Tag Archives: hurling

Munster Minor Hurling Championship Round 2 Tipperary 2-13 Clare 0-13 WITH the game firmly in the balance, it was Tipperary that snatched the whip hand with a devastating brace of third quarter goals to power into the last four of the Munster Minor Hurling Championship on the hallowed home soil of FBD Semple Stadium on Tuesday evening, reports Eoin Brennan. In a typical seesaw derby which was level on four occasions in a first half that duly ended in a 0-8 to 0-8 stalemate, a goal was always going to be a huge score, not to mention two majors in the space of three minutes that turned the tie firmly on its head. Having arguably failed to demonstrate their superiority on the scoreboard in the opening period, Clare appeared to have made amends when hitting the ground running on the resumption with points through Piaras Ó Sé and Oisin Whelan at 0-10 to 0-8. However, a deft flick from a …

THERE was huge frustration among Clare hurling fans this week, as people seeking to purchase tickets for Munster championship games faced significant difficulties. With Covid restrictions now relaxed pre-championship anticipation is at its highest in a few years and with thousands of people all going online simultaneously, Ticketmaster was hit with technical issues meaning fans couldn’t make their purchases for a period of time. Tickets were also available from Centra and SuperValu stores and some of these outlets also saw huge demand and long queues for tickets. Clare’s first two games are against Tipperary and Cork, both in Thurles, and with Semple Stadium being as large as it is, there was little concern about any potential sell out there. Clare’s final game is against Waterford and it had been notified in advance that these tickets would only be available from county boards at a later date. The really problematic fixture, however, is Clare versus Limerick, which is due to be …

National Hurling League Division 1 Round 5 Galway v Clare at Pearse Stadium Salthill, Sunday 1.45pm (James Owens, Wexford) It’s not only Brian Lohan’s first competitive clash with Galway but also Clare’s first meeting since that epic 2018 All-Ireland Semi-Final Championship series. That thrilling two match wrestle for supremacy still inevitably holds plenty of regret for Clare who had opportunities to win on both days but ultimately failed to do so in Croke Park or Semple Stadium. Four years on and Galway probably stand their best chance in the country of finally toppling back-to-back All-Ireland champions Limerick who made their breakthrough in that subsequent 2018 decider to dethrone the Tribesmen. The same goes for Clare who despite a veritable ward full of injuries, have finally warmed up to their task in the last two outings against Offaly and Limerick and will look to finish the National League on a high. Ironically, while there’s nothing technically to play for as Cork …

All-Ireland Senior A Post-Primary Schools Hurling Championship Final Ardscoil Rís (Limerick) 1-17 St Kieran’s College (Kilkenny) 0-15 CLARE pair Niall O’Farrell and David Kennedy combined for 1-11 as Ardscoil Rís shattered their Croke Cup Final hoodoo in style in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day. Having been defeated in three previous All-Ireland deciders to St Kieran’s College, the Limerick college, co-managed by Paul Flanagan, Cormac O’Donovan and Niall Moran, exacted full revenge with a powerful final 40 minutes in which they outscored the roll of honour leaders by 1-13 to 0-9 to run out deserving breakthrough winners. Seven of Ardscoil Rís’ 14 strong Banner contingent played their part on the greatest stage of all, with Broadford’s Niall O’Farrell in particular excelling after suffering his own set-back when a 20th minute penalty was saved. Trailing by two at the time, O’Farrell’s answer was to snatch the final by the scruff of the neck with five of a seven point unanswered rally …

National Hurling League Division 1 Round 4 Clare 0-18 Limerick 0-18 THE spoils may have been shared but in many ways it seemed as good as a victory for Clare who simply needed to draw a line in the sand against their Shannonside neighbours, reports Eoin Brennan. Ahead of their Munster Championship showdown in two months time back in Cusack Park, a healthy crowd of 10,016 came in anticipation of a real derby battle and they wouldn’t be disappointed even if the intensity levels weren’t always conducive to free-scoring feats. Still, while the result could have gone either way, the mere fact that Clare left Cusack Park feeling as if they left a golden opportunity behind them will only aid their motivation for the ultimate mid-May rematch. After all, with Clare having suffered a nine point reverse to the back-to-back All-Ireland champions six weeks earlier in the Munster Cup Final, Limerick arrived in Ennis with an even stronger side including …

All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Hurling C Semi-Final Ennistymon CBS 3-24 St Malachy’s Belfast 0-7 WHITEHALL Colmcille GAA club played host to this one sided semi-final on Saturday afternoon as Jason Daffy’s charges eased into the All-Ireland C hurling final, reports Michael O’Connor. Their opponents in this final will be Scoil Colm from Kilcormac. The Offaly school accounted for St Killian’s, New Inn to book their place in the decider on Friday. The loss of Diarmuid Fahy in the football semi-final on Tuesday was an unfortunate loss to Ennistymon and he will now miss the remaining games in the season. However, the return from suspension of Josh Guyler allowed as efficient a scoring unit as exists in schools hurling to take St Malachy’s and stretch them to breaking point. When one sees, Rynne, Guyler, Woods and Mullins dictating matters from midfield upwards it is little wonder that Eugene Cullinan stayed on in the Inagh/Kilnamona hotseat for 2022. Mullins set the tempo …

Croke Cup Semi-Final St Joseph’s Secondary School Tulla  1-11 St Kieran’s College Kilkenny 3-16  TWENTY three times Croke Cup Champions, St Kieran’s advanceD to another showdown with a physical powerful performance, reports Derek Dormer. St Joseph’s Tulla won the toss electing to play into the wind, a tactic that paid dividends in their historic Harty Cup success. A bright start allied to some wayward shooting from the Kilkenny team saw Tulla leading five points to four by the 20th minute. However, five unanswered points in quick succession  gave St Kieran’s a four point lead at the break which on the balance of the opening 30 minutes seemed harsh on the St Joseph’s team. There can be no doubting the class that  Kieran’s possess though with a clinical second-half showing scoring 3-7 with their use of the ball against the wind a joy to watch. Dominant from every restart , winning primary possession with ease they consistently played diagonal low ball …

Munster Hurling Cup Final Limerick 0-27 Clare 0-18 FIRST blood to Limerick following a commanding derby victory over hosts Clare to cement the Munster Hurling Cup honours on Sunday afternoon, writes Eoin Brennan. A first Shannonside derby meeting since 2020, the neighbours are scheduled for two more 2022 clashes in Cusack Park over the next four months, with Limerick, backed by only seven of the twenty players that lined out in last August’s All-Ireland Final, seizing control from an early stage and never loosening their grip thereafter. With almost 50 shots at the posts including a whopping 19 wides, the back-to-back All-Ireland champions remain the side to beat in the country, with a timely barometer given to home side Clare of the standard of physicality, movement and passing required at the top table. That said, Clare had only six survivors themselves from the team that started against Cork in the All-Ireland Qualifiers last July but while Mark Rodgers was Clare’s …