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Senior Hurling Final - Eire Og v Ballyea

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EVEN though Clare are All-Ireland champions, Pat Kelly argued that Tipperary and Kilkenny are still the two best teams in the game. “To me Kilkenny and Tipp are still the best two teams in Ireland. I know we’re All-Ireland champions but they’re still the benchmark. We’re going to have to be ready for them next year. We’ll probably be back training on November 7 or 8, that’s the way it’ll be. We’ll enjoy our few weeks, we’re All-Ireland champions, they’ll be mad to beat us next year and knock us down a peg or two,” he commented. The Inagh/Kilnamona number one said relief washed over him when the final whistle sounded. “It’s just relief, your heart would be racing. You’re over the line, you can just relax, you celebrate because you’re over the line. In fairness, if we’d let that slip it’d be a travesty; it would have been worse than the last day. The last day was bad but …

Clare manager David Fitzgerald meets with Cork manager Jimmy Barry Murphy following the All-Ireland senior hurling final at Croke Park. Photograph by John Kelly.

CORK were simply beaten by a better team, Jimmy Barry Murphy readily acknowledged after the game. “My initial thoughts are that, on both days, we were playing catch up from the word go and it’s a difficult thing to do. When you’re in that situation you have to do everything right to get back into a game. We did an awful lot of things right, but it’s got to be perfect at that stage and our luck eventually ran out. We were beaten by a much better team on the day, on both days, I’ve got to acknowledge that they deserved it,” he said. Asked if Cork could have won the game if they had taken the lead after drawing level from eight points behind, he said, “That’s one of the great imponderables, if we’d taken our chances when we got back level it may have been a different story but we didn’t. There was too much to make up, …

WHEN James McGrath sounded the final whistle, Clare achieved something that didn’t look likely when they lost to Cork in the Munster Championship or when they stumbled past Wexford in the qualifiers. Just before getting on the bus to leave Croke Park, Domhnall O’Donovan acknowledged earlier in the year, he didn’t think Clare were real contenders. “At the start of the year, if you’d told me I’d be here, I wouldn’t have believed you. Then, as we built momentum, we were thinking ‘we could actually do this’. Tipperary were knocked out and Kilkenny were knocked out and it was a much more even championship and we realised anyone could beat anyone, so we realised we could do it, if we believed.” The Clonlara corner-back said he was in a state of shock when the game ended. “I couldn’t believe it, I was in shock. I’m delighted that getting that point in the draw actually meant something; if we lost it …

AFTER the drawn game everyone knew that any 21 yard free for Cork was likely to result in a goal and on Saturday evening Cian Dillon said that especially large hurleys had been made for defenders to use whenever Nash came up the field. “It was kind of funny in training when Fitzy told us there might be 12 or 13 of us on the line and that we’d be getting hurleys made for us. We had eight especially big hurleys to try and stop them! It didn’t work for the first one, he didn’t really connect with the last one, maybe he was put off by the amount of us!” the Crusheen defender said. Clare led by four points at the break, but it had been eight points earlier on. While Cork had found their stride, there was still great confidence in the Banner dressing room, Dillon said. “At half time, in every game we’ve played this year, we’ve always …

Annual GOAL match in Sixmilebridge

By Seamus Hayes Sixmilebridge will host the annual GOAL charity match involving the newly crowned All-Ireland hurling champions on this Wednesday evening(October 2) at 7.30p.m. The match will be between an A and B Clare selection and all funds raised will go to the GOAL charity. Admission will be €5 and children under 16 will be admitted free of charge. Its expected that the entire All-Ireland senior squad will be involved in what has become an annual post All-Ireland final match involving the winners. Initially the match featured the newly crowned champions against a Rest of Ireland selection but more recently the champions have faced the club title holders in their county. With round 2 in the Clare senior hurling championship scheduled for this coming weekend, the organisers have opted for an A v B game. The match will p rovide an oppostunity for fans to meet up with the players that ended a sixteen year wait for Clare on …

By Seamus Hayes An estimated 30,000 Clare hurling followers assembled in Ennis on Sunday evening to give a heroes welcome home to the newly crowned All-Ireland senior hurling champions. The welcome was also extended to the Clare team which retained the All-Ireland under 21 title two weeks ago and who were also on stage at Active Ennis Tim Smythe Park (formerly known as the Fairgreen). Earlier the team’s first stop on the journey to Ennis was at Cratloe, home to six members of the panel, Paudge and Sean Collins, Conor Ryan, Liam Markham, Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath as well as team selector Mike Deegan. From there they travelled to Sixmilebridge where local man and team manager Davy Fitzgerald received a rousing welcome. Seadna Morey, Jamie Shanahan and Derek Fahy from the ‘Bridge club are part of the Clare panel. In Newmarket the championship’s top scorer Colin Ryan was given a tumultous reception and it was similar in Clarecastle, home …

“I’m glad the point meant something. It would have meant nothing if we’d lost the match” said Domhnall O’Donovan of his last gasp point which resulted in Saturday’s replay. He made his comments while being interviewed in front of thousands of Clare people at the team’s homecoming in Ennis this evening. The Clonlara corner back also said the score had been “one of the best things I’ve done in my life.” Captain Patrick Donnellan said he hoped Clare “will have many more of these days” and he said the under 21 success had helped to focus the seniors. “We’re on the crest of a wave and the under 21s showed us the way to a degree,” he commented. Donnellan now has his first Celtic Cross and he said the All Ireland will be well celebrated. “Days like yesterday have been few and far between in recent years so we’ll make the most of it.” Wing forward John Conlon said his nerves had …

David Fitzgerald, Clare manager celebrates with Saoirse Bulfin following the All-Ireland senior hurling final replay against Cork at Croke Park. Photograph by John Kelly.

WHILE the Banner’s tactics have drawn a share of criticism over the last two years Davy Fitzgerald has been vindicated now yet when he spoke to the media on Saturday evening he strove to keep the focus on the players. He said he was particularly pleased with the spirit shown when it looked like they had squandered a significant first half lead. “We played probably the best 20 minutes I’ve ever seen at the start, we were on fire. Naturally you’re not going to keep going at that pace. The biggest test of a Clare team I’ve ever seen was when they brought it back to zero again. Everything was going against us, but it’s not down to anyone else, these boys have incredible resilience. It didn’t come from anyone training them, it comes from themselves, they are good kids, they are honest kids, they never give up. They are fellas who mind themselves unbelievably and I think it …

By Seamus Hayes Days like this are what dreams are made of, a delighted Clare captain Pat Donnellan said shortly after lifting the McCarthy cup on the steps of the Hogan stand following Clare’s magnificent victory. “Going up the steps of the Hogan stand there was absolutely unreal. this is what you think about when you are a young fella. This is just reward for the amount of effort these fellas have put in all year. They deserved to get their day in the sun and we had it today”, the O’Callaghans Mills clubman commented. Asked if he was worried at any stage in the game, he said “you don’t get worried but you are conscious that you must answer what they are doing. We did that today and score for score we tried to answer them as much as possible. when they drew level, we kicked on again”. “Cork are a class team and they were never going to …

By Seamus Hayes Clare 5-16 Cork 3-16 What a day for Clare hurling. All-Ireland senior hurling champions for the fourth time in the county’s history after a truly memorable game. In the lead up to Saturday’s replay with Cork, analysists everywhere argued that Clare would need at least a goal if they were to win the LiamMcCarthy cup for the first time since 1997. Another of the big debating points for the past two weeks concerned whether or not Clare would make a change to the starting line up. Two hours before throw in time news emerged that nineteen year old Shane O’Donnell would start ahead of Darach Honan ahead of full forward. to say that he repaid the faith the management showed in him would be an understatement. He delivered a man of the match performance hitting 3-3, the goals coming inside the first twenty minutes Clare had run up some hugely impressive point tallies in this campaign but …

