Tag Archives: football

IN the aftermath of Clare’s 2-23 to 0-17 Munster Championship semi-final defeat to Kerry in Killarney on June 12, the concession of two goals in the opening five minutes was highlighted as central to Clare’s compliant demise. Those goals were a massive set-back and sucked confidence from Clare. The fact that they managed to kick 0-17 was seen as an impressive total and while it was a decent return, contained within that statistic is a worrying figure. The starting six forwards kicked just 0-3 from play between them in 70 minutes of football. David Tubridy, Eoin Cleary and Podge Collins put over a point each. If they are to get beyond Laois on Sunday, the Clare forwards must up that return considerably. On the plus side Pearse Lillis, who came on for the black-carded Podge Collins seven minutes before half-time, kicked three superb points from play, while Gary Brennan and Cathal O’Connor put over 0-3 between them from midfield. The …

A repeat of last year’s Clare senior football final between Miltown St Josephs (winners) and Cooraclare is one of the attractions in the second round of the Clare senior football championship. The draw for both the winners and losers sections was made at a meeting of the CCC this Monday evening but dates have yet to be set and will be influenced by inter county fixtures involving the county senior hurlers and footballers who are in qualifier action over the next two weekends. West Clare neighbours Doonbeg and St.Senans, Kilkee should prove another interesting tie along with the meeting of Lissycasey and Cratloe. The full draw is; Winners section; Doonbeg v St. Senans, Kilkee; Miltown St. Josephs v Cooraclare; Lissycasey v Cratloe; St. Breckans v Kilmurry-Ibrickane. Losers section; St. Josephs, Doora-Barefield v Wolfe Tones; Ennistymon v Kilrush; O’Currys v Eire og; Corofin v Clondegad. By Seamus Hayes

The way is clear for the semi-finals of the junior A hurling league (division 4) and both games will be played next Sunday (July 3). Broadford have finished on top of the league table after the completed their  programme of games with victory over St. Josephs, Doora-Barefield. Ballyea finished in second place thanks to a comfortable win over Tubber this Saturday evening. Despite going down to O’Callaghans Mills, Meelick remain in third spot with the Mills filling the final play off position. In next week’s semi-finals Broadford will play O’Callaghans Mills while Ballyea will face Meelick. Meanwhile, in the junior B hurling league (division 5), Newmarket and Wolfe Tones 1 have qualified from division 5 A, Parteen are through from division 5 B while the qualifier from division 5 C will be confirmed after Wolfe Tones 2 play Broadford on Tuesday. Wolfe Tones must win to stay in the race and then it will come down to score difference between …

ON Monday night next, UTV Ireland will air a documentary that will be of particular interest to Clare GAA fans. My Toughest Year, which will be broadcast at 8pm, follows the recovery of one of GAA’s best known and most talented young players, dual star Podge Collins, from a cruciate injury he suffered 12 months ago and which cast doubt on the future of his playing career. He suffered the injury while playing for his club Cratloe in the Senior Hurling Championship. Over the past 12 months, UTV Ireland sports reporter, Marie Crowe, from Sixmilebridge, followed Collins throughout each step of his recovery process, gaining exclusive access to his medical procedures, his rehabilitation and his fight to regain match-day fitness. Collins is set to play Munster championship football for Clare this Sunday against Limerick and, seven days later, will line out in the senior hurling semi-final against Waterford. In recent weeks he made history by playing a key role in …

Seventeen clubs will compete for the Clare junior football championship in 2016 and they will be divided into four groups, three of four and one of five. Two teams will qualify from each group for the quarter finals. The groupings are; Group 1—Lissycasey, Clondegad, Doonbeg, Ballyvaughan, Kilmurry-Ibrickane; Group 2—Moy, Killimer, Naomh Eoin, Cratloe Group 3—Ennistymon, Meelick, Miltown and Ml. Cusacks Group 4—Kilrush, Clooney-Quin, St. Josephs, Cooraclare

THE Tubridy household in Doonbeg is steeped in football lore and when David lines out for Clare at Croke Park on Saturday evening, family members led by his father, Tommy, will be there to cheer him on. It won’t be the first time a member of the family will line out in a National Football League Division 3 final at headquarters. Forty years ago, Tommy, then still a teenager, was in the side along with another teenager, John McGrath, that faced Armagh in the final. They lost a replay by the minimum margin. Both Tommy and John are sure to have a quiet word on Saturday evening about how close they came to capturing the title but they will both be cheering loudly for Clare and their sons, David and Shane, as they seek to go a step further against Kildare. “We were beaten in the ’75 final by a physical Monaghan side in Portlaoise. A year later we faced …

Clare footballers received a major boost in the build up to their Division 3 league final with Kildare with the news that ace sharp-shooter David Tubridy will be available for selection. Tubridy was red-carded in Clare’s final group game, incidentally against Kildare, after an incident with defender Ciarán Fitzpatrick but he successful challenged that dismissal at a meeting of the Central Hearings Committee in Croke Park on Thursday night. Tubridy was granted a personal hearing and was accompanied to the meeting by county secretary, Pat Fitzgerald, paving the way for the Doonbeg man to line out in the Allianz National Football League Division 3 final in Croke Park on Saturday, April 23.

Clare 0-9 Limerick 1-5 Clare will play Kerry in the semi-final of the Munster minor football championship thanks to a hard earned one point win over neighbours Limerick at Miltown this evening in a game played before an official attendance of 676.  The winners led by two points at half time, 0-6 to 1-1 and would not have been flattered by a bigger lead at this time as they had dominated the opening half exchanges. It was a different story in the second half as Limerick had the better of matters and the visitors will point to missed chances as a reason for their loss. They kicked fifteen wides in total, twelve of which came in the second half. The game looked to be heading for extra time after Limerick substitute Conor O’Grady converted a free three minutes from time but Joseph McGann landed the winner for the home side two minutes later. McGann was one of the Clare stars …