Clare  2-17 Kilkenny  2-11 Inspired by an outstanding defence, Clare outplayed Kilkenny in a thrilling All-Ireland U-21 hurling final at Semple stadium in Thurles on Saturday evening. Apart from the second quarter, Clare dominated this tie and were full value for their six-point winning margin, which saw them bridge a three-year gap to their only previous success in this championship.A blistering opening ten minutes saw Clare take a six-point lead but they struggled to maintain it and, in the second quarter, were under pressure from the pre-match favourites.Kilkenny captain Kevin Kelly gave his side the lead after just 30 seconds but Cathal McInerney, Cathal O’Connell and Seadna Morey hit back with points by the fourth minute. O’Connell, the game’s top scorer who was later named as the man of the match, had the first goal of this cracking contest in the sixth minute, finishing superbly after being put clear by team captain Conor McGrath. Colm Galvin and Patrick O’Connor added …

Cratloe  0-14 Liscannor  0-12 (after extra time) Epic. That’s one of the few words that could come anywhere close to describing this pulsating 80 minutes of passion-fuelled championship football. Played under Cooraclare floodlights, Cratloe eventually managed to squeeze past Liscannor, who may have lost the game but gained the lasting respect of everybody present on Wednesday evening.Cramp caught several of their players in the second half of extra time but they had proven long before that, that their heart was beating loudly. While Cratloe are still in the championship and will play Kilmurry Ibrickane in Sunday’s quarter-final, they emerged from the battle of their lives in this one.Liscannor simply tore into their opponents, tackled as if they didn’t mind if it was the last act they committed on this planet, kicked some superb scores and were very close to causing a huge shock. What made this a memorable evening of football, where the hits were hard but mostly fair, was …

Clare lifesavers were among Ireland’s fittest at the National Surf Lifesaving Championships at Rossnowlagh Beach, Donegal, on Saturday last. Competing in challenging open water conditions to rescue simulated ‘casualties’ in a testing swim, board rescue, surf ski races and ocean man events, the winning teams from Clare fended off strong competition from Donegal, Sligo, Galway and Wexford.In the overall event for the President’s Cup, the Clare men’s team emerged as winners, with the ladies’ team taking second place.Best individual results came from Bernard Cahill, Ciara Gleeson, Katie Shannon, Rory Sexton and Oisín McGrath, with best masters performances from Norma Cahill and Sinéad Mortell.Among the Clare competitors at the national competitions were Bernard Cahill, Dylan Barrett, Oisín McGrath, Colm Fitzgerald and Norma Cahill, who are selected to attend and compete at the World Lifesaving Championships in Australia next November.The Clare results are listed below.Flags event: 1 Rory Sexton; 2 Adam McEvoy; 3 Colm Fitzgerald. Women’s sprint: 2 Ciara Donnelly. Men’s sprint: …

Clooney-Quin  2-10 Doora-Barefield  1-3 CLOONEY-Quin U-14 footballers secured the Bord Na nÓg Division 3 football title on Wednesday evening at Clareabbey when they overcame Doora-Barefield in an entertaining final.       This is Doora-Barefield’s second U-14 team and the first time any club’s second team has reached a major county final at underage level. Their first team had already reached the semi-final of the U-14 Division 1 Championship, which reflects the excellent work done at this level by former county player, Kilrush native Peader McMahon.After captain Killian Donovan won the toss and elected to play with the wind, the Clooney-Quin boys swept up the field from the throw-in and released full-forward Darragh Ryan who found the net. Stephen Frain quickly added a point from play. Hard-working Harry McCarthy was next to raise a white flag and he was joined on the scoresheet by wing-back Daniel Griffin, who kicked over the crossbar from distance. The other first-half scores for the winners came …

Kilmurry-Ibrickane  0-10 St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield  0-6 THE €10 handed over by the people who attended The Clare Champion-sponsored Cusack Cup final in Kilmihil last Sunday evening wasn’t the wisest note they’ve ever spent. While Kilmurry-Ibrickane went home with the cup still in their possession, the paying customers were presented with a turgid, stop-start game, which produced 54 frees evenly split, a red card each and a combined eight yellow cards. St Joseph’s kicked just two points from play and Kilmurry didn’t score from play in the first half, which imparts some further evidence that this was not thrill-a-minute stuff. A minute or so after Ivor Whyte kicked wind-assisted St Joseph’s in front, Kilmurry centre-back, Paul O’Connor was sent off on a straight red card following an incident with Greg Lyons. St Joseph’s Seán Flynn had hit the Kilmurry man with a fair shoulder seconds before the incident involving Lyons and O’Connor, which happened in front of the stand. It seemed …

