Tag Archives: Cratloe

THE presence of Brian Lohan on the Cratloe training field, dressing room and sideline is one that adds solidity and steel to the Clare champions’ set-up. You get the feeling that when Lohan talks, his words are taken on board. That’s simply because of what he achieved on the hurling field and how he went about it. Many of the Cratloe players won’t remember 1995 or 1997 but what happened and Lohan’s role in that will be well known to them. More pertinently, Lohan, along with fellow coach, Alan Neville, has what everyone in Cratloe wants on Sunday, a Munster club medal.That’s a medal the Shannon man, who lives in Cratloe, says he values more now than he did in 1996, when Wolfe Tones ruled Munster. “As you live longer, it gets more important. It wasn’t that big a deal when you were playing but the longer you’re retired, the more important it becomes. It was the same when we …

Most GAA clubs feature families who have been involved as players or administrators for generations. Cratloe have some of that type of influence but most of their active GAA families are not originally from the parish. Cratloe native and former Kilmallock senior hurling manager, Tony Considine feels this is in fact a huge advantage to Cratloe and adds freshness to the club. Generational baggage handed down is not a factor. “Management-wise everyone they have is inside but remember they’re not from Cratloe. Maybe if there was an insider, they mightn’t be as successful. Somebody didn’t buy the right pig from a fella or stole his hen,” Considine suggested. “In a club where someone local is involved, everyone knows you and, more importantly, they know everyone belonging to you. Your great uncle might have hit a slap at some fella in a pub or told him he was useless years ago. That’s the same everywhere. “I think this is why Cratloe …

COME 2.30pm this Sunday afternoon, by the mouth of the River Colligan in Dungarvan, Cratloe will take on The Nire for a place in Sunday fortnight’s Munster club football final. This weekend’s semi-final will represent this group of players’ 14th championship game of 2014. In their 780 minutes of championship hurling and football to date this year, Cratloe have yet to wave the white flag. The only white flag waving has been left to the men in white coats beside the posts. Plenty of people have held the view that winning a hurling/football double in the county was an impossible feat. Now, Cratloe are just 180 minutes from completing a Munster double, which would top their historic county double-winning achievement. Of course, thinking ahead isn’t something this Cratloe panel will be indulging in. They haven’t up to this point and that’s one of the reasons why they are where they are. Another reason is simply because they haven’t been held …

By Seamus Hayes Cratloe move a step closer another title when they defeated Thurles Sarsfields from Tipperary at Cusack Park on Sunday but down the road in Sixmilebridge there was disappointment for the county intermediate hurling champions Feakle who suffered a one point loss to their Waterford opponents Cappaquin Cratloe 1-18 Thurles Sarsfields 0-14 While the sending off of Denis Maher from Thurles Sarsfields in the opening minute of the game will lead to much discussion, it cannot detract from the fact that Cratloe delivered another impressive performance when defeating their Tipperary counterparts in the semi-final of the Munster senior club hurling championship at Cusack Park in Ennis Conor Ryan, Enda Boyce, Podge Collins and Conor McGrath, with a haul of 0-11, delivered outstanding displays as Cratloe qualified for yet another final, this time in the Munster championship where they will meet the Limerick champions, Kilmallock on November 23. Of course Maher’s dismissal in the very first play, will be …

That 14 of the starting 15 for Thurles Sarsfields in last weekend’s senior hurling final have represented Tipperary teams in recent years, clearly indicates the challenge that faces Cratloe in Sunday’s Munster senior semi-final at Cusack Park. Munster champions in 2012, before being shocked in the All-Ireland semi-final by Kilcormac-Killoughey from Offaly, Thurles were knocked out of the Tipperary race early last season by Nenagh. Their victory last Sunday marked their fifth Tipperary senior title since 2005, after a gap of 31 years, and their 33rd in all. Amongst those who have featured in their last five wins are goalie Paddy McCormack, Lar Corbett and team captain, Pa Bourke. Five members of the Tipperary panel that contested the 2014 All-Ireland senior final are from Thurles and will play on Sunday. Padraic, Ronan and Denis Maher, Michael Cahill and Lar Corbett are key players and Cratloe are sure to have their hands full when they come up against them, while Billy …

By Seamus Hayes Cratloe 3-7 Ballygunner 1-1o Cratloe continued their history making feats when they defeated Waterford champions Ballygunner in the opening round of the Munster senior club hurling championship at Walsh Park in Waterford on Bank holiday Sunday. The victory was the first by the club’s hurlers as, in their only previous venture into this competition, they lost to Ballygunner at the same venue back in 2009. A near galeforce wind made playing conditions very difficult for the players but Cratloe show that, despite their long season, they are still hungry for success. Having won the toss, team captain Liam Markham elected to play with the aid of the wind and it proved to be a wise decision. Two goals from man of the match Conor McGrath had the Clare champions ahead by seven points, 2-2 to 0-1, at the end of the first quarter. They were eight clear, 2-4 to 0-2, when the half time whistle sounded and …

Clare senior champions, Cratloe travel to Waterford to face their counterparts, Ballygunner, in the opening round of the Munster Club Hurling Championship this Sunday “with a 50/50 chance”, according to manager Joe McGrath. His charges recorded another victory at the weekend, this time in the Clare Champion Cup semi-final against Feakle. “We had a couple of good days after the football county final, which we didn’t have after the hurling and the boys deserved a few days off. They certainly took that. I don’t know if we were looking forward to a match as tough as that against Feakle; they came out with all guns blazing and they really put a serious challenge to us in the physical stakes. “We were at our wits end with 10 to 15 minutes to go, to try and win the game. We got a couple of points to get five or six ahead and we were lucky enough to be five or six …

By Seamus Hayes Is there any stopping Cratloe GAA?. Thats the question after the South Clare club moved a step closer to adding another three titles to their collection for 2014. The senior hurlers moved a step closer the senior championship and league double when they defeated Feakle (0-18 to 1-9) in the Clare Champion cup (senior league) at Glenomra park in Broadford on Sunday afternoon. This latest victory was hard earned with the Clare champions having to fight back from a one point half time deficit and overcome the handicap of being a player down. Just before half time Cratloe had defender Philip gleeson dismissed on a second yellow card and they went to the half time break trailing by a point, 0-6 to 0-7. However, despite the disadvantage of being a player short, they battled back in the second half and four unanswered points helped them to lead by three at the three quarter stage when the score …