Sports

A special meeting of Clare GAA held on Wednesday night decided to postpone the county senior football final for one week. Originally scheduled for Sunday week, October 3, the final will now go ahead on October 10. The request for the postponement came from Cooraclare, who pointed out that in the event of them beating Liscannor in this Sunday’s semi-final, playing the final on the original date would have meant five successive weekends of championship action for them. There was no objection to the request from their semi-final opponents Liscannor or from finalists Doonbeg, although Doonbeg delegate Michael Neenan warned against the dangers of changing from the master fixtures.

Cratloe 0-12 Newmarket 0-11   CHAMPIONS Cratloe moved a step closer to retaining the Clare senior hurling title when they overcame the challenge of a strongly fancied Newmarket side at Cusack Park on Saturday evening.In a quarter-final in which the sides were level on seven occasions, a draw would have been a fair result  and not too many would have complained if this had proven to be the case. However, on reflection, is has to be said that Cratloe just about deserved victory in this tie as they played some excellent hurling which led to some impressive scores.One of the big talking points after this tie was the performance of match referee, Ger Hoey. In an effort to let the match flow he waved play-on on a few occasions when others would have given the free. One such occasion was in the closing stages of the game when Newmarket were a point ahead. Substitute James McInerney, making a comeback after …

Clonlara 2-10 Clooney-Quin 0-12   Shortly after 2pm on Saturday afternoon, the call was made. Clonlara team captain Tomás O’Donovan was at the end of the line and was given the news he so desperately wanted to hear on honeymoon… confirmation of his team’s passage to the penultimate round of the Clare senior hurling championship.But it was a victory chiselled out in the face of a committed display from Clooney-Quin who were left with certain misgivings. What if they hadn’t gifted Clonlara their second goal and what if they hadn’t to play the final 20 minutes of the game with 14 players?Imponderables that will never be answered but will gnaw away at Clooney-Quin. But what they cannot dispute is the absence of the one key ingredient that Clonlara had, an ability to create and take goal chances. Goals win games and in this competitive contest the goals, both opportunistic strikes from Darach Honan, were the difference in the final analysis. …

Sixmilebridge 1-13 O’Callaghan’s Mills 1-13   Sixmilebridge are this week putting the final touches to preparations for a senior hurling championship quarter-final replay in the knowledge that they are extremely fortunate to be still in the hunt for the 2010 senior title.In the opening tie in a very attractive triple header at Cusack Park last Saturday, they were outplayed for long periods by underdogs O’Callaghan’s Mills who should now be getting ready for a semi-final clash with Crusheen.Failure to avail of some good scoring opportunities, particularly in the closing period of the game, proved costly for the Mills and their supporters will be hoping they won’t find themselves regretting those misses come this Saturday evening.Going into the game as favourites, everything seemed to be going according to plan when the ‘Bridge raced into a 1-4 to 0-0 lead after just 11 minutes. It had taken them five minutes to get the first score from captain Niall Gilligan who converted a …

Crusheen 1-10 Clarecastle 0-10   While Clarecastle followers will point to a defensive blunder as the reason for the all-important goal at Cusack Park on Saturday evening, they will surely agree that Crusheen deserved to win.They were an all round better-balanced team and their defence, as predicted, dominated and limited the Magpies’ scoring opportunities. At the other end of the field, the Crusheen forwards, while showing improved form on recent outings, still struggled in a number of places and this is an area in which there will have to be improvement if they are to be in contention come final day.Crusheen’s victory, however, was dampened by the sending off of defender Cathal Dillon, arguably their most consistent performer over the past four years, just before full time. Dillon and Conor Plunkett were shown straight red cards following a melee involving a number of players from both teams.Just as was the case with Clooney-Quin earlier in the afternoon in Shannon, Clarecastle …

Misty and cloudy conditions were the backdrop to a very successful 10km in Kilkishen on Saturday last. The runners were well up on last year with over 100 participants. However, there was a reduction in the number of walkers and joggers that could be related to the overcast conditions. The first event of the day was an 80k cycle organised by Pat Gleeson from Cratloe that attracted almost 50 cyclists. This was followed by the walk, jig and fun cycle that had 70 participantsThe main event of the day was the 10km that had a new route via the picturesque Clonlea chain of lakes. The first man home was local athlete, Sean Hehir in a time of 31.30 minutes. Sean does his running with Rathfarnham WSAF as he is based in Dublin. Michael Shannon, Kilnaboy AC was second in a time of 32.32 minutes. In third place was Ciaran Kennedy from Ballinahinch in a time of 33.13 minutes, while fourth …

Cooraclare 1-3 Éire Óg 0-5 You could have left this game, driven to Ennis, cycled the return journey and missed nothing by the time you hit rain soaked, wind-battered Lissycasey again. Or if you did miss something, it wouldn’t take all day to elicit what it was, such was the paucity of scoring or major incident. The first eight minutes cleared up any hope that this game would feature many scores as the teams kicked six wides between them in that spell. Constant rain and a strong breeze, blowing towards the scoreboard end contributed hugely to the absence of much memorable football. Stephen Hickey pointed the opening score nine minutes into the first half after Eoin Glynn had been fouled. Five minutes later Ger Tubridy, who came back from Australia late last week, scored a bizarre yet defining goal. Éire Óg goalkeeper Shane O’Connell kicked a free straight to Tubridy, who lined out at full-forward. Tubridy didn’t exactly burst the …

Tubber ensured their senior hurling status for 2011 with this victory over Smith O’Briens in the first of the relegation play-offs last Saturday in Tulla.Smith O’Brien’s have one more chance to stay senior and they will play either Corofin or Broadford who meet on this Saturday at Shannon with the losers going on to play the Killaloe side.Tubber’s greater experience proved decision in Saturday’s meeting. At the end of a well contested first half the sides retired on level terms with the score at 1-7 to 0-10.When Tubber edged in front in the second half they were able to deploy county U-21 player Patrick O’Connor as an extra defender and he played this role superbly.On the day the goals were decisive and these were scored by Patrick, Shane and Ger O’Connor. Tubber: Ronan Taaffe; Fergal O’Grady, Justin McMahon, Eoin Ruane; Mark Earley, Conor Earley, Tommy Lee; Clive Earley, Ger O’Connor; Barry O’Connor, Shane O’Connor, Dara O’Connor; David O’Donoghue, Pat O’Connor, …