Sport

Daithi’s hat trick makes history for Newmarket

By Seamus Hayes Newmarket Celtic A 4  Ennis Town Rock A  1 Five minutes into the second half of Saturday evening’s Clare junior cup final, Newmarket Celtic A introduced Daithi O’Connell and a little over forty minutes later the Shannon man was presented with the man of the match award, such was his impact on the game. His hat trick helped Newmarket to a third cup title in a row, a feat never before achieved by the club. They are still very much in the running for the premier league title and if they can manage to win their five remaining games they can complete the league and cup double for the second time in three years Goals in the 14th, 28th and 40th minutes of the half by the former Clare hurler put paid to Ennis Town Rock’s hopes of a first Clare cup title. On a beautiful summer’s evening, the final attracted a big attendance to the county …

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Expectations always high in Newmarket

Keith McInerney, is in his first season as manager of Newmarket Celtic A and when he leads his team to the county grounds on Sunday, it will be his first time being involved on cup final day. Having served as manager with Connolly Celtic for the past few years he moved to Newmarket Celtic this season. “I was involved under manager Liam Murphy with the Oscar Traynor team last year and this led to me getting the Newmarket manager’s role this season”, explained McInerney who part of the Rock Rovers set up some years ago when they got to the cup semi-final “Expectations are always high in Newmarket. They are one of the big powers of the game in Clare and having silverware on the mantlepiece at the end of each season is always a priority. Its not a good season if the club doesn’t win a title”, the manager agreed. Newmarket are still in the running for the league …

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Manager Daniels hoping to make history

By Seamus Hayes Ennis Town Rock A manager Francis Daniels is no stranger to cup final day and he is well versed on what it takes to compete at this level. Back in 2008 he was team captain when Rock Rovers captured the title, beating Bunratty in the final. A win o n Saturday evening would see him join a select group who have captained and managed cup winning sides. Current panel members Shane Daniels, Barry Woods and Ronan Judge were also part of that cup winning side. Ennis Town and Rock Rovers joined forces in 2012 and have made steady progress since then although manager Francis is quick to point out “we didn’t have a good year last season when we were in a relegation battle in the league and were knocked out of the cup at an early stage”. “We set out this season with the aid of not being involved in relegation and of getting a good …

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Fitzgerald pays tribute to underage mentors

By Seamus Hayes Six well known GAA figures, all former players who have gone on to enjoy success as managersgave their views on the upcoming Munster and All-Ireland hurling championships to an a ttentive audience in the West County hotel on Friday night. Before a sell out crowd of 420 people who gathered to support the Ger Loughnane cancer challenge weekend, Ger Loughnane (former Clare player and manager), Brian Cody (Kilkenny manager) Davy Fitzgerald (Clare manager), Anthony Daly (former Clare captain and manager and current Dublin manager) Liam Sheedy (Tipperary All-Ireland winning manager) and Ritchie Bennis former Limerick player and manager) spoke about the likely winners in this year’s championship and the role of referees amongst a few other issues. Ahead of talking about the challenge facing Clare as they set out in defence of the All-Ireland title they won in such exciting fashion last September, Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald paid tribute to the work of “Donal Moloney and Gerry …

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Crowe sets sights on Zurich

SIXMILEBRIDGE athlete Timmy Crowe was in flying form at the Athletic Ireland Games in Santry at the weekend. He romped to victory in his specialist event, the 400m hurdles, in a time of 51.76, the fastest time recorded in Ireland this year. Crowe, who runs in the singlet of Limerick club Dooneen AC, has come through a 10-month uninterrupted training schedule. He quickly found his feet in Santry, turning in an eye-catching performance which augurs well for the season ahead. His target is to trim his time down to 51.10, the qualifying time for the European championship in Zurich in August. This week he heads to Belgium to compete at two meets hoping to achieve the standard qualifying time. Two years ago he was a member of the Irish 400m relay team that competed at the European championships in Helsinki.  While he will make the relay team for Zurich, he is determined to qualify in his specialist event.

