Clooney’s field of dreams

There was a big turnout in Clooney on Sunday evening when the local GAA club honoured four former members when they opened new facilities.
The new pitch, the club’s second playing field, was dedicated to the memory of Mick Hennessy who served the association at club, county, provincial and national levels and who also did huge work for the promotion of camogie at club and county levels.
The stand serving the new pitch is dedicated to the memory of Brendan Vaughan who also served the association at all levels and was a lifelong member of the club. He served as Clare and Munster chairman.
The spectator stand in the club’s second pitch is dedicated tot he memory of Seamus Reddan in recognition of his many years of service to the GAA in the parish.
A plaque was also unveiled to the memory of Amby Power from Quin who captained Clare’s All-Ireland winning senior hurling team in 1914.
Munster GAA council vice-chairman Robert Frost performed the official opening during which he paid tribute to the club and recalled the great work done for the GAA by Brendan Vaughan with whom he had served on many committees over the years.
Clare GAA vice-chairman Joe Cooney spoke on behalf of the county board and he also paid tribute to all involved.
Fr Micheál McInerney, the only surviving member of the 1942 Clooney championship winning team performed the official blessing of the new facilities and he was assisted by Fr Michael Collins PP.
Club chairman Pat O’Brien paid tribute to all who helped with the development of the facilities and with the arrangements for Sunday while former chairman Des Lynch was the MC for the evening.

O’Connell impresses as Clare take the honours

Clare 2-25
Galway 3-16

Impressive displays from Brendan Bugler, Nicky O’Connell and John Conlon were the highlights as Clare overcame Galway in this senior hurling challenge played to mark the official opening of new facilities at Clooney-Quin GAA grounds on Sunday evening.
Both team managers availed of the occasion to continue the build up to the championship by giving an outing to many of their panellists.
It was Clare’s second game of the weekend as they had played Waterford in Thurles on Friday night where Davy Fitzgerald’s charges emerged winners on a 2-21 to 0-21 scoreline.
Clare made a number of changes from that tie for Sunday’s outing when Conor Cooney, Sean Collins and Conor McGrath were rested having played on Friday in Thurles and again on Saturday with their clubs while Collins was also in action with the Clare junior footballers on Sunday in Pairc Ui Caoimh.
Galway were forced into a number of changes for Sunday’s game after the inclement weather conditions on Saturday led to the re-scheduling of club championship games twenty four hours later.
Clare made the better start and helped by points from Nicky O’Connell, Darach Honan, Cathal McInerney, John Conlon and Diarmuid McMahon they raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead after six minutes.
Galway hit back strongly and, in the next five minutes, they hit 2-3 without reply raising further concerns about the Clare defence. The visitor’s goals came from Aonghus Callinan and Joe Gantley, the latter’s effort almost kept out by Philip Brennan.
Five in a row from Nicky O’Connell(3) and Darach Honan (2) had the teams level for the second time and they were level three more times before Clare finished the half with points from Eamonn Glynn and John Conlon to lead at the break on a score of 0-16 to 2-8.
For the second half Clare made six changes in personnell. Points were swapped regularly in the early stages and they were level twice before local man, Fergal Lynch, Clare captain on the evening, struck for his side’s first goal after John Conlon created the opening. A Colin Ryan point followed before Galway hit back for a James Regan goal to leave a point between the sides with thirteen minutes to play.
Points from Conlon, named as the man of the match, Patrick O’Connor and Brendan Bugler had Clare four clear with ten minutes to go. Galway kept in touch with a brace from Gort man Aidan Harte but Clare finished strongly and had the final score of the game when Jonathon Clancy and Diarmuid McMahon combined for a goal just before the full time whistle
Bugler, O’Connell and Conlon stood out for Clare while Darach Honan and Cian Dillon got through some good work also. John Lee, Andy Smith, Joe Gantley and David Burke did well for the visitors.

Clare: Philip Brennan; Pat Vaughan, Cian Dillon, Eamonn Glynn; Pat Donnellan, Brendan Bugler, James McInerney; Nicky O’Connell, Mark Earley; John Conlon, Fergal Lynch, Cormac O’Donovan; Darach Honan, Diarmuid McMahon, Cathal McInerney.
Subs: Patrick O’Connor for Donnellan; Cathal Chaplin for Vaughan; Liam Markham for Earley; Jonathon Clancy for O’Donovan, Colin Ryan for Honan; Donal Tuohy for Brennan (all at half time); Gerry Quinn for O’Connell (45 minutes).
Scorers: Nicky O’Connell (0-8, 6f, 1 65); John Conlon (0-5); Darach Honan (0-3); Colin Ryan (0-3, all frees); Diarmuid McMahon (1-1); Fergal Lynch (1-0); Eamonn Glynn, Cathal McInerney, Patrick O’Connor, Brendan Bugler, Jonathon Clancy (0-1 each).

Galway: James Skehill; Damian Joyce, John Lee, Ger O’Halloran; Andy Smith, Adrian Cullinane, Niall Donoghue; Niall Cahalan, David Burke; James Regan, Kevin Hynes, Cyril Donnellan; Aonghus Callinan, Joe Gantley, Aidan Harte.
Subs: Emmet Goode for Skehill; Kenneth Burke for Callanan.
Scorers: Joe Gantley (1-3); David Burke (0-5, all frees); Aidan Harte (0-4, 3f); Aonghus Callanan (1-1); James Regan (1-0); Kevin Hynes, Cyril Donnellan, Niall Cahalan (0-1 each).

Referee: Seanie McMahon, Newmarket-on-Fergus.