The Clare People Archive

THE Interprovincial Championships, that have been sponsored to the tune of over €500,000 by Clare’s Martin Donnelly over the past seven years, are on a “stay of execution” from the GAA’s top brass.

That’s the verdict of Clare’s county secretary Pat Fitzgerald, whose an- nual report praises Donnelly’s sup- port of the series, but hits out at the failure of the GAA authorities’ dedi- cation to the inter-provincial con- cept.

“Through Martin Donnelly’s un- flinching support the Interprovincial Championships are a competition that seems to have been drawing its last breath for the past few years has, almost miraculously, continued to

Survive, says Fitzgerald.

“But [I’m fearful that the compe- tition, which once had supporters streaming through the turnstiles in their droves, is on a stay of execu- tion.

“The GAA at national level has emphasised repeatedly that they are fully behind the inter-provincials but actions do speak louder than words. What it now needs to do is decide on dedicated dates for the competition and then, with sufficient time on their hands, press ahead with a proper and sustained marketing campaign.

“If that is done, the public might start voting with their feet once more and turn out in large numbers as in the days of yore,” adds Fitzgerald.

THE acquisition of a county field for camogie was the main thread of the Clare Camogie AGM that was held in the Auburn Lodge Hotel last Wednesday evening. While the 2008 equivalent was a timultuous affair that spanned over two meetings and saw significant change at the top ta- ble, this time the executive presented an united front in the pursuit of their main goal, based on a long standing commitment from the Clare County Council to provide the organisation with a playing field.

In her annual address, Chairperson Orla Considine stressed the need to “continue to develop our game and the numbers of those that are play- ing.

“While this is relatively within our control, I also must appeal to those who can assist in this process.

“T call upon the Council to uphold the promise made to Clare Camogie all of 20 years ago to provide a play- ing field at Doora. This field has now been developed, there is a playing surface with goal posts and also a small all weather training facility attached. The field will be ready for the final touches and for playing in the new calendar year. I ask those in the position of realising this to now do so and be seen to stand behind their commitment and not let down the female population of this county yet again. Be assured that we will

not stand for anything less than the fulfillment of commitment already acknowledged. You the councilors and council management can be seen as the people who have looked at the development and appreciation of Clare Ladies in the important man- ner it deserves.”

Treasurer Michael Maher, along with announcing an annual profit of €490.89 in his report giving an over- all healthy balance of €5,695.94, also threw his support behind the iniative.

‘“T suppose one of the main reasons that you are not electing any new of- ficers, barring perhaps the PRO, 1s because of our expectation that we are going to have a pitch by this time next year. I think the people that are working in Clare camogie deserve to have the pitch and as far as I’m concerned, the only one that has to sign the dotted line is the County Manager. We have one hundred per cent support from all the County Councillors and I think that is a great achievement. It’s a great achievement for yourselves the fact that you are thought of so highly by the people that you have elected and I would ask now that the County Manager deliver the pitch.

“The promise was made, it’s there and ready to play on in early spring and it would be a great boost for eve- rybody who has worked so hard and get very little credit. So I’m asking the County Manager to deliver.”

RALLY co-driver Grainne McEnery from Ennis has had a fantastic sea- son so far this year culminating re- cently when she was presented with the Dunlop National Rally Champi- onship Awards in Galway where she was honoured with the fastest two wheel drive car in the 09 Dunlop Na- tional Championship.

Grainne, a service manager with O’Sullivan & Hansbury Motors has had rallying in her blood from a young age having travelled as a spec- tator with her father Joe to events all over the country and also being in- volved with her brother Charlie who navigates with Anthony O’Halloran.

She began co-driving in 2006 in the Clare Stages Rally with British based Galwegian, John Reddington (Ford Escort) where they finished eleventh overall. Her first big acci- dent came in the 2008 Clare Stages where she co-drove for Eddie Cogan in a Peugeot 205

Just before the beginning of the 2009 Dunlop National Rally Cham- pionship Grainne was asked if she would be interested in co-driving with Kerry’s Mike Quinn in a Mk 2 Escort. Naturally, she did not hesi- tate and so far its turning out to be a

very fruitful partnership. Mike from Listowel in Kerry has been rally- ing his escort for about fifteen years and has had many a battle with local driver Anthony O’Halloran down through the years when Anthony was driving his Opel Manta. This bat-

tle continued in the ‘09 season with Anthony driving his Mitsubishi Evo and Mike still in the Escort and with a great brother sister rivalry devel- oping in the McEnery family it was Grainne who came out on top on the recent Auburn Lodge Clare Stages Rally back in September.

After swapping times all day on their home event O’Halloran and Quinn were second and third overall behind Niall Maguire’s Subaru Imp- reza but on the last stage O’Halloran’s Mitsubishi developed a puncture af- ter picking up piece of steel on the road and this put them out of the event leaving Quinn and Grainne to finish second overall.

