Sports

OUTSTANDING performances by Cathal McInerney (Cratloe) and Martin Moroney (Parteen) inspired Ard Scoil Rís from Limerick to qualify for the Dr Harty Cup final for the first time in their history when they overcame St Caimin’s from Shannon at Meelick on Sunday.

Armagh 2-14Clare 1-4 Clare got their Ladies’ National Football League Division 2 campaign off to a disappointing start when they suffered a heavy defeat to Armagh in Shannon on Sunday.

Clooney-Quin GAA club celebrated a successful year when members gathered at the Clare Inn hotel on Friday night last.

Much of the action in last week’s encounter between Ennis Boxing Club and arch-rivals Olympic BC from Galway centred on the two final contests of the evening, with the home side savouring a satisfactory 8-6 lead at this crucial juncture.

Clare athletes won five gold medals at the Munster juvenile championships for U-9s to U-13s, which were held on Saturday and Sunday at the Nenagh Indoor Arena. Clare clubs had athletes in all age groups, with St John’s, Ennis Track, Marian, Kilmihil, St Cronan’s, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare and St Mary’s all well represented. Clare athletes took home a total of five gold, six silver and five bronze medals.

Bernard Cahill won the award for the best male swimmer of the championship at the Munster long course swimming championships, which were held recently at the University of Limerick Sports Arena. Twelve clubs took part in the two-day event, which saw the Ennis Swimming and Lifesaving Club being well represented, with a total of 39 swimmers achieving the qualifying times to participate in the event.

THE popularity of the late John Moroney, an outstanding Ruan and Clare hurler, was evident in his native parish on Saturday last when many of the game’s leading lights from past and present turned out for the unveiling of a plaque to his memory.Welcoming the attendance, Ruan club chairman Fintan Cotter said, “The unveiling of this commemorative plaque will be a fitting testimony to his great sporting contribution to Ruan and Clare and that his hurling deeds and enrichment of our parish life will always be recalled by this and succeeding generations”.The specially commissioned plaque which is on the wall of the clubhouse, was unveiled by former Tipperary All-Ireland winning star Len Gaynor and recently appointed Clare senior manager Ger O’Loughlin. John Moroney played at all levels for Clare having shot to prominence at underage level with his club and with St Flannan’s College, with whom he won Harty Cup and All-Ireland honours in 1979. He made his National League …

ST Flannan’s College Ennis were crowned Munster Junior B Colleges Camogie champions at the Éire Óg grounds on Saturday when they proved too strong for Coláiste Choilm from Ballincollig in Cork.In ideal conditions, the Ennis school atoned for the disappointment of losing last year’s final and they will now go on to play in the All-Ireland semi-final at the end of February.A hat-trick of goals from lively corner forward Nikki Kaiser played a big part in the St Flannans’ victory. Indeed, it was the ability of the Damian Noonan and Laura Linnane trained squad to find the net which proved decisive on the day.Two goals from Newmarket star Kaiser had the winners in control after just seven minutes and while the visitors fought back strongly in the second quarter, a goal from Christine Glynn just before the half time whistle sent St Flannan’s to the break with a five point advantage, 3-2 to 1-3.Indeed the goal from centre-back Glynn was …