Tag Archives: Munster final

Peter Duggan has been hurling all his life. Now, the Spancilhill man is ready to see Clare bring home a Munster title, he tells Sports Editor Seamus Hayes His name has scarcely been out of the limelight since the hurling championship got underway seven weeks ago, which isn’t surprising given that, in four games, he has amassed a tally of 1-42. Peter Duggan has had the bug to play for Clare since he first started hurling in his back garden as a youngster. That desire to wear the saffron and blue grew stronger from the day he represented the county in the Primary Game at half-time of a Munster championship fixture involving Clare in Thurles. “Seven of the current panel, including Tony Kelly and Jack Browne, played in the Primary Game that year and that drove us on. Even when we were preparing for the Primary Game in Clareabbey, we used to see the then senior players going in and out …

CLARE hurler David Reidy is free to play in Sunday weeks Munster final against Cork in Thurles. The Clare Champion has learned that the Clare half forward and free taker has been successful in his appeal today in Croke Park. The Éire Óg clubman was red carded during Clare’s round robin Munster championship defeat of Limerick in Cusack Park last Sunday. Initially, Limerick substitute, Tom Condon, was red carded. Referee, James Owens, consulted with his umpires in making the decision to dismiss Condon. However, before play resumed, he again spoke to his umpires and decided to also issue Reidy with a red card, deeming foul play in an incident with Limerick’s Diarmuid Byrnes, who tumbled to the ground, following what looked like minimal contact. Reidy can now concentrate on preparing for the July 1 final, which is a repeat of the 2017 decider. There is no news yet if joint manager, Donal Moloney, will be free to patrol the touchline. …

GIVEN that one of the Lafferty sisters is an accountant and the other teaches maths, when they calculated how long they have been hitting a sliotar, their findings stunned them. Both will have central roles to play for Inagh-Kilnamona in Saturday’s Munster senior club camogie final against Tipperary champions, Burgess-Duharra, in the Gaelic Grounds at 2pm. Siobhán, who is part of the finance team at Zagg International in Shannon, is team captain at full-back, while Fiona started at full-forward in their semi-final win over Inniscarra from Cork. Their mother, Margaret, has been ever present since they first swung a hurley. “The first time I was involved, we went to Ruan for an U-11 blitz. She was in charge of that team and she has been doing it since,” Siobhán said. “You’re fairly old now so,” Fiona butted in. “Thanks for getting that out there. I’m 30, so I guess that’s 20 years of Margaret being involved,” Siobhán surmised. Fiona had …

TICKET-mania has gripped the county ahead of what is a huge week for Clare GAA, when four teams will be trying to progress in their respective championships. The minor and senior hurlers face Cork in Thurles on Sunday, the senior footballers host Mayo in round 3A of the qualifiers on Saturday while, on Wednesday evening next, the U-21 hurlers will play Limerick in the Munster championship semi-final. The Munster Hurling Championship has always had a special appeal and on Sunday, Clare will contest both the minor and senior finals on the same day for only the fourth time ever. Clare won the minor title in 1981, when captain by John Lynch from Sixmilebridge, but suffered defeat in the senior final. Clare lost to Tipperary in the 1997 Munster minor final but won the senior crown the same day. Less than two months later, both teams were crowned All-Ireland champions. 1997 was the first year of the back-door system. Clare lost …

THE meeting of Ennis and Garryowen in the Munster U-18 Cup final on Sunday is the biggest underage match that Ennis has ever played in, according to team coach John Colleran. “It’s the showpiece of Munster rugby at youths level and for a junior club like Ennis, it is massive. It shows the strength of the game at youths level in our club. It has come about as a result of the effort over the years by a lot of volunteers. It’s the culmination of all of that,” said Colleran, who is eagerly looking forward to the final. A coach with the club for more than a decade, Colleran has been involved with this group of players since they were at U-10 level. “One of the reasons I got involved with this group was because my son Jack had taken up the game. As a parent, I was there watching. I said I would like to have the experience of …

ST Anne’s Killaloe will be hoping to make history on Saturday by winning a Munster senior football title for the first time. Coming from a traditional hurling area, St Anne’s have surprised many by getting to the final with a team that includes just six players who play regular club football. Not surprisingly, they will carry the underdogs’ tag against Boherbue Community School from Cork, with the throw-in time scheduled for 12.30pm at Ballyagran. Managed by teachers John Gleeson (Ballina) and Raymond Murray, who hails from Mountbellew in Galway, a final decision on the line-up will not be made until shortly before throw-in, as they await a fitness report on Liam Harte, who missed the semi-final due to injury. According to Gleeson, Harte’s chances of playing are 50/50. Harte’s brother Colin is the team captain and he will fill the centre-back position. Others that the Killaloe side will be looking to as they seek to bring home Corn Sheáin Uí …

ON Saturday, St Joseph’s Spanish Point will attempt to win a third Munster colleges title. They will play St Augustine’s College, Dungarvan in Bansha at 12.30pm, as they seek to add to Munster titles won in 1983 and 1995. Four clubs, St Joseph’s Miltown, Kilmurry-Ibrickane, Cooraclare and Doonbeg supply players to the panel, many of whom were part of last year’s team that was beaten in the U-16½ Munster final. St Joseph’s beat Beara from Cork in the first round, Miltown Castlemaine (Kerry), Douglas (Cork) and Causeway Comprehensive (Kerry) to reach the final. St Joseph’s are managed and coached by Paul Reidy (Kilmihil), John O’Sullivan (Miltown), Cathal Crowe (Ennistymon) and Paul Dillon (Doonbeg). Two years ago, the school won the Clare U-15 competition and last year won in Clare U-16½, while they lost the Munster final to Kenmare. Fourteen of the current team are eligible again next year. “We didn’t expect to go on this sort of run but we …

THIRTY-eight years is a long time to wait for a senior title but that’s how long has passed since Rice College in Ennis last won a Munster colleges senior hurling title. On Saturday, they will be hoping to end that wait but to do so they have to overcome the favourites, St John the Baptist College, Hospital, in the Corn Thomáis Uí Choilm Munster Colleges Senior B Hurling Championship final. The final, at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick at 12 noon, is the opening game on an attractive double bill and will be followed by the Harty Cup final between Our Lady’s College, Templemore and St Colman’s. Rice College go into the final without Cathal Ruane, who suffered a broken collarbone in the semi-final. The Doora-Barefeld player is a huge loss, as he has been one of the team’s key players this season. Teacher and team boss Pat Devitt said, “There are a lot of distractions. We have been pushing …