Tag Archives: Clare minor hurlers

Eoin Brennan previews Clare’s opener in the Munster Minor Hurling Championship against Tipperary in Semple Stadium Thurles tomorrow WITH the championship already underway, the Clare minor hurlers are immediately embroiled in a group decider when making their competitive bow against Tipperary in Semple Stadium on Tuesday evening. With the Banner having a bye while the Premier County edged a compelling opening battle with Waterford on away soil this week, Clare will have to hit the ground running on Tuesday evening to get up to championship speed. However, with former county senior captain Brian O’Connell at the helm along with former senior managers Cyril Lyons and Donal Moloney, Clare aren’t short of experience or leadership from the sidelines as they prepare to enter the championship fray. Even if O’Connell admits that most of that experience isn’t “I’m a complete novice at it but I’ve been involved with this team since Under 15’s,” admits Wolfe Tones clubman O’Connell. “I’m living in Oranmore …

Clare 0-6 Cork 6-28 CLARE hurling received if not its largest defeat, then definitely one of its greatest setbacks as Cork signalled their intentions for national honours by providing Clare with a lesson in hurling, movement, skill and legitimate aggression in Semple Stadium on Wednesday evening. The pre-match suggestion that Clare were underdogs on a grand scale could not set up one for what transpired. Galway had beaten Clare with some ease in a challenge but Cork had done likewise to Galway. Cork wing forward Tadhg O Connell and his colleague at wing back James Dwyer had Cork two points to the good after four minutes action in Semple Stadium. Clare had threatened with positivity in the early minutes but two more scores from Jack Leahy (free) and Diarmuid Healy had Clare four in arrears s and on the backfoot as Cork raided with pace down the wings with full forward Leahy moving out the field. Clare’s first effort for …

Clare 0-19  Limerick 0-17 FOR the first time since 1997, a memorable year for Clare hurling, the Banner County will contest the minor and senior Munster hurling finals on the same afternoon. A thrilling victory over Limerick, in a game that required extra time at Cusack Park on Wednesday, has given an unfancied Clare side a place in Sunday week’s final in Thurles, a game that will be a curtain-raiser to the senior final between Clare and Cork. The minors will know their opponents on Thursday evening, when Cork play Tipperary at Thurles in the second semi-final. There were some outstanding performances, as the Sean Doyle-managed side overcame a fancied Limerick side in front of an attendance of 3,697. Equally, there are some areas of concern for Clare, not least their tally of 22 wides over the 80 minutes. Clare’s never-say-die attitude proved crucial in the final analysis and while Limerick threw everything at the home side in the closing …

Clare 1-24    Waterford 0-9 Clare justified favouritism as they comfortably overcame Waterford in the opening round of the Munster Minor Hurling Championship at Cusack Park on Wednesday evening. Before an attendance of 1,622, Clare dominated the second half exchanges, to safely book their passage to the semi-finals, which will take place at the end of June. An 18-point winning margin did not appear likely at the end of the opening half, when the home side led by just two points, 0-9 to 0-7, having struggled to get to grips with the Waterford challenge.  Indeed, they trailed for much of the half but finished strongly with four unanswered points to lead at the break. An outstanding performance from midfielder Keith White was the highlight of the opening period. He scored four superb points from play and added two more in the second half, which helped to give Clare a vital edge in this sector.  The Inagh-Kilnamona man opened the scoring …

Tipperary 2-15 Clare 0-12 CLARE’S dreams of a Munster Minor Hurling Championship title are over for another year after they went down to physically stronger Tipperary side at Cusack Park on Wednesday evening. Their two goals may only have come in the closing minutes, but Tipperary deserved their victory at the end of a rather disappointing contest. The win has earned Tipperary a semi-final date with Cork but a huge improvement will be required if they are to have a chance of progressing to the final. Clare made one change in personnel and several positional switches from the side that lost out to Limerick in the opening round three weeks ago. Ross Hayes moved to wing-back to the exclusion of Patrick Mulready and Aidan Kennedy came in from the start at corner-forward, after he had impressed when introduced in that game. Clare had a new midfield pairing of Clonlara clubmates, Kieran Galvin and David Fitzgerald, while Conor Tierney moved from midfield …