Race against time for minor keeper Taaffe

CLARE minor hurling goalkeeper Ronan Taaffe faces a race against time to be ready for Sunday week’s All-Ireland semi-final date with Dublin at Croke Park. CLARE minor hurling goalkeeper Ronan Taaffe faces a race against time to be ready for Sunday week’s All-Ireland semi-final date with Dublin at Croke Park.
The Tubber teenager suffered a dislocated shoulder in training on bank holiday Monday. He was immediately taken to Connolly hospital in Dublin before being released later that night.
The injury happened as the team trained at Leixlip in Kildare. Earlier, the full squad and their mentors had visited Croke Park ahead of next week’s semi-final date. However, they were unable to train on the pitch as repair work was taking place following the staging of the four senior football quarter-finals on Saturday and Sunday.
Having spent over an hour at headquarters, during which time they had a walk on the pitch, visited the dressing rooms and the warm-up area, the squad travelled to Leixlip, where they had a training session.
About five minutes before the end of training, the injury occurred. Taaffe, accompanied by selector Eamonn Fennessy and team  physio Diarmuid Horgan, went to the hospital, where the injured player was attended to by Newmarket’s Dr Horan.
“We got every help possible at the hospital and Ronan was released later that night. We travelled home to Clare and all we can do now is monitor his progress and hope that everything will be okay for the semi-final,” explained selector Fennessy.
Taaffe played for his club Tubber in Sunday’s senior championship clash at Cusack Park before linking up with the rest of the minor squad on Monday morning for the trip to headquarters.
“It was a very successful and worthwhile trip. Having visited Croke Park, we travelled back to Leixlip, where Ruan man PJ O’Connor had arranged for us to train. He was most helpful,” explained Fennessy, who is part of the selection committee with Donal Moloney, Gerry O’Connor and Paul Kinnerk.
Taaffe is the only injury worry ahead of the eagerly awaited All-Ireland semi-final. Most of the panel were involved with their clubs at the weekend, when all came through without injury. Some are due to see action in the senior football championship this weekend and all involved with the Clare squad will be hoping there are no further injuries.
The Clare squad will continue training this week before finalising plans next week for the clash with the Dubs.