RUBY Walsh made a welcome return to action when scoring on his first ride back from injury aboard Willie Mullins’ Rattan on the opening afternoon of the seven-day Listowel Harvest Festival last Sunday.Walsh had been on the sidelines since fracturing his ankle in a fall at Galway early last month but the multiple champion showed no ill-effects of that tumble when giving his mount a power-packed ride to claim the two-mile Keryrmaid HurdleThe clear form choice at 4/9 favourite, Rattan looked to have it all to do when Miley Shah still held a comfortable advantage turning into the home straight. But Walsh never gave up aboard the hot-pot, getting stuck into the son of Royal Anthem on the run-in, eventually forcing his mount up to beat Miley Shan by a head.A clearly relieved Walsh declared with his tongue firmly in cheek,  “I thought these odds-on shots were meant to be steering jobs. It’s great to be back and I’m looking …

Avenue Utd B                  0Newmarket Celtic B          2 This First Division League game played at the Lees Road saw the visitors, Newmarket Celtic, capture all points. Both sides were playing their first league game of the season. The quite blustery conditions militated against good constructive play. In the first half, Avenue had the better of the play and created some good scoring chances but they failed to register a score. The first of these chances arrived on five minutes when Josh Lynch got on the end of a low cross only to see his effort hit the side netting. The Ennis outfit came close again on the half hour when a Neil Slattery free kick from the edge of the area whizzed past the left-hand post. Mark Roche should have hit the target three minutes later but his effort was outside the right-hand post. The visitors’ best chance of the half came just before the half-time whistle when Ian Cusack executed …

Acknowledged as one of the oldest soccer clubs in Clare, Sixmilebridge-based Bridge United is also one of the most progressive.Less than a decade ago, the club executive made the brave decision that after years of living a nomadic sort of lifestyle to up stumps for the final time, move to a permanent abode and develop their own club grounds. A central site at Shannon Road was acquired and, on a limited budget and with no grant aid or funding from outside sources, the club developed its own playing and training facilities.Not content to sit on their laurels, the time has now arrived to move the development on a stage further.Club PRO Barry Downes explained that, in a two-pronged approach, the club plans to upgrade the playing surface and also to solicit, through an advertising opportunity, any business or individual interested in securing the naming rights of the club grounds.“When one visits our club, the first thing they will notice is …

The opening rounds in the FAI U-17 Challenge Cup will take place this weekend and four Clare clubs will be seeking to advance. Moher Celtic will entertain Regional United at Liscannor on Saturday at 2pm and at the same time on Saturday, Bridge United will have Star Rovers as visitors. On Sunday Avenue United travel to play Kilmallock United at 2pm, while Ennis Town Rock will face Mungret-Regional at Mungret.In the Munster Junior Cup, Kilmaley United will entertain Shannon Olympic B at Tiermaclane on Sunday at 2pm in a preliminary round tie.In the first round proper, there are eight games listed for decision. Kilrush Rangers, Kilkishen Celtic, Kildysart Celtic, Newmarket Celtic B, Bridge United B, Hermitage A, Rhine Rovers and Tulla United A will all have home advantage against Moher Celtic, Connolly Celtic, Bunratty-Cratloe A, Ennis Town Rock, Shannon Olympic A, Avenue United B, Inch Crusaders and Burren United. There is one round 2 game scheduled and this sees Avenue …

There was a big attendance at the 11th annual convention of the Clare Athletics Association in the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis, last Friday night. All outgoing officers were returned for the 2012/13 season.Chairman, Michael Lillis welcomed the club representatives from St Cronan’s, St Mary’s, Ennis Track Club, Marian, St John’s, Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare, Kilmihil, Shannon, Kilnaboy, Fergus. He had a special mention for new club in East Clare, Corbally He paid tribute to the Clare athletes that won Clare, Munster and national titles Michael also paid special tribute to the Clare county secretary, Vincent McCarthy and also to his fellow officers for assisting him with his Munster Cross Country duties.County secretary Vincent McCarthy gave a very detailed report and he called for a lot more help on the ground on the days of Clare championships. He congratulated all the coaches and mentors and the clubs for the way all their athletes have represented their clubs in Munster and National Championships.Joint …

