Tag Archives: sport

ENNIS boxer Paddy Donovan will have his first professional fight when he takes on Eduardo Valverde in Belfast on October 11. Twenty-year-old Donovan signed with Top Rank in June and is seen as a major prospect in the pro ranks, having had a stellar amateur career. He is trained by former WBO world middleweight champion Andy Lee, who said he is glad his fighter will begin his career on Irish soil. “It’s nice to be fighting at home, all Paddy’s family and friends are going to get the chance to see him start this journey which, if it goes to plan, will be long and successful. It’s always good to fight in Ireland.” The fight is scheduled for six rounds and while prospects like Donovan normally start with handy victories, Andy said this challenge is a bit different. “Valverde has two wins and two losses, so he’s got a 50% record. It’s a fight that we’re confident of Paddy winning …

The race for the Canon Hamilton is heating up and the Round Three draw has thrown up some red-hot fixtures. The Senior Round Three draw reads as follows: Cratloe v Kilmaley Ballyea v Wolfe Tones Feakle v Clooney-Quin Éire Óg v Newmarket-on-Fergus The relegation semi-final fixtures were also announced and read as follows: Clarecastle v Tulla Whitegate v O’Callaghan’s Mills   The Intermediate Round Three fixtures announced were: Parteen v Killanena St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield v Bodyke Corofin v Sixmilebridge Inagh-Kilnamona v Cratloe The Intermediate relegation semi-finals are: Ruan v Éire Óg Newmarket-on-Fergus v Clarecastle    

THE Clare Senior and Intermediate hurling Round Two draws were completed this evening and read as follows: Clare Senior Hurling Round Two Winners Group: Ballyea v Sixmilebridge Cratloe v Inagh-Kilnamona Éire Óg v Clonlara Feakle v Crusheen   Clare Senior Hurling Round Two Losers Group: O’Callaghan’s Mills v Newmarket-on-Fergus Clarecastle v Clooney-Quin Whitegate v Kilmaley Tulla v Wolfe Tones   Clare Intermediate Round Two Winners Group: Tubber v Corofin Scariff v Parteen St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield v Broadford Smith O’Brien’s v Inagh-Kilnamona   Clare Intermediate Round Two Losers Group: Sixmilebridge v Newmarket-on-Fergus Cratloe v Clarecastle Killanena v Éire Óg Bodyke v Ruan All games will be played on the weekend of August 17-18.

FEAKLE are on the cusp of creating history as they face into their first ever Munster final this Sunday, taking on Charleville of Cork in the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Feakle last won a senior county title in 1988 but lost their Munster semi-final to Waterford side Mount Sion. Thirty years later, Feakle made no mistake with an authoritative display against a Waterford side when they beat Clonea by nine points. Feakle is far from a massive parish but supporters flocked in their droves from East Clare to Fraher Field in Dungarvan and Gary Guilfoyle paid tribute to those who did. “I think they outnumbered the Clonea crowd by two to one. The whole place has been buzzing for the last few weeks, since before the semi-final. We are even getting crowds at training now,” Gary said. The name Guilfoyle is synonymous with hurling in Clare and in Feakle. But bad luck with injuries and the name Guilfoyle also go …

FOUR travellers, who had been playing soccer for Sporting Ennistymon, have left the sport following numerous incidences of racist abuse. Figures in the club have voiced their upset at the abuse meted out to the young men, which had become increasingly frequent since the beginning of the current season. Secretary of the Clare District Soccer League, Michael Lydon, refused to comment on the issue on Wednesday. Twenty-four-year-old Michael Sherlock had played for the club, along with his brothers, Edward and Patrick, and their cousin, Martin Mongan. He said that, in recent months, opponents had increasingly sought to insult their background.“We go out and play and you have fellas saying into your ear, ‘Go away, you knacker’. When we react, the referee doesn’t do anything to the other party.” Earlier this year he was sent off in a match played at Lees Road after reacting to a person who referred to him as a “knacker”, while the player who dispensed the offensive …

See our special feature on Summer Camps for children.     Click here to read online.

Key figures in Shannon region companies have pledged to become conference and sports events ambassadors. An event in Dromoland Castle Hotel, hosted by Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau, in association with Fáilte Ireland and Shannon Chamber, sought to encourage a greater cohort of companies in the region to assess how they could bring a national or international conference, meeting, incentive group or a sporting event to the area. Karen Brosnahan, business manager for Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau said, “The bureau ambassador programme is running for over 10 years and has over 500 members.  A local ambassador is anyone who can influence a meeting, conference or event. The bureau, in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, offers a wide range of practical and financial supports to help ambassadors win business for their region. In 2015, the bureau secured €7million in economic impact between business and sports tourism with over 50% of events secured as a result of local ambassadors.” Mary Collins, Meet in …

Galway 2-10 Clare 0-14   THIS was one of the stranger games that most of the small crowd will attend this year, with Clare eliminated after a match that was delayed for well over 10 minutes due to heavy rain and lightning. While Galway won after extra time there was controversy at the end of the initial 60 minutes as most felt that the referee had miscalculated and that the Tribeswomen had in fact outscored the Banner by a point. While there was disbelief in many quarters and anger among Galway officials at the situation, it would be only fair to point out that the players were going by the score that the referee was telling them and that Clare sought points in the closing minutes, at a time when they would surely have been looking for a goal if the gap had been a point wider. In the end the controversy mattered not a jot, but if Clare had come …