Tag Archives: davy fitzgerald

CLARE GAA County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh, said he would have made himself available to mediate between players and management in the disciplinary dispute that has rocked the local hurling scene. On Wednesday evening, the Clare senior hurling management and panel issued a brief statement in response to the controversy surrounding the disciplining of Davy O’Halloran and Nicky O’Connell. “The Clare senior hurling panel and management have met on the recent disciplinary issues that have been aired in the public domain. All involved are happy that the matter was dealt with fairly. “While there are numerous inaccuracies reported in the media, on social media and in a former player’s statement, the matter is now closed and we, as a group, are all happy to move forward united and to continue to enjoy working hard for Clare hurling.” The statement was signed by Pat Donnellan and Cian Dillon, on behalf of the players and the management trio of Davy Fitzgerald, Michael …

AFTER a great start to the league with impressive wins over Tipperary and Kilkenny, the Dublin senior hurlers were brought crashing back down to earth on Saturday night, when they suffered a drubbing at the hands of Cork at Croke Park. An 11-point loss should see the Ger Cunningham-managed side come to Ennis on Saturday for their meeting with Clare determined to get back to winning ways and secure a place in the play-offs. Another defeat could see the Ger Cunningham-managed Dubs with relegation worries on their minds going into the final game of the group stage. Davy Fitzgerald and his team will be hoping that the improvement shown in their game against Tipperary will continue and lead to a Clare win this weekend. Clare will have to win their remaining two games and hope that other results go in their favour if they are to have a chance of avoiding the dreaded relegation play-off. It’s unlikely that all of …

Nicky O’Connell and Davy O’Halloran have turned their backs on the Clare senior hurling panel. Clonlara’s O’Connell, an All-Ireland senior and U-21 medal winner and O’Halloran, from Éire Óg, also an U-21 All-Ireland medalist, left the panel last week after they were punished for an alleged breach of discipline. O’Connell’s brother Cathal (Tots) was also disciplined by the team management but he has not withdrawn. He was with the squad for last Sunday’s league tie with Tipperary. It is understood that the trio were given a three-week programme of physical training and informed that they would not play any part in three league games as a result of a breach of the strict discipline guidelines put in place by the team management. The alleged breach is understood to have occurred on the Friday prior to the opening league game against Galway. Davy O’Halloran and Nicky O’Connell have played key roles in the Munster and All-Ireland successes that Clare have enjoyed …

CLARE won’t name the starting line-up for Sunday’s crucial hurling league clash with Tipperary until nearer match time but it’s expected that Tony Kelly, David McInerney and Conor McGrath will all make their first competitive starts of the season. The inclusion of all three will strengthen Clare’s chances of getting their first win of the campaign. It’s also likely that experienced Brendan Bugler and Pat Donnellan will revert to defensive duties for this one, after spells at midfield and wing-forward respectively. Indeed, there is speculation that Clare might revert to using a sweeper, with Donnellan filling the role that he did with great success during the 2013 championship campaign. Ahead of this week’s eagerly-awaited tie, there is a doubt about the fitness of Colin Ryan. The Newmarket man picked up a leg injury in the Cork match and didn’t train last week. A final decision on his fitness will be made nearer match time. McInerney is likely to be named …

After much back-and-forth over the past week, the concluding stages of the Fitzgibbon Cup (Third Level A Hurling Championship) start this Friday at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT). The decision of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick to appeal, after IT Carlow had won its appeal and were re-instated last week, led to the postponement of two quarter-finals to Tuesday of this week. IT Carlow had beaten Mary Immaculate College to win a quarter-final place but they were subsequently removed from the competition when the ruling authority decided they had included an illegal player. The Leinster college successfully appealed that decision to get back into the competition but the remaining two quarter-finals remained in doubt right up to Tuesday morning, after Mary Immaculate decided to take their case to the DRA, whose decision to uphold Carlow’s position was confirmed a few hours before the quarter-final took place at the Limerick college venue. Following their win on Tuesday, LIT manager Davy Fitzgerald called …

CLARE and Cork go into their Round 2 league clash in Páirc Uí Rinn on this  Saturday evening (7pm throw-in) in the knowledge that defeat for either will leave them rooted to the bottom of the Division 1 table and facing relegation. They last played in the league two years ago at the Cork venue and, on that occasion, Clare turned in a powerful second half to record a 1-22 to 1-16 victory. The Leesiders led by five points at half-time in that game and could have been further in front at that stage. The Banner side had 10 wides in the first half. Goalkeeper, Patrick Kelly was one of the heroes on that occasion Clare’s half-backs had struggled in the opening half but, after the break, Brendan Bugler, Patrick O’Connor and Pat Donnellan were superb. The dominance of this trio, allied to excellent play from Conor Ryan at midfield, John Conlon in the half-forward line, and the continued brilliance …

LAST year was a huge disappointment for the Clare senior hurlers, according to 2013 All-Ireland medal winner, now turned selector, Fergal Lynch. “We didn’t perform last year and we will be trying to rectify that this year. We will be trying to win every league game,” he told The Clare Champion. “The league is all about learning about players and how lads will react under pressure. There are eight or nine teams vieing for top position and every game is a championship game. The teams coming up from Division 1B are nearly as strong, if not as strong, as those that are in Division 1. The league will provide us with plenty of food for thought as we look at players and see how lads react,” the Clooney-Quin clubman said. Lynch, who plays club football with Cratloe, is in his second season as a member of Davy Fitzgerald’s backroom team. Acknowledging that there is a conveyor belt of players in …

Clare Champion photographer, John Kelly’s long string of successes in the Press Photographers’ Association of Ireland (PPAI) annual award scheme continued  in Dublin on Friday night. John’s remarkable gift as one of the country’s leading press photographers was underlined by the fact that not only did he win first prize in the 2015 Portrait category, but he also claimed third place in the same section.  Furthermore, John also won third prize in the Sports Features. The winning photograph is Body Builder, a striking image of Jason Morris of Toonagh, County Clare. Jason came second in the Irish Natural Bodybuidling Federation 2014 Under-68kg category. John’s other award-winning portrait is titled, The Old Man and the Sea. It shows Paddy Hanrahan from Cappa, Kilrush collecting seaweed as fertilizer for his nearby garden. The third prize in the Sports Feature is a dramatic image of Davy Fitzgerald in the rain after Clare hurlers loss to Tipperary in last year’s Waterford Crystal Cup. In congratulating John on …