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Donnellan saves the day for O’C. Mills

By Seamus Hayes O’Callaghans Mills 1-13 Scariff 0-15 Clare captain Pat Donnellan saved O’Callaghans Mills’ blushes with an injury time point which earned them a first round senior championship win over Scariff at Cusack Park on Friday evening. A draw looked the likely outcome as the game headed into the fourth minute of ‘injury time’ when Donnellan popped up to fire over the winning score. The result left Scariff devastated after they had dominated the tie for long periods “We had two or three great chances to win this game in the last five minutes which we didn’t take and it came back to bite us”, Scariff manager Michael Long admitted after the final whistle. O’Callaghans Mills manager Declan Hogan admitted “while we were behind for most of the second half, I knew we had a lot of work done and we would stay battling to the end. With five minutes to go I would have grabbed a draw. Scariff …

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Clare GAA has a new President

By Seamus Hayes Cooraclare’s Tadhg Murphy is the new president of Clare GAA. At the May meeting of the board at the West County hotel in Ennis on Tuesday night, he was unanimously elected to the position in succession to the late Henry Nealon from Michael Cusack’s. Proposing Mr Murphy for the position, chairman, Michael McDonagh told the delegates that “at the time Hendi Nealon was elected there was one other candidate for the position, Tadhg Murphy who stood down in favour of the Michael Cusack’s man. Cooraclare’s PJ  McGuane formally seconded the proposal and told the meeting that “Tadhg has a great record. He played for the county at all grades and served as a selector for many years. He is the most successful captain our club ever had”.Visit Site Dominick Conroy from the Michael Cusack’s club supported the nomination and thanked the new president for stepping aside when the late Henry Neylon was elected. Tadhg Murphy told the …

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Ennis Town end Avenue’s cup hopes

By Seamus Hayes The Clare soccer cup final on May 31 will be between Newmarket Celtic A and Ennis Town A. Newmarket justified favouritism when scoring a 4-2 win over surprise packets West Clare at the County grounds on Sunday morning. They dominated the opening half and led 4-0 at the break thanks to goals from Stephen Kelly, Eoin O’Brien, Eoin Hayes and Paudie Hayes. Two minutes into the second half they should have extended their lead when they were awarded a penalty but team captain Michael Crosby saw his effort rebound off the crossbar. West Clare were given a lifeline midway through the half when Jason Russell converted a penalty after he was fouled and twelve minutes from time he found the net again, this time from a free. However, that was as close as they got as the more experienced Newmarket held control for the remaining time to record a merited victory. On Saturday evening Ennis Town A …

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Crusheen shock the champions

By Seamus Hayes Champions Sixmilebridge face an uphill battle if they are to succcessfully defend their the Clare senior hurling championship title after they suffered defeat at the hands of Crusheen in the opening round at Cusack Park on Saturday evening. Crusheen had the better of the opening half and deservingly led by five points at half time when the score was 0-14 to 0-9.  The introduction of Rory Shanahan to the Sixmilebridge attack for the second half turned things around and with eleven minutes remaining they had opened a three point lead, 0-18 to 0-15. They fluffed a couple of chances to extend their lead an d this was the signal for Crusheen for whom the experienced Gerry O’Grady excelled. Two minutes from the end O’Grady had moved outfield where he won possession and then beat three defenders to create a goalscoring opportunity for Darragh O’Doherty whose effort was saved but Patrick O’Grady was on hand to fire the …

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O’Donnell set to return from injury

IT is most likely that the five teams to lose senior status will come from the eight that will compete for the Senior B Championship. To hold onto senior status, victory in the opening round is essential. Last year’s intermediate champions, Whitegate, have a difficult first round on Sunday against Éire Óg. The town side may not have won a game in the league to date but, potentially, they have a squad that should see them as strong contenders for the B championship title. A final decision if All-Ireland hero Shane O’Donnell will play is unlikely to be made by manager, Seamus Durack and his backroom team, until near match time. The full-forward suffered a hamstring injury when training with the county squad a few weeks back. He hasn’t played since but the word from the Clare camp is he will resume competitive action this weekend. Should this be the case, it will be a massive boost to the town …

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Five hurling clubs to lose senior status

Sports Editor Seamus Hayes THE race for the 2014 Senior Hurling Championship begins this weekend and while all 20 teams aspire to winning the title, the battle to hold onto senior status takes on a new focus this season. In the current format, one team is relegated at the end of the campaign. This year, however, there are major changes, with five teams to lose their senior status. Following a competitions structures review in 2011, a new format for the championship was put forward and accepted by delegates for 2013. However, at a special meeting of clubs, as Clare progressed to the All-Ireland senior and U-21 finals last year, delegates unanimously voted to defer the change for a year. For 2015, the Clare Senior Hurling Championship will be run in the same format that was introduced for the senior football last year, which has been retained for this season. The group system is being replaced by a format that will …

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Emerging football talent squad plan

YOUNG footballers in Clare, who are overage for minor in 2015, are to be invited into what is called an Emerging Talent Squad. Liscannor footballer, Kieran Considine, will co-ordinate the programme. Parents and players will be invited to a meeting on Monday night next at the West County Hotel, where a full overview of the plan will be outlined. Clare senior football manager, Colm Collins, believes if the senior team is to develop in the years ahead, players need to be tutored properly. “The problem has been that players have come out of minor and have been left to their own devices. We feel that something needs to be done about this, so under the auspices of the Clare senior football team and in conjunction with the county board, with a view to bringing forward players to play for Clare, we have formed what we call an Emerging Talent Squad,” he explained. “It will be made up of players who …

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Burren United crowned u-17 champions

By Seamus Hayes Burren United 3 Newmarket Celtic 1 Burren United were crowned Clare under-17 soccer cup champions when they defeated Newmarket Celtic at a wet and windy county grounds on Saturday afternoon. The bad weather conditions made it very difficult for the players who, in the circumstances, served up a good game with the North Clare side emerging as worthy winners. Having played a 2-2 draw in the final game in the league the previous week in Lisdoonvarna, another close contest was expected. Incidentally they have finished on level terms in the league and must now play off for the title, a game expected to take place in the coming week. They were dealt an early blow when they lost goalkeeper Cathal Guerin to injury and this resulted in the introduction of James Howard. Newmarket were also forced into a change in the opening half when they lost Jack O’Connor to injury. Alan Sweeney and Thomas Cullinan scored for …

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Easy for Clare in Killaloe

By Seamus Hayes Clare 3-23  Offaly 0-12 Thirty one players saw action for Clare as the All-Ireland champions recorded an easy win over a disappointing Offaly outfit in this senior hurling tournament played to mark the opening of a new stand at the Smith O’Briens GAA grounds in Killaloe on Friday evening. For the second time in a week Clare played a different team in each half as preparations for their Munster championship semi-final against either Cork or Waterford continued. the rain began to fall as proceedings got under way in Killaloe where Munster GAA council chairman Robert Frost performed the official opening of the next stand. He paid tribute to all involved with the development and urged the goverment of the day to ensure that grant aid from the Sports capital fund was made available to GAA clubs who he described as leading community organisations throughout the country. A superb goal from Podge Collins helped Clare to a 1-13 …

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John lands a whopper

AVID angler John Gleeson hooked a wild brownie, while trolling recently on Lough Derg. The trout tipped the scales at 14 lbs. John, a member of the Killaloe Ballina Anglers, sportingly released the trout, after first capturing his catch on camera. This year, the club has introduced a catch-and-release rule for the heaviest fish category during their Mayfly competition, to preserve stocks in the lake.

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  • Banner brilliance dominates hurling All-Star nominations

    Clare’s epic 2024 season that saw them capture the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time since 2013 and the Allianz League title for the first time since 2016 sees them deservingly dominate the list of PwC Hurling All-Stars nominees announced this morning. The Banner braves are the standout contingent in the list of 45 names and have 14 players nominated across all areas of the field. In addition, star forward Shane O’Donnell is nominated for PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year where he is joined by Cork’s midfield dynamo Darragh Fitzgibbon and Limerick’s defensive rock Kyle Hayes. The PwC GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year nominees are Clare’s Adam Hogan, Cork’s Eoin Downey and Limerick’s Cathal O’Neill. There are eight counties represented in total. The breakdown is Clare 14, Cork 10, Limerick nine, Kilkenny four, with Waterford, Wexford, Dublin and Antrim having two representatives each. Goalkeepers: Patrick Collins (Cork), Nickie Quaid (Limerick) and Eibhear Quilligan (Clare). Defenders: Adam Hogan …

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  • Tones just shade 12 goal thriller

  • Can the real Inagh-Kilnamona please stand up?

  • Group of Death comes alive

  • Intermediate predictability dashed by compelling Group 4

Recent Posts

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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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‘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 …

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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 …

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‘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 …

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‘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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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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