CLARE Community Games were represented by 177 children from all over the county in both sporting and cultural events at the national finals weekend  in Athlone IT.
There were some excellent results for the Banner representatives who brought home a total of 40 gold, 20 silver, 11 bronze and 10 fourth place certs.
Gold medals were won by Broadford/Kilbane/Kilmore badminton, the boys U-15 handballers from Tulla, Carrigaholt/Cross set dancing, U-13 mixed cross country, David Hamilton Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry, Barry Clancy and Patrick Hogan both Kilnamona in model making and Michael Clancy, Doonbeg, who was the first boy home in the U-13 cross country. 
Silver went to Cratloe culture group, Tulla draughts U-12 and the boys U-13 handball from Quin/Clooney and to Kevin Mulcaire in cross country. The U-16 Shannon chess team and the girls handball team from Kilkishen won bronze while fourth place went to project teams from Cratloe and Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry; to Noel O’Gorman, Kilmihil in U-8 art and Cliodhna Blake Doonbeg in U-13 cross country. The Clare team finished 20 points ahead of Kerry and 100 points ahead of Meath in the cross country.

Gold for Broadford

FOLLOWING success at the county and provincial U-15 Badminton competition two months ago, five boys and five girls from Broadford set off last Friday focused on attaining the one that got away in 2009.
Such was their disappointment at losing the final last year, the team led by Damien Kiniry, was determined they would go the extra mile in 2010, as for eight of them, this was their last chance as they are not eligible next year.
The competition, held on Saturday morning in the Marist College in Athlone, drew Broadford against Ballaghadreen, Roscommon, in the semi-final. They ran out comfortable winners, 5-0, dropping only a set in the process. In the other semi-final, the reigning All-Ireland champions Taghmon, Wexford met Monaghan and proved again that the Leinster champs were truly a force to be reckoned with. This meant a repeat of last year’s final was on the cards.
First up for Broadford was the girls’ doubles pairing of Aoife Dillon and Lorraine Kiniry. After winning the toss to serve, the girls never looked back and won the first set 21-16. Clare had to fight for every point, prevailing in the second, winning the game, 21-19.
Stiofán Marsh McMahon and Damien Kiniry made their way onto the court to face a fancied Wexford pairing. McMahon and Kiniry were magnificent and won the first set 21-18 and the second 21-17.
Up next were the mixed pairing of Cliona O’Brien and Shane Taylor. Wexford took the first set 21-16 and looked set to take the second until Taylor found an extra gear and the Clare team won the second, 21-15. The third game was nip and tuck, neither side folding under pressure until it came to 19-19, when two unforced errors from the Broadford pair gave the set to Wexford.
Aoife Dillon and Diarmuid Moloney were next into action for the Clare champions. Starting off nervously, as the Wexford supporters began to find their voice, the Broadford pair were trailing initially in the first set, found wanting at the net in particular, but fought back to level. Both Moloney and Dillon dug deep and won 21-18.
The second game started as the first with Broadford behind, but they clawed back to draw even. At this point, both teams exchanged points until Moloney served up some delightful precision drop shots which the Wexford girl could not meet. It was 20-18 before Dillon pounced to seal victory for the team of Aoife Dillon, Lorriane Kiniry, Cliona O’Brien, Róisín O’Connell, Siobhán O’Connell, Damien Kiniry (captain), Shane Taylor, Diarmuid Moloney, Stiofán Marsh McMahon and Shane Kiniry.

Community Games Results

Kilmaley/Inch/Connolly

Boys
U-8 60m: 1. Evan Forde; 2. Ryan Vaughan; 3. Diarmuid Cahill. 80m: 1. Evan Forde; 2. Kieran Daniels; 3. Liam Hickey.
U-10 100m: 1. Sean Ronan; 2. James Maguire; 3. Enda Haren; 200m: 1. James Maguire; 2. Sean Ronan; 3. Kenneth Higgins.   
U-12 100m: 1. Darragh Hickey; 2. Eoin Grace; 3. Cathal Talty; 600m: 1. Eoin Grace; 2. Darragh Hickey; 3. David Moloney; Long Puck: 1. Mark Cabey; 2. David Moloney; 3. Darragh Hickey; ballthrow: 1. Cathal Talty; 2. Ronan Cahillo; 3. Conor Cahill.
U-14 100m: 1. Brian Colleran; 800m: 1. Dylon Costelloe.
Girls
U-8 60m: 1. Ruth Neylon; 2. Ciadh Reynolds; 3. Caoimhe White; 80m: 1. Ruth Neylon; 2. Ciadh Reynolds; 3. Caoimhe White.
U-10 100m: 1. Chloe Neylon; 2. Megan White; 3. Emily Cahill; 200m: 1. Emily Cahill; 2. Megan White; 3. Chloe Neylon.
U-12 100m: 1. Clara Neylon; 2. Caoimhe Carmody; 600m: 1. Caoimhe Carmody; 2. Ciara Neylon; ballthrow: 1. Gráinne Cooney; 2. Sinead Rooney; 3. Caoimhe Carmody.
U-14 800m: 1. Anna Moloney; long puck: 1. Lauren McGuane; 2. Chloe McAleer.

Cree/Cooraclare

Girls
U-6 60m: 1. Sadhbh O’Brien; 2. Lorraine O’Dea; 3. Orlaith Lillis; 80m: 1. Sadhbh O’Brien; 2. Eilse O’Leary; 3. Orlaith Lillis.
U-8 60m and 80m: 1. Shauna O’Gorman; 2. Niamh Conlon; 3. Sinead Lillis.
U-10 100m: 1. Caoilfionn Morrissey; 2. Meghan Garry; 3. Sarah Looney; 200m: 1. Meghan Garry; 2. Sarah Looney; 3. Caoilfionn Morrissey.
U-12 100m: 1. Caoimbhe Corry; 2. Grace Quinlivan; 600m: 1. Grace Quinlivan; 2. Caoimbhe Corry.
U-14 100m and 800m: 1. Áine Looney.
U-16 100m: 1. Sinéad Burke; 2. Aoife O’Gorman.
Boys
U-6 60m: 1. Martin Finn; 2. Pat Fennell; 3. Jake Garry; 80m: 1. Pat Fennell; 2. Jimmy Gallagher; 3. Sean Lernihan.
U-8 60m: 1. Brian McNamara; 2. Josh Morrissey; 3. Michael O’Connell; 80m: 1. Brian McNamara; 2. Michael O’Connell; 3. Donnacha Morrissey. U-10 100m and 200m: 1. Michael Garry; 2. Shane Lillis; 3. Ronan Donnellan.
U-12 100m: 1. Sean McNamara; 2. Colm Morrissey; 3. Fergal Donnellan; 600m: 1. Cathal O’Gorman; 2. Colm Morrissey; 3. Colin McNamara.
U-14 100m: 1. Jack Morrissey; 2. Barry O’Gorman; 3. Donal O’Grady; ballthrow: 1. Sean McNamara; 2. Davy Martyn; 3. Colin McNamara; 800m: 1. Rory McLoone; 2. Donal O’Grady; 3. Barry O’Gorman.
U-16 100m and 1,500m: 1. James Burke; 2. Caoimhin Donnellan; long puck: 1. Fergal Donnellan; 2. Shane McNamara; 3. Diarmuid Donnellan.