THE weather may not have been as kind as officials had hoped for but the heavy rain did not deter the crowds from flocking to Gurteen on Sunday for the official opening of the St Joseph’s GAA club’s new facilities.From early morning, young and old gathered for a day of celebration, which got underway with the parade of young teams representing camogie, ladies’ football, hurling and football.Because of the heavy rain, many of the activities were switched to the club’s magnificent new hall. Parish priest Fr Jerry Carey was the chief celebrant of mass in the hall, which involved the parish choirs with soloist, Caroline O’Connor.Mass was followed by the blessing of the new facilities by Canon Caimin O’Carroll after which well-known GAA broadcaster, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh performed the official opening. The GAA’s director general, Padraic Duffy, then performed the official launch of the club’s commemorative book, a publication which runs to over 200 pages covering all aspects of GAA …

ENNIS won their section of the Jimmy Bruen competition at the weekend on their own course. They opened their challenge for honours with a 4-1 win over Woodstock, who had defeated Dromoland in round one, and this put them into a section semi-final against Kilkee, where they won on a score of 3½ to 1½.In other first-round games, Kilkee beat Kilrush, Shannon beat Spanish Point and East Clare accounted for Lahinch. Shannon then scored a 4-1 win over East Clare to set up a section final date on Sunday with Ennis. The home side won this on a 3½ to 1½ scoreline and they are now through to the North Munster semi-final against Roscrea or Adare Manor. This game will take place in Nenagh on June 24.The members of the Ennis panel are Kieran Ryan and Paul Higgins; Victor Coote and Jason Woods; Alan Butler and Enda Heaney; Ian Myatt and Mark Geraghty; TJ Scanlan and Cyril Corry and David …

CLARE athletes won 13 medals, four gold, four silver and five bronze, at the Munster juvenile U-9, U-10 and U-11 2×2 team events, plus the boys and girls’ U-12 and U-13 Track and Field Championships, which were held over two days at the Lees Road Sports Complex. It is was the first time that the championships were held at the venue and the event attracted over 2,000 people.The star of the show on day one was Alex O’Neill, St Cronan’s, who set a new Munster record in the girls’ U-12 high jump at 1.37m, along with Vicky Cusack, Liscarroll, Cork. They both went for 1.40m and failed on the final three jumps, with Alex taking the silver medal. She also captured a silver medal in the 600m.Day two was held in very wet conditions. Tara Kelly, St Mary’s, won the girls’ U-12 long jump and Alex O’Neill captured the bronze medal, with Grace Moloney, Tulla winning the U-12 ball throw.In …

THERE was one poignant moment that aptly sums up the Munster ‘family’ ethos in the midst of the jubilation marking their third Magners League Trophy recently.Veteran out-half Ronan O’Gara wheeled Munster strength and conditioning coach, Paul Darbyshire, who is battling motor neurone disease, to the podium, where he was presented with the cup in the after-match celebrations at Thomond Park.While Munster players were thrilled to end the season on a high note, defeating favourites Leinster 19-9, the victory was tinged with sadness in the knowledge it was the last game for their former coach.‘Darbs’ as he is affectionately known, was told he would not be able to attend any more Munster games a few months ago but Munster’s new forwards coach Anthony Foley said this was never going to be the case and he went to considerable effort to attend the semi-final and final.The last time the former Warrington Wolves player worked with Munster was back in September, when Leinster …

Two Clare surfers have been selected for the Irish surf team to represent the country when the European Surfing Championships take place in Bundoran, from September 23 until October 3.Oliver O’Flaherty, 24, and Stephen Kelleher 24, both from Lahinch, competed in a series of selection events in early 2011 in order to secure a place on the Irish team. Ollie O’Flaherty, a member of the West Coast Surf Club, will be competing in the open surfing division of Eurosurf.Stephen Kelleher is also from Lahinch and has recently been elected vice-chairman of West Coast Surf Club. Stephen is no stranger to international competition and was ranked 17th, while representing Ireland at Eurosurf 2009 in Jersey. He was also WCSC longboard champion in 2008. Stephen will compete in the longboard division of Eurosurf.The other team members are Ronan Oertzen, Shauna Ward, Darragh McCarter and Richie Fitzgerald from Bundoran; Easkey Britton from Rossnowlagh; Stephen Kilfeather and Ashleigh Smith from Sligo; John McCurry from …

