Sports

  Kilmurry-Ibrickane 1-17Éire Óg 0-9 A WEEK after losing their opening Cusack Cup game to Miltown, Kilmurry stormed back to very near their rampant best in Quilty last Saturday evening. Although Éire Óg were a big help to the Clare and Munster champions, allowing them plenty of time and space in which to play, Kilmurry ruthlessly tore through the Ennis men during the hour of football. Such was the dynamism of their play, Kilmurry led 1-6 to 0-1 after just 20 minutes. Stephen Moloney’s 18th minute goal was a sublime chip over Eoin Slattery in the Éire Óg goalmouth, while Moloney himself, Noel Downes, Enda Coughlan and Johnny Daly had already kicked points. Interestingly, Coughlan was placed at centre-forward by Gerard McCarthy, Martin Cahill and Michael Considine, who were on the sideline for the managerless county champions. Eoin Glynn, who was Éire Óg’s best forward, kicked their first point, while Niall Daly and David Russell completed their three-point first half …

Clare 3-10Waterford 1-6 THE Clare senior camogie team put their disappointing run in the national league behind them on Sunday when they booked their place in Munster’s senior championship with a decisive win over Waterford.Played in Ballygunnar, the Clare girls took the lead in the opening minute when Deirdre Murphy pointed from a free. Murphy and Róisín McMahon tacked on another two points from play and it was in the 12th minute that Waterford’s Karen Kelly registered their first point. Clare were unlucky not to raise the green flag from the resulting puck-out, which saw Fiona Lafferty collect in midfield and drive a long ball in to the forwards. It was collected by Norah Murphy but her shot hit the upright.Lafferty then got her name on the scoreboard after again winning the puck-out and evading the Waterford defence to put another point on the board for Clare. Áine Lyng accounted for Waterford’s second score of the match with a well-taken …

  Clare 2-15Kildare 0-11 CLARE completed their National Hurling League programme with another unimpressive display on Sunday. They struggled against bottom-of-the-table Kildare before emerging as 10-point winners, a result that sees them top the table and complete their programme without defeat.Already in the final prior to this latest outing, they will face Wexford in Sunday week’s decider after the Slaneysiders booked their spot in the final for the second successive year with a win over Antrim at Wexford Park.The final is set for 5pm on Sunday week at Semple Stadium in Thurles. The Clare management team continued with the policy of making a few changes from the previous outing and for this one they had Gerry Quinn in the starting line-up for the first time in the league. The Corofin man lined out at wing-back in a line completed by Brendan Bugler at centre-back and Pat Donnellan. Conor Cooney was at full-back, flanked by Pat Vaughan and Domhnaill O’Donovan. Team …

  THE draws for this season’s U-21 football championship (A, B and C grades) were made on Monday evening and it has paired defending champions Cratloe against St Joseph’s, Doora-Barefield in the opening round.These clubs have provided some great games in underage football in recent seasons and this clash should be another such contest.Thirteen teams entered the A championship and this resulted in five first-round byes with three clubs, Miltown, Lissycasey and Wolfe Tones, receiving byes to the quarter-final stage.The draw in full is: Byes to A Miltown, B Lissycasey and C Wolfe Tones.First round D Éire Óg v Ennistymon; E Cooraclare v Doonbeg; F Kilrush v Kilmurry-Ibrickane; G Kildysart-Coolmeen v  Ml Cusacks/Tubber/Kilfenora and Liscannor; H St Joseph’s v Cratloe.Quarter-finals 1 D v C; 2 E v B; 3 F v A; 4 H v G.Semi-finals 1 v 4; 2 v 3Nine teams will battle it out for the U-21 B title with Corofin and Meelick-Parteen clashing in the preliminary …

CLARE’S Tom Foley added to his Fontainebleau laurels on Sunday with a win in the CSIOP Grand Prix with Dibidoe, the same pony who had delivered a double clear round for the 14-year-old on Saturday to help Ireland win the French Nations’ Cup.A fast double clear from Foley pipped French challenger Francois Denis by just over four seconds in the jump-off.The Irish pony team, making their debut at Nations’ Cup level on Saturday, took gold at Fontainebleau, beating Germany, France and Sweden into equal second place.

THE Junior Cup semi-finals will dominate proceedings on the Clare soccer front this weekend and two exciting and lively contests are expected.The County Grounds in Doora will host both ties with Bridge United B and Rock Rovers clashing on Saturday evening at 6pm.Bridge are the surprise packets in this season’s competition and they cannot be taken lightly. They are chasing a league and cup double and given the progress of Lifford B in getting to the final last year, they will be confident of progressing.Rock Rovers won this title in 2008 and many of the players who helped bring about that success are still very much part of their team.Their experience should swing the tie in their direction and come Saturday night, they should be making plans for another final appearance.With respect to both Bridge B and Rock Rovers, there is little doubt but that the bigger crowd this weekend will be at Sunday’s semi-final between Avenue United A and …

Rock Rovers 1Bridge Celtic A 0 AFTER a scoreless first half, David Ryan got through for the all-important goal 15 minutes into the second half in this premier league tie on Sunday. Rock Rovers: Eric Murphy; Greg Howard, Ronan Judge, Shane Daniels, Luke Coote, Daryl Eade, Rowan Eade, David Considine, Brian Fitzpatrick, Marty McLoughlin, David Ryan.Subs: Ashley Glynn, Cathal O’Sullivan, Gavin Dinan.Bridge Celtic A: Ruairi Ahern, Diarmuid Ahern, Rob Seymour, Willian Slattery, Stephen McCarthy Brian Barry, Ricky Mowatt, Shane Byrnes, Adrian Dhuig, Ger O’Connell, Jimmy Fyffe.Sub: Peter Fitzmaurice for Barry. Bunratty A 3Newmarket Celtic A 4 IN this clash of neighbours in the premier league on Sunday, Newmarket Celtic were winners by the odd goal in seven over the title holders Bunratty A, a result that effectively ends Bunratty’s hopes of retaining the title.Bunratty were two goals up after 15 minutes thanks to Daithi O’Connell and Declan McDonald.Newmarket hit back with a goal from Dave O’Grady before Eoin Hayes had …

KILRUSH Badminton Club won the Clare division five badminton senior league recently when they defeated An Droichead.  It was a tough match with some very close sets. Since last November Kilrush have played Carrigaholt, Kilmihil, Miltown Malbay and An Droichead in the league final. The panel includes: Avril Wade, Paula Moody, Lillian Griffin, Kathleen Donnellan, Eve Brennan, David Wade, Gino Varghese, David Nicholls, Tony Hally, Pat Fitzpatrick and Jimmy Dobson.  Kilrush will now participate in the Munster division 5 final next Sunday. The charity league hosted by Kilrush Badminton Club, in aid of the Friends of Clare Mental Health Services, is still in progress with Kilmihil, Carrigaholt, Miltown Malbay and Kilrush battling it out for the the Kilrush Credit Union trophy.  The league is due to finish on May 26. Paul Moody, Andy Small, Margaret Canny, Helena Crowley, Helen Finucane, Caroline Smyth are part of the panel for this tournament along with the squad members mentioned above. Meanwhile David Wade …