Car Tourismo Banner
Home » Tag Archives: Semple Stadium

Tag Archives: Semple Stadium

Ogie Fanning of Clare celebrates a goal during their Minor All-Ireland championship final at Thurles. Photograph by John Kelly.

HURLING: Banner blast past Galway to claim All-Ireland victory

All-Ireland Minor Final Clare 2-22 Galway 4-11 At Semple Stadium, Thurles A stunning third quarter paved the way for a glorious afternoon for Clare hurling as the All-Ireland minor title was claimed for only the second time in the county’s history on the back of a famous five-point victory, writes Joe Ó Muircheartaigh. This was when a rampant Banner side breached the Galway goal on two occasions and turned what was a one-point interval lead into a convincing 2-16 to 2-8 advantage that had Galway reeling, on the ropes, and on their way out. The Tribesmen had laid waste all opponents on the way to the decider, but in Clare they met their match as Ogie Fanning’s goal inside a minute of the restart put a fire under them that ultimately burned Galway’s challenge. The second came via a James Hegarty free that was fumbled to the net by the keeper on 36 minutes and from there it was just …

Read More »

Captain Conlon leads from the front at the back

Almost two years ago to the day since his last Munster Championship outing, John Conlon returned in commanding fashion to captain Clare to victory in Semple Stadium. Going from being a chief target to defensive anchor made the 2018 All-Star’s comeback all the sweeter as Clare exacted revenge on Waterford’s for last year’s All-Ireland Quarter-Final exit. “It was really sweet. I hadn’t played a championship game in two years so I just said leaving home today that I was going to enjoy every last minute of it. I got a bad injury last year and all I kept saying in my head was ‘hopefully I’ll get to play another championship game.’ “Thankfully today was fantastic. We knew we were coming into it in the right frame of mind as training was super over the last few weeks. And we started to pick up results as well which was good for morale so everyone seemed to be coming right at the …

Read More »

Road to recovery leads to Thurles for Captain Conlon

Clare will be looking to build upon their recent momentum when they face Waterford in the Munster SHC this Sunday at Semple Stadium (throw-in 3.15pm). Munster Championship games are notoriously full blooded and intense with this Sunday’s battle expected to be no different as Clare come up against last year’s All-Ireland finalists. John Conlon will certainly be relishing this weekend’s battle as he looks set to taste Championship action for the first time since 2019, due to a cruciate ligament injury that kept him on the sidelines for Clare’s run to the All-Ireland quarter final in 2020. The Clonlara man believes the injury was a “blessing in disguise” as he was able to rehab other knocks and learn more about looking after his own body. “It was a tough injury. I was over a year out with it. It was a blessing in disguise in ways. It gave me the opportunity to grow and work on other injuries. I did …

Read More »

Clare find momentum at the right time

SINCE the new millennium dawned, Clare have beaten Cork once in 11 championship games. Clare’s only win? The 2013 All-Ireland replay. If you were going to pick one of those games to win, that would be the one. The statistics also make it clear that, generally speaking, Cork beat Clare very regularly. They have won 38 of the 50 Munster championship games played between the two counties. Cork have won the Munster championship 53 times to Clare’s mere six. Clare are fifth in that particular table, three short of Waterford’s nine provincial titles. Why this sudden interest in numbers? It underscores the significance of Sunday. This Clare panel need a Munster championship and the county senses that they are on the cusp of delivering. There is a clear sense that the Clare hurling team have the county behind them again. Three Munster round-robin wins, in nifty succession, has that effect. Until Clare’s semi-final win over Limerick in 2017, they had …

Read More »

Lack of ambulances for major games ‘worrying’

THE lack of official ambulances for major GAA games is “worrying”, a Tipperary councillor has stated. Speaking at a HSE West Forum meeting in Galway on Tuesday, Councillor David Doran said it is “worrying” that there is no plan in place for an extra ambulance when Semple Stadium in Thurles is hosting a big GAA game. The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has confirmed it does not have the funding or the resources to cover any GAA match in any venue this year. While NAS chief ambulance officer, Paudie O’Riordan, acknowledged that there was a time when the service was in a position to provide ambulance cover within a GAA stadium, it is no longer in a position to do this. Mr O’Riordan pointed out the GAA is responsible for putting adequate medical services in place, as the main event organiser. In February, Tipperary football manager, Liam Kearns, expressed concern about the length of time it took an ambulance to arrive …

Read More »

Hartness impressed with Clare’s pool of talent

THE achievement of winning three All-Irelands at U-21 level and an All-Ireland senior title in five years “is phenomenal”, according to Cork selector Pat Hartnett. The Midleton man, who helped Cork to championship glory in 1984 and 1986, argues that Clare has “a serious pool of talent” and “are big time favourites for Sunday’s game”. Given Cork’s absence from the roll of honour in recent years, is there pressure on them to win this title? “There is no pressure in our view,” was the dentist’s response. “We played Clare a number of weeks ago behind closed doors. They are as good as we have met this year, they were scintillating on the night. They are big time favourites for Sunday. It’s up to management team to work with the tools they are given. Three All-Irelands in five years is phenomenal. Look, a blind man knows when the sun is shining,” he added. Regarding the 2013 All-Ireland final, he noted it …

Read More »

Minor hurlers can upset the form book

WHEN Cork stripped their great rivals, Tipperary, of the Munster Minor Hurling Championship title in a semi-final replay at Pairc Uí Rinn on Monday evening, it installed the Leesiders as favourites for Sunday’s final clash with Clare at Semple Stadium. Clare’s progress to the final has surprised some, as their semi-final opponents, Limerick, were fancied to make it a fifth successive provincial final appearance, given that they had a fair scattering of last year’s squad that contested the All-Ireland final in their ranks. However, Clare’s greater hunger for victory proved decisive in last week’s clash and they emerged as deserving winners in a tie that required extra time. The fact the Cork v Tipperary tie was still level after extra-time, which led to Monday’s replay, confirms the view held by the Clare management that the four semi-finalists were evenly matched and that there will not be much between the teams on Sunday. In the drawn tie, Brian Turnbull and Daire …

Read More »

Judgement day at Thurles

Sunday is judgement day noted joint Clare senior hurling manager Gerry O’Connor. “We will be judged as a management and the players will be judged. Being absolutely honest, we have targeted this day and that brings its own pressures but so be it. “I remember 1995 in Thurles and ’96 in the Gaelic Grounds and form went out the window on both days. Donal [Moloney] and myself have been involved in a huge amount of U-21 games and form goes out the window. It comes down to the team that is most focussed on the day and best prepared. “Then there is the Paul Kinnerk and Joe O’Connor factor also. It’s very unusual. We have soldiered long and hard and Donal, Paul and myself have had our greatest memories from Thurles. These guys [Clare players] have grown up performing in Thurles. We expect a top-class display.” When it was put to him that the public perception is that Clare will …

Read More »