Kilmihil college retain Munster title

St Michael’s  2-13
McEgan College  2-6

St Michael’s College, Kilmihil retained the Munster Vocational schools senior C football title on Wednesday afternoon at Charleville when they defeated McEgan college from Macroom.
They will have little time to celebrate, however, as they are back in action this Friday when they play St Augustine’s from Dungarvan, the Munster colleges senior C champions, for a place in the All-Ireland semi-final. This Friday’s game will take place at Lattin in Tipperary.
Indeed, these are busy times for the Kilmihil school as they are also through to the provincial junior final and are awaiting news of who will qualify from the other half of the draw to face them in that game.
Wednesday’s success is just reward for the efforts of teachers Stephen Brown and Declan Nolan, who took charge of the team. They were assisted by Graham Glynn from Éire Óg – his father Flan hails from Kilmihil – who was a member of the teaching staff in the school for a time, and Kilmihil club footballer Conor Crowley. Their players are drawn from Kilmihil, Cooraclare, Doonbeg, Kilrush, Lissycasey and Coolmeen.
The Clare champions had to come from behind to win Wednesday’s contest. Macroom had, marginally, the better of the first half and led by the minimum margin at half-time, 1-4 to 0-6.
Second-half goals from Gearóid Russell and Ronan O’Flaherty saw the Kilmihil school grab the upperhand and when the final whistle sounded, they were comfortably ahead.
All six forwards, together with midfielder and team captain Joe Downes, got on the scoresheet for the winners, for whom David and Stephen Coughlan, Joe Downes, David Egan and Gearóid Russell stood out in what was a very good team performance.
St Michaels: Eoin O’Dea (Doonbeg); Gary McMahon (Kilmihil), Anthony King (Coolmeen), Stephen Coughlan (Kilmihil); Eoin Callinan (Kilmihil), Conor O’Flaherty (Kilmihil), David Coughlan (Kilmihil); Joe Downes (Cooraclare, 0-2, capt), Cormac Dennehy (Kilmihil); Gearóid Russell (Doonbeg, 1-1), Ronan O’Flaherty (Kilmihil, 1-1), John Kelleher (Kilrush, 0-1); Levi Howard (Lissycasey, 0-2), Caoimhin Donnellan (Cooraclare, 0-1), David Egan (Kilmihil, 0-5),
Subs: Kevin McInerney (Doonbeg), Seamus Collins (Lissycasey), Eoin Tubridy (Doonbeg), Andrew Lynch (Doonbeg), Noel Keating (Kilrush).

St Flannan’s out of Frewan Cup

Dingle CS  1-12 
St Flannan’s  1-3

There was disappointment for St Flannan’s college junior footballers last Friday when they faced PS Chorca Dhuibhne in the Frewan Cup, Munster Colleges Junior A Football Championship.
The Dingle college, current Munster senior and junior champions, carried the favourites’ tag in the contest and while they deserved their victory, the final scoreline is flattering in their favour and doesn’t do justice to the efforts of the Ennis school.
St Flannan’s took the lead in the first minute when Conor Lynch pointed but the title holders hit back strongly and opened a lead.
A foul on Padraic McNamara resulted in a penalty for St Flannan’s but Dingle made a good save from Brian Cahill and the Kerry college went on to lead 1-4 to 0-2 at the break.
The Ennis school defended well in the second half, helped greatly by the switch of Padraic McNamara to full back, where he excelled. A goal from Brian Cahill kept St Flannan’s in contention and with 10 minutes remaining, the score was 1-8 to 1-3, with the result still in doubt.
The winners with five of their senior team that defends the Corn Uí Mhuiri title they won for the first time last year on this Sunday against St Brendan’s, finished strongly to secure their passage to the next round.
St Flannan’s: Ronan Kerin (Banner); Ryan Mulligan (Doora-Barefield), Martin Darcy (Éire Óg), Padraig O’Connor (Kilmaley); Ian Carigg (Clondegad), Dara Walsh (Éire Óg, capt), Shane Malone (Corofin); Eoin Hanrahan (Doora-Barefield, 0-1), Brian Cahill (Lissycasey, 1-0); Michael Corry (Clooney-Quin), Brandon O’Connell (Clondegad), Padraic McNamara (Lissycasey); Conor Lynch (Clondegad 0-1),  Brian Colleran (Éire Óg), Stephen Jordan (Éire Óg, 0-1).
Subs: Ruairí Crimmins Clarecastle; Conor Tevlin (Naomh Eoin), Cillian Clancy (Corofin) Malachy Lynch, (Clondegad) and Stephen Burke, (Corofin)

Upcoming fixtures
Two Clare schools will be in action in the Frewan Cup next week. On Wednesday, West Clare Colleges, fresh from their impressive win over Waterford Colleges, will play Killorglin or Tralee CBS at Rathkeale at 1.30pm while on Friday, March 8, North Clare Colleges will take on Dingle Community School, also at Rathkeale.
In the White Cup (U-15A hurling), St Flannan’s will play St Caimin’s Shannon at Clarecastle on Thursday, March 7, at 1.30pm.
In the U-16B championship, St Joseph’s Tulla will face Coláiste an Spiorad Naomh from Cork at Rathkeale on the same day.
In the U-15C Hurling Championship, also on Thursday, Scariff will play Pallaskenry at Rathbane while, in the same competition, St Anne’s Killaloe will play Hospital or Newcastle West on Friday, March 8.
Also on Friday, March 8, Corofin will be the venue for the meeting of Rice College and Mary Immaculate College, Lisdoonvarna, in the U-16C Football Championship.