Sports

Clare 2-10 Dublin 0-9 CLARE got their senior camogie championship off to the start they wanted with a 2-10 to 0-9 win over Dublin on Saturday in Naomh Peregrine’s in Dublin.Clare, who travelled to Dublin without the services of stalwart full-back Siobhán Lafferty, who was ruled out through injury and Chloe Morey, who was sitting exams, were determined to get their campaign off to a winning start and also to avenge the defeat suffered in the National League a couple of months ago.Clare opened the scoring in the second minute with a point from play by Deirdre Murphy, who scored from a free two minutes later. Dublin were held scoreless until the sixth minute when their All-Star player, Louise O’Hara, pointed from play.Naomi Carroll pointed for Clare before O’Hara pointed again in the tenth minute following a poor clearance from the Clare defence. Clare added two more points to their tally through Murphy, from a free, and Mairéad Scanlon, from …

CLARE athletes came away with three gold, one silver and four bronze medals at the Munster Juvenile U-9, U-10 and U-11 girls’ 2×2 team events and boys and girls’ U-14 and U-15 track and field championships in very cold and blustery weather conditions in Castleisland.Paraic McNamara, Marian, won gold in the boys’ U-14 high jump, Seamus McMahon, Shannon, took gold in the U-15 2,000m walk and Niamh O’Brien, Ennis Track, won gold in the girls’ U-14 2,000m walk.In the girls’ U-11 2×2 team 600m, Marian, Ennis Track and Kilmurry-Ibrickane/North Clare were among the 12 teams competing. Caoimhe Carmody, Marian, ran a fine race with a time of 2.06:20 and Emily Barry Marian ran a faster leg in heat two with a time of 2.04:10, for a combined total of 4.10:30, to win the bronze medals.In the girls’ U-14 2,000m walk, Niamh O’Brien, Ennis Track, and Niamh Jones, Marian, were among a big contingent from Munster and over five laps, Niamh …

THREE-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond will join cyclists and walkers from a range of Mid-West businesses in the fifth running of the BDO Get BACk Challenge on Saturday, July 3.The event will raise funds for sports participation among socially disadvantaged children using sports activity as the first step in heightening awareness of the issues of childhood obesity. Hospices across the Mid-West Region and Special Olympics will also benefit from the 100km cycle which has raised over €700,000 in the past four years.  At the announcement of the Get BACk Challenge cycle, Brian McGann explained, “It is a great honour to welcome a sporting legend of the status of Greg LeMond back to Limerick for this event. He has become a fantastic supporter of the Get BACk Challenge and his generosity with his time helps make the event so memorable for all who take part in it.” As part of his visit, Greg LeMond will also launch a number …

NEWMARKET’S Paul Tuohy will be the next chairman of the Clare and District Soccer League. He will be the only candidate for the post at next Monday’s annual general meeting which will take place at the West County Hotel at 8.30pm.He is one of two nominees for the post but Donie Garrihy from Burren United has confirmed that he will not be a candidate on this occasion. “Unfortunately, because of work commitments, I am not in a position to allow my name go forward,” Garrihy told The Clare Champion on Wednesday.The Burren United official will, however, be seeking re-election as vice-chairman of the league and while there are other nominees, Garrihy will be returned as Frank Healy has confirmed that he will not be challenging for this post. The other nominee for this position is Paul Tuohy, a former holder of the post, who is to be the new chairman.Oliver Fitzpatrick (secretary), Michael Lydon (fixtures secretary) and Michael McInerney (treasurer) …

  ENNIS Golf Club enjoyed success over the last week as two teams progressed to the next stage in their competitions. At the weekend, the club’s Jimmy Bruen team qualified for the North Munster final, following a 3-2 win over East Clare in Sunday’s area final. Earlier, they had accounted for a fancied Shannon side.The final went down to the wire with the pairing of Martin Daly and Kieran Ryan winning on the 19th to secure victory. The other winning pairings were Michael Corry and Michael Guerin, Pádraig McNicholas and Johnnie Kearse, while the Ian Myatt and Michael Geraghty, David Hoey and Tony Coote pairings lost on the day.The JB Carr seniors’ side defeated Woodstock to qualify for a Clare final date against Lahinch. This was a tight match with Ennis winning on a 3-2 scoreline. The Ennis pairings were Michael Culliney and Noel Pyne, who won on the 16th; Brian O’Loughlin and Seán O’Gorman, who were beaten, Luke Coote …

DALCASH Dvinsky staked a major claim for the Sporting Press Irish Oaks when she scored another thrilling win in the quarter-finals in Shelbourne Park last Saturday night. So far unbeaten in the classic, Fr JackMeade’s brilliant black now leads the qualifiers for the semi-finals next Saturday night.The Miltown Malbay native and Rockwell College president was in no doubt over the moon as a result of the latest performance from his daughter of Ace Hi Rumble- Dalcash Diva. She was drawn in huge company,which included ante-post favourite, the Owen McKenna-trained Tooquicktocatch, last Saturday night but when the traps lifted, she thundered into an early lead from trap five. Down the back, she was still the onc to catch, leading Mystique Rosa and Shelbourne dawn after Tooquicktocatch missed her break. By the third bend, Skywalker Queen, the reigning champion in trap six, had moved into second place and was now posing a danger. However, she drifted wide at the last and in …

Even in loss, Clare’s emerging young hurlers again made clear their fearless ambition and voracious appetite for success.

BEING able to introduce players of the experience and quality of Declan and Seamus Prendergast and Ken McGrath proved decisive as Waterford overcame Clare in the first of this season’s Munster Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals.