Cork    2-12 Clare   1-9 A PHYSICALLY stronger Cork proved too much for a disappointing Clare in theMunster Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Sunday. While Cork were the favourites, a stronger Clare performance was expected but they failed to match Cork in a number of areas and the writing was on the wall from an early stage.Clare made three changes from the team, which started against Waterford in Round 1. Stephen O’Halloran, Alan O’Neill and Cathal O’Connell, all members of the extended senior panel over the winter months, replaced Enda Boyce, Conor Cleary and David Reidy. O’Connell was introduced during the second half of the first-round win over Waterford.Cork had the aid of a very strong breeze in the opening half and hit the front in the third minute when Peter O’Brien converted a 75m free. Mark Kennefick, a dressing-room replacement for Adrian Mannix, doubled their advantage in the sixth minute before Colm Casey …

JOINT Clare manager Donal Moloney wasn’t prepared to use Cork’s superior physicality as a reason for Clare’s defeat in Sunday’s provincial semi-final.“We knew coming down here that they were going to be a physically imposing side and I wouldn’t use that as an excuse for a second. The hurling they produced was very good and irrespective of physique, we didn’t hit the form we needed in certain areas. Unless you are really on top of your game, you are not going to win these games,” the Scariff man said after the game. Was it a big advantage for Cork to have the assistance of the strong wind in the opening half? “We elected to play against the wind,” came the reply. “Sometimes, the type of game we play, we play better against it but they got a grip on things. We held them fairly well and to go in only seven down after playing against a storm wasn’t any great …

ENNISTYMON and West Clare Gaels will represent Clare at this weekend’s national Féile in Derry. Ennistymon will compete in Division 4 this weekend, having won the national Division 5 title last year. Most of last year’s winning panel are eligible again. Ennistymon are captained by Ross O’Doherty, while their management team is Michael Rouine, Brendan O’Doherty and Gerry Murphy.  Ennistymon will play their host club, St Oliver Plunkett’s on Friday at 1.30pm, while on Saturday at 9.30am, they play Saughanvale from Derry followed by a tie against Louth champions, St Mary’s, Ardee, at 12.30pm. Ennistymon will be staying in Greenlough, south-east Derry, for the weekend. Ennistymon beat Cratloe in the Clare Féile final. The following panel was on duty that evening: Dara McInerney; Conor Murphy, Cian McInerney, John Murphy; Conor Dillon, David Mescall, David McNamara; Seán Rouine, Conor Murphy; Aidan McCarthy, Ross O’Doherty, Patrick O’Rourke; Cian Shannon, Eoin Fitzgerald, Cillian Rouine, Matthew Davenport, Tiernan Hogan, Darren Cullinan, Conor Malone, Daniel …

UNLESS Clare turn their season around in the qualifiers and defeat a top-tier county, 2013 will go down as the year in which the progress of this group of players, under the current management, irrevocably stalled. At a minimum, they will have to reach the All-Ireland quarter-final and at the very least perform in it or it will be time to look to Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor or possibly an outside manager in the shape of Liam Sheedy. It cost thousands of Clare supporters €25 to get into the Gaelic Grounds last Sunday. Any more of this calibre of performance from their county and the clamour for change will be impossible for even the county board to ignore. Davy Fitzgerald won’t go easily as manager but for the good of Clare hurling he will have to, unless management change their tactical tune and up their game for the qualifier series. With respect to early season physical preparation, this management …

Before either of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals were played, Tipperary and Clare were the raging hot favourites to qualify for a July 14 meeting in the final. While one could understand patrons making both favourites to progress to the final given early season results, the manner in which the chances of both Limerick and Cork were written off was most surprising.It clearly suited both Limerick and Cork, who remained out of the limelight but produced big performances to upset the odds.The disappointment throughout Clare this week is understandable. Following the win over Waterford, hopes of a Munster Championship title increased and fans seemed to get carried away with those hopes when Tipperary made their exit. Last Sunday’s defeat has hurt fans all the more because of this.A number of Clare players failed to play to the form they are capable of but Cork must take a lot of credit for this, as they clearly had their homework done. …

