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Senior Hurling Final - Eire Og v Ballyea

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“Next Week You Might Not Hit A Barn Door”

Derrick Lynch An already packed trophy cabinet got a new addition as Tony Kelly picked up another man of the match award for his scintillating showing against Wexford on Saturday afternoon. There is surely a holding spot already cleared for a second All Star award too, while the 2013 Hurler of the Year is surely now heading the shortlist for that accolade once more. 1-15 of Clare’s total came the way of the Ballyea man, but he was quick to deflect the praise onto those around him in the aftermath of the win. “Next week you might not hit a barn door, that is just the way the conditions are in this winter hurling. Sometimes the easier job is to put the ball over the bar, the harder job can be to win the puckouts, win the breaks and put the shoulder to the wheel. We don’t really mind whoever gets the scores. I have to mention Shane O’Donnell every …

Clare 1-21 Wexford 0-17 An outstanding showing from Tony Kelly saw Clare overcome Wexford to reach the quarter finals of the All Ireland hurling championship. The captain finished with 1-15 for his side with a cracking goal in the final quarter ultimately deciding the contest. Clare had the elements in their favour in the opening period and used them to full advantage to put ten points between the sides at the break. The main reason for that was a tour de force by All Star shoo in Tony Kelly who landed 0-10 in the opening period with some outstanding scores from either sideline among them. Wexford struggled to make inroads in attack and were limited to long range shooting in a tricky wind, with the vast majority drifting wide. Clare led 0-4 to 0-2 at the opening water break but were guilty of overplaying in the middle third with the wind at their backs. That changed in the second quarter …

Derrick Lynch A place in the All Ireland SHC Quarter-Final is the prize on offer this weekend when Clare and Wexford go head to head in O’Moore Park Portlaoise on Saturday afternoon. For the second time this year, the game pits former All Ireland winning team mates Brian Lohan and Davy Fitzgerald in direct opposition. The sides met in Wexford Park in the group stages of the National League in February, with 0-12 from Tony Kelly helping Clare to a 0-18 to 0-15 victory. Clare are also waiting on news as to whether captain David McInerney will be available for Saturday’s showdown after the Tulla was shown a straight red card during last weekend’s victory over Laois in Nowlan Park. Chairman of Clare GAA Joe Cooney confirmed earlier this week that Clare had lodged an appeal against that decision, with the outcome still unknown at the time of writing. If McInerney is unavailable, it means Clare will be without another …

Let’s not be under any illusions but that Clare were expected to win that game last Saturday. I do think without the red card, we would have ran out comfortable winners, but the game leaves more questions than answers for Clare management. These games are difficult experiences, because if you beat the underdog well; you were expected to. If you struggle, then negativity sets in. The main thing here was Clare won and now have an opportunity to right any mistakes in the next round. The loss of the captain and leader, who had started the game well, leaves another big void in the team. How Laois were able to cut through our defence, without a glove being laid on them, is a bigger issue in my opinion. The ease at which Laois were able to move the ball in the middle third and create overlaps does not bode well with the opposition in mind for next week. There are …

Derrick Lynch It was a case of job done for Clare’s LGFA side last Sunday afternoon with their first championship win of 2020 keeping those hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive. It means this weekend’s showdown with Sligo is still a live contest with Clare needing to win while also hoping Laois can overcome Kildare, with that admittedly being a shock proposition. Murrihy was pleased to get the result but admitted that the performance did not always match the result. “It did for parts of it. We were sloppy at times and patchy, and it was nearly a mirror image of when we played them last year. We had 2-4 on the board after 10 minutes that day and we had 3-3 at that stage today. I was a bit disappointed that we did not push on and we were sloppy at times, but at the end of the day a win is a win. I was pleased with …

Derrick Lynch 2020 has not panned out the way that most people planned and for Chloe Morey, that also rings true. The former All Star had been set for a year on the sidelines to resolve some longstanding injury issues, but that initial break led to a renewed hunger once action resumed. She outlined that getting a taste of club action gave her that drive to work her way back to the county panel, something she was only glad to take the opportunity of doing. “The plan was not go back at all because I was to have keyhole surgery on my knee in September so I was going to give myself the year to get myself right. Conor (Dolan) had helped out with Sixmilebridge camogie and I was chatting to him. I have always said that I would never be arrogant enough to wait for someone to ask me, and I felt that I had a good club campaign. …

