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Senior Hurling Final - Eire Og v Ballyea

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Clare GAA Opt To Play Opening Championship Rounds Behind Closed Doors

The opening rounds of the 2020 Clare GAA club championships will be played behind closed doors. The decision was reached following a virtual meeting of clubs on Friday evening with a number of delegates outlining their concern about the tensions that distributing such a limited number of tickets could cause among members. With only 200 people being allowed to outdoor gatherings, it means capacity would have been limited for championships games with secretary Pat Fitzgerald outlining his view that only in the region of 30 tickets would have been available for each club to sell. Some clubs also outlined concerns that extra panel members would have been excluded outside of the match-day squad. It was decided that each club will now have in the region of 55 tickets to divide between the panel, backroom team and club officials. The third phase of the roadmap to reopen the country is paused until August 10, at which point crowds for outdoors events …

Derrick Lynch O’Gorman Cup Preliminary Round: Ennistymon 3-9 Miltown 0-1 This was not a result or a game that will live long in the memory for either side, but it was a significant one nonetheless. 11am on a misty Sunday morning is never where you will find the glamour ties, but this one was all about the fact that competitive football was back for the first time since Covid-19 brought everything to a screeching halt in March. There was also something of an irony towards the end, with everyone wishing Robert Harte’s full-time would come quickly, having waited so eagerly to hear his first one. The new normal was evident for all to see, as Hennessey Memorial Park was well decked out with signage advising patrons of their responsibilities to help prevent the spread of the virus. The stand played host not only to the handful of spectators, but also to both teams for togging out. There was hand sanitiser …

Derrick Lynch The manager of the Clare minor footballers feels an opportunity was missed by the GAA to have an open draw All-Ireland series for the grade in 2020. The revised draws for the Munster minor championship, which will be run on a knockout basis, sees Clare taking on Tipperary in the provincial quarter-final with the winners facing either Limerick or Waterford. Last year’s finalists, Cork and Kerry, will meet in the other last four tie. Clare have made steady progress under the guidance of Kilmurry Ibrickane’s Dermot Coughlan with the 1992 Munster championship winner steering his side to the Daryl Darcy Cup in 2019. It saw them emerge from the initial round robin series of the provincial competition before a narrow defeat to Cork saw them just lose out on a place in the decider. Coughlan, who is in his second year in the role, is looking forward to getting back to training but says he was fearful that …

Cratloe have bolstered their ranks ahead of their bid for a first Clare senior football title since 2014. Former Laois star Billy Sheehan is understood to have linked up with the Colm Collins trained outfit and trained with the south-east Clare club over the last week. The Kerry native, who played much of his club football with Emo, lined out with Dublin side St Jude’s in the 2018 senior championship final in the capital. They lost out to Kilmacud Crokes in the decider, with Quilty native Pat Burke netting a crucial goal in that game. Sheehan started out his club career with Austin Stacks and played for the Kingdom before making the switch to the Midlands. It was fellow Kerry man Mick O’Dwyer who called him up to the Laois side in 2004 to kickstart a career that lasted until 2015. Cratloe’s last title success came in 2014 which also saw the club secure a historic double of county football …

Derrick Lynch The 2020 Clare GAA club championships might still be a few weeks away, but the first live sporting GAA action in the county since the outbreak of Covid-19 takes place this weekend with the start of football’s O’Gorman Cup. The competition is run in memory of Doonbeg stalwart John O’Gorman and is restricted to players who have not seen intercounty action that year. Lissycasey are the title holders after victory over Naomh Eoin in the 2019 decider with both teams entering once more this year. 10 teams in total will take part with county champions Miltown, Ballyvaughan, Kildysart, O’Curry’s Ennistymon, Doonbeg, Cooraclare and Kilrush completing the line up. Roll of honour leaders Kilmurry Ibrickane have opted against taking part once more this year. Their last appearance in the competition was the 2018 final which saw them overcome Miltown in the decider after extra-time. The competition will run on a knockout basis for 2020 with two preliminary round ties …

