It’s a situation that few expected the county to be in, an hour away from a fourth successive provincial U-21 title. Having tasted defeat in 13 Munster deciders, Clare finally made the breakthrough in 2009, when they went on to add the All-Ireland crown. They have repeated this achievement in the last three years and are now just one win away from a record fourth successive title. Waterford came to Ennis as hot favourites to end Clare’s reign as champions. However, a magnificent display from a new-look Banner saw them emerge with a two-point win, 0-23 to 1-18. It was a similar situation for Limerick 24 hours later, as they went into their semi-final against Tipperary as underdogs. They too produced a very impressive display, however and at one stage, they were 14 points clear and coasting. Tipperary fought back to level and this rally, together with Limerick having centre-back Barry O’Connell harshly sent off on a second yellow card, …

Miltown Malbay’s Conor Cleary is honoured to have been appointed as the U-21 hurling captain but the focus, he says, is very much on Limerick and this Thursday’s Munster final. “It’s all about the game. It is a great honour to be captain and a massive one to get but all the focus is on Limerick. We have seen how impressive they were against Tipperary and how hungry they were. We know the challenge that is ahead of us and we know it’s going to be a very tough game and we will have to be on top of our game if we are going to compete with them,” he told The Clare Champion. “We have been very lucky with the coaches we have had at U-14, U-16 and minor and then at U-21 with Donal Moloney, Gerry O’Connor and Paul Kinnerk, who have had a great management structure going for the last few years. We are very lucky with …

AN explosive war of words has broken out between two-time All-Ireland winning manager, Ger Loughnane and Clare GAA County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh. Mr Loughnane has told The Clare Champion that he believes Mr McDonagh’s position as board chairman is “utterly untenable”, while he has also insisted that the Miltown Malbay clubman, who is serving his second term as chairman, is using his GAA role to aid his campaign to seek a Fianna Fáil nomination at this Friday night’s convention in Ennis. Mr McDonagh has denied this suggestion and claims the former Clare manager is setting out to derail his political ambitions. “Comments I have made in my remit as chairman of the county board, during the past fortnight and throughout my tenure, have always been made in the best interests of Clare GAA and in my capacity as chairman only. The suggestion that any comments I have made are self-serving or politically motivated are wrong and appear to me …

As expected, the Clare team to face Limerick in Thursday evening’s Munster under 21 hurling final is unchanged from that which defeated a fancied Waterford side in the semi-final two weeks ago. A capacity attendance is expected at Cusack Park for the meeting of the neighbouring rivals in the Provincial final when Clare will be seeking their fourth title in a row. Both sides caused surprises in the semi-final when accounting for Waterford and Tipperary who were fancied to get through to the final. The standard of play in both games was high and there is an expectation amongst hurling fans that this final will proved to be o ne of the best in modern times. The game has a throw in time of 7p.m. and Tipperary’s Fergal Horgan will be in charge. There will be extra time in the event of the teams being level at the end of normal time. The Clare team for the final is; Keith …

Eire Og and Lissycasey, two teams fancied to win their first round senior football championship games last weekend but who ended up on the losing side have been drawn to play each other in round two. In their last championship clash, the town side recorded a runaway win. The losers of this tie will be out of the championship race and will be into the battle to avoid relegation to the intermediate grade The second round games are scheduled for the weekend of August 15/16 when defending champions Cratloe who are chasing a third successive title will play Cooraclare. Ennistymon, following their victory over Eire Og, await the winners of the remaining first round game between Doonbeg and Miltown St. Josephs. The losers of Saturday’s tie will play St.Senans, Kilkee. St. Breckans, fresh from their exciting extra time win over Lissycasey, will take on Kilrush while Clondegad will face O’Currys. In the losers section, Kilmurry-Ibrickane will play Shannon Gaels while Wolfe …

First round action in the race for the senior football championship title provided plenty of talking points over the weekend. From a major melee at half time in the opening game at Hennessy park in Miltown to three sendings off in the Cratloe v Kilmurry-Ibrickane game at Lissycasey, patrons had plenty of issues for debate not to mention the surprise defeats for Eire Og and Lissycasey. [doptg id=”76″] It’s expected that Clare GAA will conduct an investigation into the disgraceful scenes at Miltown as the Eire Og and Ennistymon teams made their way to the dressing rooms. There were no indications during the opening half that a nasty free for all was about to develop but players, mentors and some spectators were involved in the disgraceful incident which marred what was an otherwise very sporting occasion. Goals win games and Ennistymon scored three on their way to a two point win over a fancied Ennis side. The North Clare men …

The camogie association issued a statement late on Wednesday night regarding the progression of teams to the All-Ireland senior championship quarter finals which take place on Saturday week, August 1. Cork and Tipperary play in one quarter-final while Wexford are awaiting confirmation of their opponents which will be either Dublin or Clare. Dublin have completed their four group games and are currently third in the group table, with three points while Clare are, currently, fourth, with one point. Clare play Derry this Sunday, in their final round of the championship. Clare were originally scheduled to play Derry on Saturday June 20 but, as Ulster were hosting the National Féile na nGael competition, Derry’s request to keep that weekend free of inter-county games was facilitated. A win for Clare on Sunday will see them level on points with Dublin. These sides drew when they clashed at the league stage, scoring 1-8 each. As they each scored the same number of goals …

  Fears that the Munster under 21 hurling final between Shannonside neighbours Clare and Limerick, scheduled for Thursday next, July 30, would be played outside Clare have been removed. A special meeting of the Clare GAA executive on Friday last voted to defer the commencement of renovation works at Cusack Park until after the final. Last month the executive had made a similar decision and deferred the commencement of work at the county grounds for a month in order to host the senior hurling and football Qualifier double header and the Munster under 21 semi-final against Waterford. A home and away arrangement is in operation for underage games in Munster and its Clare’s turn to host Limerick in the under 21 hurling championship, hence the reason for Clare’s latest decision. The Provincial body confirmed this week that the match will have a 7p.m. throw in time and it will be an all ticket game and supporters are asked to pre-purchase …