Derrick Lynch Conor Dolan is no stranger to big camogie occasions, having tasted the biggest day of all during his time involved with Galway. The Meelick man is now very firmly in the Clare camp as coach, and has played a key role in helping the Banner back into the knockout stages for the first time since 2014. With so much uncertainty having surrounded the 2020 campaign due to the outbreak of Covid-19, it meant teams were left in limbo for large parts of the year before the decision was taken to commence the championship. Dolan outlined that while he was initially wary about the dangers involved, everyone has been making a huge effort to ensure that everything passes off as safely as possible. “It is great to be back playing. I was as cagey as anyone else about going back without a vaccine but everyone is really towing the line and making sure that they are looking after themselves. …

Match Preview with Ann Marie McGann: Clare v Cork All Ireland Camogie Quarter Final This game has the prospect of being a tasty encounter with Clare getting into their groove and Cork teetering through the Championship so far with only one real competitive game against Galway. It may have been noted that it was the case of ‘anyone but Cork’ in general chat but Clare should take solace in the fact that reaching a quarter final in six years is nothing to be sneered at. The past wins in the 2012 Munster Camogie final and the 2014 National League will be nothing to fall back on come Saturday though. Both teams bring youth and experience to the mix this weekend. Cork had tried to lay down a marker against Galway in their final round game but failed to do so. It was nearly more enticing to see the commotion that was occurring on the line rather than watch some of …

Derrick Lynch Ballyvaughan will always be on the map for its place in the famed Burren landscape, but another string can now be added to that bow. The North Clare village can now proudly boast to have played its part in developing a world champion, who first developed his skills as a young boy in the area. It’s after Liam Jegou became the first Irish paddler to win gold in the canoe slalom at the World Cup after a brilliant performance in Pau on Sunday. 24-year-old Liam spent the first seven years of his life in Ballyvaughan, before the family decided to make the move to his father’s native France. His mother, Denise Sheridan, is a native of Shannon with Liam being a regular visitor back to Clare prior to the outbreak of Covid-19. 2020 has already been a hugely successful one for Jegou, having become the first Irish athlete to formally qualify for the now postponed Tokyo Olympics. He …

Derrick Lynch When the final whistle blew in Nowlan Park on Saturday afternoon, the first instinct for everyone with a saffron and blue persuasion was to head straight for the exit in case anything changed. Daylight robbery might be too strong a term to describe what had unfolded over the previous few hours, but given that legitimate late claims for a Laois penalty had been turned down and just one point separated the sides, there was certainly a huge sense of relief of having gotten away with a win that could have easily swung the other way. During his playing days, Brian Lohan was renowned for his no nonsense approach to defending and that same attitude continues in Lohan the manager. After getting the job done, there was not much time for hanging around after as he reflected on the win. “Very relieved to hear the final whistle. It was a tough struggle all day and a tough game, particularly …

From watching the games last weekend, it is clearly evident that the successful teams had a clear and structured game plan and executed it clinically. Of the losers, Wexford certainly do have a game plan and unusually were below par, but the remaining teams looked devoid of ideas even in trying conditions. Unfortunately, if anything, the weekend just strengthened Limericks favourites tag. They look like they are on a mission and as I discussed last week, each player is so familiar with their role. The razor sharp passing around the middle third, working the ball into the best position for a score or delivery to the forwards was a joy to watch. On the other hand, Tipp fell into the trap of lumping ball into Limericks full back line with the wind, unsuccessfully. I have been involved in teams who fell into the same trap and when it does not work it is as demoralising for you as much as …

