Clare Champion Cup commences

The adult domestic hurling season gets underway this weekend with first round dames in Division 1, 2 and 3, most of which are scheduled for Bank Holiday Monday.
In the week that the championship draws were made, the opening round of these leagues should give an early season indication as to how much work the various panels have done to date in preparation for the championship.
In what are difficult times for clubs as far as the raising of funds is concerned the fact that the competition sponsors, The Clare Champion, offer cash prizes to the winners and runners up has added to interest in the league in recent seasons
Last year’s finalists, Newmarket (winners) and Inagh-Kilnamona meet in the opening round of the Clare Champion Cup (Division 1A) at Kilnamona on Monday. Two points separated the sides in the final and the Blues will start as slight favourites to repeat that result
Newmarket will be looking to inter-county men James McInerney, Enda Barrett, Colin Ryan and Eoin Hayes to lead the way against a side that will be looking to Patrick Kelly, Eamonn and Brian Glynn and the Arthur brothers to get their season off to a winning start.
In recent years Clonlara have been in the concluding stages of this competition on a number of occasions. Donal Madden, a native of Tulla, has joined Pat Conlon’s management team this year They open this year’s campaign when the entertain Tulla and will look to the O’Connell brothers, Ger, Nicky and Cathal, John Conlon, the O’Donovan brothers, Domhnaill, Cormac and Tomas and Colm Galvin to give them the upperhand against a Tulla side that will call on the Brennan and Quinn brothers, David McInerney and the Lynchs.
County champions, Crusheen will start as favourites for their game with Whitegate. They will again be looking to the Brigdales, the Dillons and Jamie Fitzgibbon to mention a few but are likely to be without the injured Pat Vaughan and Gerry O’Grady for the early part of the season while Gearóid O’Donnell, who was married last week, is on honeymoon.
Whitegate have lost a number of players to emigration and while inter-county panellists, Brendan Bugler and Andrew Fahy will be in their line up they may struggle in this competition.
Martin Sheedy begins his terms as Clarecastle manager with a home league tie against Cratloe whose backroom team includes his former clubmate, Alan Neville. The magpies have struggled a bit in recent times and it will be interesting to see how this season goes for them. Jonathon Clancy, Stephen O’Halloran, Tyrone Kearse, and Patrick Kelly are regulars in their line up while Conor Plunkett is expected to return after missing most of last season due to injury.
Cratloe will be looking to their Clare contingent of Conor McGrath, Liam Markham, Cathal McInerney and Sean Collins along with Conor Ryan, Michael Hawes, Barry Duggan and Paudge Collins and should manage a first round win.
Sixmilebridge will travel to Clooney with the favourites tag for their first round tie. The Moreys, Derek Fahy, Tadhg Keogh, Shane Golden and Tony Carmody should steer them past a Clooney-Quin outfit that is under new management this year with Francis Browne in charge. Cillian Duggan and his cousins Martin and Peter, Conor Harrisson and the McNamaras will lead the home side’s challenge but it may not be enough to prevent the visitors from starting with a win.
In Division 1B the meeting of Kilmaley and Éire Óg could well prove to be the game of the round. Last year, Éire Óg ended their neighbours unbeaten run to seal promotion from Division 2B ahead of Ruan and will fancy their chances of repeating that victory against a Kilmaley side that will be without their U-21 contingent should they manage to progress to the semi-final of their championship.
Elsewhere in this division, Tubber, Wolfe Tones, O’Callaghans Mills and Ballyea will all enjoy home advantage against Broadford, St Joseph’s, Smith O’Briens and Feakle. Incidentally, former Limerick manager, Tom Ryan will be in charge of Ballyea this season. St Joseph’s will be managed by former player, Kieran O’Neill while the return of such players as Brian O’Connell to the Wolfe Tones line up after a spell in Australia should all serve to add to the interest in this league
The race for Division 2 honours commences on Sunday when Crusheen entertain Sixmilebridge and the remaining games in this group go ahead on Monday when Parteen, Scariff and Killanena entertain Ogonnelloe, Ruan and Ennistymon respectively.
Division 3 (Intermediate League) begins on Saturday with the meeting of Inagh-Kilnamona and Newmarket at Kilnamona. On Sunday Meelick entertain Cratloe, Clonlara have home advantage against Éire Óg and Bodyke will welcome Clooney-Quin.