On a weekend when league action dominated the domestic GAA scene the pairings for the semi-finals of the Clare Champion cup (senior hurling league) were confirmed. Eire Og knew going into their clash with neighbours St. Josephs that they needed to win by seventeen points or more to claim a place in the last four. They came very close but their fifteen point winning margin wasn’t enough to see them through and that spot goes to Whitegate who finished second to Kilmaley. The three were level on 14 points each after nine games and it was left to score difference to separate them. Kilmaley had a vastly superior difference and claimed top spot. Crusheen sealed the runners up spot in division 1 A when they drew with Inagh-Kilnamona. Sixmilebridge were already through but they completed their programme games with their ninth win from nine outings when they overcame O’Callaghans Mills. Clooney-Quin who went down by a point to Cratloe were …

Tipperary 2-18 Clare 0-11 Following a comprehensive defeat at the Ragg in Tipperary in their third round All-Ireland senior camogie championship game on Saturday, Clare now find themselves in the position that they must beat Derry on this Saturday and, in the process, score four goals if they are to get into the quarter finals. A win over Derry will leave Clare level on points with Dublin. When Clare and Dublin met two weeks ago they drew, so if they are level on points, according to competition rules, they will be separated by the number of goals scored during the league section of the competition. To date Dublin have scored four goals while Clare have managed just one, hence the need to score  four goals and, of course, beat Derry, on Saturday next in a game that will be played at a Clare venue. Clare can have no arguments about the result of their clash with Tipperary who were much …

CLARE County Board chairman Michael McDonagh has flatly denied that the organisation is anti-democratic, following its actions this week in seeking to quash debate on the future of senior hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald. Clubs were not consulted on the decision to back the manager, which McDonagh released to the public, via a national newspaper, on Tuesday. Although the decision regarding management has already been made, he says clubs can voice their views at the September county board meeting. McDonagh insists the original decision to extend Davy Fitzgerald’s term by three years was made at a full county board meeting in 2013 and that board officers are merely following through on that. He also claimed that the Clare players are fully supportive of this decision, despite the fact that they have won only a single championship game in two years, along with suffering relegation to Division 1 B. “As an officer board, we spoke with each other and we also spoke …

Clare 0-23   Waterford 1-18 WHAT an evening it was in Cusack Park on Wednesday. The Clare U-21s lifted the spirits of the entire county with a display of epic bravery, skill and pure passion, in front of a crowd of 6,639 people. Incredibly, they have qualified for the county’s fourth successive final at this level. Inspired by the peerless Bobby Duggan and the equally superb Ian Galvin, Clare stunned Waterford, who were warm favourites. Duggan hit 0-13, including six sublime points from play, while Galvin produced one of the best individual displays seen in the county grounds, hitting 0-5 from play in a glorious second half effort. But while Duggan and Galvin put over 0-19 between them, they were surrounded by men who fought like lions for every ball. Without that intensity, added to their general calmness in possession, Clare would not be preparing for a Munster final on July 30. On a perfect evening for hurling they gave …

Clare senior hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald and his football counterpart Colm Collins have informed Clare GAA of their intention to complete their managerial terms and remain in charge of the county sides for 2016. In a statement issued through county board public relations officer, Sean O’Halloran the board said it welcomes and fully supports the commitments received from both managers and “looks forward to their review of their respective 2015 campaigns as well as an outline of their plans for 2016”. Board chairman Michael McDonagh was equally delighted with developments. He said, “I am delighted that Colm and Davy are committed to remaining in their respective positions for 2016. Whileeveryone associated with Clare GAA is disappointed with the progress ofboth teams during 2015, we firmly believe that there are better things in store, and both Davy and Colm are the right people to lead their teams forward.”

History will be made this Wednesday evening when a Miltown Malbay man will captain a Clare under 21 hurling championship team for the first time. Conor Cleary, who plays his club hurling with Kilmaley, will lead Clare from centre back when they face Waterford in the Provincial semi-final. The team includes just one member of the county senior side which lost to Cork last week. Shane O’Donnell, full forward in the senior team, has been named at corner forward for Wednesday’s game as the Banner outfit sets out in search of a fourth successive Munster title. Donal Moloney is the team manager and this year he is assisted by Sean McMahon St. Josephs, Peter Casey (St. Breckans), Kevin O’Grady (Beagh), Kieran Corcoran (Broadford) and Barry Fitzpatrick from Monaleen who is in charge of strength and conditioning. The team is Keith Hogan (Clooney-Quin); Eoin Quirke (Whitegate), David Fitzgerald (Inagh-Kilnamona), Shane O’Brien (Clonlara); Aidan McGuane (Kilmaley) Conor Cleary (Miltown) Captain, Ben O’Gorman …

The final round of games in this season’s Clare Champion sponsored Cusack cup, senior football league, has cleared the way for the knock out stage as well as confirming who is to be relegated Holders Kilmurry-Ibrickane are back in the final following a two goal victory over Clondegad, 3-11 to 1-11. Both teams were short some players with Clondegad certainly feeling the loss of the Brennan brothers, Gary and Shane, due to injury. All is not lost for the Ballynacally based club as they will have home advantage in the semi-final when they will come up against their fellow parishioners, Lissycasey who secured their passage to the last four with a 3-10 to 1-8 win over O‘Curry’s at Doonaha. This result did not appear likely five minutes into the second half when the men from the West Clare penninsula held a five point advantage but from here on there was only one team in it. Goals from Martin Moran, Cathal …