Sports

THE newly crowned WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seamus O’Shaughnessy, has strong Clare ties. A native of Cabra in Dublin, O’Shaughnessy, whose real name is Stephen Farrelly, is a regular visitor to Miltown Malbay where his grandmother, Mary Skerritt, wife of the late Tommy, lives.  A number of his aunts, uncles and cousins also reside in Miltown Malbay, where the new world champion spent much of his youth. The Skerritts are well known in the world of golf.

JOHN Carmody, who managed Kilmaley to senior hurling championship honours in 2004, has returned as team boss.

WITH schools due to reopen this week after the Christmas holiday break, Gaelic Games officials and players will be paying close attention to the outcome of a Munster Colleges Council meeting this Saturday when the draws for the play-off stages of the Munster competitions will be made.

THE 13th annual Ennis Urban District Council and Marian AC turkey trot took place on New Year’s Day with over 100 competitors taking part. All proceeds go towards the RNLI Lifeboats. Aidan Kearney, Ennis Track was the first man to cross the line with Liam Markham and Darragh Lynch, both Ennis Track, finishing second and third.

THE annual general meeting of Sixmilebridge GAA Club will resume next week when members will appoint team managements for the 2010 season.

THE new compulsory helmet rule was enforced for the first time in Clare last weekend when the Ennis adult hurling league finally got underway. From January 1, it is compulsory for all players to wear a helmet.

GERRY Quinn has accepted an invitation from the new Clare senior hurling manager to return to the panel and will begin training with them on Monday.Former manager Mike McNamara dropped the Corofin hurler early in 2009. Quinn stated publicly that he would never hurl for Clare again while McNamara was in charge. However, former All-Star Tony Griffin is sticking with his decision to retire from inter-county hurling despite receiving an invite from Ger O’Loughlin to be part of the 2010 panel. The Ballyea man has informed the new management team that he will not be returning due to work commitments.As the recent dispute between players and management raged, Griffin’s decision to retire from inter-county hurling came as a surprise. The Ballyea man texted fellow players with news of his decision before releasing a detailed statement in which he said that a lack of confidence in the then management, together with increasing demands on his time due to business commitments led …

DATES and venues for the 2010 Munster hurling and football championships have been finalised and the U-21 footballers will be the first team into action. They will play Limerick, under lights at Páirc na nGael, on Wednesday March 3 at 7.30pm. Should Clare manage to win this one, they will play their semi-final against Tipperary under lights, on Thursday March 18 at Semple Stadium.Clare agreed to both of these games being under lights in mid week because of the involvement of a lot of their squad with their senior panel at a time when there will also be National League fixtures.Details of the 2010 Munster championship fixtures involving Clare are:Senior hurling: Semi-final v Waterford at Semple Stadium, Thurles on June 7 (Whit Monday) at 3pm; (Munster final on July 11).Senior football: Quarter-final, Clare v Waterford at Fraher field, Dungarvan on May 23 at 3pm;  Semi-final, if Clare v Limerick at Páirc na nGael on June 6 at 3pm (Munster final …