CLARE will have their first competitive outing under manager Davy Fitzgerald when they take on Waterford IT in a first-round game of the Waterford Crystal Tournament on this Sunday in Sixmilebridge at 2pm.The starting line-up will be finalised nearer match time but it is likely it will be similar to that which played against Gort last Saturday. A large number of the current senior panel are not available for this tournament as they must play with their college teams, Limerick IT and UL, while some more are part of the NUI Galway team, which is participating in the Walsh Cup in Leinster.Amongst the Clare panellists who will play with their college teams in this competition are Donal Tuohy, Eoin Hayes, Patrick Kelly, Caimin Morey (NUI, Galway); Andrew Fahy, Eamonn and Brian Glynn, Sean Collins, Cathal McInerney (Limerick IT); Brendan Bugler and Conor McGrath (UL).“Waterford IT are a strong side and this is a game I am certainly worried about. They …

Last year’s Clare senior hurling captain, Pat Vaughan from Crusheen will miss the upcoming national league campaign and much of the early part of the club season due to injury.Following a visit to a specialist earlier this week, the Ennis-based national school teacher learned that surgery is required to correct a hip injury which has been troubling him in recent times.“I am awaiting a date for the surgery which I hope to get done in February and it will be three months from then before I can play. I just have to have the problem corrected,” the Crusheen star said this week.With the first round of the domestic championship likely to be at the end of May, he faces a race against time to be ready for this outing when Crusheen will begin their challenge for a third successive title.Vaughan’s experience will certainly be a loss to Clare in the forthcoming league.

Clare’s preparations for the upcoming National Football League, which begins on Sunday week when they will entertain Waterford, look set to be boosted with the addition of Dublin native Shane McGrath.A member of the Thomas Davis club in Tallaght, McGrath is son of former Shannon Gaels and Clare star, John, who played for the county throughout the ’70s during which time he won favour with the Railway Cup selectors and helped Munster to win the inter-provincial title in 1977.McGrath has, it is understood, responded positively to approaches from Clare to declare for the Banner county under the parentage rule, which allows players to declare for stipulated counties of which Clare is one. McGrath’s official application to be allowed play with is currently being processed.Meanwhile, Clare will continue their preparations for the league when they travel to play Westmeath this Sunday (2pm).Last Saturday Clare scored an easy 1-13 to 0-4 win over a Wexford selection at Clonmel.There are a number of …

Chorca Dhuibhne 0-10   St Flannan’s 1-3 A tally of 13 wides and a failure to convert two first half goal opportunities proved costly for St Flannan’s footballers at Rathkeale on Wednesday and were a huge contributing factor to their loss to last year’s beaten finalists, Chorca Dhuibhne, in the quarter-final of the Corn Ui Mhuirí, Munster Colleges Senior A Football Championship.Originally scheduled for Croagh, the game was switched to Abbeyfeale on Tuesday. However, a pitch inspection ten minutes before the scheduled 1.30 throw-in time led referee Richard Moloney to declare the venue unplayable. A hurried search for an alternative saw Moloney quickly secure the use of a pitch in Rathkeale and the match got underway over an hour after the appointed time.St Flannan’s played with the wind in the first half and took the lead after four minutes when captain Conor Cleary converted a 30m free. Despite having the majority of play, they had to wait until the 18th minute …

NUIG 1-11   Wexford 0-13 FOUR Clare players were part of the NUI Galway line-up that scored a one-point win over Wexford in the opening round of the Walsh Cup at Enniscorthy on Saturday.Newly appointed Wexford manager Liam Dunne decided to play a second-string side, while the students were missing the services of Kevin Downes, who is due to play with Na Piarsaigh in the upcoming All-Ireland Club Championship semi-final.Clare’s Caimin Morey opted to play with Clare against Gort on Saturday. Wexford started the game aided by a very stiff wind and were 0-5 to 0-1 ahead after 20 minutes as Niall Burke was the sole NUIG scorer. The students dominated the final 10 minutes of the first half outscoring Wexford 1-3 to 0-4.Donal Tuohy (Crusheen), who excelled in goals all day, denied Wexford on a number of occasions throughout the game. Eventually, NUIG took the lead and defended well against a late, spirited Wexford rally to deservingly win the tie. …

