Tag Archives: Clare football

A SLOW-moving and ever-lengthening queue filled Kilmihil village on Sunday evening, as people travelled from all over Clare to pay their respects to the late Colum Callinan. The 23-year-old passed away at Cork University Hospital last Thursday, following a single vehicle accident on Sunday, March 15. The silence of those queuing outside O’Halloran’s Funeral Home was indicative of how shocked mourners were and this was reflected in the days before and since throughout Kilmihil. A very talented footballer and free taker, Colum represented Kilmihil with pride and gusto. He was also part of the Clare U-21 panel in 2013 and played football for LIT during his days there as a student. Kilmihil GAA field is no more than a free kick removed from the funeral home where Colum was laid out and as the March breeze cut through the village, the sight of the field in such proximity added to the poignancy of the evening. “Colum made an immense contribution …

THE Clare U/21 footballers will play Waterford in the Munster quarter-final in Miltown next Wednesday at 7.30pm. The winners will play Tipperary in Thurles on Wednesday March 18 in the provincial semi-final. The Clare starting team is as follows: Killian Normoyle (Lissycasey); Cian O’Mahoney (Doonbeg), Jack O’Dea (Kilfenora), Conor Brennan (Éire óg-captain); Darren Nagle (Liscannor), Conor O’Brien (Doora-Barefield), Cian O’Dea (Kilfenora); Dara Walsh (Éire óg), Jamie Malone (Corofin); Liam Corry (Éire óg), Paddy O’Malley (Éire óg), Dale Masterson (St Breckan’s); Martin O’Leary (Kilmihil), Keelan Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Eimhin Courtney (Éire óg). Clare took part in the Hastings Cup tournament in January, beating Offaly and in recent weeks they have played Wexford and Louth in challenge games, winning both. “The Wexford game in particular was a good work out. Both teams were close to full strength. We have another game this week (Limerick) and then we’ll be winding down towards the game. We’ll have a couple of handy enough session at …

Tipperary 2-11 Clare 1-8 CLARE’S chances of involving themselves in the contest for promotion to division 2 suffered a big setback in Thurles on Saturday afternoon when they fell to Tipperary, who now join Clare on four points from four games. Once Tipperary scored their first half goal Clare never looked likely to push the county county and the nearest they came to them was four points, six minutes from full-time. In a display which had echoes of their first half performance against Sligo, Clare simply gave the ball away too often when they went into contact. Tipperary were also more adept at funelling back and then breaking forward at pace. Tipperary led 1-5 to 0-4 at half time with Conor Sweeney netting in the 11th minute. Liam Casey delivered a long ball, which Sweeney flicked to the net as he was challenged by Gordon Kelly. Michael Quinlivan, who went off with a hamstring injury in the opening half and …

SINCE establishing himself as a member of the Clare senior football panel in 2014, Ciarán Russell has nailed down a regular starting spot at wing-back. The Éire Óg man has emerged as a key figure, alongside Gordon Kelly and Jamie Malone, in the Clare half-back line. That was exemplified when he was black-carded in the early minutes of the second half against Louth in Drogheda. While Russell’s absence wasn’t the sole reason Clare were beaten, they badly missed his athleticism, tackling and legitimate aggression in that sector. And yes, he’s well able to play football on top of all that. A bit like he plays, when Russell spoke after Clare’s six-point win over Sligo, he wasn’t about to talk up their performance. “I think we started slowly. I don’t know what happened to us in the first 10 minutes. We found ourselves five points down but we kicked on, rattled off a few scores and got back into it just …

(Peter O’Connell) Louth 1-16 Clare 0-13 NOT scoring in the last 27 minutes of their six point division 3 NFL loss to Louth in Drogheda was one of the primary reasons behind Clare’s defeat to their Leinster opponents. When David Tubridy pointed his sixth score, eight minutes into the second half, Clare led 0-13 to 1-7 and they looked set for their second win within a week. However the loss of Cathal O’Connor to injury and the black card shown to Ciaran Russell, in the fourth minute of the second half, derailed Clare who lost their composure in the second half. They weren’t helped by a poor refereeing decision, 13 minutes into the second half, when Gary Brennan was clearly fouled by Adrian Reid. Seconds earlier the Clare midfielder had his jersey pulled back as he cut through. However neither a penalty or a free was awarded. That said once Louth got a grip in the second half, Clare were …

BEFORE leaving the field at Miltown on Sunday, Joe Hayes journeyed towards his Wexford counterpart, Shane Roche, where they traded a few words that only goalkeepers are allowed in on. Ironically, it’s probably only the man defending the other net that can fully appreciate it when his opponent at the far end either saves a certain goal or worse, lets a soft one in. Goalkeepers spend a lot of time on their own, even during games and when the game-ceasing whistle blasts, they generally seek each other out. Just 12 months ago, Hayes endured a spell when it seemed that his days guarding the Clare football goalmouth were behind him. A hip operation didn’t initially heal as envisaged and the prognosis was somewhat bleak. “I suppose my career was in the balance. I didn’t know whether I was going to get back or would I ever get back to where I was. I missed out on the promotion. It was great …

(Peter O’Connell) Clare 1-16 Wexford 0-5 CLARE made a superb start to their NFL division 3 league campaign, beating Wexford by 14 points in Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown on Sunday afternoon. Led by Gary Brennan, who dominated midfield and David Tubridy, who kicked 0-10 from play and frees, Clare were much sharper than Wexford who had Ciaran Lyng red carded three minutes into the second half. The David Power managed Wexford men also had midfielder Paddy Byrne and substitute Simon Donohue black carded. Clare led 0-8 to 0-3 at half largely thanks to five David Tubridy points, four of which the Doonbeg man kicked from frees won by Shane Hickey (two), Pat Burke and Tubridy himself. In addition Jamie Malone, Shane Brennan and Shane Hickey kicked a point each from play in that opening half. However two pivotal first half incidents in that opening period, both involved Clare goalkeeper Joe Hayes. The Lissycasey man saved twice inside two minutes. First …

CLARE and Kilmurry Ibrickane footballer Enda Coughlan is hoping that he will be given the all clear to resume playing on March 5. The 29 year old Garda injured the cruciate in his left knee playing championship football for his club in Doonbeg against Kilkee last July. Since the operation on September 9, Coughlan has been training six nights weekly in the gym and on the running track. “It’s coming on very well. I was up with (surgeon) Ray Moran before Christmas and he said that there is only 14% strength deficit between the legs. Once that’s down to 10% you can go back playing. I have a few other things to work on and I’m back up to him then on March 5 and hopefully I’ll be cleared to play then,” the Clare utility footballer told The Clare Champion this week. Coughlan has been told that gaining full confidence in the repaired knee is possibly the most difficult step …