Tag Archives: Antrim

All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship Semi-Final Antrim 1-16 Clare 0-18 CLARE’S dream of taking their place on an All-Ireland final stage at Croke Park was denied in the most agonising fashion imaginable this afternoon at O’Connor Park in Tullamore, as they fell one point short at the end of two separate periods of extra time against Antrim, writes Ivan Smyth. For the opening 20 minutes, Clare looked to be a nervy shadow of themselves, conceding a sloppy goal to corner forward Dearvla Cosgrove and falling 1-4 to 0-3 behind. Even as they drew level by half-time, 1-4 to 0-7, they were far too dependent on dead ball scores, with six frees from Shauna Canny and one from Kate O’Gorman making up their tally. That changed after half-time however as they worked their way back into the game, and excellent points from play from Aoife Anderson and Abby Walsh showed a different side to their game. Victory looked to be in the …

There will be Clare involvement in the All Ireland Camogie finals as Áine Nic Cormaic is working as the fourth official for the intermediate showdown between Kilkenny and Antrim. The Wolfe Tones woman admits she is proud to be travelling up to GAA HQ this Sunday for an action packed day of camogie. “It is a privilege to be involved. It is the biggest day of the year so to be asked to be a part of that is pretty special.” Nic Cormaic admits that sourcing female referees is an issue in the county and across Ireland and that herself and Clare Camogie are working hard to encourage more young people to take up the whistle. “We are trying our best to encourage young girls. Even with older people who may be retired from playing, not many of them are refereeing so we are trying to show them that it is an option. There is work to do. It is …

National League Division 1 Group B Round 1 Antrim 1-21 Clare 0-22 A SOBERING start to the new season for Clare as hosts Antrim grittily dug out a rousing home victory in what was their first top flight league tie since 2008. Eoin Brennan reports. With a strong gale dictating matters, Clare started brightly with its aid to ease 0-9 to 0-3 clear by the 15th minute, four from Tony Kelly. However, Antrim incrementally grew in confidence as the half developed and would wipe out the visitors’ lead in the 29th minute when a teasing ball over the top found chief marksman Ciaran Clarke to race through and finish to the net at 0-12 to 1-09. Clare did restore a two point cushion by the break but with the elements to come, a buoyant Antrim quickly snatched the whip hand to inch ahead for the first time by the 46th minute through Keith Molloy. In a blow-for-blow second period, the …

Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group B Round 1 Antrim v Clare at Corrigan Park Belfast, Sunday 1pm (Liam Gordon, Galway) Already established as the secondary inter-county competition, this year’s Allianz Hurling League takes a even more diminishing backseat in light of the truncated season on offer over the next 14 weeks. Instead, finding your feet, form, formation and force take precedence over results in a bid to peak for championship at the end of June. Five matches in six weeks provide a far more beneficial lead-in to championship than in 2020 when an eight month absence from competitive action left counties scrambling to gain crumbs from an often misleading challenge match circuit once returning from the club championships. Without scope to conclude with any business end, this year’s Division 1 is a league in its purest sense as the top team from each group are crowned joint-winners unless they subsequently clash in the championship. Similar to Clare and Limerick’s …

As Clare hurlers’ preparations for the new season continue this weekend with a challenge game against Antrim, at a midlands venue to be confirmed, it’s been confirmed that Colm Galvin will not need surgery. There are just two weeks to go to the team’s first competitive game of 2015, a Waterford Crystal clash with either Tipperary or Mary Immaculate College. Clare and Tipperary have contested the past three finals of the tournament and the Premier side is fancied to get over the challenge of Mary Immaculate College in the opening round on Friday, January 9 at Dr Morris Park (7.30pm) to face Clare a week later in a quarter-final tie. Manager Davy Fitzgerald told The Clare Champion that Clare and Clonlara star, Colm Galvin  will not require surgery on a knee injury that has kept him out of action in recent weeks. “While it’s unlikely that he will be fit for the start of the league campaign, it’s great that he won’t …

By Seamus Hayes Clare 4-28 Antrim 1-10 Clare were on their way to a third All-Ireland under 21 hurling final long before the final whistle sounded at Thurles on Saturday afternoon. From an early stage their superiority was evident and when the half time whistle sounded they were eighteen points ahead of Ulster champions Antrim showed some lovely touches but just could not match the overall team work and skill of the defending champions. As was the case when they met in last year’s final, Clare were able to give game time to a number of substitutes, such was their dominance Antrim started well but Clare quickly took control and a beautiful Colm Galvin point gave them a lead they held throughout. They had 0-5 on the scoreboard when Aaron Cunningham struck for their opening goal in the eleventh minute. They added another four before Cunningham got through for their second major which came in the twenty first minute, just …

INTRODUCED at half time, Podge Collins made an invaluable contribution to Clare’s promotion winning second half display in Creggan. The All-Ireland winning All-Star hurler kicked two crucial points from play and along with players like Shane McGrath, his brother Seán, Ciaran Russell and Dean Ryan, the UL student worked exceptionally hard on and off the ball. Speaking afterwards Podge said that the passion evident in the dressing room inspires him. “You can tell by the way lads talk in the dressing room, before games and at half time, how passionate they are about it. I know it doesn’t sound too glamorous after winning the All-Ireland hurling but it’s absolutely huge, especially in my house. It’ll be a happy house for the night,” he laughed. Collins acknowledged that it took him a few minutes to get up to the pace of the game after his introduction for Jamie Malone. “Coming up to Antrim we didn’t really know what to expect. I’d …

DEFENSIVELY Clare produced their best display of the 2014 season, conceding just six points. Given that Clare conceded big scores and soft goals against Tipperary, Carlow and London, tightening up at the back was a definite priority for Paudie Kissane and his coaching team as they prepared for the game in Antrim. In fact the home county scored just three points from play and didn’t score at all until the 35 minute. Of course it must be noted that they were playing into a near storm in that opening half. Another area where Clare did well was on their own kick out, retaining the vast majority of them while they managed to win more than half of Antrim’s second half kick outs. Underlining their physical conditioning Clare definitely had more possession than Antrim, particularly in the second period, when they held possession impressively and ran at the Ulster county. However there are several areas where Clare can improve, most notably …