Tag Archives: Thurles

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 …

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 …

Tipperary 0-28 Clare 0-21 Tipperary’s greater all round physical strength proved decisive inthis division 1A hurling league tie at Semple stadium in Thurles today. They took control in the second half and while Clare made them battle all the way to the finish, the premier outfit were deserving of victory, their third in as many outings in this campaign. Despite playing against the breeze, Tipperary made the better start and raced into a five point lead after just seven minutes. A further two minutes elapsed before Clare had their first score, a point from Podge Collins. From here on Clare showed steady improvement and when the half time whistle sounded they were ahead by the minimum margin,0-11 to 0-10. The winners again made the better start to the second half and hit the first three points to open a two point lead. Podge Collins again was Clare’s first scorer in the half by the mid point of which the winners …

There are two changes in personnell to the Clare team for Sunday’s hurling league round three date with Tipperary in Thurles from that which started against Kilkenny in their last outing. Inagh-Kilnamona’s Patrick Kelly takes over in goals from Donal Tuohy while Cathal McInerney, following his impressive showing in the victory over Kilkenny when he was introduced, takes over at corner forward for the injured Shane O’Donnell. Tulla’s David McInerney, recently returned from overseas is named amongst the substitutes as is Ian Galvin, younger brother of Colm. Ian missed last season ‘s club and county action due to a cruciate knee injury. Sunday’s game in Semple stadium will get underway at 3p.m. The team is Patrick Kelly (Inagh-Kilnamona); Oisín O’Brien (Clonlara), Cian Dillon (Crusheen), Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge); Brendan Bugler (Whitegate), Conor Cleary (Miltown, St. Josephs), Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge); David Fitzgerald (Inagh-Kilnamona), David Reidy (Éire Óg); Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones), Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge), John Conlon (Clonlara); Podge Collins (Cratloe), Aron Shanagher …

Ballyea 1-19 St.Thomas 2-14 Ballyea had to survive a huge fight back by Galway champions St.Thlmas in the finalten minutes of this All-Ieland club hurling semi-final at Semple stadium in Thurles this evening. In the end the Clare champions prevailed and deservingly reecorded a two point win to seal their place in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park on St. Patricks Day when they wll face either Cuala from Dublin or Slaughneal from Derry who meet in their semi-final at the end of February. For three quarters of this tie Ballyealooked set to record an easy victory.Ballyea were in a strong position at half time when they held a seven point advantage, leading on a score of 0-10 to 0-3, and they were full value for that lead. The Galway champions may point to some missed opportunities from inter county man Conor Cooney, but there is no denying the fact that the Ballyea defence was well on top and gave …

As the Clare and Galway champions gear up for the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship semi-final at Semple Stadium on Saturday at 5pm, there is huge speculation as to the roles of the inter-county players on either side. Other questions are what effect playing under lights will have, while returning to competitive action after a break of over two months is also up for discussion. While it will be the first time that either side will play a competitive game under lights, both sides have been training under lights since October and have played challenge games, so neither side is making an issue of the throw-in time. On the way to their first county title, Ballyea produced some stunning performances in October and November. Many believe they would have benefitted had the championship continued throghout December. Whatever one’s view on that break, however, the Galway title-holders have had a longer spell without a competitive game. St Thomas’ won their second county …

Ballyea 1-21 Glen Rovers 2-10 A truly outstanding performance by Ballyea brought an end to a sixteen year wait when the first time Clare senior hurling champions added the Munster title to their roll of honour at Semple stadium in Thurles this afternoon Their fully merited eight point win over Glen Rovers from Cork saw them become the first Clare club since Sixmilebridge in 2000 to bring the Munster club title back to Clare.     rechampion.ie”);There will be no arguments about the merit of their victory as they dominated this contest, played before an official attendance of 4,583, from the early minutes. Yes, Glen Rovers did enjoy a period of dominance in the early minutes of the second half when they hit 2-1 inside seven minutes but three points was as close as they got to the Clare champions who bounced back with some great points before dominating the closing ten minutes when they outscored their opponents, 0-7 to …

Ballyea and Glen Rovers’ supporters will travel to Semple Stadium in Thurles on Sunday confident that their sides will be returning home with the Munster Club Senior Hurling title, following their impressive semi-final victories. Although a surprising final pairing, have both have qualified after tough campaigns, starting back in their respective county championships Not for the first time this year, Ballyea will go into the game as underdogs but the odds on them being crowned champions have shortened greatly, following their superb victory over hot favourites Thurles Sarsfields in the semi-final. Representing Cork for the second successive year should be a help to Glen Rovers. Retaining the Cork title in 2016, they showed that they had learned from the experience gained last year. In the provincial campaign in 2015, the Glen lost out to Ballygunner in a game played at Walsh Park in Waterford. Following that game, they were determined to get back into the provincial campaign and now that …