Tag Archives: Munster final

IN the aftermath of Cratloe’s county semi-final win over Éire Óg, Óige Murphy issued a few words to the media that were steeped in honesty, albeit somewhat eyebrow-raising. “I suppose we’re known as a hurling team, who kind of dabble in the football,” the Cratloe wing-back said in the middle of the pitch in Clarecastle on Sunday, November 3. Just over a month later, that statement could be justifiably revised. Now that Cratloe have established themselves as a football club that dabbles in a bit of hurling, the demands on their most capable dual players will increase exponentially. If the Clare senior football team is to have a realistic chance of emerging from Division 4, they need the input of players such as Cathal McInerney, Conor Ryan, Liam Markham, Podge and Seán Collins. All of them have played football for Clare from U-14 to U-21 levels and, in fact, the latter three have already played inter-county senior football. Let’s not …

St Joseph’s Miltown 1-8 Currow (Kerry) 1-7 STEELY resolve, ice-cool temperament and bouts of flowing football edged Miltown Malbay into the Munster Intermediate Club Football Championship final on Sunday week. Playing in front of a crowd of 1,050 people in Miltown, the home club started superbly and led 0-6 to 0-0 after 23 minutes. While the Kerry intermediate champions kicked six wides in the opening half, they could not match Miltown’s fluency, support play and all-round work rate for all but the last seven minutes of the half. Deploying Eoin Curtin as an extra defender worked exceptionally well for Miltown. Curtin’s reading of the game in the opening half was flawless. He cut out several Currow through balls and afforded his full-back line reliable protection, while Curtin’s distribution and support play was also very impressive on a difficult day for football, considering the weekend rainfall and tricky breeze. Down field, Eoin Cleary showed his class in the third minute when …

IF Banner Ladies are to become the first Clare club since Cooraclare in 1996 to win the Munster A senior ladies title, team captain Niamh O’Dea will have a key role to play. The Kilfenora girl and third-year UL maths and PE student has scored 3-17 in her last three games. Her 1-11 county-final tally helped Banner Ladies to an easy win over Liscannor, while O’Dea put away 2-2 in last weekend’s Munster B final win over Ballymacarbry from Waterford. Ironically, Cooraclare defeated the same club in a thrilling Munster final 17 years ago, winning 4-10 to 2-15 after extra time. It is Cork opposition who stand in the Banner’s way on Saturday in Kilmallock. It won’t be to the forefront of Niamh’s thinking until at least 4pm on provincial final day but if the Clare champions win, she will particularly enjoy her 20th birthday celebrations. “It’d be a good birthday present, wouldn’t it?” she laughed. She is confident the …

BANNER Ladies will take on St Val’s from Cork in Saturday’s Munster A final. The game will throw-in at 2.45pm in Kilmallock. If the Clare and Munster B champions win, it will be a second provincial A title for a Clare club at senior level. Cooraclare won this title in 1996. For several years, the Banner Ladies have successfully represented Clare ladies football, securing Division 1 and Division 2 national Féile titles, as well as underage and senior All-Ireland and Munster sevens accolades. They have beaten teams including Kerry’s Southern Gaels; Dublin’s Foxrock/Cabinteely, Ballyboden St Enda’s and Kilmacud Crokes; Galway’s Corofin and Salthill/Knocknacarra; Cork’s Fermoy and Aghada. They beat St Val’s previously at Munster Sevens level so should hold no fear in facing their much-vaunted Cork opponents. Hopefully another Rebel scalp can be annexed by a Clare side in this tremendous year for Gaelic sport in the county.