THE domestic season for Rugby League Ireland kicked off Friday evening in Kilballyowen Park, when the Clare-based West Coast Warriors and the Bruff-based Country Cowboys battled it out in a very entertaining game.The West Coast Warriors got off to a great start going 6-0 up after 10 minutes, the score coming from a try by Stuart Farrell with David Murphy adding the conversion.The Cowboys got on the scoreboard after 21 minutes with a try by Brendan Burke but the conversion attempt was missed, leaving the Clare side 6-4 in front at half-time.The second half saw the Warriors first on the scoreboard with a try from Damian O’Connor but the conversion was missed by David Murphy. This was the last time the Warriors crossed the try line, despite having many opportunities.The Cowboys finished very strong with four tries in the second half, three of these coming from mistakes from the Warriors.On Saturday, West Coast Warriers will play Cork Bulls at Lees …

At the national Community Games media awards presentations last Saturday, The Clare Champion was again recognised for its coverage of activities promoted by the organisation.Photographer John Kelly added to his growing list of awards when he was named winner in a new category, ‘cutest photograph’.The Champion’s coverage of Community Games affairs was also recognised and this award was presented to Sports Editor Seamus Hayes.To mark the end of the decade, Community Games presented two special awards. In the category of best coverage over the decade, the Connacht Telegraph won from The Clare Champion.The Clare Community Games organisation was also honoured at Saturday’s function which took place at the Hodson Bay Hotel in Athlone.In a new category, Clare were the winners of the best website award and this was accepted by county chairman Pat Taylor.Rob Stephens from Sixmilebridge manages the Clare website and he was also honoured with an award, which was accepted by the county chairman.The Clare public relations officer, …

UP to €100,000 will be distributed in grants to Clare soccer clubs this summer in conjunction with the staging of the FAI’s annual general meeting in the county.A programme of activities has been drawn up for the week from July 11 to 18 with the annual meeting taking place in the West County Hotel, Ennis, on Saturday, July 16.The club support scheme is open to all clubs and football organisations based in the county and applications must be submitted to the FAI by June 17, the association’s chief executive officer John Delaney said on Monday at the launch in the offices of Clare County Council.“The club support scheme gives clubs in Clare a unique opportunity to source funding for infrastructure projects or the purchase of equipment and we will announce the grants during the week leading up to the AGM,” he told the reception.“Over the past year, we have introduced several opportunities for clubs to raise funds such as the …

St Joseph’s Spanish Point 2-12  Ennistymon CBS 2-3 St Joseph’s Spanish Point captured the Clare colleges senior football title at Cusack Park on Tuesday when they overcame the challenge of Ennistymon CBS.Two goals from midfielder Darren Sexton helped the Spanish Point school to victory and bridged a five-year gap to their last success in the competition.They were in a strong position at half time when they held a one-point lead after playing against the breeze with the score at 1-2 to 1-1.The sides continued to be evenly matched throughout the third quarter before Spanish Point took control in the final quarter of the tie. Cathal McConigley scored Ennistymon’s first-half goal, while their second goal came from substitute Barry Keating.The winners had impressive displays from goalscorer Darren Sexton, the half-back trio of Donal Keane, Dara McDonagh and Sean Mahoney; Eoin Cleary, Seamus Lynch and Niall Hickey. Former Clare GAA chairman, Michael McDonagh presented the trophy to the winning captain, Niall Hickey. …

Bridge Utd B 2  Burren Utd 2 (After extra time Bridge won 5-4 on penalties) THE Clare Soccer League’s Junior Cup final will be a repeat of last season’s decider between Avenue United A (holders) and Bridge United B.In the second of this year’s semi-finals, played at the County Grounds in Doora on Sunday evening, Bridge United B accounted for Burren United who, just four days earlier, had won promotion to the Premier Division for next season.For the second week in succession, a penalty shoot-out was required to decide who would go through to the final. Last week, Avenue A and Tulla A failed to score in normal and extra time before Avenue scraped through on penalties, which went to sudden death.This week’s semi-final was a livelier affair and produced four goals in normal time. The eventual winners came from behind twice to keep their dream alive.Sunday evening’s game was played in difficult weather conditions with the players having to …

