Tag Archives: clare

A big week for Clare soccer will kick off on Sunday when the county team will take on Dublin AUL in the final of the Oscar Traynor inter-league competition at the Crumlin astro turf at 2pm. It’s Clare’s fourth time in the final in modern times and while their opponents, the Leinster Senior League, will start as favourites, there is an air of confidence that the title can be captured for the second time in local soccer history. When Clare won the crown back in 2004, they beat the Dublin side. That game was played at Ballycasey and the scoreline was 2-1. Stephen Kiernan was in the Dublin line-up on that occasion and he is now part of their management team. While Clare boss Donie Garrihy won’t name his starting 11 until nearer match time, it will include a good mix of youth and experience. Team captain Pat Purcell, who will fill a central defensive role and goalkeeper Barry Ryan, …

IT is no surprise to hear Darach Honan say that his “parents would have shaped my interests a lot” and that those recreational interests have hurling high on the list. His father, Colm, was still hurling with Clonlara when Darach was young. “I would regularly meet people who would be talking about hurling. I would have heard all the stories about the league finals that Clare won when he was playing and about the Munster finals in which they played. If we can win on Sunday, I will be half way to equalling his tally, as he has two league medals,” the Clare forward told The Clare Champion. “There is great confidence in the camp. We are going very well this year and we have a lot of work done. We had a bit more done than Kilkenny. It is important for us to do well in the league. The last couple of years weren’t the best for us, so …

CLARE will take on the Leinster Senior League in the Oscar Traynor final on Sunday, May 8 at Crumlin FC’s grounds at 2pm. Clare are seeking to bridge a 12 year gap since their last triumph. While Clare had sought to play the game on the previous day, their requests fell on deaf ears.  

A bus carrying students from Ennis to Cork burst into flames as it was driven through the town of Buttevant on Monday. The dramatic scenes were captured by eyewitness John Sweeney from Clare who was a passenger in a passing vehicle. He told The Clare Champion, “There was a lot of smoke, there were no flames but there was a smell of burning rubber. It looked like all the kids were off the bus and everyone was ok.” @clarechampion pic.twitter.com/bZvRAu5Gn6 — John Sweeney (@sundaycottage) April 25, 2016 It is understood that the driver of the bus has been taken to hospital for treatment, and all of the students are reported as safe and well. Firefighters from Mallow and Charleville arrived at the scene to fight the blaze and the road was closed for a time.

Clare 2-17 Kildare 1-19 AN Eoin Cleary free, converted five minutes into injury time in a pulsating NFL division 3 league final in Croke Park on Saturday evening, guided Clare to a sensational defeat of Kildare. Corofin’s Jamie Malone was fouled for the crucial free and Cleary, who had been promised a trip to Liverpoool by selector David O’Brien if he delivered at GAA headquarters, stroked over the winning point from a tight angle, 23 yards out. With normal time almost up, Clare trailed 1-18 to 1-15 and it looked as if their chances of winning had evaporated. However a Martin McMahon diagonal ball, found Gary Brennan and the Clare captained placed Dean Ryan for a dramatic equalising goal. Not noted for his goal scoring, Ryan finished lethally from six inches. Two minutes later, substitute Shane McGrath hit the post with a point effort but another sub, Enda Coughlan, reacted quickest and fisted over the rebound. However Kildare responded with …

In the immediate aftermath of Clare’s five-point defeat yet promotion-clinching league game away to Kildare on April 3, Mick Bohan identified strengthening the panel as a priority come the 2017 season. Saturday’s league final will, of course, feature largely the same personnel but it will be fascinating to see how Clare have evolved since playing the same opposition just three weeks ago. Club fixtures have cut into their preparation time but a feature of Clare this season has been their response to defeat. Losses to Tipperary and Offaly were followed by immediate improved performances and wins in their subsequent fixtures. If Clare can follow their defeat to Kildare with a win, or at least an exceptional display in Croke Park, it will further underline the quality of their preparation and their capacity to learn from game to game. “What has to happen now is, we have to put a plan in place for everyone involved in football in Clare including …

THE Tubridy household in Doonbeg is steeped in football lore and when David lines out for Clare at Croke Park on Saturday evening, family members led by his father, Tommy, will be there to cheer him on. It won’t be the first time a member of the family will line out in a National Football League Division 3 final at headquarters. Forty years ago, Tommy, then still a teenager, was in the side along with another teenager, John McGrath, that faced Armagh in the final. They lost a replay by the minimum margin. Both Tommy and John are sure to have a quiet word on Saturday evening about how close they came to capturing the title but they will both be cheering loudly for Clare and their sons, David and Shane, as they seek to go a step further against Kildare. “We were beaten in the ’75 final by a physical Monaghan side in Portlaoise. A year later we faced …

PLANNING approval for a controversial Cooraclare mast, linked to claims by recently elected TD, Dr Michael Harty of serious problems with his own internet connection, is now on hold. An Bord Pleanála has been asked to take a fresh look at Clare County Council’s decision to grant Brian Sexton of Clare Broadband planning permission to retain a broadband mast at Cloonreddan, Cooraclare. One of the original objectors, Angela Collins, has lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála. In a letter to the council on July 20 last, Dr Harty and his wife, Geraldine, a registered nurse, expressed a number of personal objections. They stated it was disappointing that a letter sent by the council concerning this unauthorised development was met by defiance and, instead of removing it, the owner/operator chose to develop it further instead. “Our Vodafone service has been severely limited since this mast was erected. Several telephone calls to the service provider have resulted in no improvement. “As …