Clare will enjoy home advantage for the Oscar Traynor inter-league semi-final on this Sunday (kick off 2pm), when Kilkenny will provide the opposition. Champions for the past two seasons, Clare go into the game without team captain Stephen Kelly. He is out with a leg injury he picked up when playing with Newmarket Celtic in the FAI Junior Cup semi-final against Janesboro a few weeks ago. Team boss Donie Garrihy expects to otherwise have a full strength panel to choose his team from, although there appears to be some doubt about the availability of Colin Smyth, who did not line-out with Newmarket Celtic in their Clare Cup semi-final win over Shannon Town at the weekend. “At this time of year in particular, there will always be a few doubts as we come to the end of a long season. We have a few guys who are carrying knocks and we will know more later in the week,” Garrihy told The …

IT was a night of remembering times past at Cannys Bar on Saturday, when Killanena GAA Club honoured the members of the junior championship-winning team from 1977. All members of the squad, with the exception of Chicago-based Michael Leonard and the late Denis Sammon and Joe Horan, were in attendance. It was a particularly memorable year for the club, as they won the junior A championship, beating Corofin in a replay in the final, while they also won the 1976 league title, in a final played in 1977. Special guest was former Clare selector and manager, Tony Considine, who recalled that campaign in detail and many of the games between his native Cratloe and Killanena in the 1970s. Brian Borus was a very successful amalgamation in the ’70s with Bodyke, Tulla and Killanena coming together to form a senior team, which won the county senior championship title in 1975. Killanena provided a number of members to the team including Paddy …

Newmarket’s dominance of Clare hurling in the late 1960s was recalled this week, when the members of the club’s three in-a-row championship-winning teams of 1967, 1968 and 1969 were feted at a function at The Inn in Dromoland. It was a particularly successful period for the club as, in addition to the three championship titles, they won four Clare Champion Cups from 1966 to 1969, while they became the first in Clare to win the Munster club title, when they defeated Carrick Davins from Tipperary on October 6, 1968 on a scoreline of 3-9 to 2-7. Many of the players in those teams were household names, including Jim Cullinan, Michael Considine, Gus Lohan, Liam Danagher, Paddy McNamara, Pat Cronin, Hubbie McCabe, two time All-Star Johnnie McMahon and Wexford man, Liam Griffin, who managed his native county to the All-Ireland title in 1996. In those three finals, Newmarket defeated neighbours and arch rivals Clarecastle. The 1967 final was played on November …

Limerick 3-18 Clare 0-13 The worst fears of Clare hurling fans were realised at Cusack Park this evening when the county’s under 21 hurlers suffered a fourteen point defeat from defending Munster and All-Ireland champions Limerick. Twelve months ago at the Gaelic grounds in Limerick, the Shannonsiders emerged with a thirteen point victory and Clare had hoped to close the gap considerably this time around. They looked to be in a good position at half time when just two points separated the teams, Limerick leading on a score of 0-10 to 0-8. Just over a minute into the second half Conor O’Halloran saw red and his sending off was a major blow to Clare. With fourteen men they battled bravely in the third quarter but Limerick pulled away in the final quarter and they scored 2-4 without reply in the last twelve minutes as they sealed their place in the semi-final against Tipperary in Thurles next month. Both managers, Pat …

CLARE football manager, Colm Collins, has said he cannot understand why clubs took the decision not to play club football or hurling championship games in April, which was designated as a club month by the GAA. Clare was the only Munster county not to play championship in either code, instead opting to play five rounds of league games in football and three in hurling. Speaking at Monday’s Munster championship launch in Bunratty, Collins said he could not comprehend why six of the seven rounds in the Clare football leagues are already played. “Our football leagues are almost over and it’s not May 1 yet. I fail to see where the merit is in that,” he stated. “We have one game of seven in the league left, which is ridiculous. Playing no championship in April was a decision of the clubs. I felt they should have played a round of football and hurling championship in Clare. Clubs decided that. I just …

Cork 1-21 Clare 1-8 Greater experience allied to the loss of key Clare forward Niamh O’Dea with a shoulder injury were key factors as Cork scored a comfortable win over Clare in the Munster senior camogie championship semi-final at sun splashed Cusack Park this Saturday evening. From the outset the visitor’s experience was evident but Clare took the game to the favourites in the early stages and trailed by just a point after ten minutes when the score was 0-4 to 0-3. The winners had added 1-1 by the end of the first quarter and this was still the position five minutes later when Niamh O’Dea suffered a shoulder injury which ended her involvement in the game. The loss of the dual star was a massive blow to Clare but they were still in a good position at half time when they trailed by four points,1-4 to1-8, the home side’s goal having come from Doireann Murphy after she had taken …

