Tag Archives: Clare ladies football

Eoin Brennan previews the senior and intermediate ladies football championships which get underway this weekend   With a vice-like grip over the Clare senior ladies football championship over the past 15 seasons, will Banner Ladies latest challenge be a potentially lucky or unlucky 13th title bid? With their age profile rising with every passing year, the Ennis-based side still possess a vastly experienced core and remain the team to beat but what do the chasing pack hold in terms of threat to potentially knock them off their perch? Having contested five of the last six senior deciders, Kilmihil, who managed to take the Banner’s scalp in a historic 2019 final breakthrough, are the main contenders. The only other side to lower the Banner were West Clare Gaels in 2010 but there were precious few survivors for the peninsula amalgamation when humbled by the Banner in the 2020 final. Senior B winners St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield look to be the side best …

SIOFRA Ní Chonaill isn’t one for backing down from a challenge. The Doora-Barefield clubwoman has spent much of her inter county career balancing work commitments, her studies and competing for Doora-Barefield and Clare. In September Ní Chonaill will enter her final year studying Mental Health Nursing in UL which has seen her work in a psychiatric ward, a vaccination centres and in a nursing home. She decided to jump in at the deep end when COVID hit these shores two years ago as she welcomed at the opportunity to work in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Ennis. Ní Chonaill believes the experience of working in a hospital setting at the onset of the pandemic provided her with the perfect opportunity to gain hands on experience. “It was very tough but it was something I wanted to do. I got an email one day from college, seeing if we wanted to be healthcare assistants. I had my course work done and I had to …

Clare manager Evan Talty wants his side to end their poor run of form in knockout football as they seek to stop a dangerous Longford outfit. With Clare having not won a knockout Championship game since 2016, the Clare manager is keenly aware that his side simply must find a way to win this Sunday in Birr (throw in 2pm), something which has proved problematic in recent years. Clare had failed to win an opening round Championship game since 2018 but rectified that statistic when defeating Down. They suffered a one point defeat to Louth, having already reached the knockout stages before a ball was kicked in Cusack Park two weeks ago. Talty now has his sights set on ending Clare’s poor run of form in knockout Championship football. “I’d be a fan of calling things as they are. We have experience. Our 20 year olds would have four years inter county behind them. They are young but mature. We …

Heading in to this Sunday’s TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Ladies Football Championship, Clare manager Evan Talty admits his side are trying to replicate the success of the county’s camogie side. With Clare travelling to face Down this Sunday, Talty wants his charges to show the same grit and determination during their Championship campaign that the camogie side have displayed thus far. In recent weeks, John Carmody and Conor Dolan’s side have pushed last year’s All Ireland finalists Cork to extra time in the Munster final, eventually losing 0-24 to 1-18. Then they struck the final two points of the game to pick up a share of the spoils against Tipperary in the opening round of the Glen Dimplex Senior Camogie Championship last weekend. The Kilmurry-Ibrickane clubman wants his side to show the same mettle in this Championship campaign, starting with Sunday’s tricky away assignment. “I’d have a good relationship with Conor (Dolan) with us having dual players. The Camogie team have …

Classy Kerry provide primer for bigger days ahead, writes Derek Dormer Clare 0-9 Kerry 1-13 After last weekend’s postponement due to adverse weather conditions Clare and Kerry squared off in Shanahan McNamara Memorial Park Doonbeg. It’s always a tough assignment for any intermediate team to be playing senior and so it transpired as Kerry put Clare to the sword in the opening 30 minutes. A goal inside 90 seconds certainly didn’t help Clare as what seemed a communication error from a Banner kick out resulted in star forward Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh finishing to the net. Ni Mhuircheartaigh would finish the day with 1-7 and was a constant threat throughout. Another defensive error led to a Niamh Ni Choncuir goal chance but an admirable point blank Micaela Glynn save kept Kerry at bay. Defensive errors and a lack of indiscipline giving Kerry plenty of scoring opportunities from play and placed balls was a feature of the first half. Clare trailed 1-8 …

Laois 2-12 Clare 2-7 Ivan Smyth Eight minutes in to this Lidl Ladies National Football League opening round encounter it would have taken a brave punter to predict this final score line. Clare led by 2-2 to no score with Fidelma Marrinan running riot in the opening exchanges. However, Laois slowly worked their way in to the contest as they began to turn the screw on a Clare side who were unable to handle their opponents front foot pressure. Last year’s Division Three champions outscored their opponents by 2-12 to 0-5 for the remainder of the contest as their pressure from the front stopped the quality supply of ball to the Clare forward unit. Laois fired over 2-8 without reply either side of half time. Fidelma Marrinan, who finished with 2-6 to her name, was starved of possession for much of the final three quarters of this game. Clare may point to three spurned goal chances in the second half …

RETAILER Lidl is continuing its Level The Playing Field fundraising initiative whereby shoppers can help raise money for their local GAA club. From next Monday, February 7, Lidl is calling on Clare customers to register for its Lidl Plus app, and sign up to the retailer’s rewards scheme to earn rewards for their local club. Lidl will award the maximum amount of €20,000 to the top performing club in each of the four provinces with a host of other rewards available to all other clubs. Each time Lidl Plus registered users spend over €30 in any Clare store and scan their app at the till between Monday, February 7 and Sunday, March 27, they will receive a stamp on their digital stamp card. Multiple stamps can be earned in each shop if a multiple of €30 is spent and once six stamps have been collected, users can submit their completed stamp card via the app with their stamps are then …

Clare ladies footballer Laurie Ryan has signed on for a second season with Women’s National League (WNL) side Athlone Town, writes Ivan Smyth. Ryan states that she is hopeful of helping the club move up the table after a seventh place finish last season. “I’m really excited to get back playing. We finished the season really positively so I’m ready to go back playing. We want to try improve more and make progress this season. We finished seventh last season which was a bit disappointing as we wanted sixth. We have a young squad so there is a lot to build on.” The 28-year-old told The Clare Champion that she will be returning to the Clare ladies footballers for 2022. She rejoined the panel three weeks before Clare’s agonising loss to Westmeath in the Championship quarter final last year as she juggled work commitments and her soccer career. “I have been in contact with Evan (Talty). I’ve been doing some …