  Clare        3-11 Derry       1-8 CLARE overcame Derry in the first round of the All-Ireland Camogie Championship at Donaghmore GAA grounds in Ashbourne, County Meath on Saturday. Clare gave championship debuts to seven players. Laura McMahon, Cushla Hehir and Sinéad Tuohy were in the starting line-up, while Lisa Loughnane, Caitriona Hennessy, Joanne Walsh and Vera Loughnane were all introduced during the course of the game.Experienced Deirdre Murphy turned in a powerful performance and inspired Clare to this latest victoryWith the aid of a very strong breeze in the first half, the Clare girls held Derry scoreless, while accounting for a commendable 1-8. Clare were slow to settle and after 10 minutes only had one point on the board, a Niamh O’Dea score from play after good work by Deirdre Murphy. Two pointed frees followed from Claire McMahon before Deirdre Murphy was first to pounce on a short clearance by the Derry defence to send an unstoppable shot to the net. …

IF 2012 was a good year for Truagh-Clonlara camogie then 2013 is following on in the right direction. Having won the Clare Féile na nGael competition, Truagh-Clonlara are the Clare Féile representatives in Limerick in early July. Having overcome Sixmilebridge in the Clare final, this will be the first time Truagh have entered Féile as county champions. It is an huge achievement for the club and the fruits of the work of so many people involved in the camogie club, the local school Scoil Seanain Naofa, (retired principal) PJ Fitzpatrick and current principal Eddie Horgan and all the hard-working teachers in the school have, over the years, done a lot of work to promote the game) plus the parents and families of all the girls involved who have travelled the length and breadth of Clare and beyond with club, school and county.Truagh participated in Féile as a host club when it took place in Clare and Limerick. In 1986, Féile …

The final round of games in the league section of this year’s Cusack Cup were played last weekend. The results have confirmed who will compete in the play offs and have also determined who will drop down to Division 2 for next season. Despite losing their 100% record, holders Kilmurry-Ibrickane remain favourites to retain the title. They were already in the final before going down to Éire Óg at the weekend. Lissycasey, already in the semi-final, confirmed their position with a win over Doonbeg and they will have home advantage for their semi-final game where they will play Éire Óg, who secured their play-off spot with victory over Kilmurry.Liscannor were already relegated prior to the weekend, when they suffered a heavy loss to Miltown, a result that sees Miltown safe in Division 1 for next season. They had a superior score difference to Ennistymon, Doonbeg and St Joseph’s with the latter the ones to lose out and so will join …

Clondegad                   3-9Kildysart                   0-14 A five point win over their neighbours Kildysart has earned Clondegad a place in the final of the Garry Cup (Division 2) as the win has seen them finish on top of the group. A further bonus for them is that they will be back in the Division 1 next season after a two-year absence.Three first-half goals proved decisive to Saturday’s victory which was achieved without the influential Brennan brothers, Gary (injured) and Shane (overseas).Kenneth Kelly opened the scoring with a Clondegad point but like scores from Ger Kelly and Damian Murtagh had the home side in front before Kenneth Kelly levelled the game at 0-2 each.The first goal arrived in the 12th minute when Paudge McMahon soloed through and blasted to the net. Eoin Donlon followed with another before McMahon pointed to put his side seven clear. Ger Kelly pulled a point back for the home side but straight from the kick-out …

Calls for some members of the executive to stand down, claims that the rules weren’t properly applied in relation to at least one disciplinary matter and complaints over the collection of registration fees were just some of the issues that led to a lively Clare Junior Soccer League annual general meeting on Monday night. The meeting attracted one of the biggest attendances for some time and, after more than three hours of debate, was adjourned as 11.30pm approached. Delegates are to be notified as to when the meeting will resume to debate the motions, some of which are certain to cause some controversy if the discussion on the opening one is anything to go by.Delegate Michael Guilfoyle asked two members of the outgoing executive not to seek re-election. Directing his comments at Michael Lydon (fixtures secretary) and Thomas Leahy (Munster delegate), Guilfoyle told the meeting that he had “no faith in the executive if they are going to overlook it …