The fourth annual East Clare 10k road and 10k fun walk and cycle was held in Kilkishen on Saturday with a large number of competitors taking part in all three.Clare senior hurling captain Pat Donnellan from the host club was the official race starter and all proceeds from the event went to Irish Cancer Society and Church of Ireland Restoration fund.Tracy Roche-Johnson (Bilboa) captured the ladies’ title on a sprint finish from Catherine Conway (Mayo) with Helen Corbett (Galway City Harriers), third.Fintan Hyland (Galway City Harriers), won the senior mens in 32.47 from James McIntyre (BMOH), and Colm Turner (Limerick).Willie Devitt (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) and Mike Cunningham (Bilboa) set a very fast pace going through the 1k mark in 3.16. They were closely followed by a group of five athletes that included Colm Turner (Limerick), Fintan Hyland (Galway City Harriers), TJ McHugh (Mayo), Keith Lynch, James McIntyre (both BMOH).Fintan Hyland made a decisive move towards the front before the 3k …

At the seventh annual open doubles tennis tournament held in Killaloe, Ben Kilkenny and Michael O’Meara (KBTC) retained the men’s A doubles title which they won last year by defeating the international pairing of Chris Collins (South Africa) and JP Savy (Toulouse), both of whom play out of Birr/Nenagh tennis clubs respectively. The Killaloe/Ballina pair reversed the result of the earlier rounds where they lost to Collins and Savy.Ger McKenna with his new partner Brian McNamara retained the Men’s B title, defeating Tom Giltenane and Billy Hilliard from Catholic Institute Tennis Club.In the ladies’ A doubles final, camogie goalie Emma Mulqueen (recently promoted from Division B), partnered hockey player Aine McCarthy (Puckane) to defeat Jean Canning and Csilla Varga (Nenagh/Birr) in a very competitive match, 7-5, 7-6.Michelle Ryan and Louise Mullen (Monaleen TC) played Mary Gavin and Niamh Droney (Puckane) in the longest match of the finals, which lasted over two hours, Michelle and Louise eventually coming out on top …

Athenry owner, Ryan Ruane was the big winner in Galway on Friday night, his Jumeirah Joe coming out best in the top-graded A2 event over 525 yards. The lead was exchanged between Unknown Tornado (at the first) and Peadars Touch (at the second) before Jumeirah Joe took over at the third and held out to win by a length and a half in 29.23 from  Ballycasey Star, trained by Leo Kelly for Don Gallery, Shannon. Beaten a short head into third place was the 5-4 favourite, Peadars Touch, trained by Donie Duggan for Peter Russell of Shannon.Clare’s first win of the night came in the sixth race, which was an A6-graded 550 yards one. Going off the even-money favourite from trap four was the Roscrea-owned Malbay Marley. Although he challenged at the fourth bend, the one to finish the strongest was Knockdine Dazl, owned by Helen O’Brien, Miltown Malbay. The daughter of Razldazl Billy-Knockdine Lady was in trap two for …

Clare winners were not as plentiful  at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium  last weekend, with just four successes from two meetings.Pat Hogan from Templemaley near Ennis  was on the ball on Saturday night, with his Aulton Ron winning one of the A1-graded races on the card. The Seamus Fahy-trained Bit View Kenny in trap two was sent off the even-money favourite for the 525 yards race but he got off to a bad start and  never showed. However, Auton Ron  had a lively break from trap four to lead at the opening bend and the son of Droopys Scolari-Loclar Cia remained on as the pace setter for the rest of the trip to win impressively by close on five lengths  in a fast 28.93, from Cumann Knievel. Three parts of a length back for third spot was Tiermana Star, owned by Noel Moroney, Mullagh.The last race on the card, an A2-graded 550, went to Gort owner-trainer Philip Mullaney. The son …

A Clare juvenile handball medal presentation will take place this Saturday at 7pm in the Shebeen, Doora. ResultsB singles finals.U-12B singles: Michael Hynes (Tuamgraney) beat Stephen Hayes (Tuamgraney).U-12B plate: Oisín Egan, (Clooney) defeated Cillian Enright (Clooney).U-13 singles: Cian Keogh, (Clooney) defeated John Kearney (Shannon). U-14B singles: Sean Perril (Tuamgraney) defeated Ciaran Hickey (Tuamgraney).U-14 plate: Sean McInerney (O’Callaghan’s Mills) defeated Michael Cotter (O’Callaghan’s Mills).U-15B singles: David Sheedy defeated Sean Phelan.U-15B singles plate: Michael Culligan defeated Evan Wiley.U-16B singles: Willie Fitzgerald (Tuamgraney) defeated Cian Crimmins (Clarecastle).U-16B plate: Sean Doyle (Broadford) defeated Eanna Barry, (Clooney).U-17B singles: Colin Haugh (Clooney) defeated Michael Barrett (Tuamgraney).U-17B singles plate: Joseph Vaughan (Tulla) defeated Ruairi Nash (Clooney).Doubles finalsU-12 final: JP O’Shea, Lee Devitt, (Shannon) defeated Oisín Egan and Ulick O’Sullivan.U-12 plate: Conor Shanagfher and  Stephen Donnellan (Shannon)  defeated Cillian Enright and Paul Hogan.U-13 final: Cathal Doyle and Oran Treacy (Tuamgraney) defeated Oisín Slattery and Cillian Downes (Tuamgraney).U-14 final: Ben McLoughlin and James Downing (O’Callaghan’s Mills) beat Brendan Dolan …

