Sports

The new 1,200-seater stand at Hennessy Memorial Park, which has been home to St Joseph’s Miltown Malbay GAA club since 1924, will be officially opened on Sunday by GAA President Christy Cooney. Since 1998, when tonnes of sand were transported from Doonbeg and poured into the redeveloped playing pitch, the playing surface in Miltown has been one of the best in the county. The only problem was when it rained. Players could move about on the pristine surface but the supporters had to huddle underneath available umbrellas. “I used to cringe when I’d come down here and see fellas under umbrellas,” John Reidy, the chairman of the stand development committee in Miltown, told The Clare Champion.  “We decided we’d build a stand. Mind you, there was some opposition to it too within the club because they felt that the field would be used more by county teams,” he added. Paddy Egan, club vice-chairman and director of Spanish Point Homes, who …

HAVING run eventual All-Ireland champions Dublin very close in last year’s All-Ireland senior quarter-final in Tullamore, it was a bit of a comedown for the Clare ladies seniors to have to play their league football in Division 3. However, their relegation from Division 2 was of their own making and even before this Saturday’s Division 3 league final, they have improved their league status.Whatever the result in Parnell Park this weekend, Clare and Fermanagh will play Division 2 league football in 2012. Saturday’s final is a repeat of the 2009 All-Ireland Intermediate final, won by Clare in Croke Park. Clare’s progress to this year’s league final has been seamless. They won every game, bar drawing with Fermanagh in Clarecastle. That game finished Clare 1-18, Fermanagh 4-9. The scoreline indicates both Clare’s primary strength and their main weakness throughout the league. In seven games, Clare scored 20-98, while they conceded 13-66. Their priority this weekend, and especially when they play Cork …

A leading Clare GAA referee “feared for his safety” at the end of the recent County U-21 B Hurling Championship semi-final in which Ballyea defeated St Joseph’s.In a detailed report, Kevin Walsh, one of the game’s longest-serving officials and a member of provincial and national referee’s committees, said in all his years as a referee, it was the first time he had worried for his safety.Arising from the report, suspensions of up to three months were proposed for a number of St Joseph’s members.During the tie, St Joseph’s defender Niall Hassett was dismissed and, after the final whistle, Shane O’Connor, another of the Doora-Barefield players, was red carded.One month suspensions were handed down to both players.Walsh also reported four St Joseph’s supporters and one team mentor following incidents after the game.Suspensions of two and three months were proposed for four St Joseph’s supporters. Ciaran O’Neill, Michael O’Connor and Donal Hassett each had three month suspensions proposed while a two month …

Rory Hickey is back on the national referee’s senior championship panel. Omitted last year, Hickey and Laois man Eddie Kinsella, another who was left out last year, are included in this year’s list from which the referees for senior championship games will be appointed.The Éire Óg man has already refereed a number of high profile league games this season including the Division 3 final.

DAVY Fitzgerald, the manager of the Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) senior hurling team, has been named as the first ambassador of hurling for LIT as part of the college’s promotion efforts.President of LIT, Dr Maria Hinfelaar made the announcement recently as a collection of hurling trophies were on display at the college. LIT has a unique link to the premier hurling competitions in 2010 and 2011, as a number of members of the winning teams attend the college.Inter-county players Eoin Kelly, Dennis Maher (Tipperary), Joe Canning (Galway), Gavin O’Mahony, Paul Browne (Limerick), Conor Cooney, Ronan Taaffe (Clare) and Jackie Tyrrell (Kilkenny) were all in attendance as the All-Ireland senior, All-Ireland and Munster U-21, Munster minor and 2011 league Division 2 trophies were displayed. LIT captured the Fitzgibbon Cup in their first appearance in the final in 2005. They were again successful in 2007 and were beaten finalists in 2009 and 2011. Among the other inter-county players who have represented …

KILMIHIL’S Ailish Considine was recently named IT Tralee Lady Footballer of the Year 2010/2011. She was presented with her award from the ITT Sports Council at the annual sports ball. Ailish is currently a second-year student of health and leisure at the Institute of Technology, Tralee.She was also presented with a trophy for the Best Score of the Year by the ITT Ladies’ Football Club. The score was the goal she scored against Maynooth in the semi-final of the Geraldine Giles Cup. That goal levelled the scores and IT Tralee were victorious in extra time.

A NIGHT at the dogs at the Limerick Greyhound Stadium in aid of Clare Crusaders has been organised by Ennis woman, Geraldine Sharkey.The event, taking place on Friday, May 13, promises a night of family fun with Geraldine encouraging people to come out and support the local charity.Geraldine herself will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in September along with 15 other Clare Crusaders fundraisers in support of the Barefield-based clinic helping children with special needs.According to Geraldine, “Some people might think that Friday the 13th is unlucky for some but I’m hoping it will be lucky for me and plenty of people will come along on the night and support Clare Crusaders. With the recession and a lot of people finding it difficult to spare money, it’s hard to ask people to give money to charity. So I decided that if I organised an event where people could get value for money, along with helping to raise money for this wonderful …

The eleventh annual Clare Sports Star Award winners were honoured at a function in the Auburn Lodge Hotel on Sunday night, with the awards presented by Mossy Woulfe, chairman of the Munster Athletics Association. The winners are:Girls U-8: Meabh O’Malley, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North ClareClare Track and Field Championships 1st 80m; Clare Cross Country 1st U-8, 10th U-9.Boys U-8: Soltan Akinwale, Ennis Track Clare Track and Field Championships 1st 60m, 80, 150m, 200m and ball throw; Clare Cross Country 1st U-8, 4th U-9. Girls U-9: Aoibhinn Donnelly, MarianClare Track and Field Championships 1st 80m, 200m; Clare Cross Country 1st U-10 4th U-9; Munster Cross Country 16th U-9, 35th U-10.Boys U-9: Ben Whelehan, Kilmurry Ibrickane North ClareClare Track and Field Championships 1st long jump, 2nd 80m, 200m; Clare Cross Country 1st; U-9 Munster Cross Country 3rd; U-9 4th; U-10 Munster Indoors 1st 300m, 3rd 60m.Girls U-10: Ellie Rochford, St Cronan’s Clare Track and Field Championships 1st 60m, 200m, 300m, long jump; Clare Cross …