Tag Archives: gaa

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 …

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 …

It was celebration time for Banner Ladies following their Senior A Ladies Football final victory at Miltown Malbay. The final score Banner Ladies 3-8 West Clare Gaels 0-6

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 …

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 …

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 …

Terence Fahy knows better than most how to develop hurlers and cultivate success at underage. Although a proud Clare man, he possesses experience of the underage set up in Kilkenny. Fahy spent nine years working in Castlecomer Community School in the North of the county. The Whitegate man came across his fair share of quality hurlers on Noreside including four time All Ireland champion Conor Fogarty. Fahy feels that the tradition of success has helped Kilkenny players coming through the ranks believe they can win on the big stage. “There is obviously a massive tradition in the place. Life revolves around hurling down there. It’s a small county really but the thing that ignites it is hurling. Hurling is very strong in all areas down there. The tradition is handed down and despite the success they are humble enough.” Where does the culture of success in Kilkenny come from? Fahy’s answer is simple yet well constructed. “The culture comes from …

The deadline for Club Clare membership for 2023 approaches this week, safe in the knowledge that no stone has been left unturned in the pursuit of making Clare a hurling and camogie force once more. With the players guided by their management teams and the county board backing the teams, Club Clare’s direct financial support from its members essentially provide those crucial extra elements that have helped transform the hurling landscape over the past few years. The fundamentals of the game haven’t altered but the unprecedented levels of preparation and meticulous attention to detail on and off the field require a whole suite of supplementary resources that are now considered almost a prerequisite. The additional essential ingredients of nutrition, sports psychology, advancements in Strength and Conditioning, video analysis and recovery ensure that playing at inter-county level is now a lifestyle and not just a hobby. As Clare Senior Manager Brian Lohan admitted himself when launching the current Club Clare set-up …