Sports

They’ve been there from the very start of the Cratloe revolution but brothers Sean and Podge Collins are determined to cap off a memorable decade and a half at the top table of Clare GAA by lifting the Jack Daly Cup for a third time on Sunday. It has been a real family affair for the Collins as having shared in the club’s greatest achievement of a first-ever senior hurling and football championship double in 2014 alongside youngest brother David and father Colm, Sean and Podge have also had the rare honour of winning national senior honours together for their county in both codes as well. A breakthrough 2013 All-Ireland Senior Hurling crown was followed by a 2016 National Football League Division 3 title back in Croke Park but while it all has been quite a whirlwind experience, it’s only recently that Podge has begun to fully appreciate the privilege of being able to play alongside his siblings. “To be …

The Hawes name is synonymous with both St Breckan’s and Cratloe, with different branches of the family being in different camps this Sunday, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh, who spoke to Nicky Hawes who will celebrate his 80th birthday on the eve of the county final When Cratloe left a Munster football title behind them in the Gaelic Grounds in 2013 one of the first men down on the pitch after the game to commiserate with the players was a Lisdoonvarna man. Former county player and St Breckan’s stalwart Neil Hawes was there first and foremost as a supporter because all of Clare was behind Cratloe that day as they closed in on a Munster title against storied Dr Crokes as Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath, the Collins’, Conor Ryan et al ran riot in that second half. A point up and a man up after Colm Cooper was banished and time almost up. It was so close. It was there. When …

Noel Conolin was part of the first St Breckan’s squad to contest a county senior final in 1985, but nearly 40 years on he’s in the Cratloe corner now as a coach, mentor and part of the community. He knows Sunday will be a tough day out, whatever happens, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh He’s Cratloe now and can go into the minutiae and quote liberally from the club’s ‘Into the Blue’ blueprint for the future, but his blood still drips a maroon hue. It’s Noel Conolin from the Spa, who now spends all his GAA time in Páirc Mhichíl Uí Eithir, downtown Cratloe as he calls it because it’s at the centre of everything in the parish. As he talks Cratloe he seamlessly time travels back to Lisdoonvarna where he footballed his youth and was part of the first great wave that brought St Breckan’s to the county senior final for the first time nearly 40 years ago. “We lost …

Earlier in the summer when St Breckan’s slumped to a disappointing Cusack Cup Final defeat by neighbours Ennistymon, and Cratloe were defeated by Kildysart at the group stage, few could have predicted they would be the two teams marching behind the Tulla Pipe Band on County Final Day. Having steadily improved throughout the championship, St Breckan’s and Cratloe are deservedly taking their place on Clare football’s biggest occasion this Sunday (3pm). St Breckan’s are contesting their first final since 1996 as their unquenchable quest for a first-ever Jack Daly trophy has intensified while it’s nine years since Cratloe last tasted senior football glory albeit that they have contested finals in 2016 and ’20. Cathal McInerney, Podge and Sean Collins, Liam Markham and Enda Boyce are all that remain from the starting line-up in their breakthrough senior triumph a decade ago, with that experience invaluable in such a novel final pairing. Breck-ing the mould While it’s this generation’s first county senior …

St Breckan’s supporters won’t be singing ‘There’s only one Cian Burke’ if St Breckan’s are fortunate enough to lift the Jack Daly trophy for the first time in Cusack Park on Sunday. All because there have been two Cian Burke’s on the panel these past few years albeit that Cian ‘Jimmy’ Burke is now pursuing an army career. So why is he called Cian Burke and his namesake Cian ‘Jimmy’ Burke? ‘Jimmy had actually nothing to do with him. Donie [Garrihy] was the manager at the time and he just started calling him Cian ‘Jimmy’ and it stuck just to differentiate between the two.” Cian Burke is leading St Breckan’s into a first senior final in 27 years, a remarkable if overdue accomplishment that was only brought home to the captain by the reaction of their supporters in the immediate aftermath of their titanic extra-time bout with St Joseph’s Miltown a fortnight ago. “You actually don’t know how much it …

Mike Brennan must have initially thought that contesting county finals would be a regular occurrence after his introduction to Clare football in 2020 saw Cratloe soar to the championship decider against Kilmurry Ibrickane. However, that was to be his and Cratloe’s last taste of senior final action, until now that is after defying the odds to lower three of last year’s final four on their return to Clare football’s greatest day. “Let’s be honest, beating Éire Óg was a massive result for us. We definitely had belief as we knew as a group of players that we had it within us but I suppose it all depends on the day. I felt that we were very prepared going in, I mean Colm [Collins] is just top class so we knew what job we had to do and as best we could set up tactically and it definitely helped us. “Granted, we had a poor start but the goal really settled …

Nine Clare hurlers have been nominated for the PwC GAA/GPA All-Stars. Only Limerick have received more nominations than the Banner with 14 Treaty men up for the prestigious individual award. Clare goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan, along with defenders John Conlon, Adam Hogan, Diarmuid Ryan and David McInerney have all received nominations. McInerney previously claimed an All Star award in 2013 when Clare lifted the Liam McCarthy. Meanwhile, Conlon scooped up an All Star award in 2018 in the forward division as the Clonlara man’s seamless transition to the centre back role has helped Clare reach successive All Ireland semi finals. Hogan, Quilligan and Ryan go in search of their inaugural All Star awards. Midfielder David Fitzgerald, as well as forwards Tony Kelly, Shane O’Donnell and Mark Rodgers have also received nominations. Kelly, O’Donnell and Fitzgerald all secured All Star awards in 2022. Ballyea’s Kelly could receive his fifth All Star, which would place him top of the Banner leaderboard, just ahead …

The underage teams at Ennis Rugby Club began their seasons with some promising results over the weekend. The U13 team came out ahead of a close encounter with Thomond/Richmond in their first game of the season during the U13s Development League last Sunday. In the first half of the game, Ennis moved ball wide and moving the opposition pack around during early exchanges. This tactic soon paid off as Robbie McMahon raced through for the first try and then shortly after, a second try. Both tries were converted by Ben McAllister. After Thomond/Richmond scored their first try, Ennis stretched their lead through a powerful run and try from Colm O’Gara. Ennis defended well and maintained the lead until the final whistle, winning by 19 points to 15. The players included Alexander Labuhn, Ben McAllister, Cian Friel, Colm O’Gara, Conor McMahon, Dara Ryan, Donnchadh Warner, Dylan O’Loughlin, Finn Ellingstad, James Howard, Luke Phillips, Michael Meere, Mícheál Thornton, Niall O’Connell, Oisin Hough, …