THREE of Clare’s best known players recently returned from a historic trip to Africa, where they kick started a bid to plant more than a million trees to combat climate change. Clare players Podge Collins, Dean Ryan, and Eimear Kelly joined 50 leading GAA stars to compete in the first ever ‘Plant the Planet Games’ in Nairobi, Kenya, on a visit that also saw them plant the first thousand trees in a GPA-backed tree planting effort to tackle climate change in Africa. Each of the participating players, who included inter-county hurlers, footballers and camogie players from 23 different counties, were tasked with raising €10,000 in sponsorship to support the effort. The group’s collective total has already topped half a million euro, with funds still coming in. The initiative was organised by Galway dual player Alan Kerins Warriors for Humanity in conjunction with development charity Self Help Africa, and is also being supported by Kenyan Olympic medalist and world record holding …
Read More »GPA to take no further action on Clare dispute
The Gaelic Players Association is to take no further action in relation to the issues raised about the disciplining of Clare hurlers, Davy O’Halloran and Nicky O’Connell. The GPA, in a statement released on its website, said, “Having looked into the situation in Clare and having consulted with parties involved, the Gaelic Players Association’s dealings in this matter are and will remain of a confidential nature. “We have outlined to the players involved that GPA support is available to them through our progammes and services. In respect to all parties, the GPA will be making no further comment.” Nicky O’Connell and Davy O’Halloran had been disciplined for socialising and both left the panel, with O’Halloran, saying he felt “humiliated” by their treatment and claimed that there had been double standards applied to similar cases involving other players. In a brief statement last week, the Clare panel refuted O’Halloran’s claim and said that matters had been “dealt with fairly”. Clare manager, Davy Fitzgerald …
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