Sports

Clare owners will have a strong say in the destination of the Galway Race Week A4 525 as they will field three of the finalists.

The Clare U-21 hurlers have been given a clear run with their preparations ahead of next week’s Munster final after persuading the county board to postpone two football fixtures involving six squad members.

Seamus Hayes and Owen Ryan analyse Clare’s prospects of defending their Munster U-21 hurling final title. With 19 Munster and eight All-Ireland titles to their credit, it is understandable that Tipperary will go into Wednesday’s Munster U-21 hurling final carrying the favourites’ tag, as Clare have won just one Munster and All-Ireland crown.

SENIOR CAMOGIE CHAMPIONSHIP Kilkenny 4-14Clare 0-14 CLARE suffered a 12-point defeat at the hands of Kilkenny on Saturday afternoon in the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship at Corofin.

GOING into last Sunday’s Cusack Cup (Division 1 football league) semi-finals, Miltown St Joseph’s and Shannon Gaels had no shortage of incentive. Neither were given much chance against hot favourites Doonbeg and Kilmurry-Ibrickane, so they had nothing to lose.

CUSACK CUP Miltown St Joseph’s 2-9Doonbeg 1-11 FIVE points down 11 minutes from full-time, Miltown looked finished and even their most ardent supporters would have held little hope of toppling Doonbeg and qualifying for their first Cusack Cup final since 1995. The team, however, has developed a steelier edge than has been evident in recent years. Bit by bit they reeled in Doonbeg, who didn’t manage a single score in that 11-minute stretch.

CUSACK CUP Shannon Gaels 2-9Kilmurry-Ibrickane 0-10 SECOND-half goals from Ruairí Norrby and John Paul O’Neill helped Shannon Gaels to qualify for their first Cusack Cup Division 1 football league final since 1976.

U-12A HURLING FINAL Clarecastle 3-10Clonlara 1-8 A superb individual haul of 2-5 from Jack Murphy propelled Clarecastle to their second U-12A hurling title in four years when they finally overcame Clonlara’s challenge at Cusack Park on Sunday evening.