Tag Archives: All-Ireland

By Seamus Hayes Twelve members of Clare’s All-Ireland final replay starting line up have been named in the starting team to face Kilkenny at Cusack Park in the opening round of the Allianz league on Sunday Left out of the side from the September line up are goalkeeper Pa Kelly, defender Domhnaill O’Donovan, hero of the drawn tie having scored the equalising point in injury time, and forward Podge Collins who was one of the three nominees from which the hurler of the year was chosen. There had been speculation in recent weeks as to whether or not Collins would be included in the side following his decision to join the senior football panel this season. After two rounds of the football league, Clare are unbeaten and Collins has played a key role in helping them to a win and a draw. To date he has been hugely impressive in helping University of Limerick qualify for the quarter final of …

MAGIC  moments in an incredible year for Clare hurling were recalled on Saturday night when the U-21s were feted at a function in the Auburn Lodge, Ennis. There was a tremendous atmosphere at the packed to capacity event, as  team members were presented with their Munster and All-Ireland medals Tributes were paid to the achievements of the up-and-coming stars of Clare hurling, among them Hurler of the Year, Tony Kelly, in retaining the provincial and All-Ireland [beating Antrim] titles. The contribution which many of them made to the senior All-Ireland winning side was also acknowledged. The efforts of the management and backroom squad in having the side prepared to such a high level of fitness and skills was praised. Hopes were also expressed that the U-21s, with an infusion of some additional players from minor level, could go on to defend their titles in 2014. The achievement of Davy Fitzgerald and his charges in bringing the Liam MacCarthy Cup back …

By Seamus Hayes The GAA season just keeps getting better for Clare. In a year in which two All-Ireland hurling titles were captured, the county champions in hurling and football are now making their mark in Provincial competition. Sixmilebridge travelled to Pairc Ui Caoimh on Sunday where they proved too strong for their Cork counterparts Midleton. A four point win has sent the Clare champions through to the Munster finalwhere they will face Na Piarsaigh from Limerick on Sunday next in Cusack Park at 2p.m. Adding spice to the final is the fact that former Sixmilebridge captain Sean Stack is manager of the Limerick champions. While the Bridge were maintaining Clare’s dominance over Cork, their neighbours from Cratloe were making their own history. On Saturday they won their first ever Clare senior football title when they defeated Doonbeg who top the roll of honour in the Clare senior championship. Twenty four hours after their 0-10 to 0-7 win over the …

BOB O’Brien could afford a wry smile as he listened with interest to the half-time conversation among the Éire Óg U-8 hurlers during a recent underage hurling blitz involving teams from Clare and Limerick. The main topic of conversation among the young hurlers at the tournament in Old Christians was who could be the number 22, as they attempted to repeat Shane O’Donnell’s sensational tally of 3-3, which steered Clare to their fourth thrilling All-Ireland senior hurling success. The Éire Óg hurling academy manager smiled as he reflected. “What Shane O’Donnell has done for the game is incredible. These six or seven-year-olds want to line out in the No.22 jersey and become the next Shane O’Donnell. Players were telling each other, I am 22 in this game and you can be 22 in the next game. It is fantastic for the game of hurling and is a great boost for the club,” he said. This is just one example of …

SPEAKING to The Clare Champion after the game, Cork selector Seanie McGrath said his wife, an Ennis native, would torment him later. “She’ll be doing my head in tonight!” he laughed, showing good humour in the face of disappointment. He acknowledged Shane O’Donnell’s three goals in the first 20 minutes had a huge bearing but said the scores had been created further out the field. “I wouldn’t say that we got caught out there. When we knew that Shane O’Donnell was in, we didn’t change our match up because we felt that Shane (O’Neill) was still well capable of handling it. I think that Shane O’Donnell had an outstanding game but a lot of the goals and the creation of those goals came from out the field to be fair. There were overlaps and he was at the end of some great moves. “But, all in all, he had an unbelievable game, 3-3 in an All-Ireland final. I’ve seen him …

by Peter O’Connell PODGE Collins talks with the same passion, clarity and honesty with which he hurls. The Cratloe dynamo peered out of the doorway that led to the Clare dressing room in Croke Park and was instantly corralled by a bevy of dictaphone-wielding reporters. The speed with which he was surrounded was similar to that of the Clare forwards closing down the Cork defenders, as they tried desperately to rid themselves of possession and drive it downfield. “At the start of the year, if you had told me that we’d be up lifting Liam MacCarthy at the top of those steps, I’d have laughed at you,” Podge replied when asked how this MacCarthy Cup winning lark was going down. “Being honest, you just don’t think that you’re going to get there and to get there today, is just absolutely unbelievable. It’s the best feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life. It has worked out lovely. Week-in week-out, it’s been …

 By Seamus Hayes All-Ireland senior hurling champions Clare will begin their 2014 championship campaign at the Provincial semi-final stage where they will face either Cork or Waterford. A first round win for Cork will result in a repeat of the All-Ireland final which produced two outstanding games before Clare brought home the Liam McCarthy cup for only the fourth time in their history Five counties will compete for the Provincial crown and the second semi-final will be between Tipperary and Limerick. A Cork win over Waterford in the only quarter final game will result in a repeat of the semi-final pairings from 2013. Meanwhile, in the senior football championship Clare will face Waterford in a quarter final with the defending champions Kerry awaiting the winners. In the other half of the draw Tipperary play Limerick with Cork awaiting the winners. Last week the Munster Council, controversially, decided to seed Cork and Kerry for 2014, a decision that has drawn a strong  response …

DAVY Fitzgerald’s tactics haven’t always been well received, but on Saturday evening he was vindicated and when he met the media under the Hogan Stand he said he wouldn’t be settling scores. “There’s been a tough few years from my point of view, there’s been a lot of stick and different things. God, does this feel good. Am I going to say anything about anyone who was cutting the back off me or saying stuff, nah, I don’t think I need to. I’m just so happy for the lads, so happy for them guys. This is all down to them, they’re a fantastic, fantastic bunch.” The decision to bring in Shane O’Donnell worked in a way that no one could have foreseen, with the teenager rattling the net three times within 20 minutes. Fitzgerald said they had kept the pressure off O’Donnell by letting him think the team that was named in the middle of last week would be the …