Sports

Eoin Brennan previews the Munster Senior Club Camogie Championship Final between Scariff-Ogonnelloe and Tipperary’s Drom & Inch HERE we go again as following an exceedingly tense Munster Final clash in 2019, Scariff-Ogonnelloe and Drom & Inch lock horns once more for the ultimate showdown in Mallow on Saturday. All because it’s a meeting of the last two winners, with Scariff-Ogonnelloe, thanks to the momentum of a first ever Clare senior crown, managing to shade matters by 1-7 to 0-8 two years ago while a delayed 2020 final last November saw Drom & Inch inflict another heartbreaking provincial decider defeat on Inagh-Kilnamona (their third in four years). Indeed, with this being Clare’s fifth consecutive Munster Senior Club Final appearance and fourth against Tipperary opposition, it will only add to what promises to be a memorable occasion. A fresh approach under new management has rejuvenated Scariff-Ogonnelloe’s challenge throughout 2021 as the injection of youth has only strengthened an already powerful hand. Drom …

In terms of debut seasons as manager, David Sullivan has achieved everything he could have asked for with Scariff-Ogonnelloe, writes Ivan Smyth. After taking the reins from Jim Minogue, David Sullivan has helped Scariff-Ogonnelloe reclaim the county title after coming unstuck against Newmarket at the semi final stage in 2020. His side are now just 60 minutes away from securing a second Munster crown in three years although the Tipperary native admits he found settling in to the new role with Scariff-Ogonnelloe challenging initially due to the pandemic. When Sullivan was appointed, COVID restrictions meant GAA teams could not train together. “It was tough to be honest. I’m hands on when it comes to coaching. I like to see the players on the field and go from there. I have to give credit to our S+C coach Ronan Moore as he did up plans for the girls which kept us going.” “It wasn’t a perfect way to start by any …

Eoin Brennan previews the TUS Dr Harty Cup Semi-Final between St Joseph’s Tulla and De La Salle Waterford Uncharted territory for St Joseph’s Tulla but a first ever Harty Cup Semi-Final appearance is at least against somewhat familiar foes as De La Salle provided the opposition in the opening round of this year’s competition back in early November. It was a tie that the Waterford side shaded by 0-20 to 0-18 but Tulla will definitely feel that with more of a clinical edge, they should have edged matters. Fourteen wides left the East Clare school frustrated but with the benefit of hindsight, perhaps they wouldn’t have reached the penultimate stage were it not for their determined reaction to that performance and opening reverse. After all, since then St Joseph’s have been ravenous in their trailblazing pursuit of a first ever Munster Senior A PPS Hurling Championship crown. Having carved out a never-say-die attitude along with being boosted by successive victories …

When it comes to Harty Cup, more than talent is needed to get a team over the line, writes Ivan Smyth, and St Joseph’s Tulla have shown they possess that extra ingredient needed to progress deep in the competition. Their resolve in getting to this stage has been admirable having overcome St. Colman’s College Fermoy in extra time to secure their first ever Harty Cup win before backing it up when beating Christian Brothers College (CBC) Cork after trailing by seven points at half time. Terence Fahy, who presides over the team alongside Tomás Kelly (Inagh-Kilnamona) and Aidan Harte (Gort), acknowledges that his side have shown their grit to battle through two tough encounters after losing their first game to this Saturday’s opponents De La Salle College. “We were backed in to a corner against Fermoy but the guys showed great resolve to come back at the death to earn extra time and then get over the line. Then in …

As an experienced member of the Scariff-Ogonnelloe team, Mairead Scanlan knows how difficult it is to win silverware, writes Ivan Smyth. Having been a key member of the side that lifted the McMahon Cup for the first time in 2019, Scanlan admits this Championship campaign has been filled with difficult hurdles to overcome. However, Scariff-Ogonnelloe have managed to navigate all obstacles thus far with the joint captain keen to recapture the clubs’ second senior provincial crown. “It has been an unbelievable run. We have gone the hard way. The five team group made it difficult and we were joined by Kilmaley and Newmarket. We manage to top the group and still had to play Inagh-Kilnamona. Usually, we are second and they win their group but it was different this year. We had two tough games in the county final.” “Those games really stood to us. We are battle hardened and have won all our Championship games bar the drawn final. …

CLARE District Soccer League (CDSL) PRO Jim Madden is looking forward to an exiting conclusion to the season with action resuming this weekend, writes Ivan Smyth. Newmarket Celtic sit on top of the Premier Division table with 18 points after seven games while Shannon Town have the same poinst total having played a game more. Avenue meanwhile sit on 16 points but have a game in hand on Newmarket and two on Shannon Town. With Newmarket facing Shannon Olympic, Avenue coming up against Lifford AFC and Town playing off against Sporting Ennistymon this Sunday, Madden is looking forward to seeing how the title race unfolds in the coming months. “There is a lot to play for. In the Premier Division you have three teams there going for the title. I reckon this weekend there may not be much change to the table. However, Shannon Town are away to Sporting and that won’t be an easy game. Sporting tend to play …

Munster GAA has said it is open to increasing capacity for Sunday’s Munster Hurling Cup match between Clare and Limerick if restrictions are lifted in time. Ed Donnelly, communications manager for Munster GAA, told The Clare Champion,  “We’re not going to cap attendance at 5,000 if we’re allowed to have more but it really depends on when we find out and what the specifics are. “The key word is ‘if’, at the moment, as it is all speculation. We have no direct line into Nphet or the government, no more than anyone else,” said Mr Donnelly. “In the event that restrictions are lifted, hopefully this evening, and they take effect ahead of Sunday’s game then we can put plans in place to increase the capacity for Sunday. “The key things are a) is it going to happen and b) if it does happen, what are we talking? Are we talking 6,000 people, 10,000, is it unlimited?” Hurling fans who missed out on the …

Munster Senior B Post-Primary Schools Camogie Championship Final Coláiste Muire, Ennis 1-8 St Mary’s Nenagh (Tipperary) 1-6 COLÁISTE Muire, Ennis are Munster Senior B Camogie champions for the very first time after edging a quintessential wrestle for supremacy with holders St Mary’s Nenagh in Caherlohan on Thursday night, reports Eoin Brennan. The unique floodlit backdrop and sizeable crowd encircling the pitch was duly matched by a rip-roaring tie that ebbed and flowed until Coláiste Muire seized control come down the final straight. With the lead changing hands on six occasions and never more than a puck of a ball between the sides at any stage, it was a tie that essentially could have gone either way. However, while they were slow to start, the Ennis school certainly warmed up as the tie progressed and in the end were worthy winners following a three point unanswered final quarter. The ultimate difference between the sides was the clinical performance of Mary Hanrahan …