ENNIS lady navigator Gráinne McEnery with Kerry driver Mike Quinn (Ford Escort) secured the 2011 Top Part West Coast Rally Championship by finishing second overall at the recent Banna Resort Kerry Mini Stages Rally.Gráinne, who works as service manager with O’Sullivan and Hansbury Motors in Ennis, is the first Clare competitor to win the championship since its inception in 1993.The championship is run over six rounds, starting with the Birr and District Motor Club Stages Rally, followed by the Circuit Of Kerry, Limerick’s Circuit of Munster, Galway’s Summer Rally, the Clare Stages Rally and concludes with the Kerry Mini Stages in Banna.Gráinne developed an interest in rallying from a young age as her dad, Joe, a keen rally spectator and her brother, Charlie, a championship-winning navigator, would bring her to various events around the country.She competed in her first rally as a navigator in 2006, the Clare Single Stage with driver John Reddington, where they finished 11th overall.In 2008, Gráinne …

IRISH champions Lee Sherlock, Brian McDonagh and Keelan Sexton had a break from hostilities last weekend as they piled on the training sessions in preparation for their home tournament in the next fortnight.Meanwhile, colleagues Conor Doyle, Jamie Keane, Wayne Danaher, Mike McDonagh, John McCormack and Sally Carrig, all travelled to Tralee for tournament action last Saturday. The Tralee show, which was held in the Abbeygate Hotel, scene of some great battles for Clare boxers in the past, had a capacity crowd on hand to cheer the boxers in some exciting bouts.It was a good evening for all six Ennis boxers with five victories amidst some stirring performances and a near flawless showing from middleweight Wayne Danaher, who seems to improve with every outing. Danaher, with his characteristic upright stance, showed glimpses of his potential power against Conor Fallon from Kilnamanagh whom he beat on the unanimous decision of the judges. He controlled the contest at long range and was always …

  Banner Ladies 6-8   Kilmihil 1-9 BANNER Ladies added the Division 1 league title to their senior championship crown when they beat holders, Kilmihil in Miltown on Sunday.A blistering start to both halves proved crucial and once more it was Niamh O’Dea who did the damage. In the first attack of the game, a quick free from Louise Henchy to O’Dea proved fruitful when the minor player drove it to the net. It was all Banner in the opening minutes and points from Rebecca Culligan and O’Dea put them 1-2 to 0-0 ahead.Kilmihil got going and began to whittle down the lead. Two points each from the Considine sisters, Ailish and Eimear, saw them trail by three with a quarter of an hour gone, while Banner were reduced to 14 players following the sin-binning of Katie Cahill for a foul on Eimear Considine, while Suzie McNamara and Niamh Keane pointed for the winners.O’Dea then goaled again when she was first …

CLARECASTLE’S Tommy Hegarty was honoured at the Irish Handball Association’s national awards function in Dublin on Saturday night, when he was named the national official of the year.A few weeks ago, Hegarty was named as the provincial official of the year when Diarmuid Nash (Tuamgraney) was named as the player of the year and Pat Donnellan (Kilkishen) was named the Munster masters player of the year.The national player of the year award went to Robbie McCarthy, Westmeath, while the national masters player of the year award went to Michael ‘Duxie’ Walsh from Kilkenny. Off to the US AT the recent Irish 40 x 20 championships in Kilkenny, three Clare representatives were victorious.Tulla’s Colin Corbett and Colin Crehan from Kilkishen won their respective age grades and as well as being crowned Irish nationals champions, they earned their place on the Irish team that will travel to Tucson, Arizona this December to compete in the prestigious US Junior Nationals.Clooney girl, Natasha Coughlan …

AVENUE, Connolly and Ennis Town Rock recorded good wins in the Munster Junior Cup at the weekend when two of the games needed a penalty shoot-out to provide a winner. Avenue United A 2   Newmarket Celtic A 2 (AET)Avenue won 3-1 on penalties AVENUE progressed to the next round of the Munster competition defeating great rivals, Newmarket Celtic in a penalty shoot-out.The winners got off to a dream start with a goal from Mikey Mahoney after a minute. Newmarket fought back and levelled through Stephen Kelly before taking the lead, just before half-time, through Daithi O’Connell.Ten minutes into the second half, David Russell equalised for the eventual winners.Ten minutes from the end, John Healy produced a good save from Eoin Hayes. With time almost up, Newmarket goalie Trevor O’Donnell produced an outstanding save from Alex Ezuko.The Newmarket goalie produced an equally excellent save at the end of extra time, this time from Barry Nugent, to keep the sides level.In the …

