Sports

WELSH man Mel Evans driving a Subaru WRC clinched the Dunlop National Rally Championship with a third place finish in the Clare Stages Rally in Ennis at the weekend.The Irish Court Hotels Clare Rally, the penultimate round of the series, was won by Tim McNulty and Paul Kiely, who finished seven seconds ahead of Derek McGarrity and James McKee.The Group N category was won by the local crew of Anthony O’Halloran and Charlie McEnery (Mitsubishi), while Wesley Patterson and Martin McGarrity (Ford Escort) won the modified category.Evans set the pace on the first test, Lickeen Road, near Kilfenora where the Welshman was two seconds quicker than McGarrity, with McNulty a further five seconds behind, the latter on his first event in quite some time. Pre-event Dunlop Championship leader, Niall Maguire was fourth, followed by Daragh O’Riordan to complete an all Subaru quintet.Late entry Wesley Patterson (Escort) led the modified category and also held sixth overall, while Shane Maguire (Subaru) led …

The Clare senior camogie final on the weekend of October 8-9 will be a repeat of the 2008 decider with Kilmaley and Newmarket in opposition.Newmarket qualified on Saturday when they proved too strong for Clooney Quin while, 24 hours later, Kilmaley secured their place in the final when they accounted for Sixmilebridge. Kilmaley’s win means that they are now one game away from winning their third title in a row.   Kilmaley 2-11 Sixmilebridge 2-5 Clarecastle was the venue for what proved to be a thrilling encounter on Sunday evening. Sixmilebridge, fielding a large number of their minor team, got off to a blistering start and had 2-1 on the scoreboard after five minutes. The goals came from Orla Fitzgerald and Chloe Morey.Kilmaley came more into the game after this, helped by the fact that they had the more experienced side. Aida Griffey opened their account and Clare McMahon followed with two points before Shonagh Enright struck for 1-2 to …

Rineanna Rovers A 0 Bridge Celtic A 2 WELL-known hurler Nicky O’Connell scored both goals as Bridge Celtic proved too strong for Rineanna Rovers in the tie on Sunday. After a scoreless first half, O’Connell struck when he punished a defensive error. The second came at the end of an impressive move. Rineanna Rovers: Jason Casey; Pat Fahy, Conor Sweeney; John Earls, Dean Richter; Kieran Keane, Seán O’Connor, Niall Murphy, Neil Mills; John Okoru, Thiago.Subs: Gary O’Connell, Brian Kelly, Martin Reidy. Bridge Celtic A: Adrian Dhouig; Barry O’Connell, Trevor Howard, Rob Seymour, Paul Nolan; Nicky O’Connell, Ricky Mowatt, Shane Byrnes, Cathal O’Connell; Paul McEvoy, Conor Hynes.   Newmarket Celtic A 0 Avenue United A 5 AVENUE United scored a comfortable win over Newmarket Celtic at McDonagh Park on Sunday. The winners raced into a four-goal lead in the first half with goals from Mikey Mahoney, Gary Flynn (free), Eamonn O’Reilly and Con Collins while their second-half goal came from Adrian …

LISCANNOR and Cooraclare can hear opportunity knocking very clearly. On Sunday in Miltown at 5pm one of them will avail of that opportunity, while the other will ponder on what might have been.Unless of course the second county semi-final ends in a replay, which isn’t an impossibility given Cooraclare’s recent replay record. It took three games (two replays) before they eventually edged beyond Éire Óg by a single point. In fact, the largest quarter-final winning margin in the 2010 championship was two points when Liscannor beat Doora-Barefield 0-10 to 0-8. In what has been the tightest senior championship for years, very slim margins divide five or six clubs.Still, there is no questioning the resolve of either Cooraclare or Liscannor. If they were brittle, both would have been beaten by Éire Óg and St Joseph’s respectively at the quarter-final stage.Cooraclare overcame the absence of Cathal Lillis (suspended), Rory Donnelly (leg) and Declan McMahon (arm) last weekend in Lissycasey, although the arrival …

PORTUMNA won the All-Ireland Junior Cup for the first time in the history of the club. They won the Connacht title in August at Castlebar, which was also the venue for the All-Ireland finals. The finals were played last Wednesday and Thursday. Portumna played Bambridge, the Ulster champions first and the Connacht champions came from being behind in a number of their matches to score a great win and secure a place in the final where their opponents were Naas. Father and son, John and Seán Cleary, were the heroes the first day, both coming from a deficit position to win their respective matches. Pat Quinlan was the toast of the club on Thursday. After John and Seán Cleary both won, Pat Quinlan made sure when he hit a tremendous four iron to 10 feet at the difficult par three 16th to see off David Prendergast in the fifth and final match. The team captain was Matt Donoghue and the …

FANS at last week’s Listowel Harvest Festival enjoyed a feast of racing with Limerick trainer Charles Byrnes taking the major prize on offer as his Alfa Beat continued his remarkable rate of improvement with a popular success in the Guinness Kerry National.Rated just 93 over the larger obstacles when moving to Byrnes’ Ballingarry yard back in the spring, Alfa Beat had risen to a rating of 137 by the time he went to post for last Wednesday’s showpiece and the flying grey showed that stunning rise in the handicap was well merited as the 6/1 shot strode to victory under an inspired Barry Geraghty ride. A talented field of 18 chasers faced the starter for the €96,000 winner’s purse in this competitive three-mile test and this season’s Galway Plate winner, Finger on the Pulse, kept the entire line-up honest when setting a decent pace up front. It was noticeable from about the halfway stage that Geraghty was bringing Alfa Beat, …

LISCANNOR will again have the honour of opening the new coursing season this coming weekend. And they will stage the fixture on their usual days, Saturday and Sunday.The situation up to lunchtime on Monday last was that coursing could not go ahead prior to Sunday, September 26. Liscannor had resigned themselves to coursing on Sunday and Monday but on Monday last, the ICC was informed that the Minister for the Environment had given permission to course a day earlier.Liscannor had no problem in the switching to Saturday and Sunday but Kilflynn have opted to stay with their original dates of Sunday and Monday.When asked to comment on the minister’s decision, DJ Histon, ICC secretary, told The Clare Champion that even though they had received notification of the change only a few days prior to the start-up of the new season, it was welcome nonetheless. Liscannor were availing of the new situation and he had no doubt that they would able …

WEST Clare owner Jer Lernihan was the sole Clare winner in Galway last Thursday night when his Hilltop Tomboy obliged in the ninth race.This was an A3 graded 525-yard affair in which the Seamus Fahy-trained Astronomic Luke in trap went off the 6/4 favourite. From the opening bend, it was obvious it was going to be a battle between the favourite and the Clare-owned black dog. And as they swung down the far side, the favourite cut inside to head off Hilltop Tomboy. At the half-way stage, Astronomic Luck had gone into a two-length lead and while Hilltop Tomboy was forced to go wide as they turned for home, the son of Droopys Vieri-Clonreddan Tina got up close to the line to win by half a length. His time was 29.49.In the first race of the night, Scatteri Vieri, owned in West Clare by PJ O’Halloran and the Gort-owned Fast Fit Sky set the pace in this S9 350 affair …