Derrick Lynch Clare’s 2020 hurling championship season moves into the last chance saloon this weekend as they travel to Nowlan Park Kilkenny on Saturday afternoon to take on Laois in the opening round of the All Ireland qualifiers. Both sides suffered disappointing defeats in the opening provincial ties, with Laois going down by 2-31 to 0-23 against Dublin, while Clare were beaten 0-36 to 1-13 by Limerick. Clare were trailing Limerick by just a point after Ryan Taylor’s goal midway through the third quarter, but a storming finish from the Treatymen saw them advance. They since followed up that form with a stunning dismantling of All-Ireland champions Tipperary, and Clare selector Ken Ralph feels their performance on that day should be viewed in the context of the level that Limerick are currently operating at. “There were plenty positives for us to take from the Limerick game. There are of course things we were not happy about and we have been …

Derrick Lynch As a player or a manager, Eddie Brennan is no stranger to facing Clare, and he still recalls his days trying to get the better of the man he will face on the sideline this weekend. “Brian tried a few chunks out of me on different days alright” he laughed. “We had some great battles with Clare over the years and it is something you would look forward to. As players, we loved going to Ennis because at the time we were around, Ennis was the litmus test because it was Clare team who played the game with high intensity and had a real manly style of hurling that we loved challenging. Brian Cody often told us it was a great measure of us to go on the road to places like Ennis and see how we got on. Brian Lohan is a passionate Clare hurling man and that is reflected in the way he wants his team …

Clare manager Ger O’Connell was understandably full of praise for his side after they secured a place in the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland senior camogie championship. It came down to a winner takes all battle with Dublin to do it, and the Banner were more than ready for the task with a dominant showing to reach the last eight. Having lost the opening round to Tipperary, the Clonlara man felt it was vital to bounce back. “There was a lot of negative talk after our game against Tipperary and rightly so because we did not perform. The performance in the second half today is what we expect from the group. The girls put in so much effort and work and we can see that on the training field. We are trying to tell the group that you believe in them and trust in them so to see that second half was really good so hopefully the confidence will build from …

Derrick Lynch The incoming chairman of the Clare District Soccer League has outlined that the new committee are ready to get the season up and running as soon as possible once Covid-19 restrictions have been eased. Kilrush Rangers clubman Jason Ryan is poised to take over the chairman’s position after his was the only name nominated for the role by the closing date. In a communication to clubs, he outlined that training would remain suspended for the duration of the Level 5 restrictions, with hopes of some form of resumption if restrictions were eased to Level 3 in the coming weeks. “The committee has been working on getting things ready for the restart and when we are able to do so we will have a full list of fixtures ready to go. We are fully committed to starting the league at the earliest stage possible. We were all hoping that we would be up and running by now but it …

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Tones just shade 12 goal thriller

Minor C Camogie Championship Final Wolfe Tones 6-13 Parteen-Meelick 6-10 Wolfe Tones definitely earned their Minor C Camogie Championship breakthrough, having been tested to their optimum by a never-say-die Parteen-Meelick in what was a truly memorable decider in Fr. McNamara on Wednesday evening, Sharing twelve goals equally, supporters were not only afraid to take their eyes off it but even fearful of blinking in case they missed a goal. It was a compelling end-to-end contest that proved a superb advertisement for Clare Camogie as the standard on offer far exceeded expectations as both sides left everything out on the field in pursuit of some much-needed silverware. And yet considering the final scoreline, it’s perhaps difficult to believe that there were no goals at all until additional time in the first half. Indeed, injury-time in general appeared to ignite something special in these sides as seven of the twelve goals were scored in those added minutes, five of which arrived amidst …
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Can the real Inagh-Kilnamona please stand up?
Group of Death comes alive
Intermediate predictability dashed by compelling Group 4
Blues complete unprecedented clean sweep of underage honours

Intermediate predictability dashed by compelling Group 4

Intermediate Hurling Championship Round 3, Group 1 Clarecastle v Smith O’Brien’s at Páirc Micheál Uí hEithir Cratloe, Saturday 5pm, (Andy McMahon, Cratloe) They’ve met regularly in the Clare Cup and even the Magpies’ second string have battled Smith O’Brien’s but at adult championship level, this appears to be the first time that their flagship sides have clashed. It would potentially have been a heavyweight showdown if the Killaloe-Bridgetown side were at their 2021 or ’22 levels while it will still be a battle, the loss of key players to emigration for Smith O’Brien’s should mean that Clarecastle possess the better balance to shade matters and top the group. Verdict: Clarecastle Ruan v St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield at Crusheen, Saturday 5pm, (Jim Hickey, Cratloe) It’s only three years ago since St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield’s first team raided for five goals to floor Ruan in the intermediate semi-final. However, it’s a strong sign of the Parish that while their first team is now operating …

