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Senior Hurling Final - Eire Og v Ballyea

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Lohan Calls For Clare Club Championships To Finish By September 20

Clare senior hurling manager Brian Lohan is calling for an earlier start to the 2020 Clare club championships in order to give more time to the county squad to prepare for the opening round of the inter-county campaign. The GAA today confirmed that the format last used in 2017 will be in place for this year, with the round robin system shelved for now. It means the championship will revert to a straight knockout provincial campaign with a one chance All-Ireland qualifier for teams who lose out. The inter-county hurling season is due to get underway at the end of October with the Munster and Leinster quarter-finals, with Clare due to find out their opening opponents when the draws are made this (Friday) evening. The GAA have outlined that inter-county training is not permitted until September 14, with much discussion surrounding the consequences for those who break that deadline. With some counties seeing their club championships finishing in early September, …

Derrick Lynch One of the most senior members of the Clare hurling panel is among those expressing a level of concern surrounding the return to play amid fears over the spread of Covid-19. A survey by the Gaelic Players Association this week revealed that almost 20% of those canvassed admitted to having concerns about returning to the fray, a sentiment echoed by Pat O’Connor. The Tubber man, who captained Clare in two Munster finals, feels while there are concerns surrounding what the future will hold, it remains to be seen exactly what that future will look like. “There is a sense of excitement mixed with relief but also a bit of trepidation about what we are going into and how it will affect everything around us. To be perfectly honest about it, there is that sense of worry about it. I recently spent a day in a meeting room with our quality manager telling us that this is here to …

Former Clare football manager Donie Buckley has joined up with the Kilmaley senior hurlers for 2020 in a coaching role. The Kerry native links up with the new management team spearheaded by Kieran O’Neill and Niall Romer for the coming season. Buckley, who lives in Ennis, departed from the Kerry senior football set-up earlier this year having been part of Peter Keane’s backroom team during the early part of the National League. The Castleisland man was also involved with his native county in last year’s championship campaign which saw the Kingdom lose out to Dublin in the All-Ireland final after a replay. He previously coached on a part-time basis with Miltown during their championship success in recent years.

Changes to the dates outlined for the 2020 Clare GAA club championships could be on the way. It is after the GAA’s Covid-19 Advisory Committee outlined their latest set of proposals, which will see GAA pitches reopened on Wednesday next. Adult training will be permitted first, with training for minors and below from Saturday June 27. Sessions must be for a maximum of 15 players in a designated area of the pitch and on a non-contact basis. Players must also have completed the GAA’s E-Learning module and follow all control measures which are in place. Contact training and challenge games are now sanctioned from June 29 onwards, while club championships can get underway from Friday July 17. The Master Fixtures committee of Clare GAA has set out their proposed plans for this year’s club championship with a start date of July 31 being pencilled in, but it remains to be seen if that date will now be brought forward on …

Derrick Lynch Relegation will not apply for the 2020 Clare club championships according to the revised Master Fixtures schedule. The document issued to clubs lays out the format for this year’s campaign, with a new structure proposed for both the hurling and football championships which will guarantee at least two championship games for all teams. The accompanying notes outline that there will be no relegation owing to the exceptional circumstances of the year particularly in light of some clubs potentially playing without some players due to Covid-19 concerns. Promotion from the Junior and Intermediate championships will apply as normal, meaning two teams will be relegated from each grade in 2021. The county championships could also be decided by penalty shootouts with all games to be finished on the day, including the finals. The decision has also been taken not to allow any amalgamated teams to enter the 2020 championship to avoid creating extra fixtures in a tight calendar window. The …

Derrick Lynch Works are set to begin next week on a €40,000 investment at Spanish Point Golf Club. It will see the installation of a new short game area incorporating a chipping and putting facility which is expected to take six months to complete. It is the latest positive news story for the West Clare club which has seen a rise in its membership figures for 2020 despite the Covid-19 crisis, while also attracting new overseas membership for the coming year. Club PRO Mervin Hehir outlined how the initial idea for the project first came about. “We wanted to develop something for the community which was affordable and accessible for the people of West Clare. It is something that you can do with the children for an hour if you want and it means you don’t have to go out on the course fully. One of our biggest success stories over the last few years has been our junior programme. …

Derrick Lynch A decision on the future of the 2019/2020 Clare soccer season is yet to be finalised but an update is expected to be issued soon. It is understood that the league executive have contacted the clubs in the county for their feedback on whether the season should be scrapped or restarted. It is believed that the majority of clubs are in favour of the campaign being played to its conclusion before the new season gets underway later in the autumn. Guidelines have been issued to clubs by the FAI in recent weeks outlining the requirements which will have to be in place before a safe return to training can be achieved. This includes a no contact policy along with no training based around set-pieces such as throw ins, corners or free kicks. It also states that 15 minute gaps must be left between sessions if multiple groups are using a facility. Former Clare District Soccer League chairman Jim …

