Cream of Clare talent to gather in Athlone

CLARE Community Games will be well represented at the National Finals of Community Games in Athlone over the next two weekends.

This weekend, Clare will be taking part in swimming, gymnastics, cycling, judo, hardcourt tennis, variety and pitch and putt.
Seventy-six children from 15 different areas around the county will represent their area and county in the national finals.
Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry variety group under Dolores O’Loughlin are representing Clare for the 26th year.
The group has been in existence since 1981 and they have been Clare champions on 26 occasions. They were Munster champions on 16 consecutive years and they have won gold, silver and bronze at the national finals.
The group’s director producer is Dolores O’Loughlin who designs and creates 80 costumes per show. A total of 2,480 costumes have been used over the 31 years.
In that time, the group has been involved in eight cultural exchanges.
Ennis St John’s hardcourt tennis team won gold medals in Athlone last year as did the girls’ pitch and putt team from Ennis and they will be hoping for a repeat performance. There is just one judo representative, who qualified from Munster finals, Ciara Cahill from Ennis St John’s. A number of the swimming, gymnasts and cyclists also represented Clare in 2009 and won medals.
The full list of Clare competitors for the national finals is:
Swimming (girls): Abbey Shanahan, Doonbeg (U-8 freestyle); Tara McEvoy, Doora/Barefield (U-10 freestyle; Ella Honan, Ennis St John’s (U-10 breast stroke); Rachel O’Brien, Corofin-Kilnaboy (U-12 freestyle); Odette Gleeson, Ballyvaughan-Fanore (U-12 breast stroke); Emily Ryan, Ballynacally-Lissycasey (U-14 freestyle); Aoibheann Hogan, Kilnamona (U-14 breast stroke); Niamh Dolan, Ennis St John’s (U-14 breast stroke); Ciara Gleeson, Ennis St John’s (U-16 freestyle); Ciara Ryan, Ruan (U-16 breast stroke); Ailbe Tuohy , Doora-Barefield, U-16 butterfly. Ennistymon, Lahinch, Liscannor will represent Clare in the squad event with Isobel Coleman Aoibheann O’Sullivan, Eva Guinnane, Suzanne Conneely, Eva Hogan.
(Boys): Conor O’Mahony, Doonbeg (U-8 freestyle); Eoin Rouine, Ennistymon-Liscannor-Lahinch (U-10 freestyle); Gavin Cosgrove, Corofin-Kilnaboy (U-10 breast stroke); Marley Haugh, Kilkee (U-12 freestyle); Nathan Coote, Doora-Barefield (U-12 breast stroke); Seán Conway, Doonbeg (U-12 breast stroke); Hugh McMahon, Doora-Barefield (U-14 freestyle); Dara Gleeson, Ennis St John’s (U-14 breast stroke); Rory McEvoy, Doora-Barefield (U-14 breast stroke); Patrick Hogan, Kilnamona (U-16 freestyle); Adam McEvoy, Doora-Barefield(U-16 breast stroke); Colm McNamara, Ruan (U-16 butterfly). The Doora-Barefield team of Hugh McMahon, Rory McEvoy, Lorcan Casey, Jack McGuinness and Keelan Butler will represent Clare in the squad event.
Gymnastics: Aoibheann, Clarecastle-Ballyea; Elizabeth Russell, Ennis St John’s, Rachel Tone, Inch-Kilmaley-Connolly, Jane Taylor, Quin-Clooney, Gemma McEvoy, Quin-Clooney; Ben Harnett, Ennis St John’s, Hugo Kinahan, Cratloe, Peter Stack, Clarecastle-Ballyea.
Cycling: Jennifer O’Neill, Lauren McConway, Barry Loughnane and Seán Hehir (all Quin-Clooney).
Judo: Ciara Cahill, Ennis St John’s.
Hardcourt tennis: Eoin Power, Michael McMahon, Liam Mullins, Ciaran O’Brien, Alice Twomey, Alison Brogan, Olena Ochinnikovew, Laura McGann (all Ennis St John’s).
Variety: Áine Freeman, Sheilagh Larkin, James Connor, Ashling Hassett, Caroline Hogan, Rachel Scanlan, Fiona Murphy, Kelly Finnegan, Colette Donnellan, Marie Ryan, Claire Corbett, Aoife Corbett, Niamh O’Dea, Gerard O’Dea (all Sixmilebridge-Kilmurry).
Pitch and putt: Gráinne Maher, Siofra Ní Eile Duggan, Emma Neylon, Hannah Bredin, Saoirse Fell (all Ennis St John’s).