Clooney or not Clooney, that is the question

On initial viewing, the race for the Fr. Murray Memorial Cup (intermediate camogie) appears fairly straight-forward. After all, with all three semi-finalists from 2023 (Tulla, Whitegate and Éire Óg) and senior demotee Clooney-Quin split evenly between the two groups, the business end overtly looks clear-cut. Clooney-Quin’s senior experience along with negotiating their way to intermediate glory as recently as 2021 makes them the stand-out candidates, with Tulla currently ranking a close second having contested back-to-back intermediate finals, three if you include the replay in 2022 against eventual champions Clarecastle/Ballyea. They won’t want to see another mid-Clare side join them in the second tier but for Tulla, it’s all about learning from their previous deciders and leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of reaching the promised land of senior. Whitegate were beaten finalists to Clooney-Quin in 2021 and actually meet them first this Thursday evening at 7pm, in what is potentially a Group A decider in Clooney and the same …

Clare camogie power base is still in the East

Current kingpins Truagh-Clonlara and Scariff-Ogonnelloe may have switched roles last October after the latter’s two year reign but having clashed in the last three finals, they will be overwhelming favourites to do so once more come October 19th. It’s up to the chasing pack to alter that perceived narrative as with only the finalists seeded for this year’s race for the McMahon Cup, the groups initially appear a bit lopsided. After all, with three of last year’s semi-finalists (Scariff-Ogonnelloe, Inagh-Kilnamona and Feakle-Killanena) pooled in Group B, the fact that there are two business end berths means that one major contender has to fall at the group stages. Scariff-Ogonnelloe’s vast experience of three titles in the last five seasons makes them the forerunners to maintain their perfect group record as since bounding back to senior level in 2017, they have progressed to the penultimate stage at a minimum. That’s a seven year record that no other senior side in the county …

Doora/Barefield hit the ’Bricks for six

St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 6-10 Kilmurry Ibrickane 2-13 Senior Ladies’ Football Championship Group A Round 1 It took free kicks to finally separate these sides in the Division 1 League decider but this time it was six timely goals that ensured revenge for St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield but also a major opening boost to what is unquestionably the group of death in this year’s senior ladies football championship in Gurteen on Sunday afternoon. Such a heartbreaking means of losing a final seemed to be channelled into Sunday’s display for the Parish who were never behind at any stage despite facing into the strong conditions in the opening period. Decisive first half goals through Roisin Fowley, Lyndsay Clarke and Aoibhinn McMahon kept wind-assisted Kilmurry Ibrickane at arm’s length in the opening period, with Chloe Moloney inevitably leading the charge with seven points in what was a compelling tussle with fellow county senior Siofra Ní Chonaill at 3-5 to 0-9 by the break The …

‘There was hurling in Clonbony before there was hurling in Sixmilebridge’

When Limerick referee Johnny Murphy blew his full time whistle at the end of what was arguably the greatest All-Ireland final of all time there was naturally a huge outpouring of emotion the length and breath of this beautiful County. For the people, especially the hurling fraternity, in places like Ennistymon, Clonbony and Kilkee there was also an overwhelming sense of pride as Miltown’s Conor Cleary and Ennistymon’s Cathal Malone walked the steps of the Hogan Stand. Heroes forever more to every Clare person, be they man woman or child, these two great warriors are now the proud owners of a coveted Celtic Cross medal and their achievements will no doubt inspire a whole new generation of children to pick up a hurley and dream of following in their footsteps. Sport has always been part of the DNA of the Banner and hurling has always had a massive following all over the County. In recent weeks the John Hynes Memorial …