Derrick Lynch The 2020 Clare Ladies football club championships are currently provisionally set to begin on August 10, according to chairman David O’Brien. Kilmihil were due to get the defence of their title underway this month, with the first two rounds originally pencilled in for June. That plan was scuppered by the outbreak of Covid-19, with Monday night fixtures now likely to utilised in order to counteract a packed local Gaelic Games calendar. The Cooraclare clubman confirmed that the county final weekend is planned to be on September 20, meaning the championship will be run off over a six week period. O’Brien outlined that clubs have been contacted over the last few weeks and the board are now awaiting feedback on what teams will be vying for honours this year. He also confirmed that underage competitions will be taking place for ladies football in Clare. “We already had structures in place for the U-14 and U-16 age groups and while …

Derrick Lynch An update is expected from the GAA in relation to a revised Master Fixtures plan for the remainder of 2020 in the coming days following the publication of the Association’s Return to Play roadmap. The document set out the dates for the resumption of activity at both club and county level, with July 29 now being the date which will see action return to the club fields across the country. The inter-county season is currently slated for an October 11 return but speculation is growing that the first two weekends will see the completion of the final rounds of the National League rather than the beginning of the championship. If that is to be the case, it will mean Clare’s attentions will immediately return to thoughts of survival in Division Two, with Colm Collins’ charges having two games left to play. Both of those will be in Cusack Park as Fermanagh and Armagh are both due come to …

Derrick Lynch There has been a lot of talk about roadmaps in relation to getting the country reopened once more after Covid-19, but for Clare camogie coach Conor Dolan that term has taken on a whole new meaning in the last few weeks. The Meelick native is undertaking a 100km fundraising walk over three days on from June 26-28 which will see him make his way from Eyre Square in Galway to the Daughters of Charity in Limerick. Four charities are set to benefit from his efforts with all funds raised being split between the Daughters of Charity, Down Syndrome Limerick, Clare Early Intervention Services (CEIS) and Fighting Blindness. The 100km route will be spread out over the course of the weekend, with the opening leg taking him from Galway City to Gort. The journey will continue into East Clare the following day with his home in Sixmilebridge as the final destination, while the final leg on Sunday June 28 …

Derrick Lynch The announcement of the phased return of sport in recent weeks has been welcomed in all quarters, including among those with their sights on one of the biggest global sporting stages. The 2020 Olympic Games were one of the highest profile sporting casualties of the Covid-19 crisis with the games being postponed and now being held next July. Among the athletes hoping to book their place on the plane for Team Ireland is Ennis swimmer Rory McEvoy. This week marked the first time competitors were allowed back into the pool for training since the outbreak began, as they resumed preparations at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin. McEvoy says it is a positive move to be back into the pool and getting the focus back on being ready for that shot at qualifying for the Olympics. “It feels like the country is moving in the right direction again for the first time since the pandemic began so I …

The announcement last weekend that there is sport on the horizon for the remainder of 2020 was universally welcomed as the first tentative steps of life after Covid-19 became something to think about. For Ennis man Gary Seery, it meant that the first official duties of his new role as a performance analyst with the Republic of Ireland are also moving into focus. The former Avenue United player was appointed to Stephen Kenny’s new look backroom team having worked with him during his tenure with the U-21 squad. The first game on the horizon is the crucial Euro 2020 playoff semi-final against Slovakia which was originally due to be played in March but was postponed due to the outbreak of Covid-19. It is hoped that the game will go ahead in the late Autumn with October the likely date. It marks the latest graduation in a remarkable career so far for Seery, with his love affair with the game being …

Derrick Lynch The decision to postpone the 2020 Clare Stages Rally was taken to avoiding further disruption to local communities in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. That is according to the clerk of the course Gerry O’Brien, who outlined that the committee felt it was unfair to implement the necessary road closures to run the event. “The last rally ran in the country was the Mayo Stages rally which was the first week of March, and the first one cancelled was in West Cork which is a huge event with nearly 200 entries. Most had arrived in Clonakilty for it, and it was pulled on the Thursday evening due to the Covid-19 outbreak. There has been no motorsport of any description anywhere in the country since then. The Clare Motor Club is 40 years in existence this year and we had huge plans in place with a number of events across 2020. Our stages rally was due to be …

Derrick Lynch The chairman of Clare GAA has stated that the 2020 club championships in Clare will have to be finished by the end of September at the latest in order to allow ample time for the preparation of county squads. Joe Cooney’s comments come as the GAA set out a roadmap for the return of action in 2020, with club championships set to get underway on the weekend of July 31. The document from Croke Park also states that inter-county panels will be permitted to return to training from September 14 with October 11 identified as the date when the inter-county season will commence. It is not yet known what format the championships will take, with the GAA due to set out a plan for the remainder of the year over the coming weeks. Clare GAA are also working on their own roadmap for the next few months, with Cooney confirming that initial conversations are underway with the Master …

The GAA has announced details of its roadmap to a return to competitive action, with games set to recommence at the end of next month. The Association says pitches will reopen on June 29th, with club championships set to get underway on July 31st. In Clare, the club championships were pencilled in to start in early August. The inter-county scene will also make a return in late Autumn with September 14th identified as the date that squads can resume training while the championship could get underway on October 17th. It will be left to each county board to decide which format they choose to run their competitions, while the numbers of spectators allowed to watch games will be dependent on government guidelines. Ladies football and camogie will follow a similar timeline while underage action is also set to resume from the end of July. Each club will be required to have a number of Covid-19 officers with the GAA to …

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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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