Derrick Lynch In a purely sporting sense, it has been a really positive and uplifting couple of days. The prospect of live competitive action is now just days away, with the first two rounds of the O’Gorman Cup being played this weekend. The ice has already been broken with teams taking part in various challenge games across the county and beyond over the last week as that long spell without sport finally came to an end. All of it has of course to be tempered by the fact that we are by no means out of the Covid-19 shaped woods just yet, but thankfully for the first time since March we can see the track that will hopefully lead us through. The images from Dublin and the anecdotal stories from other places last weekend were not exactly encouraging, so it is vital that we do not lose sight of the fact that this is not yet over. Live sporting action …

A farmer, a father and a husband. They are the three titles that legendary Clare athlete Seamus Power uses to break down where his focus lies these days. A relatively small farmer is how he assesses himself, with the 50 cows in his dairy herd keeping his days busy. His evenings are busy too, with his three sons all having inherited the sporting gene from their father with football, hurling, soccer and inevitably, athletics, all on the agenda for the next generation. They know all about just how successful their father was from the stories they have heard of his achievements, but there is also the more tangible proof in the form of his medal haul from an outstanding career. It is fitting that the humble Power is not one for keeping his bounty on display, but yet when asked about them there is a hint of that confidence that saw him dominate the long distance athletics scene for well …

The Clare minor football championship will be run as an U-18 competition for 2020. It comes after a number of clubs objected to the decision to make it an U-17 championship, which would have ruled out players in their final year of the traditional minor grade. It is understood that a number of clubs objected to the move which was announced earlier this week, and an email circulated to clubs today confirmed that the decision had been reversed. The minor hurling championship had already been confirmed as being for U-18’s. Both codes will also run an U-14 competition, with the possibility of championships at other age grades later this year.

Derrick Lynch The Clare minor camogie squad have expressed their disappointment at the decision to cancel this year’s All-Ireland series. The Camogie Association confirmed last week that they would not be running the championship this year, with provincial series being run instead. That is despite the competition having already begun before the Covid-19 measures were put in place, with Clare losing out to Kilkenny in the opening round. The issue of the crossover between minor and senior squads was highlighted as an issue but that is something that those opposed to the move have disputed. The Clare management team led by Dervilla Moloney have been instrumental in leading the charge for the decision to be reversed, while some members of the squad have made their feelings known with letters to The Clare Champion. One of those came from the vice-captain of the team, Kilkishen’s Caoimhe Kelly “As a committed county player I write this statement on behalf of my teammates …

Derrick Lynch St Flannan’s Harty Cup winning coach Brendan Bugler feels more efforts could have been made to ensure the completion of this year’s All-Ireland colleges hurling championship. It is after the decision was taken not to conclude the All-Ireland series for post-primary competitions in light of the Covid-19 crisis and the packed sporting calendar over the next few months. The Ennis school followed up their provincial success by taking down defending champions St Kieran’s of Kilkenny, and were due to face St Raphael’s in a last four tie just days before lockdown measures were introduced. It had been hoped that some solution could be found to see the Croke Cup competition finished in 2020, but last week’s decision saw the campaign brought to a close. Whitegate clubman Bugler says recent easing of restrictions led to renewed hopes the competition would be concluded, and feels there were options available to be explored. “Initially we thought the chances of playing the …

Derrick Lynch The sporting landscape around the country might have been at a standstill for the last few months, but behind the scenes, one West Clare club was putting plans in place to take their development to the next level. Kilrush Rugby Club is based in Monmore, and in recent years the influx of younger players in particular has seen the club producing some brilliant talent across the girls and boys divisions. That success has also accelerated plans to rejuvenate the adult section of the club, with recruitment currently underway for both a men’s and women’s team for the coming season. It is not just on the field that the club is looking to further their development, but they are also looking to further the development of their field with work progressing on the construction of a second pitch at their grounds. Director of rugby in Kilrush, Andy Burke, outlined where the idea for the project came from “One thing …