The rocky road to recovery

The resilience shown by Clare hurlers Ryan Taylor and Tony Kelly to battle back from serious injuries has been lauded by team physiotherapist for the last three years, Shane Malone. While Shane has attended All-Ireland homecomings in his native Kerry following All-Ireland successes, he described last week’s welcome for the Liam McCarthy Cup in Clare as “incredible”. He will never forget the hundreds of Clare hurling supporters who lined the streets and rural roads to welcome the team home, which was a real “eye opener”. “The enthusiasm and love for Brian Lohan and the team is quite different from my previous experiences. I was very impressed by the volume of support out there for the Clare team. It shows the high esteem they are held within the county. “The response from Clare fans all year has been unbelievable. There is a great connection between Brian Lohan and the county and people respond when they like what they see. “The way …

‘A special day and a special win’ – Diarmuid Ryan

The relief; the jubilation on the field when it was all over; the calm and satisfaction afterwards as Clare left Croke Park secure in the knowledge that they’d be back in a few weeks time. These were the winning moods and personas displayed among the players as they went on their way after the glass ceiling of this All-Ireland semi-final stage had finally been cracked. A first All-Ireland semi-final win over Kilkenny since 1997 and only a second championship win over Kilkenny ever; a day of atonement for the most recent semi-final defeats against Kilkenny; an All-Ireland final day out to look forward to on July 21. “It’s a special feeling for sure,” said Diarmuid Ryan. “A special day and a special win but we’re going to knuckle down for two weeks and the All-Ireland final.” As he spoke the reset had already taken place – the hoopla had died down, with Ryan and the rest of the players being …

‘We grabbed it with both hands’ – Tony Kelly

It’s a measure of the standards that Tony Kelly has set in his 13 years as a senior inter-county hurler and of his star quality that despite being subdued for the first 45 minutes of the All-Ireland semi-final that he still ended up as one of the game’s most influential players. Doing the maths tells this story – no Clare player ended up with more than him from play as he top-scored jointly with David Reidy who had a huge game in the 61 minutes of game time that he got. And for the Ballyea colossus, who has slipped into the veteran classes almost unnoticed, his three-point burst down the long home straight of this All-Ireland was a crucial part of the power-play that ultimately swamped Kilkenny and left them shellshocked at the end. And you could say that this comeback was really kickstarted by Kelly, with his opening point being the first response to the Billy Ryan goal, which …

Dominant display drives Blues to record 26th Clare Cup title

Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-19 Inagh-Kilnamona 1-11 The victor wasn’t a surprise but the manner of Newmarket-on-Fergus’ 26th Clare Cup title certainly proved to be as the roll of honour leaders had a rather bloodless final triumph in Clarecastle on Friday evening. Bridging a six year gap to their last Clare Cup crown, it was an utterly commanding display when first responding to the hammerblow of an early goaled Inagh-Kilnamona penalty to outscore them by 1-7 to 0-1 in the second quarter and carve out a match-winning 1-11 to 1-04 interval cushion. Indeed, it wouldn’t have flattered the Blues had the half-time chasm been doubled as amidst their second quarter siege, James Carrig’s side passed up four glorious goal chances in as many minutes just before the recess. Niall O’Connor was outstanding at the back, Peter Power was equally influential at the other end while Stephen Casey was also hugely effectual when switched to shadow Inagh-Kilnamona’s talisman Fred Hegarty. This was an impressive …

Kearns’ golden goal secures Division 3 Hurling League title for the Parish

St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 2-14 O’Callaghan’s Mills 0-17 It really doesn’t matter if you lead early in a match or are chasing the game for lengthy spells but what does matter though is who is ahead when it counts the most and that’s at the final whistle. On Sunday morning out in Tulla the men from the Parish epitomised resilience and got their just rewards for never surrendering when grabbing the lead for the only time in the sixtieth minute to practically steal a cracking league final that was played in a hugely sporting manner. It was two second strings but nobody who was in Dr.Daly Park would have guessed that as these two played out a superbly contested battle that ebbed and flowed throughout with the result in doubt right up until referee Pat Healy’s full time whistle. Level on six occasions it took a late late Conor Kearns goal to decide the destination of league honours. One could only …