The importance placed on competitions, the format and the timing of same, within the GAA was highlighted on Monday night in the West County Hotel when there was a huge gathering of Clare club representatives to discuss the recently completed review of the 2011 competitions and structures in the county.Unlike the annual convention of Clare GAA back in December, when there were many vacant seats, there was a near full attendance on this occasion, leading to a lively debate on the recommendations from the seven-person committee, which had met with representatives of the clubs across the county in recent weeks.From the outset, there was broad support for the report and this followed through when a vote was taken after two hours of debate. A two-thirds majority was required and this was comfortably secured with 51 voting in favour of the report and 14 opposing the recommendations.Opening the debate, committee chairman Pádraig Boland explained that what was presented reflected the views …

Ennis Light Welterweight Lee Sherlock made a tentative comeback from injury on Friday last in the local community centre with a victory over old adversary Willie Harty from the Rathkeale club in Limerick. The bout was one of 13 contests with fortunes fluctuating from which, ultimately, the Limerick boxers emerged victorious.It was perhaps a minor blip for the home side but will serve as a wake-up call with the boys’ and youths’ championships getting under way in the coming fortnight.Sherlock’s win on the night was the highlight and avenged a defeat, which Harty inflicted on home territory last year and indeed the Ennis teenager showed signs of power and progress since last season. He controlled the bout from the centre of the ring, using his southpaw right to accurate scoring effect and troubling Harty with piercing left hooks to the head and body.He was upbeat after the victory and is extremely happy with his form at Lt Welterweight. He reckons …

An Ennis martial artist has been called up to fight on the Irish team at the European Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) Championships in Lisbon this weekend.John Eustace received the news just days after winning the middleweight purple belt bracket at the Northern Ireland BJJ Championships two weeks ago.Delighted to be called up to fight for his country, it means more than just winning the honour of representing Ireland on the international stage – it means more fights at the competition.“I was very happy and it’s also good because I get to have extra fights over there,” he explained. “It means I’ll be fighting in the individual competition on the Friday evening and then the international one on Saturday and Sunday.” In terms of international Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the Europeans are a significant platform for the Ennis man to be performing on. “As far as I know, they’re regarded as the third-biggest championship in the world,” he said. The competition brings together over …

Ennis Golf Club’s Sarah Cunningham is one of 11 Irish players taking part in the Portuguese Ladies’ Amateur Open, which starts in Montado in Lisbon this Thursday.Sarah has represented Munster and Ireland at junior level as well as being a member of the Munster Senior Cup team. She was awarded a sports scholarship to NUI Maynooth. Leona Maguire from Slieve Russell will defend the title she won last year in the 72-hole event.The 82nd Portuguese Amateur marks the start of the 2012 ladies’ international season in Europe.The event tees off with three stroke-play rounds over Thursday, Friday and Saturday with the top 40 players and ties competing over a final 18 holes on Sunday to decide the champion.Ireland will also defend their Nations Cup, having defeated France by nine shots last year.DromolandThe winter league was the attraction at Dromoland at the weekend when the winner on the day was John Collins with 41 points.The first team on Sunday comprised Sean …

St Joseph’s Tulla 2-8   Coláiste Mhuire  1-2 St Joseph’s, Tulla were crowned Munster colleges intermediate C camogie champions at Feakle on Saturday when they defeated Colaiste Mhuire from Ennis.The foundations for this win were laid in the first half when the winners, playing with the aid of the breeze, raced into a 1-7 to 0-0 lead.As the scoreline suggests, the East Clare school side was strong in attack with such as Vera Loughnane, Kate O’Gorman and team captain, Lauren Guilfoyle impressing. The winners were 0-4 to 0-0 in front at the end of the first quarter thanks to scores from Vera Loughnane (3) and Lauren Guilfoyle.Early in the second quarter full forward, Kate O’Gorman had the winner’s first goal. Deirdre Minogue was unlucky not to find the net minutes later as the Tulla girls continued to dominate the tie.Two more points from Vera Loughnane followed while Lorna Power also found the target before the half time whistle.Colaiste Mhuire piled on …