The Clare team which will line out against Limerick in the quarter final of the Munster under 21 hurling championship at Cusack Park on Monday evening includes players from ten clubs. Kilmaley provide three players while O’Callaghans Mills, Inagh-Kilnamona and Cratloe each provide two members with the remaining six coming from Eire Og, Crusheen, Clooney-Quin, Clonlara, Feakle and Newmarket. The team is Killian Nugent (O’Callaghans Mills); Conor O’Halloran (Eire Og), Ross Hayes (Crusheen), Bradley Higgins |(Kilmaley); Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe), JasonMcCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona) Captain, Pauric McNamara (Kilmaley); Michael Corry (Clooney-Quin,Kieran Galvin (Clonlara); Aidan McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona), Gary Cooney (O’Callaghans Mills), Steven Conway (Feakle); Joe Carmody (Kilmaley), Colin Guilfoyle (Newmarket), Billy Connors (Cratloe). Subs; Eamonn Foudy (Inagh-Kilnamona), Liam O’Connor (Newmarket), Carthal Lynch (Sixmilebridge), Cathal Darcy (Kilmaley), Sean O’Loughlin (Kilmaley), Padraic O’Loughlin (Clonlara), Michael O’Shea (Smith O’Briens), Darren Cullinan (Inagh-Kilnamona), Ian Murray (Bodyke) The backroom team comprises John Carmody (Kilmaley0 who is the manager, Donal Madden (Clonlara) who is the team coach, Tomas Kelly (Inagh-Kilnamona), …

Since the U-21 Hurling Championship was introduced back in 1964, there has been some great times for Clare teams but with plenty of heartache as well. In the 54 championships played, Clare have played in 19 finals, including one replay. Thirteen may be regarded as unlucky for some but for the Banner the opposite was the case when the county finally got over the line on the 13th time of asking, claiming the title in Dungarvan in 2009. They went on to contest four finals in succession, winning provincial and All-Ireland titles in 2012, ’13 and ’14 before losing to Limerick in 2015. Many of the players on those teams helped the county to the All-Ireland senior title in 2013. Facing into the 2018 campaign in what remains the only inter-county championship in which participants do not get a second chance, Clare could hardly have asked for a more difficult task. Next Monday’s first round game pits the Banner against …

CONTROVERSY flared last February when a request from the National Camogie Association that Clare’s league match against Meath be played as part of a double header in Cusack Park, was turned down. Instead, Clare played Meath in Ogonnelloe at the same time as the hurlers played Cork in Cusack Park. The expectation had been that Clare GAA would facilitate the double header as counties like Galway, Kilkenny and Dublin had done. However, the wheel has turned and Saturday’s Clare v Cork Munster semi-final tie has been confirmed for the county grounds. Currently teaching geography and history at St Caimin’s in Shannon, Chloe Morey is delighted that Clare GAA has granted the camogie team access to Cusack Park. She feels it’s the only place to play championship for the county. “We looked for it about five weeks ago and, to be honest, we were saying to ourselves that we weren’t going to get it. I’m the first to give out and …

Tullow, Carlow 34 Ennis 27 An all round better balanced Tullow side proved that bit too strong for Ennis in the All-Ireland under 16 rugby cup final at the 4G pitch in Mullingar this afternoon. The Carlow outfit got off to a dream start, scoring a try in the opening minute and they held the lead throughout. That said, Ennis never dropped the heads and battled back strongly, particularly in the second half but the Leinster premier side held the upperhand in the vital areas and deserved their win. “We were on the back foot from the word go. We had prepared well and we thought everything was right for us as the injuries had cleared up but the early score rattled us. We never got ahead and when we scored they hit back with a score. All credit to Tullow, they are a fine team”, Ennis manager Ken Butler said after the game. Tullow kicked off and attacked straight …

Ennis RFC will travel en masse to Mullingar on Saturday to watch the U-16s vie for All-Ireland honours against Tullow from County Carlow. The boys have reached this stage of the competition on the back of an unbeaten run over the past two years in Munster, winning both U-14 and U-15 honours. ike a number of his fellow mentors, Butler grew up following the fortunes of Ennis RFC. His late father, Tony, played for the club’s junior team and served in a variety of positions in the executive. “Like a number of the other coaches in the club, I grew up going to games in the old showgrounds every week and developed an interest in the game from there,” said Butler, who recalled the work done at underage level by the likes of Jackie Morris, Joe Moloney, Malcom Lewis and Michael Considine to mention some. “They were very involved in the underage structure, which has expanded a lot in recent …

