Senior club championship begins

The Clare Ladies’ Senior Football Championship gets underway this weekend and this year, there is a new format. West Clare Gaels (holders), Banner Ladies, Cooraclare, Liscannor and Kilmihil are grouped together in senior A, while Miltown, Coolmeen, Fergus Rovers, Crusheen and Newmarket (2010 intermediate champions) will compete for the B title. When the group stages are over, the team that top the B will play off with the fourth-placed team in the A for a place in the senior championship semi-final. 
On Saturday in Coolmeen, the opening game between Cooraclare, holders of nine championships, and West Clare Gaels, the reigning All-Ireland intermediate club champions, gets underway at 7.30pm. Cooraclare have a good tradition in the championship and while their panel may not be as strong as previous years, they always give the championship a right battle.
They reached the semi-final last year but this year have to plan without Helen Quinn, Majella Lillis, Eithne Morrissey and Tammy Hehir, while Sile Callinan, Kate O’Gorman and Noelle Hassett, who played in the league, are away for the summer. In team captain Noreen McGuane, Bernie Kelly, Anne Marie Callinan, Monica Lillis, Mairead Griffin and up-and-coming stars Aoife O’Gorman and Róisín O’Looney, they have some fine players.
West Clare Gaels have been dealt a big blow with the loss of Sinead and Maria Kelly as well as Katie Geoghegan to immigration, while Fiona Troy is troubled with a shoulder injury and Majella Griffin, a former All-Star, has not lined out so far this season. Cooraclare are managed by Peter McClune and Paul Conway while Darragh Kelly and Patrick Foley stepped down from West Clare Gaels at the end of last year.
Back at the helm is Eoin Troy, who was part of the management when they contested the junior club All-Ireland final in 2007. West Clare Gaels are very strong at underage level and captured the U-16B and minor B titles last year. Those young players will join the experienced Rita Boland, Kathleen Foley, Deirdre Troy, Denise Geaney, Niamh Lardner, last year’s team captain Michelle Downes and young Shauna Harvey, player of the match in last November’s All-Ireland final.
On Sunday, Coolmeen will again be the venue for Kilmihil and Banner Ladies at 2.30pm. In recent years, there has been little between these sides. The Banner won the title for the first time in 2008 and went on to win two in a row, defeating Kilmihil in the final in 2009. In the semi-final last year, Kilmihil pushed The Banner all the way.
This year, Kilmihil are without the Doonbeg players that assisted them in recent years as Doonbeg have an adult team of their own. Kilmihil, who are managed by Enda O’Halloran and his selectors Mark O’Connell and Kevin O’Halloran, will leave no stone unturned as they bid to win their first senior championship.
Eimear and Ailish Considine are two of Clare’s top forwards and have a great eye for goal. Throw in Una Downes, Dympna Walsh, Rosie Currane, Ellie O’Gorman and the Keane sisters and they will not be easily beaten.
The Banner, on paper, have a team of county players. Louise Henchy, Niamh Keane, Niamh O’Dea, Louise Woods, Emma O’Driscoll, Laurie Ryan, Naiomi Carroll and Susan McNamara are all on the Clare senior panel while Orlaith Lynch was on the U-16 and minor panel and Sonya Maher, who captained them to the title in 2009, is very experienced. Joe Reidy is manager this year, assisted by JJ O’Dea and Pat Crotty. A very competitive encounter awaits, with the Banner slight favourites but a Kilmihil win would not be a huge surprise.
Liscannor have a bye this weekend.

Leagues near final stages
The Division 2 league final between Newmarket and Wolfe Tones takes place in Shannon on Sunday evening at 5pm. The Division 3 league semi-finals are also on this weekend. On Saturday, Doonbeg play Kilrush in Quilty at 7.30pm while on Sunday, Éire Óg and a West Clare Gaels second string will be in action in Kilmihil at 1pm.