Tag Archives: Tony Kelly

Tony Kelly is Clare’s sole standard bearer in the nominations for the 2015 All-Star hurling awards . The stylish Ballyea hurler, an U-21 All-Ireland winning captain, was also an influential member of Clare’s 2013 All-Ireland winning team. His exploits that year earned him an All-Star, as well as the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year accolades, the first time such a double was achieved. All-Ireland champions, Kilkenny and Galway lead the list of nominations with 12 each. Waterford’s strong 2015 showing, which saw them earn league honours before reaching a Munster final and All-Ireland semi-final, sees them land one fewer with a total of 11 nominations. Munster champions, Tipperary claim seven nominations with Cork, Clare and Dublin completing the list of 45 with one each. In all seven counties are represented. On the personal award front, 2015 All-Ireland champions, Kilkenny have received two nominations, with TJ Reid and Richie Hogan, while Tipperary’s Séamus Callanan completes the …

THE U-21 grade, introduced in 1964, is one of the most attractive competitions in hurling. This championship has proved to be a solid bridge from minor to senior. The first two championships, in 1964 and 1965, were contested by Wexford and Tipperary, with honours even. Clare has consistently performed well, but had to wait until 2009 before Ciarán O’Doherty became the first Clare man to raise aloft the magnificent Cross of Cashel. Since then, the county has enjoyed unprecedented success, with Conor McGrath, Paul Flanagan and Tony Kelly, all leading Clare to victory. The Cross of Cashel shines a light on all 51 All-Ireland U-21 finals, conjuring up the great names who made this grade special. From a Clare perspective, there is a lot to be taken from this book, with Clare teams and captains photographed in colour. It also includes team-sheets, scoring records and there is a synopsis of each All-Ireland final since 1964. The foreword is by John …

AFTER a great start to the league with impressive wins over Tipperary and Kilkenny, the Dublin senior hurlers were brought crashing back down to earth on Saturday night, when they suffered a drubbing at the hands of Cork at Croke Park. An 11-point loss should see the Ger Cunningham-managed side come to Ennis on Saturday for their meeting with Clare determined to get back to winning ways and secure a place in the play-offs. Another defeat could see the Ger Cunningham-managed Dubs with relegation worries on their minds going into the final game of the group stage. Davy Fitzgerald and his team will be hoping that the improvement shown in their game against Tipperary will continue and lead to a Clare win this weekend. Clare will have to win their remaining two games and hope that other results go in their favour if they are to have a chance of avoiding the dreaded relegation play-off. It’s unlikely that all of …

The days of playing for one’s county while still eligible for the minor grade will end this season. At last weekend’s GAA Congress, delegates voted in favour of a motion, put forward as a result of the Minor Review Group’s report, which bars any player still eligible for minor grade from playing either at U-21 or senior inter-county level. This will certainly mean there are players who will miss out on playing, particularly at U-21 level for their county, until they have passed their 18th birthday. Kilmurry-Ibrickane’s Keelan Sexton is currently a member of the county minor, U-21 and senior football panels. Over the past few years, the Clare U-21 hurling panels have included players who were eligible for minor grade. Amongst those that were called up to the county U-21 squad, while still eligible for minor, were current senior panelists Conor McGrath, Patrick O’Connor, Tony Kelly and Davy O’Halloran. Players must now be over 17 before they can play …

CLARE won’t name the starting line-up for Sunday’s crucial hurling league clash with Tipperary until nearer match time but it’s expected that Tony Kelly, David McInerney and Conor McGrath will all make their first competitive starts of the season. The inclusion of all three will strengthen Clare’s chances of getting their first win of the campaign. It’s also likely that experienced Brendan Bugler and Pat Donnellan will revert to defensive duties for this one, after spells at midfield and wing-forward respectively. Indeed, there is speculation that Clare might revert to using a sweeper, with Donnellan filling the role that he did with great success during the 2013 championship campaign. Ahead of this week’s eagerly-awaited tie, there is a doubt about the fitness of Colin Ryan. The Newmarket man picked up a leg injury in the Cork match and didn’t train last week. A final decision on his fitness will be made nearer match time. McInerney is likely to be named …

FORMER Munster and Ireland back-row forward, Alan Quinlan was on hand last Sunday to help launch the third Hurley-Hoey 10km run and walk, which will take place on Saturday, March 7 at the St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield GAA complex in Gurteen. The fundraiser is in memory of the late Eilish Hurley and Ger Hoey, both of whom were members of the GAA club. This year, the proceeds will be donated to Hospice Jinja in Uganda, which was founded by and is run by retired doctors, Frank and Patricia Hassett. The other charity to benefit will be TLC4CF, which is continuing to fundraise to provide and equip a Mid-West cystic fibrosis centre in Limerick. Alan Quinlan said he was impressed by the voluntary effort behind the event, which he has supported since its inception. “I was blown away a couple of years ago to see how the whole community got involved. It’s a huge voluntary effort and I’m amazed again to see …

Eleven Clare hurlers have been nominated for this year’s U-21 Team of the Year Awards, which will be broadcast live from Croke Park on Saturday, October 11 on TG4. In addition, two players from the Clare team that won three-in-a-row All-Ireland titles, are also nominated for the Player of the Year Award. Colm Galvin has been nominated for the award for the second successive year, while he is joined by Aaron Cunningham and Wexford star Conor McDonald on the three man list. A Player of the Year from the ‘B’ championship will also be announced as part of the live broadcast. Five players who were named on the inaugural Team of the Year in 2013 are again in line to be honoured. Clare trio, Seadhna Morey, Colm Galvin and Tony Kelly, who won both the senior and young player of the year award for 2013, are looking to add this honour to the All-Ireland medals they won following their win …

MANAGER Davy Fitzgerald has handed a first competitive start this year to star forward Tony Kelly for tonight’s Waterford Crystal hurling final against Tipperary at The Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Kelly, selected ‘Hurler of the Year’ following his epic displays for Clare in winning last year’s U-21 and All-Ireland senior titles, will lead the attack.  He is flanked by John Conlon and Colin Ryan. The triumvirate make up the half forw3ard line as was the case in the All-Ireland final against Cork. His Ballyea clubmate, Paul Flanagan, last year’s U-21 winning captain, comes in for his first start in the tournament. Flanagan was introduced as a second half subsitiute in the semi-final win over UCC. Eight of the starting team for tonight’s game started in last year’s All-Ireland final win over the Rebels. Podge Collins, Conor Ryan and Jack Browne were ineligible having already played in the Waterford Crystal tournament with University of Limerick while hat-trick hero, Shane 0’Donnell had …