Éire Óg go to town on the ’Bridge

Éire Óg 3-20 Sixmilebridge 2-14 There’s always a certain level of respect between clubs but sometimes there’s also a level of contempt that is evident for all to see. On Sunday evening this Division 2 final was practically over by the end of the opening quarter. The townies who would have genuine Canon Hamilton ambitions were going through the motions and without much exertion had eased to an eight point lead. Fast forward to the final minutes and after battling throughout the Bridge’s second team who will compete in the Intermediate Championship to their credit only trailed by nine. Gerry O’Connor’s charges are in complete and utter control with several tap over point opportunities but rather than take them they continually try to engineer another green flag to inflict more pain on their opponents. I suppose a series of high profile clashes between the clubs in recent years will have that effect and they did eventually get their third major in …

Clare set for Wexican stand-off

The distinctive stench of turpentine has permeated around the county in the last two weeks as slates have been cleaned and canvases blanked ahead of Clare’s senior hurling championship resumption in Thurles this Saturday. Following the heartbreak of a third consecutive Munster Final reverse to trophy hoovers Limerick at the same venue last time out, picking up the pieces has never been more important as they look to regather self-belief, confidence and momentum once more in the All-Ireland series. While earning the unwanted record of being only the second team ever to lose three Munster deciders to the same opposition was harrowing enough, the despondency surrounding the below-par performance made it arguably the most disappointing of all three provincial final clashes. After all, Brian Lohan’s side had exceeded all expectations to push Limerick all the way to extra-time in a Munster Final for the ages in 2022 while the Banner subsequently almost took down the champions in their own home …

Promotion the main prize for semi-final winners

Adult Football League Semi-Finals (Winner on the day) Cusack Cup Semi-Final Lissycasey v St Joseph’s Miltown at Lissycasey, Friday 7.30pm (Jim Hickey, Cratloe) Considering the seesaw form of these sides in recent seasons, it’s hard to believe that only three years ago, Miltown were Cusack Cup and Lissycasey were Garry Cup champions. All because both have been in the second tier since and are now vying for a pre-championship boost of attempting to dethrone holders Ennistymon in the final. Lissycasey were subsequently beaten finalists to Corofin in 2022, the same season that Miltown dropped to the second tier. However, having secured a first Garry Cup crown in 18 years twelve months ago, it would be a major jolt to qualify for the Cusack Cup decider once more. Meanwhile it’s 17 years since Lissycasey last contested and won their sole Cusack Cup title, a major carrot in itself this Friday evening as they look to make home advantage count. The sides …

Ballyea in a league of their Eoin after powerful finish

Under 18A Hurling League Final Ballyea 1-20 Sixmilebridge 1-11 A devastating finish saw Ballyea complete a remarkable 13 point second half turnaround to snatch their first ever Under 18A League title on the away soil of O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge on Wednesday evening. Having led for the previous 30 minutes, the ‘Bridge seemed set for victory themselves when accentuating their 0-8 to 0-7 half-time edge with a goal after only 25 seconds of the restart as good play from Stephen Gavin was finished to the bottom right corner by Donal O’Leary. However, it was if subconsciously the home side assumed that the job was done as they would be sorely second best for the remainder as the defiant visitors outscored them by 1-13 to 0-03 in the final 30 minutes. Eoin Kennedy found his range from frees while the talismanic Eoin O’Connor provided the real spark to ignite Ballyea’s challenge when fielding a Dillon Killoughery delivery to cut in from …

900 million fans shows the popularity of volleyball

Volleyball is one of the most popular sports there is with over 900 million fans worldwide. That fanbase is growing all the time and the sport consistently ranks in the top five of the most watched global sports. At the end of the month Ireland will head to San Marino for the CEV SCA (European Volleyball Small Countries Association) Championship where they will face Scotland, Malta, Northern Ireland and hosts San Marino in the group stages. The Banner County have had huge success in the sport with the Senior and Junior All Ireland titles residing in the county courtesy of the Coláiste Muire and the Munster Thunder clubs. The strength of the sport in Clare can be highlighted by the fact that four Banner players will represent Ireland in the tournament. Amy O’Sullivan, Catriona Ní Riordan, TJ Sweeney and Maria Jones will all proudly don the green jersey in Serraville from May 30th to June 2nd. Three of the girls …

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