Tag Archives: hurling

Ollie Byrnes THIS year marks the centenary of Clare’s first All-Ireland hurling championship win.  As we continue to enjoy being current holders of the Liam MacCarthy Cup, it is only fitting that we look back 100 years to honour and remember the men who won the senior and junior hurling championship double in 1914. It was a very different world then.   In European terms, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand lit the fuse that plunged the continent into the Great War in August 1914.  Women didn’t have the vote and Emily Parkhurst, pioneer of women’s emancipation, was jailed for protesting outside Buckingham Palace, and not for the first time.  In Ireland, we still lived under British Rule.  Independence was on many people’s minds and life was a struggle. In hurling terms, life and work impacted on training and opportunity.  These days, the All-Ireland championship is a sophisticated journey involving coaches, motivators, nutritionists and media appearances.  In 1914, it was a …

ENNIS Chamber has welcomed the added economic boost which came to the town with the hosting of Clare’s opening National Hurling League game against Kilkenny. “The success of the All-Ireland winning senior hurlers in winning their first Allianz hurling league match was made a little sweeter for the local economy by the thousands of people who came to Ennis to see the game yesterday.  The welcome reprieve in the recent stormy weather conditions also meant that spectators were able to travel in comfort.  Given the calibre  of teams in Division 1 of the league and as kingpins in hurling, Kilkenny attracted many of their supporters to follow their team to the West of Ireland,” commented Chamber CEO, Rita McInerney. “Ennis Chamber welcomes the playing of such league games in the County Grounds of Cusack Park.  It brought a real buzz to the town at an otherwise quiet time of year.  Local hotels reported a busy weekend both for Valentine’s and …

CLARE hurling manager, Davy Fitzgerald was among those who received a Fellowship from the Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) at a function on Thursday night. The Fellowships were presented at a special ceremony at the Clare Street campus of Limerick School of Art & Design on Thursday night attended by over 200 people, including family and friends of the newly appointed Fellows. The other recipients were LIT academic Patricia Burke, former Governing Body Chairman John Clifford, former Acting CEO of the then Tipperary Institute (now operated by LIT as LIT Tipperary) Luke Murtagh and acclaimed artist and graduate of the LIT operated Limerick School of Art & Design John Shinnors. The fellowship is the highest honour the institute can give in recognition of their contribution to education, enterprise, sport, the arts and sciences. Davy has been involved with LIT hurling teams for a number of years and was over their Fitzgibbon Cup winning sides of 2005 and 2007. Dr Maria Hinfelaar said …

By Seamus Hayes CLARE went into last year’s National Hurling League campaign under the radar but it’s a different situation this year, according  to  defender Brendan Bugler, winner of All star awards for the past two years at right wing back. Brendan is completely focused on hurling. Acknowledging that there are a lot of demands on inter county hurlers, he  said, “It’s a lifestyle now not just a hobby. We are well used to it. It’s like a full time job. At the end of the day, we are very privileged to be involved. We enjoy it.” Last year Bugler led his club Whitegate back to senior ranks in Clare when he captained the team to the intermediate title, beating Feakle in the final. Sunday’s game has particular interest for the Whitegate man, who is a member of the teaching staff at Callan Community School in Kilkenny. He said “It’s a mouth watering fixture. Kilkenny are sore over the way the …

THE All-Ireland champions against the National Hurling League champions. It couldn’t be a better pairing for the opening round of the 2014 league. Throughout the past forty years, Clare and Kilkenny have provided some memorable contests in the league. Three successive final meetings in the ’70s led to capacity attendances at Semple Stadium, where Kilkenny were winners in 1976, after a replay, but Clare were crowned champions in 1977 and 1978. In Ger Loughnane’s first year as senior manager in 1995, Clare suffered a heavy loss to the Noresiders in the league decider at Thurles, after which the Clare boss boldly predicted that his charges would win the Munster championship. Not too many outside of the camp believed him at the time, but he and Clare delivered as Munster and All-Ireland success started Clare on the road to the most successful period ever for Clare hurling during which they won three Munster and two All Ireland senior titles. Meetings of …

Tipperary 4-22 Clare 3-11 A fourteen point defeat in the week before the 2014 Allianz National hurling league gets underway will certainly have given Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald and his backroom team plenty to think about over the coming days as they finalise plans for the county’s clash with Kilkenny in Ennis next week. Such a comprehensive defeat from Tipperary in a repeat of last year’s final wasn’t what Clare followers expected as they headed for the Gaelic grounds in Limerick on Friday evening after the match had been switched from Sixmilebridge because of the inclement weather. Clare’s display was well below anything they had shown since last summer and the management team will certainly have plenty to ponder on as they prepare for the Kilkenny game. Particularly disappointing for Clare fans in the attendance of 1,248, was the manner in which Clare’s challenge faded when Tipperary stepped up a gear after half time. With the exception of a period …

MANAGER Davy Fitzgerald has handed a first competitive start this year to star forward Tony Kelly for tonight’s Waterford Crystal hurling final against Tipperary at The Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Kelly, selected ‘Hurler of the Year’ following his epic displays for Clare in winning last year’s U-21 and All-Ireland senior titles, will lead the attack.  He is flanked by John Conlon and Colin Ryan. The triumvirate make up the half forw3ard line as was the case in the All-Ireland final against Cork. His Ballyea clubmate, Paul Flanagan, last year’s U-21 winning captain, comes in for his first start in the tournament. Flanagan was introduced as a second half subsitiute in the semi-final win over UCC. Eight of the starting team for tonight’s game started in last year’s All-Ireland final win over the Rebels. Podge Collins, Conor Ryan and Jack Browne were ineligible having already played in the Waterford Crystal tournament with University of Limerick while hat-trick hero, Shane 0’Donnell had …

by Seamus Hayes Clarecastle’s Jonathan Clancy has called time on his inter-county hurling career. A member of the squad since 2005 when he was included by the then manager, Anthony Daly, the midfielder was retained by subsequent managers, Tony Considine, Mike McNamara, Ger O’Loughlin and Fitzgerald. He is the second member of the All-Ireland winning squad to retire from inter-county hurling. Fergal Lynch from Clooney-Quin, who is now part of the backroom team, having been appointed by manager Davy Fitzgerald as a forwards’ coach, announced his retirement the week after the All-Ireland final. That success last September was “the highlight” of Clancy’s eight-year inter-county career he told The Clare Champion this week. “Prior to that, there wasn’t much silverware but I wouldn’t change anything. They were great times but very tough, particularly when one was trying to work also,” Clancy added, confirming that he will continue to play with his club. Clancy played two years with the Clare minors and …