Tag Archives: Clare GAA

THE social media reaction to the defeats suffered by Clare senior hurlers, in both the league and championship was disturbing, according to county secretary Pat Fitzgerald. In his annual report, which will be presented to next Wednesday’s convention, he says, “There was a cohort chomping, waiting for the opportunity to go on websites and indulge in an unbalanced bashing of the team and the management. “Nobody deserves to be pilloried by people who haven’t the courage to reveal their identity and hide behind pseudonyms. To me, there are boundaries as regards acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and some of the postings on these sites overstepped the mark and instead of been based on constructive criticism, were used as a means for personal attacks,” the secretary continues. “I have to admit, I was taken aback by the degree of cynicism to the appointment of Davy to the Clare job initially. Opinion was clearly divided and he had to work hard to win …

CLARE dual player Podge Collins is targeting a return to the football and hurling fields in March or April 2016. The former hurling All-Star snapped his anterior cruciate ligament in late May, playing in a club championship game for Cratloe against Ballyea in Cusack Park. He underwent surgery on July 7 and has since embarked on an intensive recovery programme. Collins subsequently missed the remainder of 2015 with both club and county. “I had it tested last Monday week in Santry. It was to test the power in the knee and they were very happy with how everything went. I’ve been put on a new programme for the next few weeks. Seán O’Meara (physiotherapist) is working very closely with me and it’s great to have him back from Australia. He’s doing great work with me. Everything is positive and I’ve had no setback so far and, hopefully, it’ll keep going in that direction,” Collins told The Clare Champion this week. …

PODGE Collins is on his way back to the Clare senior hurling panel for 2016, but he will also remain with the county footballers. Manager, Davy Fitzgerald has refused to confirm or deny that the Cratloe man, who is currently recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury, is about to rejoin the hurling panel but The Clare Champion has learned this is the position. “No comment” was the manager’s response, when asked about this and about speculation as to who has been let go from the panel, which is expected to begin training next month. Collins, one of the stars of the 2013 All-Ireland success, after which he was honoured as an All-Star and was shortlisted for the Hurler Of The Year award, was omitted from the hurling panel last year, after the management opted not to include any dual players. The return of Collins to the hurling panel, while still being available to the senior football side – which …

People currently building their homes could be getting a piece of Cusack Park over the coming weeks and months. Tony Donlan is an owner of Limerick-based company, United Metals and this week he has been dismantling the famous Cusack Park stand, which is being exported to northern Spain and is due to be melted down, recycled and returned to Ireland. Limerick man Tony, who is the son of Clare parents, owns the company with his business partner, John Hegarty. Between the pair they have 85 years experience in the metal recycling industry. There are 120 people working with the company and, speaking to The Clare Champion, Tony said the process gives the company a niche for their demolition work and their site clearances. “It’s providing employment and it’s being exported and recycled. We have an industry in Limerick, where we put it through a process and put it through a shears,” he said. “It’s exported out to Bilbao in northern …

AN explosive war of words has broken out between two-time All-Ireland winning manager, Ger Loughnane and Clare GAA County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh. Mr Loughnane has told The Clare Champion that he believes Mr McDonagh’s position as board chairman is “utterly untenable”, while he has also insisted that the Miltown Malbay clubman, who is serving his second term as chairman, is using his GAA role to aid his campaign to seek a Fianna Fáil nomination at this Friday night’s convention in Ennis. Mr McDonagh has denied this suggestion and claims the former Clare manager is setting out to derail his political ambitions. “Comments I have made in my remit as chairman of the county board, during the past fortnight and throughout my tenure, have always been made in the best interests of Clare GAA and in my capacity as chairman only. The suggestion that any comments I have made are self-serving or politically motivated are wrong and appear to me …

CLARE County Board chairman Michael McDonagh has flatly denied that the organisation is anti-democratic, following its actions this week in seeking to quash debate on the future of senior hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald. Clubs were not consulted on the decision to back the manager, which McDonagh released to the public, via a national newspaper, on Tuesday. Although the decision regarding management has already been made, he says clubs can voice their views at the September county board meeting. McDonagh insists the original decision to extend Davy Fitzgerald’s term by three years was made at a full county board meeting in 2013 and that board officers are merely following through on that. He also claimed that the Clare players are fully supportive of this decision, despite the fact that they have won only a single championship game in two years, along with suffering relegation to Division 1 B. “As an officer board, we spoke with each other and we also spoke …

CLARE GAA has not formally hired a public relations consultant to work with the senior hurling set-up, according to board chairman, Michael McDonagh . News of Colm Galvin’s arrival back in Clare from the US on Tuesday was announced officially via Dunphy PR, a Connolly-based company owned by Mark Dunphy. The media release, it was stated, was “issued on behalf of the Clare senior hurling management and players”. “The 2013 All-Star midfielder’s return to the Clare panel has been welcomed by senior hurling manager, Davy Fitzgerald,” it read. In response to a Clare Champion query, Michael McDonagh said, “The Clare County Board have not hired a PR consultant. However, Dunphy PR is advising the county board in a voluntary capacity on how best to communicate with the media.” He maintained that this is a proactive step and one that may be formalised at a later date. “Clare GAA is a high profile organisation and, like other organisations of similar status, …

CLARE GAA this week submitted a revised plan to Clare County Council, indicating how disabled accommodation is to be provided in the standing terrace, the development of which is not being pursued at this time, at the board’s centre of excellence in Caherlohan. However, there is nothing to prevent the official opening of the €4.1m facility from going ahead and this has been confirmed to The Clare Champion by both Clare GAA and Clare County Council. The council said, “The Clare County Board was required, as a pre-development condition in the granted planning permission, to submit further details on the proposed new stand at Caherlohan, prior to commencing any development on the site. The council has written to the Clare County Board to advise it that this condition needs to be complied with, notwithstanding that the stand has not been constructed. “The County Board has indicated to the council that it intends submitting further details in the very near future. …