  Clare 1-10  Sligo 1-8 The majority of challenge games are non-events with players finding it hard to give it everything with nothing at stake. This was a definite exception.he 70 minutes, played to mark the opening of St Joseph’s Miltown new stand, incorporated a 20 man pre-half-time brawl, a follow-up skirmish in Miltown’s new tunnel, a howling wind that made it impossible to play football at times and the rather unusual sight of an inter-county manager being treated by the team’s physiotherapist. A number of superb Clare points from David Tubridy and Martin McMahon, along with a well-worked Clare goal scored by Graham Kelly also enlivened proceedings. Both teams gave it everything in a game that wasn’t far off championship intensity, taking the inclement weather into account. Playing with an exceptionally strong wind, blowing towards the town end in Miltown, Clare led 1-7 to 0-3 at half-time. Just before the interval Clare’s Graham Kelly became involved in a tangle …

CLARE take on Cork in only their fourth Munster senior camogie final this Saturday evening in Cashel. Clare are contesting their second consecutive final having lost out to Tipperary in last year’s decider by three points. Both sides will be hoping to put their disappointing National League campaigns behind them on Saturday. Cork overcame Tipperary on a scoreline of 2-20 to 2-8 in their semi-final, while Clare have qualified for the decider without playing a game after their semi-final opponents, Waterford withdrew from the competition.Cork will be looking to players Síle Burns, Briege Corkery and Gemma O’Connor to get them on the scoreboard and will be difficult opponents on the day. Clare will be hoping that the hiccup of manager Patsy Fahy retiring in mid-season won’t have upset their preparations. Newly appointed manager, Tom Hogan, and his management team will be keeping their fingers crossed that Kate Lynch, Siobhán Lafferty and Deirdre Murphy will be fully recovered from injuries and …

NEWMARKET and Kilmaley will clash in the senior camogie league final after their wins over Kilkishen and Scariff-Ogonnelloe on Sunday.Newmarket had a comfortable win over Kilkishen but Kilmaley had to battle all the way for a one-point success over the East Clare amalgamation. Newmarket 3-12  Kilkishen 0-4 NEWMARKET easily secured their league final spot on Sunday afternoon in Clarecastle with a win over Kilkishen. The East Clare side were first on the board with a point inside the first minute and both sides traded points for the first quarter of the game. Áine O’Brien’s free in the 23rd minute was the turning point for Newmarket, however, as she found the Kilkishen net. Newmarket, now in the driving seat, pushed on from here adding another goal and two points, leaving them 2-5 to 0-3 ahead at the break. Newmarket, who were better able to take advantage of the strong wind, kept on the pressure throughout the second half and ran out …

  Gaelcholáiste 4-9  Ennistymon CBS 0-7 GAELCHOÁISTE an Chláir had a convincing win over Ennistymon CBS in the Division II U-15 schools’ final at Gurteen on Friday.Weather conditions weren’t good with strong winds and heavy rain the order of the day. From the start, Gaelcholáiste an Chláir held a clear advantage, with a  strong wind at their backs for the first half. Newmarket-on-Fergus player, Darren de Paor opened with scoring with a goal, followed by two points from midfielders Cónall O’hAiniféin and  Cian O’Ceallaigh.The winning side continued to apply the pressure with points by outstanding centre-back and captain, Jacob Ó Lachnáin, full forward Aindriú O’Faoláin and Tadhg O’Céileachair. Ennistymon had early scores from Fergus Killeen and Micheál Daffy who battled hard throughout the game. The scoreline at half-time read 1-7 to 0-4.In the second half, with the aid of the breeze, Ennistymon put Gaelcholáiste an Chláir backs under pressure but hard efforts of Adam O’Ceallaigh, Alex Maguidhir, Brian O’Flóinn and …

AVENUE United’s dream of retaining the National U-15 Lions’ Club Cup died on Sunday last at the County Grounds in Doora when they went down 0-4 to Salthill Devon from Galway in the semi-final.A strong wind made matters difficult for both sides and the visitors had the assistance of the wind in the opening half.Avenue defended well in the first quarter but the loss of the influential Lee O’Callaghan to injury with just under half an hour played, proved costly.Play was held up for a while but on resumption, the visitors opened the scoring through Eanna Thompson who went onto register a hat-trick.Early in the second half, Avenue piled on the pressure but failed to get through for an equaliser.The Ennis side were dealt a major blow as the end of the third quarter approached when the visitors, somewhat against the run of play, struck for their second goal. This firmly swung the game in the Galway side’s favour and …

