Home » Sports (page 629)

Sports

GAA clubs chasing new management teams

WITH most clubs across the county due to hold annual general meetings in the next few weeks, many are currently searching for management teams for their senior sides.It is expected that most of the county’s senior football clubs will have new managements in 2012. County champions, Kilmurry-Ibrickane have only just finished their season but the expectation is that Kerry’s John Kennedy will continue as team coach for next season.Neighbours, Cooraclare have already got a new management team, which includes former players, Paddy Keane and Aidan Donnelly, along with former Cork selector, Dave Loughman, who is to be the team coach. Kilmurry-Ibrickane’s Aidan Moloney has been in charge of Cooraclare for the past three years.Miltown St Joseph’s, whose senior selection committee changed on a couple of occasions last year, are understood to be in discussions with former Clare player and manager, Tommy Curtin about taking charge. The St Flannan’s-based teacher has previously managed his native St Breckan’s and Liscannor to contest …

Read More »

Kids carry the fight for Clare BJJ

Four members of the Fightsports Clare team were in the medals at the weekend when the Brazilian jiujitsu club competed at the Kid’s First National Wrestling Tournament in the Pankration Kickboxing Academy in Limerick. The four were all competing for the first time.Aifric Ni Ogain came second in her division after having to retire undefeated after four fights due to illness. Josh Boylan came third in the same division, winning most of his fights and losing only to Aifric and the division winner.“Aifric and Josh tore through the divison,” said John Eustace, head trainer at Fightsports Clare. “Aifric has only been training for three months and Josh, at seven-years-old, was by far the youngest in the division. Both of them have really bright futures in the sport.”Nine-year-old Benza Benko put on an amazing display, winning six of seven fights coming second in his division when losing a very close fight to a 13-year-old who went on to win the division.“Ben …

Read More »

Inagh capture first All-Ireland title

AT last, a mid-Clare camogie club has finally captured the elusive Phil McBride Cup, following heart-breaking All-Ireland defeats for three different clubs.A three-goal blitz during a six-minute purple patch midway through the second half helped Inagh to an impressive nine-point victory over three-in-a-row London champions, Tara.The scenes at the end of the entertaining All-Ireland Junior Camogie Championship final at Ashbourne, County Meath illustrated how much this victory meant to ecstatic supporters from the entire parish covering Inagh, Kilnamona and Clounanaha. Hundreds of Inagh supporters rushed over and raised their new heroes high in the air to celebrate the historic day.More than three bus-loads of Inagh supporters and as many more in cars, who made the round trip of over 500km weren’t left disappointed as Sinéad O’Loughlin and company outscored their opponents 4-1 to 1-4 in the second half, despite playing into the teeth of a very strong wind.This was the fourth time since 2005 that a Clare club had reached …

Read More »

Manager says ‘Is féidir linn’

INAGH manager, Flan Garvey never doubted his charges had the ability to capture the coveted All-Ireland Camogie Junior Club crown once the team played to its full potential.Three points ahead at the break, facing into a very strong breeze, it looked as if Inagh faced a difficult task in the second period.However, when the former Inagh schoolteacher was interviewed during the interval, he repeated the team’s motto – “Is féidir linn”.Barack Obama’s mantra “We can do it” was adopted by the new manager at the start of the year and Flan saw no reason to change from his positive attitude, even when the game was in the melting pot.While Flan was a little concerned with Inagh’s first-half display, having the benefit of the wind and the sun, he knew the team could play a lot better. The former councillor described Inagh as a “second-half team”, which was graphically illustrated in their tremendous comeback from a nine-point deficit against Four Roads …

Read More »

Fiona scoops player of the match award

CHOOSING a player of the match can sometimes be difficult when three or four individuals are often battling it out for just one award.However, there was no need for a debate about the best player in Sunday’s match. Inagh centre-forward Fiona Lafferty stood head and shoulders above most players on the field. In addition to scoring 1-4, including a vital goal in the 39th minute, her workrate, tackling and general support play for her colleagues was immense.The talented centre-forward scored an impressive 5-49 out of Inagh’s 20-54 during the course of their All-Ireland campaign and is one of the reasons why the Phil McBride Cup is now resting in Inagh.Camogie president Joan O’Flynn, who presented the player of the match award to Fiona, said she had shown “outstanding leadership, huge energy, huge commitment and never-say-die attitude throughout the year and particularly during the final”.A former All-Star nominee, she also excels at ladies’ football, winning an All-Ireland intermediate ladies’ football medal …

Read More »

Ennis man makes his Munster debut

TWENTY-ONE-year-old Ennis man Luke O’Dea made his Munster debut last weekend. Playing on the wing in a 34-17 victory over Edinburgh in the RaboDirect PRO12 game at Thomond Park Stadium, the Shannon RFC club man scored a bonus point-winning try in what was an impressive personal display.Luke has played all of his club rugby with Shannon, although he received his secondary school education at St Flannan’s College and won an U-16 football championship medal with St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield.“We lived in Birmingham and he played with a club called Mosley from the age of about six or seven,” Luke’s father John told The Clare Champion.“We moved back here in about 2002. He didn’t play with Ennis because the weekend he was due to go to training, Clare were in the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny and they cancelled their training. So he went to Shannon instead and stayed with Shannon,” added John, who is a life-long club member and former Ennis RFC …

Read More »

Scariff lose out narrowly to Castleisland

Castleisland 13   Scariff 12 SCARIFF lost out to a strong Castleisland side by the narrowest of margins in Craven’s Field in Scariff on Sunday.Castleisland started very strong and had the Scariff pack under huge pressure, with a series of scrums on the Scariff line. Scariff soaked up the early pressure but eventually Castleisland, with the aid of a strong wind, broke through the Scariff defence to score in the corner. A penalty late on in the first half left the half-time score 8-0 to the visitors.In the second half, Scariff went on the attack from the outset. With most of the possession throughout the half, they were rewarded with a try from James Kelly after good passing between the backs and forwards. Kelly converted his own try, leaving the score 8-7 after 10 minutes.Poor concentration in defence allowed Castleisland in for a second try midway through the second half, extending their lead to 13-7. However, Scariff reacted quickly with Colin …

Read More »

Hoop dreams come true for Ennistymon school

ENNISTYMON Vocational School emerged as tournament winners in the three-team Clare basketball tournament at Ennistymon on Tuesday.They now go on to regional level to face teams from the rest of the North Munster area at a date to be decided.The afternoon tournament was keenly contested and all games were unpredictable right up to the final quarter.Ennistymon VS 29   Ennis Community College 20 AFTER a sluggish, low-scoring first quarter Ennistymon found their feet and with Roma Byrne pitching in with six points they held a 12-8 half-time advantage.Ennis came storming back in the third quarter with strong play from Sean Weir and Badr Jdair. John Dillon took more control at that point for Ennistymon and with Skerritt and McNulty rebounding well, Ennistymon edged ahead 29-20 at the end.Ennistymon VS 43   Kilrush CS 39 ENNISTYMON had to play back-to-back games and Kilrush looked sharper and more aggressive working the fast break to telling effect with Cian Murray, Conor Downes, and Kevin Looney …

Read More »