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Tag Archives: clare hurling

Galvin won’t need surgery

As Clare hurlers’ preparations for the new season continue this weekend with a challenge game against Antrim, at a midlands venue to be confirmed, it’s been confirmed that Colm Galvin will not need surgery. There are just two weeks to go to the team’s first competitive game of 2015, a Waterford Crystal clash with either Tipperary or Mary Immaculate College. Clare and Tipperary have contested the past three finals of the tournament and the Premier side is fancied to get over the challenge of Mary Immaculate College in the opening round on Friday, January 9 at Dr Morris Park (7.30pm) to face Clare a week later in a quarter-final tie. Manager Davy Fitzgerald told The Clare Champion that Clare and Clonlara star, Colm Galvin  will not require surgery on a knee injury that has kept him out of action in recent weeks. “While it’s unlikely that he will be fit for the start of the league campaign, it’s great that he won’t …

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Daly’s new Limerick role a shock for Clare GAA

One of the men behind setting up the development squad structure for Clare hurling has described the failure of Clare GAA to offer Anthony Daly a role as “a lost opportunity”. Speaking after it was confirmed that Daly will manage the Limerick development squads and will also fill the role of coach of the Limerick minor hurlers for 2015, Tulla’s Jim McInerney said Daly “has been available for a number of weeks since he stepped down from the post of Dublin manager. He is an ideal candidate to get involved with the underage squads and to be a coach to the Clare minors”. McInerney, along with Sean O’Halloran, Seanie McMahon, Brian Quinn and Jamesie O’Connor, helped put the Clare development squad structure in place some years ago. McInerney’s view with regard to Daly’s suitability for the role of managing the development squad structure, is shared by many in the county. Clare’s loss is Limerick’s gain and while no one is …

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Cyril’s prophetic words

THE Clare Champion supplement for the All-Ireland hurling final of 1995 contains a fine interview with the most senior member of the squad, Cyril Lyons. At the end of the interview, in a very thoughtful observation, Lyons, a man who has given sterling service to Clare hurling as a player, manager, selector and coach, expressed the opinion that the GAA in the county ought to capitalise on this golden opportunity of an All-Ireland appearance, to promote hurling among youngsters. “Young boys and girls, who are just beginning to play the game, will be very excited about seeing Clare in an All-Ireland final and clubs must nurture this enthusiasm. Now is the time to prepare for the future,” he said. It is now very evident that the Clare victory of 1995 marked a watershed in the fortunes of Clare hurling. Some may argue that Clare should have won more All-Ireland trophies since 1995. But when one compares Clare’s All-Ireland appearances and …

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Cratloe's Podge Collins battles with Sixmilebridges Tadgh Keogh during their Senior Hurling Championship game at Cusack Park Ennis on saturday.

Ballygunner have Munster edge

IN terms of experience in the provincial championship, Ballygunner have the advantage. They have competed in the competition on a number of occasions and won the crown back in 2001. They were beaten finalists in 2005 and 2009, losing out to Newtownshandrum from Cork on both occasions and they last competed in the competition in 2011. Cratloe’s only previous involvement in the Munster campaign was in 2009 when, ironically, they came up against Ballygunner in the opening round. That game was also played at Walsh Park, where the Waterford champions recorded a two-point win, 1-14 to 0-15. Balluygunner manager Fergal Hartley played at centre-back in that tie. Amonst the players who lined out for the Waterford champions that day, and who will be in the side on Sunday, are goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe, Philip and Pauric O’Mahoney, Wayne and JJ Hutchinson, Shane and Brian O’Sullivan and Shane Walsh. Cratloe’s survivors from that campaign include team captain Liam Markham, Michael Hawes, Óige …

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Eleven Clare players nominated for team of the year

Eleven Clare hurlers have been nominated for this year’s U-21 Team of the Year Awards, which will be broadcast live from Croke Park on Saturday, October 11 on TG4. In addition, two players from the Clare team that won three-in-a-row All-Ireland titles, are also nominated for the Player of the Year Award. Colm Galvin has been nominated for the award for the second successive year, while he is joined by Aaron Cunningham and Wexford star Conor McDonald on the three man list. A Player of the Year from the ‘B’ championship will also be announced as part of the live broadcast. Five players who were named on the inaugural Team of the Year in 2013 are again in line to be honoured. Clare trio, Seadhna Morey, Colm Galvin and Tony Kelly, who won both the senior and young player of the year award for 2013, are looking to add this honour to the All-Ireland medals they won following their win …

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Changes imminent to Fitzy’s backroom

CHANGES in the Clare senior hurling management team are on the way but manager Davy Fitzgerald isn’t prepared, just yet, to reveal the specifics. The Clare Champion understands that strength and conditioning coach Joe O’Connor, will not be continuing while there is uncertainty if team coach/trainer Paul Kinnerk will be in the new set-up. Fitzgerald wouldn’t confirm or deny this but did admit that “there will be changes and I will be revealing the make up of the team in a week or two”. There was much speculation during the summer that Limerick native Kinnerk had left the team but this was inaccurate. The St Caimin’s Shannon teacher, who plays club football with Monaleen and lives in Cratloe, was away for a number of weeks on a pre-arranged trip and on his return, re-joined the management team immediately and fulfilled his usual role when they played Wexford in the qualifier replay in Wexford Park. Since that game the rumour mill …

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A bridge too far for Wexford – Liam Griffin

Former Wexford hurling manager, Liam Griffin returns to Clare this weekend to see the All-Ireland championship qualifier at Cusack Park but he will also spend some time in Newmarket-on-Fergus, recalling old times. The Rosslare man has many happy memories of his time with the Newmarket club in the early 1960s, with whom he won two U-21 titles and a couple of Clare senior championships. In fact, he is proud to say that, in his time with the Blues he “never played on a losing team”. “We were unbeaten in all our games. We had a really good team that included the likes of Trixie Twomey, Mick Considine, the O’Learys, Gus Lohan, Liam Danagher and Pudden Cullinan,” he recalled ahead of Saturday’s meeting of Clare and Wexford. “Wexford are going into the lions’ den. They have a young team for the most part, with a few experienced players. Wexford are up against it having to travel to Clare and this game …

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Davy’s tactics raise questions

THERE is no shame in defeat. Nobody can question the sincerity of the Clare hurlers efforts in Thurles. That they didn’t hurl to their optimum level isn’t connected to an absence of desire to make it happen. That said Clare’s tactical approach and selection policy is open to scrutiny. For example Pat Kelly was an integral component of Clare’s All-Ireland winning year. Until last year Clare had struggled to find a goalkeeper who consistently held down the position and who had the full confidence and understanding of his defenders and midfielders. Kelly stepped up last year and literally put his body on the line when facing down Anthony Nash in the All-Ireland final. Why dispense with him when the goalkeeping issue seemed to have been resolved? Donal Tuohy is an excellent goalkeeper and has proven that at U/21 level. However it would be impossible for him to replicate the same understanding, in relation to puck out strategy for example, as …

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