Tag Archives: gaa

The Clare fans are on their way in droves to Croke Park. They’re all in good cheer and confident of victory.

Croke Park is beginning to fill up with speckles of Clare and Cork supporters dotted around the stadium. As we write Galway and Waterford are warming up ahead of the All-Ireland minor final. Weather wise there are a few clouds hovering but they are broken by some blue speckles. Around the stadium Clare and Cork supporters are inching their way to Croke Park, occasionally delayed by the odd detour into the multitude of nearby establishments. The Clare team travelled from Limerick railway stations this morning for what is the counties first All-Ireland senior final appearance since 2002, when Cyril Lyons was manager.

Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald has named the same team as started in the semi-final against Limerick for Sunday’s All-Ireland final with Cork. Paul Flanagan comes into the substitutes list in place of the injured Aaron Cunningham. The team is; Patrick Kelly; Domhnaill O’donovan, David McInerney, Cian Dillon; Brendan Bugler, Pat Donnellan (Capt) Patrick O’Connor; Conor Ryan, Colm Galvin; John Conlon, Tony Kelly Colin Ryan; Paudge Collins, Darach Honan, Conor McGrath Subs–Donal Tuohy; Conor Cooney, Seadna Morey, Liam Markham, Nicky O’Connell, Fergal Lynch, Shane O’Donnell, Cathal McInerney, Peter Duggan, Jonathon Clancy, Paul Flanagan

Clare 1-16 Galway 0-7 A BLISTERING start to the second half, which saw them score 1-5 in 10 minutes, paved the way for a comfortable Clare victory over Galway in the All-Ireland U-21 hurling semi-final at Thurles last Saturday evening. Starting the second half just two points adrift, Galway held high hopes of dethroning the All-Ireland champions but Clare stepped up the pace and by the midpoint of the half, the holders were well on the way to a second successive final. The all-important goal came three minutes after the resumption and was scored by Cathal O’Connell, one of the stars in this latest victory for Clare. Indeed, such was Clare’s dominance in the second half that with 10 minutes remaining, they were able to call ashore senior star Podge Collins and then replaced two more members of the senior team, Colm Galvin and Tony Kelly, ahead of the upcoming senior final clash with Cork. An injury to Aaron Cunningham …

Clare’s joint manager Gerry O’Connor described the second-half performance by Clare as “phenomenal”. “The way it transpired was exactly as we had predicted. We reckoned the first half would be really low scoring, a real and out and out dog fight and that’s exactly how it turned out,” he said. According to the Éire Óg clubman, “Donal [Moloney] said to the lads at half-time, in the most positive way possible, that they needed to move up a gear. The second-half performance was just phenomenal, the running off the ball, the support play. Alan O’Neill at centre-back was awesome, to be fair to him. Peter Duggan started winning puck-outs but Tots’ [Cathal O’Connell] movement off Peter Duggan was phenomenal.” “We have been on the road with these guys for four years now. That was the 2010 minor team. We have such a passionate affinity with them that it’s unbelievable. We had a team meeting with the guys on Monday before this …

As the build-up to the All-Ireland final continues, Peter O’Connell spoke to Fergal Lynch on more than just hurling matters. FERGAL Lynch predicts that 2013 will be a seismic year for two of his county hurling colleagues. The Quin National School principal is the only married man on the county panel but is confident that his isolation is approaching end game. “Brendan Buglar and Paddy Donnellan won’t be too far behind me, I’d say. I’m going to give them up to Christmas. Although they’ll hardly last that long,” Lynch laughs. Clare’s starting 1995 All-Ireland winning team featured 15 bachelors and just one married playing substitute. “Someone said to me the other day that none of them were married bar Cyril Lyons, who came on as a sub. I don’t know if I’m playing the Lyons role. He was probably a better hurler than I am but it’s a good omen,” the Clooney-Quin man feels. Although more than a decade older …