CLARE referees are getting old and their representative association in the county is very keen to recruit up to 30 new whistlers for an upcoming training course. There are 39 active referees currently, with 70% of them over 40 and 10% over 60. Inter-county referees Rory Hickey and Rory McGann are adamant that a new injection of younger folk in black is imperative, with just five referees aged under 30. “We’re getting older. Clubs might be sick of looking at us but there is no one else. In Clare, we have an older demographic in our referees’ association. We need to be pumping new people into it,” Rory Hickey told The Clare Champion this week. Hickey has been refereeing since 2000 and has taken charge of seven county finals, while Rory McGann took charge of the 2016 drawn hurling final. Both are aiming to make it back to the list of inter-county referees this year and will know this weekend, …

Limerick 0-16 Clare 0-10 The manner in which Clare were outhurled by their great rivals Limerick in this afternoon’s Co-op superstores Munster league final at the gaelic grounds will give players and management alike plenty food for thought before they begin their league campaign in two weeks time. Just one point, and that from a free, in thirty five minutes is a major cause for concern as is the fact that Clare registered a total of sixteen wides during the course of a tie in which Limerick dominated the physical exchanges throughout. Played before an attendance of 3,209, the winners, beaten finalists in this competition last year, dominated for most of the tie At the end of the first half in which the sides were level twice, the new champions led by two points, 0-8 to 0-6. Clare enjoyed their best spell in the opening minutes of the second half when they scored three unanswered points to lead for the …

Cork 3-13 Clare 3-12 AN injury time goal from Cork’s Stephen Sherlock helped the home county to a dramatic McGrath Cup final win in Mallow on Saturday afternoon. Clare have not won the McGrath Cup since 2008 and looked very likely to win the 2018 tournament, when they led by four points, six minutes from time. However Cork threw everything at Clare in the closing minutes and Sherlock’s goal won it for Ronan McCarthy’s team in a game played in front of an attendance of 691. Clare were very slow to settle and trailed by 10 points, 2-8 to 0-4, four minutes before half-time. Eimhin Courtney and Conor Finnucane were the only Clare scorers in the opening half half, with the Éire Óg man scoring both of his points from play. However a Keelan Sexton goal, just before half-time, gave some hope to Clare, who started the second half superbly. Cork goalkeeper Mark White made a couple of second half …

THE surprise announcement on Monday last by the chief executive of Munster GAA, Simon Moroney, that he will step down from the post in May, has fuelled speculation that he will be the association’s next director general. Paraic Duffy, the GAA’s ard stiúrthóir is to leave his position at the end of March and, this week, the closing date for applications for the post was extended by two weeks. Ennis man Moroney was first appointed to the position of Munster Council secretary in 2004, when he replaced Donie Nealon. He resigned from the post in 2008 but he returned to the position in 2013, when he agreed to take on the role for nine months initially. “This became one year and after that year, I agreed with the then management committee to do up to five years, one year at a time. I have really enjoyed the last five years and when I finish up on May 6, I will have served just …

Clare 4-17 Cork 0-18 A comfortable eleven point win over title holders Cork has earned Clare a place in the final of the Co-op Superstores Munster senior hurling league where they will play their neighbours and great rivals Limerick Three goals in the opening quarter sent Clare on their way to this merited win, their second in a week (they easily accounted for Kerry last week) and with Limerick also scoring their second win of the campaign both have sealed their places in the final. The teams were due to meet in the third round next week with the final scheduled for a week later but I understand that both are keen to go ahead with the final this coming weekend and its expected that this will be confirmed by the Munster council in the next day or two. While they weren’t in action this weekend, Clare senior footballers are through to the McGrath cup final where they will meet …

