Home»Sports»Hurling champions crash out to Wolfe Tones
Wolfe Tones manager James Carrig and a supporter celebrate the win as a clearly disappointed Sixmilebridge veteran Niall Gilligan heads for the dressing room following their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
The shock results in the 2016 Clare senior hurling championship continued on this Sunday afternoon as the defending champions, Sixmilebridge were knocked out of the title race by their neighbours Wolfe Tones, last year’s intermediate winners.
Peter Duggan of Clooney-Quin in action against Niall Deasy of Ballyea during their game in Sixmilebridge. Photograph by John Kelly.
Donncha Murphy of Clooney-Quin in action against Niall Deasy of Ballyea during their game in Sixmilebridge. Photograph by John Kelly.
Gary Brennan of Ballyea in action against Bryan Mc Inerney of Clooney-Quin during their game in Sixmilebridge. Photograph by John Kelly.
Gary Brennan and Patjoe Connolly of Ballyea in action against Fergal Lynch of Clooney-Quin during their game in Sixmilebridge. Photograph by John Kelly.
Peter Duggan top scored for Clooney-Quin in the Clare hurling final Photograph by John Kelly.
Cathal Doohan of Ballyea in action against Ryan Taylor of Clooney-Quin during their game in Sixmilebridge last year. Photograph by John Kelly.
Daire Hannon of Clooney-Quin in action against Paul Flanagan of Ballyea during their game in Sixmilebridge. Photograph by John Kelly.
Tony Kelly of Ballyea in action against Damien Burke of Clooney-Quin during their game in Sixmilebridge. Photograph by John Kelly.
Cillian Duggan of Clooney-Quin in action against Cathal Doohan and Damien Burke of Ballyea during their game in Sixmilebridge. Photograph by John Kelly.
Podge Collins of Cratloe in action against Jamie O Connor of Clarecastle during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Conor Earley of Cratloe in action against Jack Murphy of Clarecastle during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Sean Chaplin of Cratloe in action against Stephen Ward of Clarecastle during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Jamie Coughlan of Clarecastle about to block a goal shot by Cathal Mc Inerney of Cratloe during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Sean Chaplin of Cratloe in action against Derek Quinn of Clarecastle during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
David Ryan of Cratloe in action against Stephen Ward of Clarecastle during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
David Ryan of Cratloe in action against Stephen Ward of Clarecastle during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Joe Barry of Clarecastle in action against Conor Earley of Cratloe during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Jamie O Connor of Clarecastle in action against Aidan Browne of Cratloe during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Patrick Kelly of Clarecastle in action against David Ryan and Michael Hawes of Cratloe during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Patrick Kelly of Clarecastle and Conor Ryan of Cratloe shake hands following their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Danny O Halloran of Tulla in action against Gerry Cooney of O Callaghan’s Mills during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Conor Rocky Cooney of O Callaghan’s Mills in action against Paraic Mulconroy and Darragh Corry of Tulla during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Niall Bolton of Tulla in action against Jacob Loughnane of O Callaghan’s Mills during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Conor Rocky Cooney of O Callaghan’s is sent off by referee Rory Mc Gann during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Goalie Cillian Nugent of O Callaghan’s Mills is treated for an injury during their game against Tulla at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Jacob Loughnane of O Callaghan’s Mills is stretchered off during their game against Tulla at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Eoin Mc Inerney of O Callaghan’s Mills in action against Brian Fahy of Tulla during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Gerry Cooney of O Callaghan’s Mills in action against Shane Mc Namara and Trevor Vaughan of Tulla during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
O Callaghan’s Mills and Tulla players exchange views during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Bryan Donnellan of O Callaghan’s Mills in action against Darragh Corry of Tulla during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Shane Mc Namara of Tulla in action against Eoin Mc Inerney of O Callaghan’s Mills during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Tulla players warm down following their win over O Callaghan’s Mills at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Cathal Malone of Sixmilebridge in action against Barry Loughnane and Aron Shanagher of Wolfe Tones during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Cathal Malone of Sixmilebridge in action against Gary O Connell of Wolfe Tones during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Niall Gilligan of Sixmilebridge in action against Jamie Roughan of Wolfe Tones during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Caimin Morey of Sixmilebridge in action against Sean Costello and John Guilfoyle of Wolfe Tones during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Alan Mulready of Sixmilebridge in action against Dermot O Rourke of Wolfe Tones during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
