Clare competitors chase national glory

THE Munster Group Clare Community Games will have over 200 children participating in the HSE national finals in Athlone this weekend and on the weekend of August 24 to 26.

On the first weekend, Clare will be represented by 104 children from 11 areas in cycling, swimming, gymnastics, judo, variety, pitch and putt, soccer and volleyball.

The competitions commence with judo at 9am and swimming at 9.30am for the girls on Saturday and the boys on Sunday. The pitch and putt will be in Bealnamulla for the boys on Saturday and the girls on Sunday. Cycling will be held on Saturday at 10am for both boys and girls, while gymnastics will be on Sunday for both boys and girls. The girls will play their soccer semi-final on Saturday at 10am.

 

The volleyball will take place in Bower College on Saturday with the boys in the morning and girls in the afternoon. The variety competition, which provides most of entertainment over the weekend, is on Saturday at 5pm.

In team events, Clare will meet the Ulster champions in the semi-finals. A number of medal winners at last year’s finals have qualified again this year and these include Eoin Rouine (gold in U-10 freestyle), Rory McEvoy (gold in U-14 backstroke) and Róisín Cahill (judo 25kg).

Bronze medal winners last year, who are hoping to do even better this time around are Hugh McMahon (U-14 freestyle), Peter Stack (U-14 gymnastics), Doora/Barefield boys’ squad and the Ennis St John’s girls’ pitch and putt team.

The fourth-place medal winners last year include Eva Guinane in the Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry Variety Group, the Doora/Barefield girls’ volleyball team and Eimear McGrath (U-16 squad).

Participants competing in two events include Jennifer O’Neill in U-14 cycling and the U-16 squad; Laura McDonnell in the U-12 freestyle and U-13 squad; Tara McEvoy in the U-12 backstroke and U-13 squad; Amy Lenihan in the U-12 breaststroke and U-13 squad; Aoife Deane in the U-14 backstroke and U-16 squad; Eimear McGrath in the U-16 backstroke and U-16 squad; Rory McEvoy in the U-16 backstroke and U-16 squad; Hugh McMahon in the U-16 freestyle and U-16 squad and Nathan Coote in the U-14 breaststroke and U-16 squad.

The Clare competitors on weekend 1 are:

Pitch and putt
Girls’ U-16: Hannah Bredin, Aisling Maher, Rachel Coote, Emma Neylon and Elana Bradley (Ennis St John’s).
Boys’ U-16: Colum Devine, Stephen Casey, Andrew Whelan and Danny Mungovan (Doora-Barefield).
Cycling
Aisling McGrath, Jennifer O’Neill, Alex McConway and Barry Loughnane (Quin-Clooney).
Swimming
Girls: Lauren O’Connor, Laura McDonnell (Doora-Barefield), Rachel O’Brien (Corofin-Kilnaboy), Suzanne Conneely (Ennistymon-Lahinch-Liscannor) and Emma O’Brien (Clarecastle-Ballyea) in the freestyle; Ella Doherty (Clarecastle-Ballyea), Tara McEvoy (Doora-Barefield); Aoife Deane and Eimear McGrath (both Quin-Clooney) in the backstroke; Amy Lenihan (Doora-Barefield) and Eva Guinnane (Ennistymon-Lahinch-Liscannor) in the breaststroke; Ivana Pyne (Ennis St John’s) and Aoibheann Hogan (Kilnamona) in the butterfly; Tara McEvoy, Laura McDonnell, Amy Lenihan and Ciara Kennedy (all Doora-Barefield) in the girls’ U-13 squad; Aoife Barry, Kate Taylor, Aoife Deane, Eimear McGrath, Lauren McConway and Jennifer O’Neill (all Quin-Clooney) in the girls’ U-16 squad.
Boys: Aaron Collins, Tiarnan Nijs (both Derg), Dylan O’Brien (Corofin-Kilnaboy), Eanna O’Donnacha (Ennistymon-Lahinch-Liscannor) and Hugh McMahon (Doora-Barefield) in the freestyle; Sean McGrath (Quin-Clooney), Sean Keane, (Ennis St John’s), Ronan Carey (Ruan) and Rory McEvoy (Doora-Barefield) in the backstroke; Sean Heaney (Clarecastle-Ballyea) and Nathan Coote (Doora-Barefield) in the breaststroke; Ruairí Power (Clarecastle-Ballyea) and Barry Clancy (Kilnamona) in the butterfly; Eoin Rouine, Dara O’Donnacha, Patrick O’Rourke, Darragh Cuddihy and Thomas Coleman (Ennistymon-Lahinch-Liscannor) in the boys’ U-13 squad; Rory McEvoy, Lorcan Casey, Patrick Cooney, Hugh McMahon and Nathan Coote (Doora-Barefield) in the boys’ U-16 squad.
Variety: Katelyn Harrington, Aoibhínn Ryan, Tara Ryan, Sarah Merriman, Sinéad Cahill, Edward Shannon, Kim Stephen, Aoife Deegan, Jessica Wilmot, Callum Maxwell, Melissa Morey, Caroline Hogan, Slaine Carey and Éile Ní Lionan (all Sixmilebridge-Kilmurry).
Gymnastics
Girls: Caoimhe Ryan, Niamh O’Halloran (both Ennis St John’s) and Brianna Byrne (Cooraclare-Cree).
Boys: Ben Harnett (Ennis St John’s) and Peter Stack (Clarecastle-Ballyea).
U-15 soccer
Aoife Glavin, Laura Brown, Niamh O’Brien, Orla Waters, Fridaous Karimu, Aoife McNamara, Rebecca Windall, Marese Hayes, Amber Ryan, Nina Jablonska, Natalia Fankulewska, Katie Kenneally, Sinéad Mulcahy, Lauren Keane, Katie Shannon and Aima Conway (all Ennis St John’s).
Judo
Róisín Cahill (Doora-Barefield).
Volleyball
Girls: Gabriella Da Silva, Claire Purcell, Niamh Courtney, Sarah Jane O’Connell, Anna Courtney, Ali McCarthy, Caitríona Ní Riordáin, Orla Purcell, Emma Purcell and Enya Feerick (all Doora-Barefield).
Boys: Fergal Coughlan, Conor Mahon, Douglas Reddan, Paul Reynolds, Colm Harrisson, Eimhin Dunne, Sean Hehir, Eanna Barry and Brendan Dolan (Quin-Clooney).