Tag Archives: Clare GAA

NOW in his second season managing the Cork senior footballers, Brian Cuthbert insists his charges will not take Clare for granted. However, neither does he think that Cork’s heavy league final defeat to Dublin will weigh on their minds. The Bishopstown club man, who is a primary school principal, says the league final has been long forgotten. “If Sunday’s match was a week after the league final, it might be a factor. But that was seven weeks ago and it’s almost a memory now at this stage. That game would have been put to bed, hopefully, a while back. This is a new competition. We have to go and perform. It’s as simple as that. Certainly I don’t think when it comes to championship, there is a need for beating players with sticks or anything like that,” Cuthbert told The Clare Champion. As a minor, he captained Cork to an All-Ireland title in 1993, scoring a goal in the final. …

THE publication of a so-called fictitious internal Fianna Fáil poll with percentage ratings for five general election candidates in Clare was designed to hinder the election chances of some contestants. That’s the charge levelled by Clare GAA County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh, who issued a scathing attack on the unnamed source who provided information for a media report. Mr McDonagh, who will be one of the five general election candidates seeking a party nomination before the closing date of June 22, launched his broadside as senior party figures at local and national level insisted no official poll was completed on their behalf at this stage. The contents of the report prompted Mr McDonagh to vent his anger in a hard-hitting statement issued to The Clare Champion. “When an individual, well-placed and trusted Fianna Fáil media source gives an interview to the press about the results of an internal Fianna Fáil opinion poll that has never taken place, you know you …

UPGRADING works at Cusack Park in Ennis will begin on June 15, Clare GAA secretary Pat Fitzgerald has confirmed “The contractor wants the site handed over in total. It’s an eight-month contract and the work must be completed by the end of the eight months,” Fitzgerald explained at a meeting of the GAA county board. “There are other issues with the Cloister side. We went for planning and there are fairly significant costs involved with preparation, much more than €20,000, €30,000 or €40,000. More information was sought and the cost of preparing that won’t be far off €20,000,” he continued. “Decisions have to be made,” the secretary went on adding, “We would have anticipated that we may be able to use the venue. If we don’t hand it over, the eight months may be much more, maybe 10, 11 or 12 months. The contractor has to be told”. Responding to a query from Clonlara chairman, Flan Mullane, as to where …

CLARE GAA County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh, said he would have made himself available to mediate between players and management in the disciplinary dispute that has rocked the local hurling scene. On Wednesday evening, the Clare senior hurling management and panel issued a brief statement in response to the controversy surrounding the disciplining of Davy O’Halloran and Nicky O’Connell. “The Clare senior hurling panel and management have met on the recent disciplinary issues that have been aired in the public domain. All involved are happy that the matter was dealt with fairly. “While there are numerous inaccuracies reported in the media, on social media and in a former player’s statement, the matter is now closed and we, as a group, are all happy to move forward united and to continue to enjoy working hard for Clare hurling.” The statement was signed by Pat Donnellan and Cian Dillon, on behalf of the players and the management trio of Davy Fitzgerald, Michael …

Clare 2-11 Waterford 0-3 Clare coasted into next Wednesday’s Munster U-21 football semi-final meeting with Tipperary in Thurles, following a facile win over Waterford in Miltown. Played in front of an attendance of 518, Clare restricted Waterford to just a single second-half point. Clare put the game away in the opening three minutes of the second half, when Jamie Malone raced through for a superb goal. Prior to that, Keelan Sexton had put over a nice point from play, set up by Dale Masterson. Malone won the subsequent kick-out and buried his second goal. Sexton followed up with a superb left-footed score, putting Clare into a 2-6 to 0-2 lead. Waterford had battled gamely in the opening half but following Clare’s burst after half-time, the confidence and ambition visibly drained from their opponents. Malone’s first goal, six minutes before half-time, helped Clare into a 1-4 to 0-2 interval lead. The goal opportunity was presented to the Corofin man following excellent …

AN ad-hoc group, representing Clare people with disabilities, has secured a compromise as regards their seating accommodation in the plans for the upgrade of Cusack Park. In the plans being prepared by the Clare County GAA Board for the revamp of the stand at the county grounds, areas at either end of the stand were initially earmarked to accommodate wheelchair users. However, people with disabilities, who are loyal GAA supporters, were incensed with this proposed positioning, leading to a meeting on Monday night with officials of the county board at which a compromise was reached. Under the new plans presented to the group, wheelchair users will be facilitated with 22 disability accessible seats and 22 seats for carers in a position between the 21m and 50m line on the Cloister side of the stand. In addition to benefiting from covered accommodation, wheelchair users can now look forward to having a much better viewing point on big match days in Cusack …

Ennistymon club man, John Fawl will represent Clare GAA on Central Council next year following his victory at Thursday night’s annual convention. In a three way contest for the post, at the Auburn Lodge Hotel, he secured 92 votes and was elected on the first count, defeating Miltown’s John Reidy, who secured 57 votes, and O’Callaghan’s Mills’ Noel O’Driscoll, who received 28 votes. The quota was 89. All other members of the executive for 2015 were elected without opposition. They are Tadhg Murphy, Cooraclare (president); Michael McDonagh, Miltown (chairman); Joe Cooney, (O’Callaghan’s Mills) vice-chairman;  Rosaleen Monaghan, Tubber (assistant secretary); Bernard Keane, St Joseph’s (treasurer); Gerry Lynch, Tulla (assistant treasurer); Sean O’Halloran, (Bodyke) PRO; Anne Hayes, Lissycasey (culture and Irish officer); Ger Hickey Feakle (development officer); Michael O’Neill, Ballyea (coaching and games officer); Fergal Gray, Feakle (children’s officer); PJ Kelly, (Inagh-Kilnamona) and PJ McGuane, Cooraclare (Munster Council delegates);  Michael O’Neill, (Ballyea); Bernard Keane, (St Joseph’s); Tom Downes, (Kilmihil) plus the chairman and secretary (Congress delegates); Gabriel …

CLARE County Council is seeking further information from Clare County GAA Board on the proposed €2.5m redevelopment of the Southern Stand at Cusack Park, following three separate submissions on facilities for disabled fans. The county board applied for planning permission on October 30 to remove the existing roof of the Southern Stand, erect a new roof complete with camera box accommodation and rear access stairs, and to build a new toilet block adjacent to the stand. An application was also submitted for a new turnstiles block and boundary wall. Clare County Council has now written to the county board to say that, “concerns remain regarding the provision of adequate disabled access and viewing points within the proposed development,” and has requested an access statement which, “demonstrates how the proposal in its current format provides for the requirements of Universal Design” – [the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest …