Sports

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 …

FIVE swimmers from the Ennis Swimming and Lifesaving Club were recently named on the Munster Developmental Squad. They are: Siobhán McGrath, Emma Sheehy, Aisling Wolf, Colm McNamara and Conor Rooney.Eighteen swimmers from the Munster region made the squad. The five earned their call-up by achieving the qualification times in their respective age groups during long-course competitions held during the year. The qualification times used for making the squad is set down by Swim Ireland and is based on a percentage of the FINA A standard for the 2012 London Games. Besides maintaining their training obligations to the Ennis Club, the swimmers will now be required to participate in training sessions with the Munster regional squad. These sessions are held at the University of Limerick Sports Arena and supervised by various Munster region team coaches.A typical training session would see the swimmers in the water at nine o’clock in the morning for two hours. that is then followed by one hour …

WEATHER-permitting, there will be a full schedule of Clare soccer league fixtures this weekend.In addition, Avenue United will travel to Dooradoyle on Sunday to play Regional United in the third round of the Munster Youths Cup. Kick-off in this tie will be at 2pm and the game will go all the way to a penalty shoot-out, if necessary On the domestic front, there is a full list of games down for decision in all divisions in the league.In the premier division, Shannon Olympic A, Burren United, Bunratty A and Rineanna Rovers A will all have home advantage against Rock Rovers, Newmarket Celtic A, Bridge Utd A and Bridge Celtic A. The Burren v Newmarket game will be at 2.30pm with the remaining three ties at 11am.In the first division league, Kilrush, Corofin Harps A, Hermitage A, Tulla Utd A and Avenue United B will have Moher Celtic, Turnpike Rovers, Mountshannon Celtic, Kildysart Celtic and Sporting Ennistymon  as visitors.In the second …