John Fennessy of Sixmilebridge in action against Aaron Cunningham of Wolfe Tones during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Alan Mulready of Sixmilebridge in action against Gary O Connell of Wolfe Tones during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Rory Hayes of Wolfe Tones in action against Danny Morey and Cathal Malone of Sixmilebridge during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Paidi Fitzpatrick of Sixmilebridge heads to the sideline for treatment of an injury watched by Dr Quinn during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Daithi O Connell of Wolfe Tones in action against Tadgh Keogh of Sixmilebridge during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Christy Griffin of Sixmilebridge gets an injury during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Aidan Quilligan of Sixmilebridge in action against Aron Shanagher of Wolfe Tones(hidden) during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
John Guilfoyle of Wolfe Tones in action against Jamie Shanahan of Sixmilebridge during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Aaron Cunningham of Wolfe Tones scores a goal despite Caimin Morey and Paidi Fitzpatrick of Sixmilebridge during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Aaron Cunningham of Wolfe Tones celebrates his goal against Sixmilebridge during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Aron Shanagher of Wolfe Tones in action against Gavin Whyte and Jamie Shanahan of Sixmilebridge during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Wolfe Tones manager James Carrig on the sideline during their game against Sixmilebridge at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
A fallen Aaron Cunningham of Wolfe Tones manages to score a point despite Sixmilebridge’s Alan Mulready during their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
John Guilfoyle of Wolfe Tones celebrates on the final whistle following the win over Sixmilebridge at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Wolfe Tones players celebrate on the final whistle following the win over Sixmilebridge at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Wolfe Tones manager James Carrig and Sixmilebridge manager John O Meara shake hands on the final whistle following their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
Wolfe Tones manager James Carrig and a supporter celebrate the win as a clearly disappointed Sixmilebridge veteran Niall Gilligan Heads for the dressing room following their game at Cusack Park. Photograph by John Kelly.
The margin of victory was only a point (2-13 to 0-18) but the Shannon side were deserving of their success as they showed the greater hunger for success throughout the contest.
Inter county players Aron Shanagher and Aaron Cunningham were the goalscorers on a day when the winners were two points clear at half time, 1-8 to 0-9, Shanagher’s goal having come just on the half hour mark.
With the lead back to a point Cunningham struck for his goal nine minutes into the second half and while the title holders replied with a couple of great points, the closest they got to the winners was a point.
In the opening game at Cusack Park, Cratloe booked their place in the quarter finals when they defeated Clarecastle on a final scoreline of 3-18 to 2-15.
Goals from Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath helped the winners to a four point half time lead at half time when the score was 2-9 to 0-11. The margin was still the same at the three quarter stage after each side had added three points to their half time tallies but then Cratloe hit 1-5 without reply to go twelve points clear with the score at 3-17 to 0-14.
The magpies finished strongly and hit 2-1 in the three minutes of injury time that followed but, overall, Cratloe were deserving winners.
The last of the third round games was played in difficult weather conditions at Sixmilebridge on Sunday evening when Ballyea emerged with a one point win over Clooney-Quin. the game looked to be heading for extra time after Fergal Lynch struck for a Clooney-Quin goal with two minutes remaining. Two minutes of ‘injury time’ were signalled and in the first of these Tony Kelly converted a free from midfield to give his side an 0-18 to 3-8 victory.
The eight quarter finalists are Clonlara, Crusheen, Eire Og, Feakle, Tulla, Cratloe, Wolfe Tones and Ballyea and the pairings will be decided on Monday night.
O’Callaghans Mills, Clarecastle, Sixmilebridge and Clooney-Quin will compete for the senior B title while Kilmaley and Newmarket must play off to determine who will drop down to intermediate level for next season.
The eight quarter finalists in the intermediate championship are also confirmed after the week-end’s action. They are
Broadford, Cratloe, Smith O’Briens, Parteen, Tubber, St. Josephs, Sixmilebridge and Clonlara while the last eight in the race for the junior A title are Bodyke, Meelick, Ennistymon, Ogonnelloe, Kilmaley, Broadford, Sixmilebridge and Ballyea.
Meanwhile the junior B championship has reached the semi-final stage and the four remaining teams are Wolfe Tones, Tubber, Clooney-Quin and Newmarket
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