The draws for the Community Games Gaelic Football and camogie were made at the weekend and results are listed below.Gaelic Football Girls’ U-12 Quarter-finalsA: Lissycasey/Ballynacally V Newmarket Semi-finals Kilmihill V Doora/Barefield; Sixmilebridge V A Gaelic Football Boys’ U-10 Quarter-finalsA: Kilrush V Ennis Semi-finals Cooraclare/Cree V Sixmilebridge; Doora Barefield V A Camogie U-14 Quarter-finalsA: Ennis V Doora Barefield 10am B: Inch/Connolly/Kilmaley V Sixmilebridge Semi-finals 10.45am Clarecastle/Ballyea V Newmarket; 11am A V B 1145am 3rd/4th play-off Final 12noon Girls’ football takes place in Lissycasey this Friday evening commencing at 6pm, while the boys’ U-10 football will be at Quin National School on Sunday from 2pm. The camogie takes place at St Flannan’s on Sunday from 10am.The variety and swimming finals will take place on Friday, May 20 at Sixmilebridge and Ennis respectively.Kilnamona athleticsGirls: Toddlers,: 1. Alisha Rynne; 2. Mary McInerney; 3. Eve O’Loughlin.U-8 60m: 1. Carlene McGerr; 2. Cara McInerney; 3. Shauna O’Keeffe.U- 8 80m: 1. Carlene McGerr; 2. Cara McInerney; 3. …

WOODSTOCK qualified for the North Munster final in the Pierce Purcell Shield when they won through the area section played at Dromoland on Saturday and Sunday.On Saturday, they overcame the challenge of Spanish Point to qualify for a Sunday meeting with Shannon where they were again successful and this set up an afternoon final against neighbours Ennis, which Woodstock won.Shannon had defeated Kilkee in the first round, while Dromoland accounted for Doonbeg in their opening game before going under to Ennis at the semi-final stage. Ennis had previously defeated Kilrush.Under team manager, Micheál Hehir, the Spanish Point Pierce Purcell team played Lahinch Golf Club on the previous Wednesday evening in a preliminary first-round match and were convincing winners with two victories on the 13th and one on the 17th for a 4 to 1 result.In the first round proper, when they met Woodstock, Spanish Point lost out, with a putt by Woodstock on the 18th making the difference. The team …

There were four Clare winners over the two nights of racing at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium, including a first win on the track for members of the Murphy family from Kilkishen on Friday night and a best perfomance of the night from Ocean Crash, owned by Tom Fitzgerald, Parteen, on Saturday night.At a benefit meeting on Friday night, Major Impact was a trap two runner in the second race on the card, the Barringtons Hospital Limited over 350 yards for S6/S7 grades. The son of Eoin Rua-Quarrymount Erin made up ground from trap three to lead at the opening bend. He kept up the pace from this to the finishing line, where he had two lengths on Joshs Jewel (Josh Harte, Kilkee).The winner’s clock was 19.35. After the race there was great excitement among members of the Murphy family, including Tradaree Coursing Club officer Eamon Murphy, the trainer and his son, James Murphy, owner. Tom Fitzgerad had a particularly …

Crusheen racing enthusiasts John Hynes and Brendan Kearney struck gold as the mare they jointly own, 6/4 favourite The Malteasiereyes, won at the first time of asking when successful in a division of the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden at last Sunday’s United Hunt point-to-point meeting at Ballindenisk, County Cork. The daughter of Blueprint, who was ridden by champion jockey Derek O’Connor, is trained in Conna, Cork by Grand National-winning trainer Jimmy Mangan.  Heading towards the final fence, the five-year-old was running on well from the rear as the Eoin McDonagh-ridden Lady Boulea assumed command up front. She fell here, however, hampering the challenging Strange Bird, who unseated her rider, allowing O’Connor pop The Malteasereyes over the last for a facile 10-length success over runner-up Lucy’s Legend. While the winner may well have had the rub of the green on this occasion, she looks a smart mare with a big future. Mangan divulged, “I hold this mare in very high …

THEY’LL be pounding the pavements and running the roads around Sixmilebridge next month, flexing their muscles and raising funds for the local community facility, the Bridge Complex.As part of the Sixmilebridge Summer Festival, a 10km and a 5km run/walk will be held on Friday, June 3. The charity road run has been organised by The Bridge Milers, a fledgling running group set up last year, which enjoys strong support.The club was established by Charleville native and Sixmilebridge resident, Tom Enright, an experienced running coach and a man who has more than 30 marathons under his belt.Within the club, which at this stage has more female than male members, the emphasis has been on encouraging people to get fit and back running, rather than training to race competitively.Tom, who is chairman of The Bridge Milers, explains there has been a great interest in leisure running, especially from people in their 30s, who want to get into shape and get fit again. …