Tag Archives: Clare football

ENNISTYMON’S Laurence Healy has opted to end his nine year inter-county football career. The 33 year old school teacher was not a regular starter in 2014 and has decided to call a halt as Clare near the start of their 2015 division 3 NFL campaign. “I loved the training part and playing with the best players in the county. Getting to mark some of the best players in Ireland was also something I enjoyed. Last year I was on the panel but I was a sub. When you’re used to starting it’s hard to face into being a panellist. Steven Gerrard had the same issue at Liverpool,” Healy joked. “I’m not good at being a sub anyway. I know that from last year. I suppose you’re selfish in that way in that you just want to be playing. It was great that the team went well but it’s just not the same when you’re not playing,” he conceded. Healy said that …

CLARE’S best displays this year have been when they have played with freedom and abandon. They have totted up significant scores in several games but have conceded far too much defensively. It might seem a bit churlish to point to areas of concern given that they hammered Carlow by 19 points but unless Clare can balance all out attack with a more coherent defensive approach, it is very unlikely that they will come close to matching Kildare. A few things must not happen. Half backs cannot steam forward in front of the ball, while one midfielder must sit if the other attacks either on or off the ball. If a half back or midfielder attacks, one of the half forwards not directly involved in the move will have to drift back to prevent Clare being caught on the break. Players not on the ball will have to be as vigilant as those who are. Kildare will cut through Clare if …

Clare 4-26 Carlow 2-13 CLARE scored an emphatic 19 point win over Carlow in Dr Cullen Park on Sunday afternoon. Such was their fluency in attack, ten players contributed to their tally. [doptg id=”31″]Clare led by 12 points, 2-15 to 1-6 at half time following a superb opening 35 minutes. Rory Donnelly scored the opening Clare goal after picking up a break off Shane Brennan who scored his sides second goal just before half time after a Shane McGrath pass. Donnelly added two points while Enda Coughlan, McGrath and David Tubridy kicked three points apiece in that opening period. They were dealt an early setback when Shane Hickey had to retired with a gash to his forehead which required five stitches. He was replaced by Dean Ryan at corner back. Clare went on to dominate the second period with Podge Collins and Podge McMahon scoring their goals. While Carlow were poor Clare will be very concerned that they conceded 2-13. …

(Peter O’Connell) THE Clare senior football team to play Kerry in Sunday’s Munster semi-final in Cusack Park has been named. The only change to the starting 15 from last Saturday’s semi-final replay win over Waterford is the return of Podge Collins at the expense of Barry Hartnett. Collins will start at centre-forward with Enda Coughlan wearing the number 15 jersey. Shane Brennan will start alongside his brother Gary at midfield while Coolmeen’s Cathal O’Connor underwent a fitness test at training in Cusack Park on Friday night and it is expected that he will be part of the match day panel. Sunday’s semi-final throws in at 3.30pm. The Clare v Kerry junior football semi-final starts at 1.30pm at the same venue. The Clare senior team is as follows: Clare: Joe Hayes (Lissycasey); Dean Ryan (Éire Óg), Kevin Hartnett (Meelick), Martin McMahon (Kilmurry Ibrickane); Shane Hickey (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Gordon Kelly (Miltown), Ciaran Russell (Éire Óg); Gary Brennan (Clondegad – captain), Shane Brennan …

FIRST the reasonably good news. Kerry will field in Sunday’s Munster semi-final minus Colm Cooper (cruciate), 2013 All-Star James O’Donoghue (shoulder) and midfielder Johnny Buckley (ankle). Most GAA people love watching Colm Cooper play but the Clare defence won’t mind the Kerry legend having to sit this one out. So how do Clare set up about competing with a weakened Kerry? Competing is the key word here. Having played all division 4 opposition so far in 2014, Clare will face a mammoth step up in class this weekend. Yet what Kerry cannot prevent Clare from doing is competing with absolute intensity and badly needed composure for the entire 70 minutes. If Clare do that they will have a reasonable chance of making a game of it. Under the direction of Paudie Kissane’s coaching, Clare have worked all year on improving their method of tackling and cutting down on the number of frees conceded. When they have possession they must seek …

(Peter O’Connell) Clare 2-8 Waterford 2-8 IT felt like a defeat but Clare were eventually relieved to hold on for a draw in the Munster senior football quarter-final against Waterford in Cusack Park on Saturday evening. The replay will be in Dungarvan next Saturday, with a likely throw in time of 7pm. The Collins brothers, Seán and Podge, are also due to play with the Clare hurlers, in the Munster semi-final, the following day. Three minutes from the end of normal time in Ennis, Clare led by three points, 2-8 to 2-5 and it seemed that they would hold on for victory. However Waterford ran at Clare and kicked a trio of late points Shane Aherne (0-2) and top scorer, Paul Whyte, who kicked the equaliser. Twenty three minutes into the second half Waterford had goaled through Liam O’ Lonán. David Tubridy netted at the far end for Clare six minutes from time. Clare led 1-5 to 1-2 at half …

THE Clare junior football team to play Waterford at 5pm on Saturday in Ennis was named on Friday night by manager Joe Garry. Gary Leahy (Wolfe Tones) will captain the team for the provincial quarter-final in Cusack Park. The team is as follows: Eamon Tubridy (Doonbeg); Jack O’Dea (Kilfenora), Seán O’Driscoll (Ennistymon), Craig O’Brien (Wolfe Tones); Seán Haugh (O’Curry’s), Brian Carrig (Clondegad), Stan Lineen (Kilmihil); Darren O’Neill (Éire Óg), Keith O’Connor (Kildysart); Tom Downes (O’Curry’s), Thomas Downes (Cooraclare), Eoin Brew (O’Curry’s); Cathal Lillis (Cooraclare), Gary Leahy (Wolfe Tones – captain), Kieran Malone (St Joseph’s, Miltown).

Waterford 6-9 Clare 4-12 CLARE exited the 2014 Munster minor football championship in a thrilling tie at Fraher Field in Dungarvan on Tuesday evening. Both teams were committed to all out attack and notched some superb scores during 60 minutes of terrific attacking football, although the defending, at both ends, was not quite as impressive. Waterford scored a goal with their first attack when Joe Allen netted 13 seconds after his team won the throw in. That set the tone for a magnificent spectacle. Come half time the home county had added three more goals and led 4-4 to 1-4. Darren Nagle scored Clare’s first half goal with a top class finish while Evan Courtney, Liam Madigan and Keelan Sexton pointed some great scores. The second half was full of goals with Sexton twice netting for Clare, while Evan Courtney added the remaining goal. However every time Waterford attacked they looked dangerous and raised green flags too regularly for the …