Tag Archives: Ballyea

By Seamus Hayes Ballyea caused a major shock in the Clare senior hurling championship on Saturday when they defeated one of the favourites for the title, Crusheen at Cusack Park. There is no disputing the result as Ballyea were the sharper and hungrier side throughout. They led by a point at half time, 1-12 to 2-8  before outscoring their opponents 0-6 to 0-3 in the final ten minutes A ten point haul by the outstanding Tony Kelly was a key factor in Ballyea’s victory on a day when team captain Paul Flanagan was magnificent at centre back. Jack Browne, Martin O’Leary and Clare football captain Gary Brennan were  others to stand out for the winners who finished the game with fourteen players after midfielder Gearoid O’Connell picked up a second yellow card in the closing minutes. Meanwhile, county minor A hurling champions Kilmaley moved to within a game of retaining the title when they scored a two point win over …

CLARE and Ballyea corner back Jack Browne, like his team-mates, was still on the Thurles sod well over an hour after the final whistle. It’s not unkind to Antrim to suggest that the Clare players were under more pressure signing autographs and posing for photographs, than they had been in the game itself. “I didn’t think there was this many people in Clare,” Jack Browne laughed, surrounded by young autograph hunters, who were trading secrets on what player was where across the fabled Tipperary sward. “It means everything. When you’re growing up as a young lad, all you want to do is win an All-Ireland medal. It’s great,” he said of Clare’s third All-Ireland U/21 win. Jack Browne couldn’t believe the size of the crowd roaring on Clare, given that the seniors will be back in Croke Park on September 28. “There was a massive Clare crowd. The roaring that was going on for Clare scores was great. When we …