Calling for more volunteers to come forward to help with fundraising, matches at the county grounds and activities that occur during the season, Oliver Fitzpatrick told this week’s meeting, “The secretary’s role can often take up to 30 hours in a week and some other positions also take up a lot of time. We are a voluntary organisation and it takes a lot of time to run the league.”In his report to the delegates, he said, “One of the highlights of the season were the performances of the Oscar Traynor team,” and he paid a warm tribute to the management team.Referring to the domestic leagues, he said, “Domestic soccer was disrupted again this season by long stoppages due to the weather but despite this, there were some great matches played in all divisions.”Financial mattersThe income for the past year for the Clare District Soccer League showed a drop  of €12,747 from the previous year. The income amounted to €63,580, with …

CLARE Community Games’ 43rd county athletic finals took place last Sunday in Lees Road in good conditions.Prior to the finals, there was a very colourful parade of athletes from areas across the county to the music of the Tulla Pipe Band followed by the official opening ceremony. The chairman, Pat Taylor, welcomed everyone including the Mayor of Ennis, Peter Considine and, most of all, the competitors and mangers from the 37 areas around the county. He acknowledged Munster group, Clare County Council and Shannon Development. He acknowledged the volunteers who worked hard on Saturday afternoon preparing the venue for the finals, before wishing all the competitors good luck in the finals.Mayor Considine acknowledged the work done by the volunteers in Community Games for the children of Clare. He spoke on the great facilities provided by Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council in Lees Road for organisations such as Community Games. The torch was carried by Shannon Hegarty (Ennis St …

Sixmilebridge will be gripped in marathon mania next week when the village becomes home to an elite group of athletes, who plan to run 10 marathons in just 10 days in a ground-breaking event.To the uninitiated, long-distance running can be perceived as putting the body through a lot of hardship but for those caught up in the sport, marathon running can become an obsession.It is that obsession that has driven athletes, some from the UK, Austria, Italy and South Africa, to register their participation in the Sixmilebridge event, the first of its kind in Ireland, which has already generated significant local and international interest. Athletes will run their first marathon on the same 13.1 mile loop on Thursday, July 4, concluding their marathon mission on Saturday, July 13. The race times are 5pm weekdays and 2pm on the Saturday and Sunday.Although 35 athletes will run each day, there is a hardcore of 20 athletes, who plan to run all 10. …

The eighth annual Clare 10k mini marathon was staged around the streets of Ennis on Saturday last, starting and finishing at Lees Road, in aid of Clare Haven services. Despite the difficult conditions of heavy showers and strong winds, the event attracted another big entry.Sean Hehir from Kilkishen and running with Rathfarnham AC, Dublin, smashed the course record with a time of 29.43 in 2011. He went out hard from the start and he came home in 29.54, just 13 seconds outside his own course record, with Michael Shannon and Kenneth Rodgers (both St John’s) sprinting down the track for the second and third spot in 31.21.The senior ladies’ race resulted in a great victory by Veronica Colleran (Ennis Track) for the third year in a row, with a time of 37.57, with Tracy Guilfoyle a very good second in 39.50 with Mary Sweeney (St Finbarr’s, Cork) in third spot in 40.00.Almost 1,000 competitors were on the line as James …

A NUMBER of Clare clubs took part in the North Munster section of the Barton Shield at Limerick Golf Club at the weekend.On Saturday, Dromoland made a winning start when they beat Adare Manor by one hole. Ennis lost out to Roscrea by the same margin, while East Clare lost by four holes to Limerick and this was also the margin as Castletroy beat Woodstock.In the afternoon, Shannon beat Dromoland by eight holes, while Castletroy accounted for Lahinch by six holes. Nenagh beat Shannon by two holes on Sunday and they went on to account for Limerick, by one hole, in the final to qualify for the next stage.Meanwhile, in the Fred Daly boys’ competition Shannon beat Ennis by four and three, while Lahinch were winners over Woodstock in matches played at Dromoland.On July 8, Shannon will play Lahinch at Limerick.The North Munster semi-finals will be played at East Clare on July 14 at 9am with the final at the …