THE Clare Senior Hurling Championship first round draws for 2018 have thrown up some mouthwatering contests. Champions Sixmilebridge will meet Clonlara in what will be a repeat of the final a few years ago. Cratloe will face Inagh-Kilnamona, while newly-promoted Kilmaley will face Newmarket. In football, the eight quarter-finalists from 2017 were seeded. Title-holders Kilmurry-Ibrickane will take on Kilfenora in the opening round. Clare senior football manager, Colm Collins, will manage his Cratloe side against his native parish Kilmihil, while former county midfielder, Ger Quinlan, will find himself on the sideline with Ennistymon against his native O’Curry’s. At the end of this season’s senior football campaign, five teams will be relegated to intermediate, with the intermediate winners being promoted. This will mean the 2019 championship will comprise 12 teams. The draws are as follows: Senior hurling: O’Callaghan’s Mills v St Joseph’s: Whitegate v Ballyea; Tulla v Éire Óg; Clarecastle v Crusheen; Wolfe Tones v Clooney-Quin; Cratloe v Inagh-Kilnamona; Newmarket v …

Janesboro 1 Newmarket Celtic 0 For the second time in two weeks Newmarket Celtic have had to deal with the disappointment of being knocked out of a prestigious cup competition at the semi-final stage. Two weeks ago they wend down 3-2 to Pike Rovers in the semi-final of the FAI junior cup and this afternoon they lost out to Janesboro in the semi-final of the Munster junior cup at the Limerick club’s venue. Making this latest defeat all the harder to take is the fact that the game’s only goal came two minutes into ‘injury time’ and just as supporters were preparing for extra time. Niall Hanley scored the all important goal which will see Janesboro face their Limerick neighbours Pike Rovers in the final next month. While Newmarket had been under some pressure in the opening half, they had enjoyed the better of matters in the second period when they came close to breaking the deadlock on a few …

These are good times for Clare soccer according to Newmarket Celtic manager Liam Murphy, who is hoping to add further success when he leads Newmarket Celtic to Limerick for their Munster Junior Cup semi-final game against Janesboro on Sunday at 12 noon. Murphy notes Newmarket’s opponents will carry the favourites’ tag. “We are the underdogs. We are not stupid enough to think otherwise. They are about to retain the premiership in Limerick, something they have never done. They are trying to add a Munster Junior Cup to that and they are a force to be reckoned with. We have our work cut out to try and contain them and impose our game plan on them,” he told The Clare Champion. Newmarket met Janesboro at the same stage in this competition back in 2016, before losing out to St Michael’s in the final. That year, Janesboro defeated Newmarket in the FAI Junior Cup. Victory on Sunday would set up another match …

Ennistymon CBS 3-14 St. Mary’s Newport 3-4 Ennistymon CBS captured the Munster under 15 D hurling title and the Kevin Marren cup when they defeated St. Mary’s from Newport at Meelick this afternoon. Goals from Liam Cotter, Sean Rynne and Brendan Rouine streered the North Clare side, managed by Jason Daffy, to this latest success. The team was captained by Cillian McGroary from Corofin and he was presented with the trophy which commemorates a Newmarket man who gave many years of service to the promotion of hurling at schools level in particular. The Ennistymon CBS team was Dylan McCoy (Inagh-Kilnamona); Mark Callinan (Inagh-Kilnamona), Marc O’Loughlin (Corofin), Colman Kelly (Inagh-Kilnamona); Thomas O’Dwyer (Ennistymon), Cillian McGroary (Corofin) Captain, Shane Woods (Inagh-Kilnamona); Keith Barry (Inagh-Kilnamona), Brendan Rouine (Ennistymon); Niall Mullins (Inagh-Kilnamona), Joshua Guyler (Inagh-Kilnamona), Ricky Wynne (Inagh-Kilnamona); Liam Cotter(Ennistymon), Sean Rynne (Inagh-Kilnamona), Diarmuid Fahy (Ennistymon); Subs; Adam O’Loughlin (Corofin), Martin O’Keeffe (Ennistymon), Colin Fitzgerald (Corofin), Jack Lyons (Inagh-Kilnamona), Brendan McCoy (Inagh-Kilnamona), James Cullinan …