The Clare senior hurling team to play Cork tomorrow in round 2 of the Munster league shows ten changes to the starting line up from that which faced Kerry last week Patrick Kelly (Inagh-Kilnamona) replaces Donal Tuohy in goal, Eoin Quirke (Whitegate) and team captain Patrick O’Connor (Tubber) come in for Jack Browne and Rory Hayes in the corner back positions while David Fitzgerald (Inagh-Kilnamona) and Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge) are named aright and left wing back respectively in place of Diarmuid Ryan and Mikey O’Malley. David Reidy makes way for Colm Galvin (Clonlara) at midfield while Colm’s brother Ian Galvin comes in for clubmate John Conlon at wing forward, Cratloe’s Billy Connors will make his debut at corner forward in a line completed by Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin) and Conor McGrath (Cratloe) and this trio replace last week’s full forward line of Cathal O’Connell, Shane O’Donnell and Gary Cooney. Cork have also made a number of changes from the side which …

A KILLALOE horse trainer received a late Christmas present when Poetic Rhythm helped him to land his first Grade 1 winner. Fergal O’Brien was thrilled when his horse crowned what has been a terrific year for him by winning the Betfred Challow Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday. O’Brien, who used to be head lad to Nigel Twiston-Davies and now rents his old second yard, has sent out 46 winners this season, the vast majority ridden by Paddy Brennan from Ardrahan. Having broken his seasonal-best tally back in April, along with claiming a maiden Grade 2 winner at Sandown in February, the Naunton handler celebrated another landmark achievement as the six-year-old came out on top in a thrilling renewal. After chasing down long-time leader Mulcahys Hill, the 15/8 favourite forged on over the last in the hands of Paddy Brennan, before repelling the late fightback from the Warren Greatrex-trained runner by a short head. It was a close-run thing at the …

Clare 2-18 Waterford 1-9 ON Saturday in Meelick, 10 Clare footballers started their first game for the county and while Waterford deteriorated as the season opening McGrath Cup game wore on, several Clare players suggested that they will definitely be of help in adding depth to the league and championship panel. When the game was a contest in the opening half, Eimhin Courtney was superb, kicking 0-4 from play and moving impressively. In the opposite corner of the full forward line, Conor Finnucane also demonstrated his ability and if both can keep that up, they will definitely be viable options as will full forward, Gearóid O’Brien. All three would definitely add something either from the start, against better opposition or in the last 20 minutes. That’s exactly what Clare are looking for. Other who looked the part, albeit against limited opposition, included Alan Sweeney, Darragh Bohannan and Aaron Fitzgerald at centre-back, while Killian Roche was very solid in goals, under …

Clare 4-20 Kerry 0-12 Clare had their expected comfortable win over Kerry in the opening round of the Co-op Superstores Munster hurling league this afternoon in a game played at Limerick I.T after Sixmilebridge was deemed unplayable due to the heavy rain of the previous two days. Fielding a new look side that included a number of debutants, there was never la doubt about the outcome. The winners raced into an early lead and were 1-3 to 0-0 ahead after six minutes, the goal coming from David Reidy who quickly added a point while Niall Deasy scored the opening two points. Goals from Cathal O’Connell and Shane O’Donnell in the closing minutes of the half left Clare with a fifteen point lead, 3-11 to 0-5, when the half time whistle sounded. Clare’s workrate was impressive throughout that opening half with newcomers Diarmuid Ryan and Rory Hayes in fine form. Both sides made changes at the interval when Clare brought in …

Two members of the 2017 minor team have been named in the senior side which will line out against Kerry in the opening round of the Munster senior hurling league at Sixmilebridge on Saturday (2p.m). In a team which features a mixture of youth and experience, Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe) has been named at wing back while Gary Cooney from O’Callaghabns Mills will line out at corner forward in a side which sees Conor Cleary handed the full back role. Donal Tuohy will fill the goalkeeping position with David McInerney at centre back, David Reidy at midfield, John Conlon at wing forward and Shane O’Donnell at full forward. In addition to Ryan and Cooney, other debutants include Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones) and Ryan Taylor (Clooney-Quin) The team is Donal Tuohy (Crusheen); Jack Browne (Ballyea), Conor Cleary (Miltown, St. Josephs), Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones); Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe), David McInerney (Tulla), Mikey O’Malley (Kilmaley); David Reidy (Éire Óg Inis), Ryan Taylor (Clooney-Quin); Niall …

