Sports

KILKEE’S Hell of the West Triathlon was awarded the inaugural Race of the Year accolade by Triathlon Ireland last week. However, if the race is accorded closed-road status in 2011, participant numbers could reach 1,500 and attract up to 5,000 weekend visitors to the West Clare resort.

CRUSHEEN’S Pat Vaughan is the new Clare senior hurling captain and will lead the county side in 2011. The team vice-captain will be Clonlara’s John Conlon, last year’s U-21 captain.

AS exclusively revealed in The Clare Champion back in September, the Clare senior football panel for 2011 is set to include a number of players who play their club football in Dublin and Kildare.

NUI Galway camogie club received a timely boost this week as they prepare to compete in, as well as host, the 2011 Ashbourne Cup, as two of their star players were awarded camogie association scholarships.

Clare Sports Partnership and Clare Athletics Association will hold the rescheduled second race in this frostbite 5km road race series this Friday, December 31, starting at 12 noon in Mullagh.

The 14th annual Ennis Urban District Council and Marian AC turkey trot, originally scheduled for St Stephen’s Day, will now take place from Waterpark House Drumbiggle on this Saturday, January 1, starting at 12 noon.

Athletes from as far away as France and Switzerland gathered with a host of Irish competitors at this year’s Burren Charity challenge.

After a month of inactivity due to frost, the Clare soccer squad travel to Galway on Thursday evening for a tie they must win to have any chance of staying in the race for the Oscar Traynor, inter-league title.Beaten finalists last year, Clare went into this year’s title race with high hopes of going all the way and bringing the title back to the county for only the second time. They met a strong and well-balanced Limerick side in the opening round and ended up on the wrong side of a 3-1 result.This evening’s game with Galway was originally scheduled for the beginning of December but the inclement weather conditions led to a cancellationClare will be looking to goalkeeper, John Healy, David Russell, Damian O’Rourke and goalscorer in the opening round, Stephen Hickey to lead the way against Galway who will carry the favourites tag into the game Tournament rescheduledAs the pitches in Lisdoonvarna were frozen last weekend, the organisers …