Clare Community Games is celebrating 40 years this year and since the beginning, the county organisation has gone from strength to strength.Many of the country’s leading sports stars first hit the headlines in Community Games and this is also the case in Clare.Since 1971, Clare competitors have won 894 gold, 977 silver, 988 bronze and 641 fourth-place certificates/medals at the National Community Games Finals.Clare’s two Olympians in Atlanta in 1996, Nial Ryan, Ennis and Marie McMahon, Ennistymon, (she also competed in Athens) were regular competitors in Community Games. Maire was winner of the 2007 Dublin Women’s Mini Marthon.Clare’s international athlete and national cross-country champion, Seamus Power, was a regular Community Games competitor and was winner of the National Community Games marathon in 1987.Norma Cahill, St John’s Ennis, winner of two national gold medals and three bronze medals between 1976 and 1981 for swimming, as well as being awarded five county all-star awards, set two world records in April, 2006. Competing …

WHAT A Tornado and Inislosky Magoo are the remaining Clare interests in the 2011 Irish St Leger at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium. Trained by Paul Hennessy, What a Tornado was the fastest winner of the second-round heats last Saturday night and must stand a great chance of winning the classic, now that the outright favourite, Definate Opinion, and a few more fancied runners have been eliminated.There were a number of shock results from the second-round heats, none greater than the elimination of Definate Opinion in the opening heat, in which Peony Flash was a non-runner in trap six. Definate Opinion went off the 1/3 favourite from trap five but after very early bumping from Tyrur Columbo, he was baulked at the opening bend and eventually finished in fifth place.In contrast, Inislosky Magoo, owned in O’Briensbridge by Mary Crotty, had a flyer of a start from trap four. The son of Astronomic-Rushaun Breeze, the 6/1 outsider, always led the way …

Wolfe Tones 6-9   Clarecastle 1-4 Wolfe Tones completed the Feile-championship U-14 hurling double in Cusack Park on Thursday evening with an accomplished display to once again deny the title aspirations of a Clarecastle side that tried manfully but could not register scores to match their efforts. Jack Cunningham hit 3-3 to help the Shannon club add the championship crown to the Féile title won earlier this season.A blistering start by Wolfe Tones saw 1-2 on the scoreboard after eight minutes as Dean Devanney, Darragh McMahon and a goal from Brian Conway that Clarecastle argued should have been disallowed because of a square infringement, sent the Tones clear. Conor Ryan finally had Clarecastle on the mark but Wolfe Tones responded courtesy of Devanney for his second score. Jack Murphy struck for the Magpies’ second point but disaster struck for his side when the skilful and accurate Jack Cunningham, brother of current Clare minor Aaron, hit 1-1 in two minutes to open …

Derek O’Connor was crowned champion point-to-point rider in Ireland for a record-breaking eighth consecutive year when the 2010/11 season came to a close at Ballingarry, Tipperary on Bank Holiday Monday. Award-winning O’Connor has been a talismanic figure in racing between the flags over the past decade and the 28-year-old from Tubber came out the right side of a season-long battle with Wexford jockey Jamie Codd to claim the crown with an impressive haul of 110 winners. Heading into last Monday’s final day fixture at the Premier County venue, O’Connor was apprehensive knowing that if Codd had a good day he could wrestle the title from his grasp. Like the true champion that he is, however, O’Connor closed out the deal when riding four winners. His first trip of the afternoon to the winner’s enclosure came in the first division of the six-year-old geldings’ maiden where he steered 2/1 shot, Inamalabulusaloon, to victory. Trained in Tubber by Esther Wright for her …

Doonbeg 1-13   Lissycasey 3-5 CHAMPIONS Doonbeg got their senior championship campaign off to a winning start at Cooraclare on Saturday but they were given a much stiffer test than predicted.Indeed, many in the disappointingly small attendance felt Lissycasey should have won the tie. In the final analysis, Doonbeg’s greater experience proved critical in the final quarter, while the accuracy of David Tubridy also proved a vital asset on the day. He finished the tie with a tally of 1-8.With the bulk of last year’s county-final winning team on duty, Doonbeg were the odds-on favourites against a new-look Lissycasey, who have struggled in Division 2 of the league this season. The Magpies won the toss and elected to play with the aid of a strong breeze and Tubridy opened the scoring when he converted a 45’ in the third minute to register the first score in this year’s title race. He doubled their advantage when converting a 20m free a minute …