EAST Clare Development Village, the new management company behind East Clare Golf Club, has announced details of an ambitious €20 million redevelopment plan for the course and surrounding resort. The development of the Bodyke club will take place over the next five years, in four or more separate phases, which will increase the number of holiday homes adjacent to the golf course. There are currently 51 holiday homes. It will also see the development of a new leisure centre, comprising swimming pool, gym and spa facilities. The plans contain the construction of 10 luxury private homes next to the golf course and the development of apartments aimed at the active retired. The development plans were set out by East Clare Development Village at the recent annual general meeting of the golf club. The company received significant support from the members to take over the management of the golf course and facilities with immediate effect. It is understood that the club will …

Newmarket-on-Fergus 2-9 Sixmilebridge 0-13 Newmarket-om-Fergus were crowned Clare Champion cup champions for the 24th time at Clonlara on Saturday when they defeated their neighbours and arch rivals Sixmilebridge who were chasing the senior championship and league double. In a game in which the sides were level on seven occasions, Newmarket finished strongly, scoring the last three points of the game, to claim the title, their first since 2013 when they completed three in a row. As was the case when the sides met in the championship semi-final back at the end of September, there was little between the sides throughout and, for much of this contest, extra time looked likely. Newmarket’s strong finish, however, ensured that county board chairman Joe Cooney would be handing the cup over to Colin Ryan. Before making the presentation the O’Callaghans Mills man paid a warm tribute to the Clare Champion for their sponsorship of the senior leagues and Ryan also thanked the sponsors noting …

TO many GAA followers in the county, the championship semi-final meeting of arch rivals Sixmilebridge and Newmarket was the game of the year, so it’s not surprising that there is a lot of interest in Saturday’s Clare Champion Cup final between the two sides. Even though it is too late in the season to be playing such games, the attractiveness of the pairing should ensure a big crowd in Clonlara for 1pm. After almost two months without a competitive fixture, Newmarket accounted for Kilmaley in the semi-final of the league two weeks ago. Their opponents in the final haven’t had a competitive outing since they bowed out of the Munster club championship last month at the semi-final stage, going down by a point to Ballygunner from Waterford. When the teams clashed in the championship, Sixmilebridge won 3-17 to 2-18, and went on to claim the county title. For much of that game, a draw looked the likely result. The ’Bridge …

Almost 100 years to the day of Clare’s only All-Ireland senior football final appearance, the names of the players and mentors who were part of the panel, the clubs they represented, the results of each round, the venues where they played and the dates on which the games took place have all been recorded on a poster, framed and put on display at Clare GAA headquarters at Clareabbey. The framed document was handed over to Clare GAA during the senior footballers’ medal presentation ceremony at Tubridy’s in Doonbeg last Saturday night, in the presence of a number of relatives of those involved in 1917. Kilkee native JT Larkin and his brother, Michael, who played senior football with the county for a number of years, were instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. “Michael is a newsagent in Miltown and various people coming in to his shop this year raised the topic and asked if some commemoration was to take place. …

Players are going to have to choose between club and county. That’s according to Clare senior football and league champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane whose manager Aidan Moloney issued a strong warning after his charges completed the senior double for the second year in a row when beating Miltown St.Josephs in the Clare Champion sponsored Cusack cup final at Cooraclare this afternoon After winning their seventh successive league crown Kilmurry-Ibrickane considered not accepting the cup. Eventually team captain Martin McMahon came forward, accepted the cup but declined to raise the trophy as is traditional having delivered one of the shortest acceptance speeches on record. He thanked the team’s supporters for attending the game and thanked opponents Miltown and then promptly left the podium having led his club to a 0-14 to 0-11 win over their neighbours and great rivals Miltown St. Josephs. According to team manager Aidan Moloney “the main point we would like to make is that we had a full team …