Banner Ladies  5-16 Cooraclare  0-5 Ireland hockey international Naomi Carroll inspired Banner Ladies to capture their fourth Clare Senior Football Championship crown in five years with an impressive tally of 4-2. Cooraclare had no answer to the scintillating display of the Banner Ladies’ corner-forward, who simply tormented their defence with four superb goals and tireless support play for her colleagues, despite spraining her left ankle before the game. By the time Carroll had rattled the net for the third time in the 21st minute to put Banner Ladies 3-3 to 0-1 ahead, Cooraclare were already facing the prospect of a heavy defeat.Pre-match expectations of a competitive senior decider proved wide of the mark as a disjointed Cooraclare outfit never scaled the heights of their encouraging eight-point win over 2010 champions West Clare Gaels in the semi-final.While Banner Ladies were hotly fancied to put two titles back-to-back, no ladies’ football pundit would have predicted a 26-point victory for the Ennis-based outfit …

Clarecastle  8-17 Parteen St Nicholas  0-1 Unbeaten Clarecastle cruised to their first adult ladies’ football title after a clinical demolition of rank outsiders Parteen St Nicholas in Miltown on Sunday. Munster U-14 doubles champion Doireann Murphy came off the bench early in the second half to put the game beyond St Nicholas’ reach with three well-taken goals.In spite of finishing with 3-1, Doireann still didn’t manage to collect the player of the game award, which was deservedly won by another talented Magpies ladies’ footballer, Lauren Tuohy.Still U-15, Tuohy excelled throughout with great workrate and intensity as well as some excellent point taking. These are just two of the promising young Magpies footballers who captured their first underage trophy by defeating Miltown in the Division Four Championship final.Overall, Clarecastle were just too strong in virtually every position of the field for the gallant Parteen, who tried hard to keep up with their superior opponents.Trailing by 2-6 to 0-1 at the interval, …

Éire Og  3-8 Corofin-Ruan  1-8 ‘THE Townies are back’ was the chant from the Éire Óg supporters when their favourites won the U-16A hurling crown for the first time since 2000 at Clarecastle on Sunday afternoon. Corofin-Ruan started the brighter and were three points ahead after 10 minutes when Fergus Killeen looking really dangerous at centre-forward. Eoin Clancy was dominant at midfield. However, Éire Óg settled and were ahead by the 20th minute with their half-forward line of O’Connor, O’Halloran and O’Connell really coming into the game.In the 22nd minute, Michael Kelly goaled for Corofin/Ruan to help them regain the lead. In the 26th minute of the first half, Éire Óg corner-forward Tadhg Connellan scored a goal when the ball rebounded off Corofin/Ruan goalie Conor O’Loughlin, after a great shot by Liam Lynch. This left the half-time score at 1-5 to 1-4 in favour of the winners.Corofin/Ruan were dealt three killer blows in the second half. The town side had …

Inagh-Kilnamona  3-11 Wolfe Tones  2-12 IN this U-16A Shield final played in Newmarket-on-Fergus on Sunday evening, Inagh-Kilnamona and Wolfe Tones played out a thrilling match that kept the crown on tender hooks right to the final whistle. The underfoot conditions were quite heavy but this did not hamper the teams, who delivered a high-quality game in what has turned out to be a very competitive U-16 championship.The Inagh-Kilnamona side availed of a fairly stiff breeze in the first half and were much more dominant in their play, scoring a succession of fine points, especially from frees by their centre-back Jason McCarthy. A scrambled goal left them in pole position leading at the short whistle on a scoreline of 1-9 to 0-3.Some positional changes to the Wolfe Tones team at half-time turned the tide for the airport side, who dominated the exchanges in the second half  and enjoyed a purple patch, scoring some superb points from play and some wonderful, long-range …

Broadford  2-11 Cratloe  0-10 BROADFORD won the U-16C Championship with an impressive second half display against Cratloe at Clarecastle at noon on Sunday. Broadford were slow to start but with the outstanding Darren Chaplin goaling in the 15th minute, it brought Broadford to life. The teams were level 1-4 (Broadford) to 0-7 at the break. The first five points of the second half went to Broadford with Darren Chaplin (3) and two from the impressive midfielder Diarmuid O’Brien. Cratloe only scored three points in the second half with Michael Danagher scoring two fine frees and Páudí Earls scoring from play in the 18th minute. Broadford dominated the last 10 minutes and when substitute John Skeahan found the net in the 27th minute, the cup was well on its way to Broadford.Broadford: Eoghan Daly; Eoin Donnellan, Diarmuid Whelan; Eoghan Mason, Sean Phelan, Cathal O’Connell; Paul Moloney, Diarmuid O’Brien; Paul Doyle, Shane Keniry, Darren Chaplin; Matthew Troy, Michael Hogan.Subs: John Skehan, Jack …