Wolfe Tones 2-8   Kilrush 0-9 SO not everybody who plays football for Wolfe Tones has headed for the airport. Producing their best performance since stunning Kilmurry Ibrickane in the 2007 quarter-final, Wolfe Tones scored a well-deserved win over Kilrush in Lissycasey last Saturday.Key to the Shannon club’s win was their economical use of scoring chances. They scored with every chance in the first half and only kicked two wides in the second period. Kilrush, in contrast, kicked eight wides and missed some very scoreable frees.Late in the second half, Gary Leahy (red) and Patsy Keyes (second yellow) were sent off, while Kilrush’s Niall Clancy was dismissed on a second yellow 13 minutes into the second half.Clancy had been yellow carded minutes before, a card that Wolfe Tones’ supporters felt should have been red, while Peadar McMahon was also yellow carded for a late tackle on Alan Hehir.Played in perfect conditions, Daniel Gallery’s seventh-minute goal, set up by Joe McGauley fielding …

Bridge United 0   Avenue United 0 (Avenue won 4-2 on penalties) Avenue United completed the youths double when they were crowned O’Gorman Cup champions on Saturday.Less than a week after the same sides clashed in a league decider that Avenue won easily, there were fears that the Ennis outfit might have another runaway success.This time, however, it was a much closer contest which defences dominated, Avenue had to rely on a penalty shoot out to capture the title.They had marginally the better of the opening half but failed to break the deadlock while Bridge had the better of the second half exchanges.Both goalkeepers, Liam Deasy for the winners and John Mulready, made good saves during the course of playIn the penalty shoot out, Avenue were first up and Paddy O’Malley gave them the lead before Darragh Fitzgerald’s effort was superbly saved by Liam Deasy leaving the winners in a strong position. The advantage was quickly cancelled when Dylan Casey’s effort …

Banner 6-3   West Clare Garls 3-6 THE Banner Ladies won the Clare U-16A football title in Coolmeen last Wednesday. The teams had met in the opening rounds, with the Banner winning by three points in that game.Last week’s final started with the Gaels in full flow and despite a converted free by the Banner’s Karen Roche and a missed penalty from West Clare Gael’s Gráinne Harvey, Becky Madigan eventually goaled for the Gaels. Another Banner Ladies’ attack forced a second free, which Roche converted but when Shauna Harvey lobbed the Banner half-back line, Siobhán Marrinan bore down on custodian Orla Hennessy for the second time in three minutes and made no mistake in rattling the net. Half-backs Laura Chesser and captain Sinéad O’Keeffe were on fire for the Ennis side and were relentless as they drove forward, freeing up Eva O’Dea and Orlaith Lynch in midfield. First Lynch and then Roche goaled within minutes, cancelling out their opponents’ previous two …

Clooney-Quin 0-17   Tulla 0-11 Following the disappointment of their first-round championship loss to Crusheen, Clooney-Quin returned to winning ways in Division 1 when they accounted for neighbours Tulla at Clooney on Friday evening.Both sides were short some regulars for the league clash in which Brian Shally and Aidan Lynch exchanged points in the early minutes. After the end of the first quarter, the sides were level at 0-4 each as Shally (2) and Martin Duggan added scores with Tulla responses from Darragh Corry, Cathal Dinan and 2007 championship-winning captain, Michael Murphy. Clooney-Quin dominated the second quarter to lead 0-12 to 0-5 at the break, with scores coming from John Earls (3), Adrian Fleming (2), Mike Daffy and Martin Duggan.The second half was lacklustre as Clooney-Quin were never really threatened. Best for the winners were Shane McNamara, Enda Harrison, Cillian Duggan, John Earls, Brian Shally, Adrian Fleming and Mike McNamara. Tulla had good displays from Sean Torpey, Cathal Dinan, John Brennan, …

St Joseph’s 1-11   Corofin 1-7 St Joseph’s had to battle hard for victory in their Division 2A tie played at Corofin on Monday.While the Doora-Barefield outfit deserved to win, they missed a lot of chances and had to wait until the final minute to seal victory when Ivor White’s long-range free went all the way to the net. Stephen Heagney scored the Corofin goal on a day when both teams were short a number of regulars.St Joseph’s: Paul Madden; Niall Hassett, Marty O’Regan, Sean Flynn; Liam Clohessy, Ken Kennedy, Darragh O’Driscoll; Damian Kennedy, Mark Hallinan; Ivor White, Noel Brody, Shane O’Grady; Shane O’Connor, Kevin Dilleen, Rory O’Connor.Corofin: Pat Burke; Donnacda Kelleher, Luke O’Loughlin, Darren Malone; Damian Ryan, Matthew Shannon, Martin Tierney; John Keane, Stephen Heagney; Neil Killeen, Fionn Clancy, Kevin Heagney; Killian Malone, Eamonn Malone, Killian O’Loughlin.Subs: Declan Lee for E Malone and Declan Stack for K Malone Feakle 3-9   Ballyea 2-11Feakle came out on top by the minimum …