Tag Archives: Cratloe

AT the Clare Camogie awards night, Kilmaley’s Eugene McMahon was named as the Lifetime Achievement Award winner for his service to the sport. Eugene has served club and county with passion, dedication and love of the game over a number of years. He is a founding member of Kilmaley Camogie Club, where he has managed and trained teams. Eugene has given of his time, experience and expertise to county teams, including the Clare junior team of 2006, winners of Munster and National League honours, as well as getting to the Junior All-Ireland semi-final. Eugene was also involved with the Clare Camogie Supporters Club. Eugene’s wife, Anne and daughter, Claire accepted the award on his behalf. The volunteer of the year award went to Cratloe’s Audrey McMahon. Audrey has been secretary of the club since it was formed four years ago.

By Seamus Hayes The most successful year in the history of Cratloe GAA was celebrated by a sell out attendance at the Ryan Suite in the Radisson Blu hotel on Friday night. Tickets for the victory social were sold out two weeks ago as members and supporters of the club all wanted to be in attendance to celebrate the Clare senior football (Jack Daly cup) and hurling (Canon Hamilton trophy) championship titles as well as their  inaugural success in the Clare Champion cup (senior hurling league), the winning of the division 3 senior football league and the junior B football championship titles.   All star award winner Sean McMahon from St. Josephs, Clare’s All-Ireland winning centre back in 1995 and 1997, was in attendance to present the medals to all involved. He joined with Munster Council chairman Robert Frost and Clare GAA chairman Michael McDonagh in congratulating all involved on their achievements during 2014. Cratloe parish priest Fr. Liam Enright who is the …

Cratloe GAA Club, which swept all before them in 2014 to win the Clare senior hurling and football titles, will have another great reason to celebrate at their sold-out victory function this Friday night. Cratloe has won the honour of being the Clare parish to welcome the first baby of 2015. Weighing in at 3.5kg, Mylo Molony  was born at the Regional Maternity University hospital in Limerick  at 5.38am on New Year’s Day, to proud parents, Cratloe’s Clodagh and Barry Molony.   Clodagh is a member of a well-known  O’Hara family that has strong ties with Cratloe GAA Club. In congratulating the Molonys on the birth of their new year son, a club spokesman said they all hoped that one day Mylo would don the Clare jerseys and experience the thrill of winning an All-Ireland hurling title.      

By Seamus Hayes Cratloe 2-10 Clonlara 2-8 Cratloe completed another double in what has already been an historic year for the club when the senior hurlers won their first ever Clare Champion cup (senior hurling league) title on Saturday. A two point win over their neighbours Clonlara brought the curtain down on the club’s most successful year even and completed the senior hurling league and championship double for the club. It was a most entertaining contest played in cold conditions which made hurling difficult for all involved. O’Garney park in Sixmilebridge was in tremendous condition for this attractive fixture which saw the sides level on six occasions. For much of the game a draw looked the likely outcome but Cratloe s truck a decìsive blow in the 59th minute when Conor McGrath fired home their second goal. At the end of an evenly contested first half the sides went to the dressing room with 1-4 each on the scoreboard. Podge …

From an early stage in the 2014 county hurling season, it was predicted that Cratloe and Clonlara would contest the Clare championship final, provided they remained on opposite sides of the draw. While the draw ensured that was the case, Crusheen instead managed to dump Clonlara out of the race at the semi-final stage. After the championship, the Clare Champion Cup (senior league) is the next most important competition. Winners of the Canon Hamilton trophy, Cratloe have never won the league title. Clonlara’s last success was in 2009, when they won the title for only the second time, having won their first a year earlier, when they also won the championship. It is certainly not the best time of the year to be playing the final of such a prestigious competition but both Cratloe and Clonlara will want to win the title and the prize-money that goes with it, courtesy of sponsors, The Clare Champion. The final will take place …

By Seamus Hayes Kilmallock 1-32 Cratloe 3-18 In a cracking Munster club senior hurling championship final at the Gaelic grounds in Limerick on Sunday, a physically stronger Kilmallock dominated extra time to claim the title at the expense of Clare champions, Cratloe. Before an attendance of 6,365, the champions of the neighbouring Shannonside counties produced a truly marvellous contest, recording some magnificent scores in the process. It was anybody’s game in normal time as play switched from end to end with both sides looking like winners at different times. In extra time, Kilmallock dominated and deservingly captured the honours but an eight point winning margin is rather flattering. The Limerick side’s captain Graeme Mulcahy gave his side the lead after just ten seconds but Cratloe dominated the next ten minutes, scoring 1-2 without reply and they could have had another two goals and a couple of points in that period. Kilmallock grew in confidence as the half progressed and when …

LAST weekend, Gavin O’Mahony was in Cheltenham, as Kilmallock was gripped by hurling fever. JP McManus paid for a weekend break for the Limerick hurlers, taking in the autumn festival in the Cotswolds. They flew out on Friday and the Kilmallock contingent were back on Sunday morning to resume preparations. O’Mahony said it was great to have even a very short break from the Munster final build-up. “Definitely, it’s gone a bit hurling mad here. It was nice to switch off for a day or two, turn the phone off and relax.” It’s been a long year for O’Mahony who, as well as the highs of a county final victory, also experienced a Munster final defeat to Cork and another defeat against Kilkenny in Croke Park. While the break after Sunday’s game (barring a draw) will be welcome, he isn’t complaining. “There are friends of mine on the county panel who’d love to be still going and to still have …

CRATLOE are “a shining example to all clubs because of how much they value the club scene” is the view of Kilmallock manager and former Clare hurler, Ger O’Loughlin. “I have the utmost respect for the lads from Clare. When I needed lads to answer the call during my time at Clare manager, they responded and they were still in their teens. They have come on so well. “It will be a huge task for us to overcome the game they play, as there are so many areas they could beat you in. It will be a huge obstacle for us,” said the Clarecastle man, who helped his club win the Munster title in 1997. O’Loughlin continued, “When we set out this year, the primary target was to win the Limerick title. It’s not easy to get out of Limerick, as there are four or five strong contenders. We were absolutely delighted to get through that campaign and we had …