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Tag Archives: gaa

More clinical Limerick take opening derby spoils

Munster Hurling League Group A Round 1 Limerick 2-21 Clare 1-19 The first Shannonside derby spoils went the All-Ireland champions’ way after holding off hosts Clare in the chilly night air of Clarecastle’s new astro facility which had a capacity 1,500 attendance, writes Eoin Brennan. A late goal in each half proved crucial in maintaining Limerick’s advantage, with an injury-time first coming against the run of play to hand Limerick a 1-10 to 0-10 interval cushion. Both sides were extremely experimental though so not much could be read into any tactical gameplay, instead the inordinate wide count on both sides (Clare 18, Limerick 14) perhaps indicative of their first competitive outing of 2024. That said, Clare’s greater profligacy was notable in the second period as they frustratingly looked to close the gap and ironically while they struggled to create any clearcut goal chances, a late consolation came by means of a large dollop of fortune as goalkeeper Eamon Foudy’s monster …

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New-look Clare begin in Fitz and starts

Weatherwise it was an opening night that lended itself to grit and determination more than anything else as Mark Fitzgerald’s competitive bow as Clare Senior Football Manager got off to a difficult start in Clarecastle on Wednesday evening. Holding a minimum advantage by the three-quarters mark, the home side would be blitzed by defending McGrath Cup champions Cork in a dominant final quarter that produced an unexpected 14 point turnaround to prevail by 2-14 to 0-8, with the Tralee native looking to take the positives from the bulk of the performance. “Look, it’s January football in tough weather but we’re relatively happy. It went away from us a little bit there in the second half but when you’re seeing what Cork are pulling off the bench, some very experienced lads really, it was always going to be tough to hold out,” he said. “We just picked up one or two injuries this week and obviously picked up another in the …

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All stars for Conlon and O’Donnell

JOHN Conlon and Shane O’Donnell have been named on the PWC Hurling All Star team for 2023. It is the second All Star for both, with Conlon winning one in 2018 and O’Donnell in 2022. Limerick dominate the selection with seven of their All Ireland winning team taking All Stars, with beaten finalists Kilkenny picking up five and one going to Galway’s Conor Whelan. Conlon was named at centre back and the Clonlara man enters a distinguished club of players who have been honoured as forwards and defenders in their career after he was named full forward in 2018. Famously he had to leave his brother’s wedding in April to face Limerick, and with victory and the man of the match award secured, he returned for the evening celebrations. The All Star caps a great year for Conlon which also saw him pick up his second county senior championship. O’Donnell was in sparkling form for much of the summer with …

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Clonlara put past disappointments behind them to win race for the Canon

Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final Clonlara 3-18 Crusheen 2-16 It was the perfect Cinderella story as arguably having suffered more heartbreak than any other team in the county, Clonlara soared to a first Clare Senior Hurling Crown since 2008 in Cusack Park, writes Eoin Brennan. Three agonising final and six semi-final reverses in the intervening 15 years were wiped away by a commanding final performance that saw them lead from Micheál O’Loughlin’s emphatic breakthrough goal in the 18th minute to the finish. Having somehow been denied a hat-trick of goals up to that juncture including a break taking Donal Tuohy stop from Colm O’Meara in only the fifth minute, O’Loughlin’s strike following great work from Aidan Moriarty and Ian Galvin felt like a weight was lifted off Clonlara’s shoulders as they outscored Crusheen by 1-3 to 0-2 for the remainder of the half. Again Moriarty raced through the centre, this time offloading to Colm Galvin to flick to the net from …

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GALLERY: Mc attack powers Cratloe back to the summit

Senior Football Championship Final Cratloe 1-10 St Breckan’s 1-8 It was the perfect conclusion to a remarkable renaissance as Cratloe bridged a nine year gap to claim their third Clare Senior Football crown in eleven years in Cusack Park, writes Eoin Brennan.  Despite being seen as an aging side, it was that added sprinkling of experience that eventually told in this seesaw decider as they never trailed at any stage and took their goal opportunity perfectly to finally put daylight between the sides as they wound down the clock before finally hearing the relieving sound of the fine whistle. Six of the first eight points, three from chief marksman Cathal McInerney ensured a healthy 0-6 to 0-2 cushion by the 23rd minute. St Breckan’s only first half scorer Jamie Stack did halve the damage by the break at 0-6 to 0-4 while Joe McGann took up the scoring mantle on the restart with two excellent levelling points by the 33rd …

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HURLING: Cat-like Murphy reflexes deny Clare at death

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final Kilkenny 1-25 Clare 1-22 A completely different Clare All-Ireland Semi-Final performance but still the result remained the same as a never-say-die Kilkenny weathered a strong second half Banner storm to tee up a final rematch with Limerick in a fortnight’s time, writes Eoin Brennan. In front of a Banner-dominated 48,360, Brian Lohan’s side brushed off a disappointingly cautious opening period (0-15 to 0-10) to go for the jugular on the restart, with a swashbuckling 0-9 to 0-2 third quarter turnaround, six from Mark Rodgers, catapulting them two clear. However, a defensive lapse provided a lifeline that a wily Kilkenny inevitably snatched with both hands as a TJ Reid interception set up Eoin Cody for the opening goal of the game in the 55th minute at 1-18 to 0-18. Such a sucker-punch was difficult to stomach but a moment of magic regained full parity in the 63rd minute when Diarmuid Ryan’s delivery over the top was …

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Born for the fourth Sunday of July

When Sunday comes Clare’s prospective All-Ireland opponents will already be known and the dizziness among the Dalcassian Army on the long road to Dublin will be such that many will be racing ahead to the Big Dance. The Last Dance. The All-Ireland final. We know that the fourth Sunday in July doesn’t quite have the first Sunday in September ring to it, but it’s pitch-perfect at the same time, and in the minds’ eyes of the supporters it will be opening out before them. It’s because, what ever way the sliotar falls between Limerick and Galway on Saturday afternoon there’ll be a derby to look forward to for Clare — and a famous first. To a man, woman and child, they’re convinced. My 16-year-old says it’s a mix between manifesting and the placebo effect. Kilkenny have met Galway and Limerick in All-Ireland finals on more occasions than anyone from Clare cares to remember, so for Clare why not have something …

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