Tag Archives: Colin Ryan

AFTER a one-week break, Clare will return to hurling league action this Saturday evening when they travel to play Laois in Round 3 at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise at 7pm. As has been the case with their opening two games, Clare will carry the favourites’ tag but team mentors have stressed that they will be taking nothing for granted. Laois haven’t had a good start to this season’s campaign, losing their opening-round game to Kerry and then going down to Offaly last time out. At this stage of the campaign, relegation to Division 2 is a serious concern, so they will be expected to up their game. While Clare have won all recent outings against the Laois men, they haven’t had things their own way and, in fact, have had to pull out all the stops to get victory. In the league quarter-final in 2014, only four points separated the sides at the final whistle, with Clare ahead on a …

SOMETHING odd is happening in Clare. There is splintering opinion as to whether the Clare hurling glass is full, half full or half empty. Sunday’s display in Nowlan Park clearly suggests that the glass is, if not teeming over, definitely not half empty. The panel of players deserve immense credit for producing that standard of hugely committed hurling in Nowlan Park. While some individuals, notably Tony Kelly and Shane O’Donnell, excelled, as a team Clare resembled themselves again. Based on Sunday, it’s not over the top to suggest that they will be formidable Munster championship opponents for Limerick come May 24. Based on Saturday, Limerick will be doing well to turn up at all. They were obliterated by Dublin and looked remarkably off the pace of league, let alone championship, hurling. Clare showed what they can do if they produce the level they are capable of. That’s looking at it from a glass-half-full standpoint. However, there is no avoiding the …

Newmarket-on-Fergus 2-20 Inagh/Kilnamona 0-16   Newmarket-on-Fergus completed the first three-in-a-row in the Clare Champion Cup for over 30 years on Saturday, their club pocketing the €3,500 winners prize in the process. The Blues were without doubt the better side and as early as the ninth minute, when Shane Liddy had their second goal, it was hard to see them being beaten at a Clarecastle venue that was in great condition for the time of year. Inagh/Kilnamona trailed for nearly 90% of the game, but they fought as best they could and did mange to cut an eight-point half-time deficit to four but, crucially, they never brought the gap back to a single score, which could have really tested Bob Enright’s men. The early goals were crucial and the Blues had clearly decided to focus on green flags. After seven minutes they trailed 0-3 to 0-2, but had already gone for majors on three occasions when points were there for the …