Bridge Celtic 4   Turnpike Rovers 0 BRIDGE Celtic were comfortable winners over Turnpike Rovers in their tie at Bridgetown on Sunday. After a scoreless first half, the home side struck early on the resumption and a brace from Willie Neary put them in the driving seat. Alan Conway hit another brace before the end of the game. Bridge Celtic: Paul O’Connell; Luke Turner, Derek Conway, William Slattery, Stephen Howard; Willie Neary, Paul McEvoy, Seamus Gleeson, Pat Tobin; Alan Conway, Wesley Fleming.Subs: Ollie Phillips, Fergal Lyons and Brendan Nolan.Turnpike Rovers: Ian Mounsey; Shane Moroney, Donnacda Hassett, Joe Slattery, Dermot Gannon; Dean O’Grady, David McMahon, Eric Considine, Jason Hayes, Sean Dobbins, James Keane.Subs: Eric Hayes and Mark Woods. Manus Celtic A 1   Avenue United B 1 MANUS took the lead when Simon McDonagh scored from the penalty spot. Andrew Page and John Molloy came close to adding to this lead, while Mike McDonagh saw his effort hit the post before half-time.Manus created …

Clonlara 2-9   Belgooley 1-11 Clonlara travelled to Knockaderry in Limerick on Saturday last to play the Cork junior B champions Belgooly in the first round of Munster Junior B Football Championship. Clonlara made history the previous week by winning the junior B county title in Clare for the first time in the club’s history.Sunday’s match was played in excellent conditions. Nicky O’Connell got Clonlara’s first score, a point from play, followed by another from his brother, Barry. Belgooly went on to score 1-3 without reply before Clonlara bounced back with points from Colm Galvin and Ger O’Connell, followed by a well-taken goal from Colm Galvin. Belgooly scored a point from a free and Barry O’Connell scored two from frees to leave the half-time score at 1-6 to 1-4 in favour of Clonlara.Belgooly got off to a great start in the second half and scored five points to go three in front when Barry O’Connell goaled to level the game. It …

Richmond 18   St Senan’s 10 ST Senan’s stunned Richmond from the very start with their fast, open play, which left the home side defending attack after attack, Their defence held firm as they frustrated each Senan’s attack, keeping them scoreless for the first 15 minutes.The first score of the game came on 17 minutes, following one of Richmond’s many long clearances, when they converted a penalty awarded to them for Senan’s being caught off-side. Richmond added to their score with a similar passage of play just three minutes later, to extend their lead to 6-0, against the pattern of play.These setbacks did not panic Senan’s into changing their game plan and they continued to move the ball well. Richmond were stunned on 27 minutes when Dylan Sonneman gathered the ball inside his own half and ran through their defence to score the game’s first try. Unfortunately for Senan’s, the conversion attempt by Declan Collins struck the upright to deny them …

St Flannan’s College, Ennis 5-9   Presentation, Thurles 4-3 IN a hard-fought contest played under lights at Dr Morris Park in Thurles last Friday, St Flannan’s overcame Presentation, Thurles in the Munster Colleges Senior A Camogie semi-final and, as a result, they will play St Mary’s from Charleville or St Mary’s from Nenagh in the provincial final at Newmarket this Saturday at 2pm. Forty-eight hours before the semi-final they played the quarter-final against St Joseph’s of Borrisoleigh and needed extra time to account for their opposition. They followed that up on Thursday with a successful outing in the junior girls’ football county final.For the second time in a week, the game was delayed by 40 minutes, this time due to difficulty with the lights. At 7.10pm, the ball was thrown in and a determined St Flannan’s managed to thwart many of Thurles’ opportunities. The Tipperary school played with the aid of the wind but despite having plenty chances, they didn’t make …

Colaiste Muire, Ennis 7-7   Scoil Pol, Limerick 1-1 COLÁISTE Muire, Ennis overcame a determined Scoil Pol, Limerick in this year’s U-16½ Munster semi-final last week.Coláiste Muire, led by captain Leigh-Anne McMahon, dominated many positions in a game played at St Flannan’s. There were early indications that Coláiste Mhure would do well as Jane Flanagan made two great runs but failed to score. The Ennis school’s defence held firm against the visitors, with Katie Hennessy and Niamh Weeks doing well.Sisters Jane and Ria Flanagan helped the winners get an edge at midfield. Two goals from full-forward Eimear Neilan gave her side an advantage and Jane Flanagan followed with another. Another goal followed from Eimear Neilan and the winners went to the break 4-4 to 0-0 in front.This score did not reflect Scoil Pol’s determination and effort in the first half, with Noelle Carroll and Shannon O’Doherty doing well.The second half continued much like the first. Scoil Pol came out more determined …

