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Clare minor double starting to bubble

Belief. With the majority of inter-county minor sides training to a very high level, it’s invariably the key separator in tight matches and so it proved once more in Páirc Uí Rinn on Tuesday evening when taking down hosts Cork to advance to the Munster decider. An almost incredible turnaround in fortunes in less than ten months, this Clare minor side have really developed since falling to Tipperary in the opening contest three weeks earlier. “I’m delighted,” commented manager Brian O’Connell on the field afterwards, “Our biggest challenge with these lads was just making them believe in themselves and when they did that, they’re just starting to skyrocket. “We’ve pretty much focused on ourselves. We know that we’ve good hurlers here, I keep emphasising it but these lads have won provincial junior schools and some of them All-Ireland senior medals so they’ve had a good year’s hurling and good experiences of winning titles and playing in finals. “So there’s definitely …

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Cork’s season hanging by a thread following Clare loss

Having soared to Munster Final managerial success over Clare in 2017, Sunday’s defeat cut deep for Kieran Kingston as it was Cork’s third successive big-match reverse. The criticism of August’s All-Ireland Final pummelling at the hands of Limerick had been sated somewhat by a hugely positive National league campaign. However, the wheels came off in the final against Waterford and that malaise has extended into the championship as Limerick and Clare have realistically put paid to the Rebels’ hopes of advancing to this years All-Ireland series. “We came into the game in control of our own destiny and after today we lose that control so it goes without saying that it was massively disappointing.” Began the Cork manager in the adjoining dressing room in Thurles immediately afterwards. “We had a very bad start, we were playing into the breeze in the first half and I think we were really nervous for the first 20 or 25 minutes and made some …

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HURLING: Munster Final awaits for Clare’s major minors

Munster Minor Hurling Championship Semi-Final Clare 2-17 Cork 1-17 FROM the nadir of last year’s pummelling to the zenith of a near flawless collective display, the wheel had certainly turned full circle for Clare and Cork as the Banner deservedly powered into a first Munster Minor Hurling decider since 2019 in Páirc Uí Rinn on Tuesday evening, writes Eoin Brennan. A 43 point turnaround wasn’t even the main headline grabbing act as Clare dethroned the holders with an unprecedented brand of professionalism, efficiency and most significantly an ice-cool nerve to never deviate or revert from the meticulous passing game that left Cork chasing shadows for the majority. Everyone played their part as the Banner rolled with the punches of being sucker-punched by a controversial late first half goal that wiped out their advantage, only to come out swinging once more when Cian Neylon fired home a second Clare goal after only 90 seconds of the new half. Indeed, Clare were …

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Clare horse tops Tattersalls sale fetching €200,000

John Costello’s recent Quakerstown winner, Search For Glory, was the star attraction at the recent Tattersalls April Sale held at Cheltenham Racecourse. An eye-catching winner on debut of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden under his trainer’s son Conor Costello on Easter Sunday, the son of Fame And Glory came under the hammer at the famous Cotswolds venue just five days later. After a hectic round of bidding, leading trainer Gordon Elliott had the final say when paying £200,000 for the gelding who will join his powerful Cullentra House operation. Fenloe House-based Costello reported: “He’s the first horse I’ve ever sold or shown here. My son Conor rode him, it was his fourth winner but he’d broken his collarbone six weeks previously and had only been passed fit to ride on the day, so it was a great result. “He won at Quakerstown like a very nice horse, which we’ve thought he is for quite a while. He’s a super athlete, a …

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HURLING: Unbeaten Banner quash the Rebel-ion

Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 3 Clare 0-28 Cork 2-20 Clare’s 2021 revenge tour soared to new heights in FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday afternoon when producing another stirring championship display to hold off Cork on their way to protecting their perfect start, writes Eoin Brennan. Having been edged out by Tipperary and Cork to exit both the Munster and All-Ireland Championships respectively last year, the Banner lowered both decisively in the space of seven days to effectively secure a place in the All-Ireland series at a minimum. What was most impressive was Clare’s ability to demonstrate every facet of their character when first blitzing the Rebels to soar eleven points clear by the 28th minute before having to show their teeth when reduced to 14 men for the final 20 minutes to keep a resurgent Cork at arm’s length. There were so many heroes that it was difficult to single any out but the mastery of captain Tony Kelly, …

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Battle of senior champs imminent in Clare football league

With Cooraclare having shaded the verdict over Kilrush by a point on Friday evening, Eoin Brennan previews the rest of the Cusack and Garry Cup action which takes place tomorrow Cusack Cup Round 4 Ennistymon v Kilmurry Ibrickane at Ennistymon, Monday 11.30am (Jim Hickey, Cratloe) Fresh from Monday’s, sorry Tuesday’s senior football championship draw, Group 3 comes into sharp focus on Monday when first Ennistymon host last year’s finalists Kilmurry Ibrickane while Clondegad travel to Doonbeg. Of course, without their county contingents, it’s not a true barometer but it’s still adds bite to an already significant fixture as Ennistymon require a third victory to keep in touch for the knock-out places while the ‘Bricks, eight-in-a-row Cusack Cup champions as recently as 2018, are scrambling to avoid relegation alongside county champions Éire Óg. Doonbeg v Clondegad at Shanahan McNamara Memorial Park Doonbeg, Monday 2pm (John O’Connell, Cooraclare) Another Group 3 sighter for the summer but hopefully these next two clashes surpass …

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FOOTBALL: Clare pay the penalty for missed chances

Munster Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final Limerick 2-16 Clare 1-19 (Limerick won by 4-1 on penalties) BEING part of a first ever senior championship penalty shoot-out will be of little consolation to a Clare side that were agonisingly edged out of the provincial race at the first hurdle following a titanic derby battle with Limerick in Cusack Park Ennis on Saturday evening, reports Eoin Brennan. In front of an enthralled 2,980 attendance, the neighbours left everything on the field in 100 plus minute marathon that could have easily gone either way. However, unable to separate the sides after extra-time, there wasn’t a shred of doubt about the eventual victors in a historic penalty finale as Limerick were unerring with four successive spot kicks to tee up a semi-final showdown with Tipperary in a fortnight’s time. Not only was it Clare’s fourth successive Munster reverse but their most regretful to boot as when the dust settles, they will be kicking themselves over …

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Time for Clare to rock the Rebels in Thurles

Eoin Brennan previews Clare’s crunch encounter with Cork in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship Round 2 at FBD Semple Stadium There was a major brainstorming session going on in the Ó Riain Stand between Cork’s management team of Kieran Kingston, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Noel Furlong and Pat Mulcahy at half-time in last Sunday’s Clare and Tipperary in Semple Stadium. It’s unlikely that they were discussing Ed Sheeran’s back catalogue, it’s much more likely by their animated gestures that their focus was on Clare who at that point had laid waste to their hosts Tipperary to lead by 13 points. Having witnessed Tipperary’s rousing display against Waterford, Kingston and Co. probably came to Semple Stadium to further analyse Colm Bonnar’s side but they left early with only the Banner in their thoughts. The thing is that Cork, particularly under Kingston, have invariably had the Indian sign over Clare in recent seasons. After all, following Clare’s 2013 All-Ireland triumph, the Rebels have edged …

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