WHEN Cratloe’s five county U-21 panellists talk among themselves, the verbal digs fly as freely as a speeding sliotar on hard ground. Yet, when they pull a jersey over their heads, be it for club or county, they back each other until they have expended their last drop. Perhaps that’s what allows them to liberally trade barbed comments; they know that when they really need somebody at their back, at least one of the other four will be there.Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath and Conor Ryan will, barring a draw, play their last U-21 hurling game for Clare on Saturday evening, while Podge Collins and Enda Boyce are underage again in 2013. Maybe the thought of spending yet another year in Podge’s company is why ‘Boycey’ got his retaliation in first.“I’d say Podge,” the LIT renewable energy student replies when asked which of his four clubmates he tries to avoid. “He never stops talking,” he laughs, looking around to make sure …

Kilkenny and Clare are the two best teams in U-21 hurling at this time and their meeting in Saturday’s All-Ireland final should be a thrilling contest.Opinions are divided as to which team will carry the favourites’ tag with Kilkenny just about getting the nod, following their impressive and comprehensive win over holders and competition favourites, Galway, in the semi-final.The Noresiders have, on paper at least, had a more difficult route to the final, whereas Clare, apart from the Munster final, have had an easy passage to the decider.Given that Clare and Waterford had produced some excellent games at minor level in the past three years, the meeting of these teams in the provincial U-21 semi-final was expected to produce an exciting game.It didn’t materialise, as Clare scored a runaway victory to go through to play Tipperary. In front of a big home following, they had to rely on a last-minute goal from substitute Niall Arthur to claim only their second …

  Lissycasey  2-9 Liscannor  1-5 In winning the Garry Cup title (Division 2 football league) for the second time, Lissycasey bridged a seven-year gap at sun-splashed Cooraclare on Saturday evening. The club last won the title in 2005. Already assured of Division 1 (Cusack Cup) football next season, both sides went into Saturday evening’s game chasing impressive performances ahead of important fixtures this coming week. Lissycasey battle for their senior status this Sunday when they face St Senan’s Kilkee while, on Wednesday next, Liscannor will take on Cratloe for a place in the last eight of the senior championship.Lissycasey were dealt an early blow when they lost Alan Nagle to injury after only six minutes. He was replaced by the experienced Cathal Hill, who went on to deliver another impressive performance.Six minutes had elapsed before the opening score, which came from Lissycasey’s David Considine. The same player quickly added a like score from a free. Lissycasey should have extended their …

The rules of the Clare Schoolboys Soccer League are not being applied equally across the board, according to the league secretary, Ciarán O’Dea.The league official made his comments this week after his club, West Clare United, were omitted from the draw for the U-12 Cup semi-finals, despite having won their way to the last four of the competition.The decision to omit West Clare United was made following a claim that the club has failed to pay two fines.“I have requested that an appeal be heard by the committee of the CSSL. I haven’t received an answer. I will be considering my position after the next CSSL meeting and the decision of that meeting in relation to this issue,” Mr O’Dea told The Clare Champion.According to Clare Schoolboys League chairman, Tommy Molloy “appeals can only be dealt with by the SFAI”. He went on to say that a committee meeting is scheduled for next Monday night.“As a result of what I …

ST JOSEPH’S Doora-Barefield and former All-Ireland-winning Kerry goalkeeper Declan O’Keeffe has told The Clare Champion that revamping Clare football’s underage player development structures should take precedence over everything else, as far as football in the county is concerned.  He says promising young players should be micro-managed between the ages of 15 and 20 in order to properly prepare them for the challenges of playing adult football at county level. This would involve a former county player or a strength and conditioning expert keeping in regular touch with a small group of promising footballers and ensuring they are undergoing the strength and conditioning work, as well as living the lifestyle necessary to play inter-county football. “We need to get in at U-14 and U-15 level and work on developing a winning attitude,” he said, before elaborating on how the micro-management system would work. “Young players must be put on the right programme. A lot of these programmes are dynamic stretching programmes, …