Rice College 1-16  Cashel 3-7 Rice College qualified for the Munster Colleges (Corn Iognaid Ris) U-16½C hurling championship final when they accounted for Cashel at Na Piarsaigh grounds in Limerick on Tuesday. In the final they will face Coláiste an Spiorad Naomh from Bishopstown in Cork. The final is expected to be played during the first week in December when the Ennis school will attempt to win the title for the first time.The foundations for this week’s victory were laid in the opening half when the winners enjoyed midfield dominance thanks to the play of Ritchie Hennessy and Conor O’Brien. They built up a four-point lead when playing with the aid of the breeze.A goal from Nicky Twumasai gave them the upperhand on a day when centre-forward Michael O’Malley again was in sparkling form. He finished the game as the team’s top scorer with 0-6 to his credit and others to score were Ritchie Hennessy (0-4), Evan McNamara (0-3), Paddy …

THE national Community Games area awards presentation took place on Saturday last in the Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe. Mayor of Ballinasloe Michael Kelly said Community Games centred on the development of young children and thanked all the volunteers involved in the organisation. Dr Nazih Eldin, representing the sponsors HSE, said they were proud to be associated with Community Games and the awards night. Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry, winners of the most involved area in Clare at the recent All-Star function, represented the county on Saturday. Rob Stephen and Mary Phelan, chairman and PRO of Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry respectively, were presented with the county award by national youth officer, Rory O’Grady. Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry were also named as the most involved area in Munster and Dr Nazih Eldin presented Rob and Mary with a crystal bowl and the Munster Perpetual Cup. It was Sixmilenbridge-Kilmurry’s 12th time winning the Munster title since its inauguration in 1993.   The adult and youth volunteer presentation also took place and Rose Meakins, county treasurer, …

IN the Christmas hamper men’s singles Stableford competition at Gort at the weekend, David McAllan was the winner with 43 points from Robin Lahiffe with a similar score. John Fordham was third with 42 points, while John Green won the gross with 35 points. Last week’s open singles was won by Frank Conway (Kilrush) with 39 points from Sean Hanbury with 38. Willie McNamara scored a hole-in-one at the fifth. There will be a men’s singles this weekend. In the ladies’ mini-Christmas voucher competition, Ann Jordan was the winner with 26 points from Josie Cummins on 25 and Margaret Whealan on 24.  There will be another mini-hampers competition this weekend over 13 holes. LahinchLAST week’s ladies’ singles competition at Lahinch was won by Kitty Morris (12) with 37 points from Mona Davis (21) with 36 points and Bridget Hoey (18) with 36 points. In the ladies’ turkey singles v par competition on Saturday on the old course, Eileen Hanrahan (2) …

FROM early morning, while residents were still getting some shut eye, they were pounding the pavements around Sixmilebridge in the inaugural Eddie Murphy Memorial Marathon.Eight hardy runners set off at 7am to complete a double-marathon on a one-mile circuitous route of the village. They were joined at a later stage by over 70 runners who undertook either a 30-mile or a marathon run. Some were undertaking their first marathon, others had already broken the 100 mark. There was also one wheelchair competitor, Gerry Forde from Cork who recently completed his 200th marathon in Dublin on the October Bank Holiday.

THE Munster masters and juvenile B U-9 to U-19 cross country championships took place at Limerick Racecourse on a sunny afternoon  when underfoot conditions were good for all competitors and Clare athletes once again dominated the championships.In the rerun of the girls’ U-11 1,500m with over 200 competitors at the starting line, Daniela Svensson (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) ran a cracking race to take the silver medal, with Clare taking the silver medals on 86 points and Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare also taking silver medals in the inter club section. Both teams will go forward to the All-Ireland finals in the Curragh in December.   The juveniles Bs (U-9 to U-19) produced fine individual performances with John Connelly (St Cronan’s) winning the boys’ U-9, Shauna Harvey (St John’s) winning the girls’ U-17, Jack Devitt (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) taking a bronze medal in the boys’ U-15 and Eoin Devereaux (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) also taking a bronze medal in the boys’ U-17.The masters men and …