Last year’s senior football finalists, St Joseph’s Miltown, the winners, and neighbours and old rivals Kilmurry Ibrickane will lock horns in the opening round of this year’s championship. The repeat pairing was the notable first round draw made by county board chairman Joe Cooney at Clareabbey on Wednesday evening. It is an intriguing tie given that last year a replay was required to determine the outcome. The football championship throws in the August bank holiday weekend. In hurling, kingpins Sixmilebridge face a daunting challenge in the opening round of their title defence when they face old adversaries Éire Óg. In last year’s campaign the sides met in the quarter-final where the Bridge were hard pressed to get the better of a Shane O’Donnell inspired Ennis side and in a game which could have gone either way. No doubt the Townies will be thirsting for revenge when the championship throws in on the weekend of July 24-25-26. Broafdford, who return to …

The 2020 Clare GAA club championships will begin on the weekend of July 24 with clubs opting to stick with the structures proposed by the Master Fixtures committee. At the most unique meeting of the County Committee ever held, delegates sat socially distanced in the stand of Cusack Park while the members of the executive were perched on a lorry which was parked along the sideline of the county grounds. The option of holding the meeting online had been discussed, but the outdoor setting was the preferred choice. Chairman Joe Cooney acknowledged the “strange circumstances” in which the meeting was being held amid the Covid-19 crisis, and held a minutes silence for those who had passed away since clubs last convened in February. Two clubs, namely Newmarket on Fergus and Clooney Quin had submitted correspondence to the secretary requesting permission to apply for loans in order to fund works at their grounds. The chairman informed the meeting that this was …

SPORTING nostalgia has certainly been popular throughout the pandemic, with All-Ireland finals and World Cup ties being broadcast on various channels. On a very local level, Wolfe Tones have been putting footage of old club games online every Sunday evening and it has proven very popular. Club officer Paul Hogan has led the initiative and said, “With the fact the GAA was gone, we just wanted to add something. Our aim too was to preserve as many Wolfe Tones games as we could. We’ve tried to cover all four bases of ladies’ football, camogie, hurling and Gaelic football. We’re fairly eating through them over the last few weeks. If there’s anyone in the county with old Wolfe Tones games, we’d be delighted to get them up on YouTube.” Many of the games shown have finished with Wolfe Tones hoisting silverware. “It has been mostly finals but the first game was a Munster semi-final against Patrickswell. Because it was on in …

This year’s All Ireland Finals will be played in December with the possibility of a penalty shootout determining the champions. The GAA today outlined their fixture schedule for the remainder of the year with a bumper Autumn and Winter in store, with the All-Ireland hurling final set for December 13 with the football taking place on December 19. Action from a Banner point of view will recommence on the weekend of October 17, with the National Football League Division 2 clash of Clare and Fermanagh in Cusack Park. The following weekend will see Clare’s last league game against Armagh along with the Munster Hurling Quarter-Final. The draws for the provincial hurling campaign will be made this evening with the format reverting back to the system last used in 2017. Three teams will be drawn straight to the semi-finals while the remaining two will meet in the quarter-final tie. There will be no break for the footballers, who face Tipperary in …

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Tones just shade 12 goal thriller

Minor C Camogie Championship Final Wolfe Tones 6-13 Parteen-Meelick 6-10 Wolfe Tones definitely earned their Minor C Camogie Championship breakthrough, having been tested to their optimum by a never-say-die Parteen-Meelick in what was a truly memorable decider in Fr. McNamara on Wednesday evening, Sharing twelve goals equally, supporters were not only afraid to take their eyes off it but even fearful of blinking in case they missed a goal. It was a compelling end-to-end contest that proved a superb advertisement for Clare Camogie as the standard on offer far exceeded expectations as both sides left everything out on the field in pursuit of some much-needed silverware. And yet considering the final scoreline, it’s perhaps difficult to believe that there were no goals at all until additional time in the first half. Indeed, injury-time in general appeared to ignite something special in these sides as seven of the twelve goals were scored in those added minutes, five of which arrived amidst …
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Can the real Inagh-Kilnamona please stand up?
Group of Death comes alive
Intermediate predictability dashed by compelling Group 4
Blues complete unprecedented clean sweep of underage honours

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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