Feakle  2-8 Kilmaley  2-6 FEAKLE and Kilmaley met in the first round of this minor championship, with Feakle emerging victorious. With only two points between the teams on that occasion, another close affair was expected. Neither team disappointed and the outcome of this game was in doubt until the final whistle. It took seven minutes before the first score was registered, a point for Kilmaley. Feakle followed quickly when Aoife Dillon popped over a point from play. Kilmaley added three points before Feakle struck for goal. A free from Aoife Dillon landed on the edge of the square and was finished to the net by Samantha O’Connor. Kilmaley finished this half the stronger, adding 1-1 to their first-half tally, while Feakle registered a point from a free by Vera Loughnane. When Kilmaley rattled the net from the throw-in to put six points between the teams, it was difficult to see a comeback from Feakle. However, this was to be the …

Clooney-Quin 1-3 Kilkishen  0-5 CLOONEY-Quin defeated Kilkishen by the narrowest of margins in a very entertaining Minor B Shield final at Shannon camogie field on Saturday. The teams were evenly matched throughout and it was a goal from Clooney-Quin’s Jessica Leamy after a great burst through the middle by Aisling Corbett five minutes before half-time, which was to prove the decisive score of the game.

WITH their third victory in as many outings, Brian O’Mahony and his co-driver, John Higgins (Subaru WRC) moved into the lead in the Dunlop National Rally Champions hip courtesy of their victory in the Auburn Lodge Hotel Clare Rally, the penultimate round of the series. The Cork/Mayo pairing finished 19 seconds in front of the similar S11 Subaru WRC of Monaghan’s, Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry. Kevin Kelleher/Ger Conway, in an S9 Subaru WRC, were 57 seconds further behind in third.Pre-event Dunlop series leaders, Thomas Fitzmaurice/Fionn Foley retired their Subaru with transmission troubles on the fifth stage. The Kerry crew are six points behind O’Mahony/Higgins. Maguire/Sherry remain in contention for the Vard Memorial Trophy, they are 10 points behind the new leaders. The series will be decided on the Donegal Harvest Rally on October 13.Meanwhile, Frank Kelly and co-driver, Liam Brennan (Escort), who finished fifth overall, clinched the inaugural Dunlop Mk 2 Champions Trophy, Colm Murphy/Don Montgomery (Subaru) secured the Motorsport Safety …

NOEL Pyne won the Greg Young Memorial Trophy at Lahinch at the weekend when he had one shot to spare over Michael Burns. The Ennis man returned a score of 148 for the competition, which took place on the Castle Course on Friday and the Championship Course on Saturday. In third place was Ger Vaughan on 153.In the nett category, the winner was Declan Broughan with 135, from Gerry O’Mahony on a similar score with Ronan Murphy one stroke back in third spot.John McDonnell won the net on Friday with 66, while Pat Dunne won this category on Saturday.In the gross section on Friday, Ger O’Shea was the winner with 70, while Rupert Staunton won this category on Saturday on 76.Jerry Keohane won the over 60s’ section with 137, while Joe Carney won the over 70s with 140.In the men’s singles Stableford competition on Saturday, the winner was John Shannon (21) with 46 points from Bert Gleeson (16) with a …

THE annual All-star Awards presentation night for Clare Community Games will take place on Friday, October 19 in the West County Hotel at 8pm. Seventy children will receive awards on the night and tickets can be booked through county treasurer Rose Meakins. The following will be honoured on the night: Art: Natasha Coughlan (Quin/Clooney), Wiktor Prajs (Kilkishen/O’Callaghan’s Mills/Oatfield); Model-making: Lauren McConway (Quin/Clooney), David Ryall (Shannon); Athletics track: Ella Duff (Shannon), Niamh Conlon (Cooraclare/Cree), Ailbhe Doherty (Ennis St John’s), Farouk Sobayo (Ennis St John’s); Athletics field: Doireann Murphy (Clarecastle/Ballyea), Eoin Hanrahan (Doora/Barefield); Badminton: Michael Troy (Broadford/Kilbane/Kilmore); Basketball: U-11 mixed, David Barbotin (Quin/Clooney), U-13 Aoibhin Fahy (Ennistymon/Lahinch/Liscannor), Sean McNamara (Cooraclare/Cree), U-16 Katie Considine (Ennistymon/Lahinch/Liscannor), Cian O’Sullivan (Doora/Barefield); Camogie: Haley Brooks (Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry); Chess: U-12 Hazel Meaney (Shannon), U-16 Robbie Meaney (Shannon); Choir U-13: Sinéad Murray (Shannon); Cross country: Alex O’Neill (Quin/Clooney), Patrick O’Rourke. (Ennistymon/Lahinch/Liscannor); Cycling: Jennifer O’Neill (Quin/Clooney), Alex McConway (Quin/Clooney); Draughts: U-10 Liam McInerney (Tulla), U-12 Aisling Clarke (Tulla), U-14 Rebecca McEvoy …