Tag Archives: Clare GAA

THE provision of a car park, as part of the re-development of Cusack Park in Ennis, cannot proceed for six years because of the presence of the invasive Japanese knotweed. This comes as a serious setback for Clare GAA, who had counted on a new 200-space car park as a major income-generating source and had reached agreement with Clare County Council in relation to this. The six-year treatment plan was considered to be the most cost-effective way to address the problem, the alternative being to clear the site to a considerable depth and store the contaminated soil and weeds in isolation. It’s understood that would have cost in the region of €150,000. Delegates at this week’s county board meeting were told that the first year’s treatment has been applied in accordance with guidelines and experts in the area of dealing with the problem had been engaged. Meanwhile, delegates were told at Tuesday’s meeting that clubs will have to pay a …

Clare senior champions, Cratloe travel to Waterford to face their counterparts, Ballygunner, in the opening round of the Munster Club Hurling Championship this Sunday “with a 50/50 chance”, according to manager Joe McGrath. His charges recorded another victory at the weekend, this time in the Clare Champion Cup semi-final against Feakle. “We had a couple of good days after the football county final, which we didn’t have after the hurling and the boys deserved a few days off. They certainly took that. I don’t know if we were looking forward to a match as tough as that against Feakle; they came out with all guns blazing and they really put a serious challenge to us in the physical stakes. “We were at our wits end with 10 to 15 minutes to go, to try and win the game. We got a couple of points to get five or six ahead and we were lucky enough to be five or six …

FR Frank Cassidy revels in a good long silence. Originally from Cusack Road in Ennis, he represented Clare at centre-forward in the 1953 All-Ireland minor football final in Croke Park. Since then, his life has centred on Los Angeles where Fr Frank has served in eight parishes during his 55-year stint on the west coast. While he can comfortably sit in silence, Fr Cassidy is equally passionate talking about his career as a young dual player or his decades as priest in the US. However his 79-year-old, still radiant, eyes exude life when he talks about his love of meditation. Now retired from active ministry in LA, Fr Frank took up meditation 30 years ago. “I’m talking about being absolutely quiet. Getting to know silence and stillness. There’s no doubt about it, it’s very beneficial. Not alone for a person’s spiritual path but for a person’s physical being,” Fr Cassidy reflected last week, a day prior to returning to the …

A crucial week for Clare inter-county teams begins on Saturday at Wexford Park, where the senior hurlers play Wexford in their qualifier first round replay. Fortunate to have earned a draw at Cusack Park last week, when extra time failed to separate the teams, Clare will again put their All-Ireland title on the line. They will have to do so without Shane O’Donnell (injured) and Podge Collins (suspended). The game has a throw-in time of 5pm and will be shown live on RTÉ television, with commentary on Clare FM. Victory will see Clare in action again on Saturday week, when Waterford will provide the opposition at Thurles, while defeat will mark the end of their season. Attention will then turn to the senior footballers for their first round qualifier meeting with Carlow at the Leinster side’s Dr Cullen Park. This tie will take place at 2pm on Sunday. Clare expect to have a full panel available, which means that Podge …

Two senior hurling clubs, Ballyea and Cratloe, have lodged appeals with the Munster Council against a decision, confirmed on Tuesday evening, to cancel four second round games in the Clare Senior Hurling Championship this weekend. Representatives of the eight clubs – Sixmilebridge, Cratloe, Ballyea, Clooney-Quin, O’Callaghan’s Mills, St Joseph’s, Wolfe Tones and Éire Óg – were told on Tuesday evening at a meeting in Clareabbey that their scheduled round two games for this weekend were cancelled. A number of the clubs have criticised of the way the issue has been handled by Clare GAA. According to Clare GAA chairman, Michael McDonagh, “A decision was made by the CCC (Competitions Control Committee) to put back four games to either August 3 or 15. We understand the plight the clubs are in and we have to try and help both the clubs and the county team. We felt that by giving a definite date for the re-fixtures, we are doing that. “There …

A Commemorative plaque, honouring the late John O’Gorman will be unveiled in  Doonbeg village on this Saturday at 2pm. Already remembered for his huge contribution to Clare GAA, in the form of the O’Gorman Cup, John O’Gorman’s contribution to the ICMSA will now be acknowledged on Saturday. He was the first national vice-chairman of the ICMSA, which was established following a meeting in Nenagh on July 8, 1950. Incredibly, John O’Gorman cycled to that meeting in Nenagh with a neighbour from Clohanes, Doonbeg. They left home at 4am on the day of the meeting, returning the following morning at 4am. Martin McMahon, Clare ICMSA chairman, paid tribute to John O’Gorman this week, saying the Doonbeg man was a visionary figure. “He got up off his backside, went to Nenagh and formed the ICMSA. We owe him a huge debt. He saw that there was a need for representation for farmers and he saw the changes in the times,” Martin McMahon …

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).

THE Clare senior footballers starting team and subs were named after training in Cusack Park on Thursday evening ahead of Saturday’s provincial quarter-final meeting with Waterford in Cusack Park. Four players will make their Munster championship debuts while Joe Hayes returns in goals at the expense of Pierce Deloughrey, who was in goals for the league campaign. Jamie Malone, Ciaran Russell and Martin O’Leary are pencilled in to make their championship debuts at midfield, wing back and in the full forward line respectively. Podge Collins will also make his Munster senior football championship debut. His brother Seán, who played championship in 2009, has been named at wing forward while his younger brother will wear number 15. 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), Jamie Malone (Corofin); Shane McGrath (Thomas Davis), Enda Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Seán Collins (Cratloe); …