By Seamus Hayes All-Ireland final replay weekend got off to a bright start for Cratloe and Clarecastle when they catured the junior A and under 21 B hurling championship titles respectively on Friday evening. Through to the final since early May, the under 21 players from Clarecastle and Feakle-Killanena finally played their final at Dr. Daly Park in Tulla. The magpies led by three points, 1-8 to 1-5 at half time. Feakle-Killanena fought back to within a point of their opponents ten minutes into the second half but the magpies pulled away in the final twenty minutes to secure the title. Meanwhile, at Sixmilebridge, Cratloe scored a narrow win over St. Josephs to claim the junior A crown. The sides were evently matched throughout but a goal in each half proved decisive for Cratloe who won on a final scoreline of 2-11 to 0-15. Liscannor will continue in senior football in 2014 after they secured their status with a …

John Galvin, general manager the Clare Champion presents Louise Dunworth of Tulla and her son Harry (2) with a pair of tickets fro the All-Ireland hurling final replay in Croke park, first prize in the recent Clare Champion facebook competition. Photograph by John Kelly.

John Galvin, managing director of the Clare Champion presents Louise Dunworth of Tulla and her son Harry (2) with a pair of tickets for the All-Ireland hurling final replay in Croke park, first prize in the Clare Champion facebook competition. Log onto our website clarechampion.ie for live updates during Saturday’s match and follow us on twitter @clarechampion

Historic occasion for Clare soccer

Clare 5 Limerick 3 THURSDAY evening was an historic occasion for Clare soccer as the first competitive match was played under the league’s new floodlights at the County Grounds in Doora. Adding to the sense of enjoyment was the fact that the game was the opening round in this season’s Oscar Traynor, inter-league junior football competition and Clare marked the occasion with a merited victory over neighbours Limerick, one of the fancied teams for the title. A superb first half saw Clare dominate and deservedly take a 3-0 lead to the break. It could have been a bigger lead for the home team, had they availed of all of the chances they created. Eoin Hayes capped an excellent performance with a hat-trick. His first came in the eighth minute, his second four minutes into the second half, a score that put the winners four clear, and his third in the third minute of injury time, when he converted a penalty …

WHILE tens of thousands of Clare fans will watch their team in Croke Park this Saturday, many more will be cheering from around the world. Some will be shouting at big screens from bar stools early in the afternoon. Others will be wiping sleep from their eyes while cowering beneath mosquito nets. More will be shouting into the silence while clinging to their headphones. PE teacher Jayne McMahon from Ennis is living in Ulsan, an industrial city located on the south-east coast of Korea. There are some Irish there but none from Clare, as far as she knows. She will watch the match alongside a Cork man. The Gort Road woman hopes this will enhance the atmosphere. “Unfortunately, due to the time difference, I had to stream the last game on my laptop at home at 11pm Sunday night. I wasn’t in the most exciting atmosphere but I was still sitting on the edge of my seat with the tension …

ONE man with recent experience of preparing for an All-Ireland senior hurling replay is Galway’s Joe Canning. The Portumna man was in Thurles last Saturday week as a Bord Gais ambassador at the All-Ireland U-21 final. Canning rescued a replay for Galway with an injury time equaliser, 12 months ago. The replay with Kilkenny was the first in an All-Ireland since 1959. With hindsight, he says Galway would prepare differently but he feels gearing up for a replay is a challenging proposition. “We lost, so we’d have other ways of going about it that we might think of now. At the same time, it’s unknown territory for every team that’s in it. When you’re going into an All-Ireland, you’re thinking you’re going to win or lose, you’re not thinking about a replay,” he suggested. Canning remembers the weeks bridging the draw and replay dragged appreciably. “How to deal with the three weeks between the matches is the big thing. You’d …

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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

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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