Tag Archives: All-Ireland qualifier

Mayo 2-14 Clare 0-13 AT half-time a huge shock looked on but Clare were outscored 2-8 to 0-5 in the second half of their third round All-Ireland qualifier game against Mayo in Ennis on Saturday. The O’Connor brothers, Cillian and Diarmuid, buried two early second half goals and from there, Mayo were in control. In front of an attendance of 11,576 in Cusack Park, Clare led 0-8 to 0-6 after 35 minutes. They made an electric start and led 0-6 to 0-1 after 19 minutes. Andy Moran, who put over 0-3 from play in the first half, kicked the games opening score in the first minute but Clare racked up 0-6 in a pulsating spell. Mayo were also dealt a very early setback when Donal Vaughan was black carded for a tackle on Gary Brennan in the fourth minute. Brennan was one of Clare’s point scores in that period, while Eoin Cleary, David Tubridy, Keelan Sexton and Jamie Malone also …

THE managers of the last two county senior football champions have confirmed to The Clare Champion that withdrawing county players from Saturday’s All-Ireland qualifier against Laois was a live option. County champions and Cusack Cup holders, Kilmurry-Ibrickane, along with their neighbours, St Joseph’s Miltown, are furious that Clare County Board imposed a €200 fine on them and handed the points to O’Curry’s and Doonbeg respectively, after Cusack Cup fixtures were not played on the weekend of June 3. Clondegad and Éire Óg have also suffered a similar fate, with the points awarded to Lissycasey and St Breckan’s. All four fined clubs had refused to line-out without their inter-county footballers in the sixth round of the Cusack and Garry cups. “We are very upset over it. We got a lot of support from the county players but we felt that the nuclear option wasn’t feasible after all the hard work these guys have put in and their long years of service,” …

IN the aftermath of Clare’s 2-23 to 0-17 Munster Championship semi-final defeat to Kerry in Killarney on June 12, the concession of two goals in the opening five minutes was highlighted as central to Clare’s compliant demise. Those goals were a massive set-back and sucked confidence from Clare. The fact that they managed to kick 0-17 was seen as an impressive total and while it was a decent return, contained within that statistic is a worrying figure. The starting six forwards kicked just 0-3 from play between them in 70 minutes of football. David Tubridy, Eoin Cleary and Podge Collins put over a point each. If they are to get beyond Laois on Sunday, the Clare forwards must up that return considerably. On the plus side Pearse Lillis, who came on for the black-carded Podge Collins seven minutes before half-time, kicked three superb points from play, while Gary Brennan and Cathal O’Connor put over 0-3 between them from midfield. The …

Senior hurling boss Davy Fitzgerald has named the 26-man panel for this Saturday’s All-Ireland qualifier with Offaly at Cusack Park, throw-in 7pm. Brendan Bugler, Conor McGrath, Colm Galvin and Aaron Cunningham all return to the panel, while Cathal O’Connell misses out due to a calf strain. Captain Patrick Donnellan is absent due to suspension. The starting 15 will be announced on Friday night from the panel of Patrick Kelly (Inagh-Kilnamona), David McInerney (Tulla), Cian Dillon (Crusheen), Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge), Brendan Bugler (Whitegate), Conor Ryan (Cratloe), Jack Browne (Ballyea), Patrick O’Connor (Tubber), Colin Ryan (Newmarket-on-Fergus), John Conlon (Clonlara), Tony Kelly (Ballyea), Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge), David Reidy (Éire Óg), Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg), Conor McGrath (Cratloe), Donal Tuohy (Crusheen), Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones na Sionna), Bobby Duggan (Clarecastle), Domhnall O’Donovan (Clonlara), Darach Honan (Clonlara), Paul Flanagan (Ballyea), Conor Cleary (Kilmaley), Nicky O’Connell (Clonlara), Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Gearoid O’Connell (Ballyea) and Colm Galvin (Clonlara).

Former Wexford hurling manager, Liam Griffin returns to Clare this weekend to see the All-Ireland championship qualifier at Cusack Park but he will also spend some time in Newmarket-on-Fergus, recalling old times. The Rosslare man has many happy memories of his time with the Newmarket club in the early 1960s, with whom he won two U-21 titles and a couple of Clare senior championships. In fact, he is proud to say that, in his time with the Blues he “never played on a losing team”. “We were unbeaten in all our games. We had a really good team that included the likes of Trixie Twomey, Mick Considine, the O’Learys, Gus Lohan, Liam Danagher and Pudden Cullinan,” he recalled ahead of Saturday’s meeting of Clare and Wexford. “Wexford are going into the lions’ den. They have a young team for the most part, with a few experienced players. Wexford are up against it having to travel to Clare and this game …