Sports

BOTH Clare Junior Cup semi-finals have been rescheduled for this weekend, which will also see the playing of the Youths Cup semi-finals, which are scheduled for Monday.

Hermitage A 4    Sporting Ennistymon 1HERMITAGE were crowned Division 1 champions at the Fair Green on Sunday when they defeated Sporting Ennistymon.

CLARE Sports Partnership and Clare Athletics Association held race number four in their fun run series in Carron with over 70 competitors participating in the 5km event. With the first (1k) all down hill the leaders went through this point in 3mins.05secs and Eimear Power (Sportsworld) was leading this big field with Michael Shannon (Kilnaboy), Damian Roche (Kilmurry-Ibrickane/North Clare), and Eugene Moynihan (Marian) all in close pursuit.

CLARE jockey Derek O’Connor reached another landmark in his remarkable career when riding his 600th point-to-point winner aboard John Brassil’s 5/1 shot Carrigerry in the first division of the mares’ winners’ race at last Sunday’s Duhallow Foxhounds’ fixture at Dromahane, County Cork.

THE Downes kennels in Killaloe are in with a shout of winning the Connolly Red Mills Produce Stakes in Clonmel on Sunday night next. They have Droopy’s Lennon in trap six for the big final on Sunday night next and hopes are high that he will the cause of celebrations across the Shannon.

Éire Óg 0-15Sixmilebridge 1-11 THEY weren’t given much chance of success by most hurling followers outside their club. And when Éire Óg went eight points behind in the first quarter of Sunday’s U-21A Hurling Championship final at Cusack Park, a one-sided game appeared to be on the cards.However, a strong last 10 minutes to the half, when they outscored the title-holders 0-5 to 0-1, laid the foundations for a memorable second half performance from the town side.Inspired by the Kevin Moynihan at centre-back and David O’Halloran in attack, they turned the tables on the favourites and when the final whistle sounded they were in front, a fact that resulted in great scenes of celebration amongst their supporters.In 11 final appearances since 1964, this was only Éire Óg’s third success and it could hardly have come at a better time, as the club has been struggling for success at adult level in recent years.Sixmilebridge got off to a dream start with …

Clare 4-10Waterford 1-6 WITH the exception of a 10-minute spell at the end of the first half, Clare held the upper hand on Waterford in this Munster Minor Football Championship losers’ group tie at Cusack Park on Monday evening.

Comment CAN the Clare County Board explain why they are unable or unwilling to reveal why the 10 clubs who received a €25,000 Croke Park grant were successful?Equally pertinent – why are they afraid to tell the 14 clubs who didn’t benefit from the grant the reasons behind the demise of their applications? If the county board were brave enough to stand by their convictions and clearly explain the logic behind their decision-making, they would be accorded far more respect than is the case. Everybody involved in sport is capable of taking a setback on board. It happens every week when teams are picked and players are left in the dugout. But as long as those players, who feel that they should be playing, are talked to and told why they are not featuring, most accept what they hear. The same logic would apply with reference to the grants controversy in Clare if the county board could manage to explain …