St Flannan’s 7-15   Coláiste Colm 4-9 St Flannan’s College were crowned Munster Senior B Ladies’ Football champions at Effin on Tuesday afternoon when they scored a convincing win over Coláiste Colm from Ballincollig.As a result of the victory, the Ennis school side is now through to the All-Ireland semi-final, where they will play the Leinster winners at the beginning of March.St Flannan’s led from the outset in this week’s final and were 3-8 to 0-4 in front when the half-time whistle sounded.Midfield dominance ensured they had a firm grip on proceedings throughout with Alana O’Brien and Niamh Markham ruling matters in this department. Niamh Markham was named as the player of the match.The winners took the lead in the opening minute with a point from Alana O’Brien and they had their first goal from Eleanor Carey shortly after. Further goals from Aoife Keane and one from Nikki Kaiser just before the half-time whistle put them 13 points clear at the …

Manus Celtic A 1   Kilrush Rangers 5 Kilrush Rangers led from the start in this tie at the Fairgreen on Sunday. Stephen Sweeney gave the visitors the lead after 10 minutes and this score separated the sides at half-time. It was a great day for Sweeney, who ended with four goals to his credit.Kilrush would not have been flattered by a greater half-time lead, such were the chances they created.Ten minutes into the second half, Sweeney doubled the visitors’ lead when he reacted quickest to score after Eoin Fitzgerald’s free-kick came back off the crossbar. He added two more before substitute Jack Browne had the team’s fifth.Shortly before the end, Manus had John Molloy sent off, being penalised for handling the ball. They scored just before full-time through Darren McDonagh. Manus Celtic A: Emmet Considine; Mark Walsh, Gary Casey, Andrew Page, Conor Donnellan, Jamie Fahy, Paddy Donnellan, Darren McDonagh, Bernard Scanlon. John Molloy. Sub: Martin Molloy. Kilrush Rangers: Johnnie O’Connor; …

The Top Part West Coast rally championship awards ceremony for 2011 took place on Saturday night in the Woodlands hotel, Adare  where motorsport history was made as Ennis lady navigator Gráinne McEnery who navigates with Kerry driver Mike Quinn was the first lady to win the West coast rally championship.The Clare motor club have expressed their pride in Gráinne’s achievements over the last couple of years and have wished her well in the upcoming 2012 season. She is also the first lady Clare motor club member to win a championship outright. The championship takes place over six rounds during the year, taking in counties Laois, Kerry, Limerick, Clare and Galway. Other Clare competitors honoured at the awards night include Tom Ryan and Ciara O’Connell, who finished second in class 9 and Declan O’Regan who was the winner in class 10. George Whelan finished third in class 11.

The 2012 Munster 40×20 Handball Championships are now in full swing and the next few weeks promise to be hectic for Banner handball followers, with a number of Clare players in action across the various adult grades. The Munster Senior Open Singles Championship will be played over the coming weekend at Cork and Limerick venues and Clare will be represented by Tuamgraney pair Niall Malone and Diarmuid Nash. Reigning Munster senior champion Nash will be among the favourites to retain the provincial crown despite a tough looking draw. The current intermediate All-Ireland champion has a quarter-final against the winner of Killian Carroll (Cork) and Ger Coonan (Tipp) in Cappagh on Saturday morning and should he come through, faces a semi-final tie later the same day against Brendan Fleming (Cork) or Fergal Collins (Tipp) in Broadford. The final is fixed for Sunday afternoon in Ballydesmond.On the other side of the senior draw, Nash’s fellow All-Ireland intermediate champion Niall Malone will also …

Blazing Tempo continued trainer, Willie Mullins’ hot streak when upsetting odds on favourite, Noble Prince (9/10F) to win the Grade 2 Norman’s Grove Chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday.Champion trainer, Mullins, who has been sweeping all before him this season, has a battalion of top class horses at his disposal – the Closutton handler saddled seven winners in 48 hours last weekend – and he struck early when taking the opening three races at the Meath track.The Norman’s Grove success was the most valuable prize (€24,500 to the winner) and 9/4 shot Blazing Tempo, who is proving a real money spinner having landed the Galway Plate at Ballybrit over the summer, is certainly holding her form well, running on powerfully in the closing stages under Ruby Walsh to beat the Paul Nolan-trained market leader by three parts of a length.The winner now has the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham as her long-term target. In addition to Blazing Tempo’s success, the all-conquering Mullins/Walsh …