Tag Archives: clare

MOST people watching the All-Ireland felt Clare were clearly the better team, but Cork’s top scorer got a little tetchy with journalists on the subject following the game. “We got three goals; ye’re criticising us all year for not getting goals, we get three and ye’re saying they’re better than us. What are ye on about like?” Pa Horgan asked with a laugh. An unfortunate reporter asked the Glen Rovers forward if the occasion had got to Cork and was met with a fairly blunt dismissal. “Why’s that? We were up by a point boy, how did it get to us? We were two seconds away from winning an All-Ireland; I don’t know what ye’re blowing on about really.” Horgan did acknowledge that things were not looking good during the second half, with Clare streaking away from the Rebels. “With about 15 or 20 minutes to go I thought it was going to be tough enough for us. They were …

      A RISING Tide, our 68-page special supplement for last Sunday’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final between Clare and Cork, received a very positive response, with messages of congratulations flooding in to all who were involved in the production. If you missed your copy don’t worry, as it is available to purchase for only €1 at The Clare Champion offices, Barrack Street, Ennis. In this week’s issue, we have extensive coverage of the thrilling drawn final in addition to a preview of Saturday’s All-Ireland U-21 hurling decider between Clare and Antrim at Semple Stadium, Thurles. The throw-in is at 5pm. The curtain raiser, with a 3pm thrown-in, is the U-21 B final in which Kerry meet Kildare. Meanwhile, The Clare Champion will publish another supplement for the senior final replay. It will be included with the edition of Friday, September 27. Businesses or individuals interested in advertising in the supplement can contact sales@clarechampion.ie or phone 065-6864150.    

It is possible to complete the Clare senior hurling championship in time for the winners to participate in the Munster club championship, a special meeting of Clare GAA was told on Tuesday night. For this to happen, however, it will depend on which clubs progress to the concluding stages and it may require some dual clubs playing every five days, the meeting, which was held at the County GAA headquarters in Clareabbey, was told. According to County GAA secretary Pat Fitzgerald, having the hurling championship completed in time to compete in the Munster competition “will be very tight’ . “It is our right to take part in the Munster championship and we have five or six teams who will give it a good rattle” board treasurer Bernard Keane said before asking clubs “to think outside the box one more time”. The meeting decided by a large majority to revert to last year’s format with regard to relegation. Five teams were due …

Thumbs up! Patrick Kelly makes A great save early in the game

The Clare fans are on their way in droves to Croke Park. They’re all in good cheer and confident of victory.

Croke Park is beginning to fill up with speckles of Clare and Cork supporters dotted around the stadium. As we write Galway and Waterford are warming up ahead of the All-Ireland minor final. Weather wise there are a few clouds hovering but they are broken by some blue speckles. Around the stadium Clare and Cork supporters are inching their way to Croke Park, occasionally delayed by the odd detour into the multitude of nearby establishments. The Clare team travelled from Limerick railway stations this morning for what is the counties first All-Ireland senior final appearance since 2002, when Cyril Lyons was manager.

OPINIONS may be divided as to who will claim the All-Ireland senior title but all are agreed that there will be little between the sides. Tactics are a dominant topic. Will Clare continue with the sweeper system that was so effective in the wins over Galway and Limerick? In the event of this happening, what will Cork do to counteract the ploy? Will Brian Murphy return to the Cork starting line-up having missed their semi-final win over Dublin due to injury? If so, will he again be assigned the role of marking Tony Kelly, which he did so effectively in the Munster semi-final? What is certain is both management teams have put hours and hours of thought and planning into what tactics they will put into practice on Sunday. Two months ago, few would have predicted a meeting of the Rebels and the Banner in the final. Clare were comprehensively beaten by Cork in the Munster semi-final. The Leesiders then …

Who’d have thought you’d hear former British prime minister, Maggie Thatcher and Davy Fitzgerald mentioned in the same breath? Well, that’s what happened when five hurling experts got talking in Cairde, Barrack Street, Ennis. Peter O’Connell let the conversation flow as smoothly as the tea and coffee Compare how this panel has prepared to your own day? Jackie O’Gorman: I remember we had a Saturday morning session once in Ennis [1970s]. It was on at about 12. [Mick] Moroney came late, of course. We were going round the field and I said ‘Moroney, you’re dodging it today’. ‘Christ, I’m not,’ he said. ‘There’s rain promised this evening and I had to put 2,000 bales in before I came down’. That couldn’t happen now. The farmer, the blocklayer, the plasterer. It just couldn’t be done. Seánie McMahon: It was only when I gave up hurling [2006] that I realised how much time was going into it. And I’d say it’ll be …