It’s from the old Horslips number ‘Trouble’ — the answer to ‘are they Gods or real folk?’ coming in a game from the Gods played by out two teams that don’t know what it’s like to take a step back, just as their managers don’t know either. Always going forward, always driving and giving us everything we expected it to be — a ferocious, breathless and sustained battle from first to the last whistle. No wonder the Rolling Stones’ ‘Give Me Shelter’ was aired pitchside after it was all over — just because there was no shelter, or no hiding …

It didn’t end in victory but Sunday’s box-office encounter was every bit as satisfying as the previous triumphs over Tipperary and Cork as Clare met fire with fire against runaway All-Ireland favourites Limerick. Having come into the championship firmly under most people’s radar, the Banner’s spectacular rising star over the past month also inevitably heightened the expectation levels that Brian Lohan’s men certainly matched if not surpassed in a sensational Shannonside derby in Cusack Park. “We are happy enough,” began Lohan afterwards. “With a big crowd in Ennis, there was a little bit of expectation from our own supporters who came in their droves to support the team and we were probably under a little bit of pressure to make sure that we didn’t disappoint them. I am happy enough that we performed to a reasonable level. “This place hasn’t been packed for a while and there hasn’t been as big a demand for tickets in a while. And when …

Ennis Track’s Dean Casey secured a new Irish U-20 10,000m record last weekend in London, the St Flannan’s College student runnning a time of 28.57.34 at the Highgate Harriers Night of 10,000m PBs Meet. Casey takes over from Abdel Laadjel (29:23.92) who broke Frank Greally’s 52-year-old record in March. The record-breaking performance from Casey continues a remarkable period for the young Ennis star. Brilliant race by Dean Casey of @Ennistrack who smashes the Irish U20 10,000m record in Highgate – his 28:57.34 taking 26 seconds off the record set by @Abdellaadjel_ in March. The Night of the 10,000m PBs is once again a model to all others in how to stage an event. pic.twitter.com/oZidvfSdzL — Cathal Dennehy (@Cathal_Dennehy) May 14, 2022 Casey was part of the Ennis Track Club team who enjoyed a historic day in Portugal in early February with the Junior Men’s Team capturing the European Club Cross Country Championships title with a stunning display. The victory in …

A PROBE into alleged match fixing in the League of Ireland has been launched today by the Anti-Bribery & Corruption Unit, Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB). As part of the planned operation in the Southern Region and Dublin Metropolitan Regions, ten males (aged in their early 20s to 60s) have been arrested and a number of residential properties have been searched. The operation has been supported by resources attached to the Limerick and Cork City Divisions. The males have been arrested on suspicion of the offence of Conspiracy to Defraud contrary to Common Law and are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at various stations in the Southern Region and Dublin Metropolitan Region. This operation stems from an investigation carried out by detectives attached to the Anti-Bribery & Corruption Unit in 2019 following reports of suspected match-fixing received from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Speaking about …

LIAM Alford retained his WKA world light welterweight title in Wexford on Saturday night, knocking out French challenger Julien Letellier early on. On Monday Liam said he was “over the moon” with the result, which keeps the door open for a possible future defence in his home town. He said it had been an early knockout, although he hadn’t planned to exert much pressure in the early stages. “It was one minute and fifty seconds of the first round. We didn’t know too much about him, so the plan was to go out, suss him out for the first round, see what he’s got. Then start to capitalise and land some shots. “But I went out in the first round and I could see the opportunity and I was thinking why would I wait? If I feel I can catch him in the first round and get him out of there I may as well! “The plan for the first …

Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 4 Clare 0-24 Limerick 1-21 CLARE extended their unbeaten championship record against Limerick in Cusack Park to 32 years after sharing the spoils with the back-to-back All-Ireland champions in front of a capacity 18.129 attendance, reports Eoin Brennan. Following a remarkable opening to the Munster series, one perfect record simply had to fall amidst the ideal backdrop of an unprecedented atmosphere and occasion in Ennis but in the end, the Shannonside neighbours both satisfactorily maintained their unbeaten starts after Diarmaid Byrnes’ last gasp equalising free. Byrnes was unerring for the champions but captain Tony Kelly was outstanding for the home side after almost single-handedly taking the game to Limerick to rack up a whopping 16 points in the first 45 minutes of the tie. That included five points surrounding Limerick’s sole goal in the 15th minute when Kyle Hayes clinically finished an incisive Conor Boylan run and pass to the net as Kelly edged Clare …