The 2009 season started in The Birr Stages Rally where Mike & Grainne finished 12th overall. Next was The Kerry Stages rally which was based in Tralee where they finished 3rd overall and the first two wheel drive car.

The Circuit of Munster in Limerick proved more difficult as they crashed

out hitting a pole and this put them back to 92nd place. After getting back on the road they fought their way back up tp 21st overall and they won Class 14.

Grainne and Mike crashed out again on the next round The Ravens Rock Rally in Carlow where they hit a wall, after getting back on the road they finished 35th overall and another win in class 14.Next was the Stonethrow- ers Rally in Clonmel where they fin- ished sixth overall and the first two Wheel drive car. They repeated this result in the next round The Galway Summer Rally, sixth overall and first two wheel drive. Grainne and Mike are now lying second overall in the championship with one round to go in Limerick on December 28. After a fantastic first season for Grainne and Mike they will be hoping to hold this position after Limerick and if they can secure some sponsorship for they hope to be back in 2010.

THERE was All-Ireland handball success last week for Tulla’s Co- lin Corbett and Niall Bolton in the 60×30 Secondary Schools Junior Doubles Championship.

Representing St. Joseph’s Tulla, the Tulla pair had a hard-fought semi- final win (21-11, 14-21, 11-7) over Pol Clarke and Niall Allison from Omagh on Wednesday last in Mull- baheea

Then in the final, the Clare pair came from behind to beat Wexford’s Galen Rioradan and Padraig Foley in a classic encounter — winning thee a breaker to claim the title on an 8-21, 21-20, 11-9 scoreline.

In the Intermediate Doubles event, Jamie Lynch and Christopher Phil- pott of St. Joseph’s Tulla qualified for the All-Ireland final also, with a relatively straight-forward semi-final win in Abbeylara, Longford on Sun- day week last.

The Kilkishen duo beat Christopher

McKenna and Terry McElvanney (St. Macartan’s, Monaghan) 21-7, 21- 8 to qualify for the decider, but went down in that final by 11-21, 18-21 to Cian Connolly and Mark Nally (Ros- common CBS) on Sunday in Ballina, Tipperary.

At Primary Schools level, there was further Munster success for the Banner County in the Cumann na mBunscoil team championships. Clare took both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ team events on Staurday at Dungarvan and Cappagh respectively to further un- derline the county’s current strength at this grade.

The *A’ team won a round robin event beating both Cork and Water- ford and the team consisted of Fergal Coughlan, Brian Fahy,Jamie Keane, Kevin Conlon, Clodagh Nash, Gary Cooney, lan Murray and Shane Hunt.

The ‘B’ team had an 84-76 win over Cork and the winning team was Cathair Agnew, Jake Kearney, Eoin O Hara, David Sheedy, Barry

Loughnane, David Gleeson and Eoin Wnts Ene

Away from the court, County Hand- ball Board Treasurer Willie Roche was recently recognised for his great work in Clare and Munster handball over a long period. Willie was a re- cipient of a Munster Handball All- Star Award as ‘Official of the Year’, a very well deserved accolade for one of the mainstays of Clare hand- ball, especially at underage level. A national handball promotional/fund- raising event was held in Croke Park last week. The “Ultimate Showdown’ saw prominent handballers from across the country team up with a leading hurling, football or camogie player from their county. Clare were represented by Diarmaid Nash and county hurling goalkeeper Philip Brennan.

THE Labour Party revival in Clare has seen the formation of a new branch in the west.

It once had a party stronghold in west Clare, providing the first female chairperson of Kilrush Town Coun- cil, but in the last number of years the party had lost support and mem- bership.

At an open meeting of the party in Kilrush last week however, the latest branch of the party has been formed.

Constituency Chairman Michael Corley reminded the meeting that,

“west Clare has had in the past a strong tradition of Labour Party rep- resentation down through the years, there have been strong and dedicated representatives pushing for a fairer and more equal society for the peo- ple of Kilrush and the rest of west Oren

Labour councillor Tony McMahon said the turnout was a testament to the level of concern that people have for the social fabric of the commu- nity. “Everyone here is concerned about the problems that affect Kil- rush and west Clare and I believe that it is in the hands of individuals com- ing together in this community that

these problems will be solved. I en- courage everyone here to be proud of this step taken in bringing together a force for positive change in Kilrush and West Clare.”

A spokesperson for the party said that the formation of new branches throughout the county overcomes the perception that Labour is an urban and east coast party.

‘The Labour Party is ready to pro- vide a new leadership and direction to Ireland where the insanity of give- away tax-breaks and the protection of the wealthy at the expense PAYE workers, small business owners and the most vulnerable in society will

not be an option. We believe in a so- ciety where fairness and equality are the guiding principles of how a gov- ernment should plan for its people,” he said.

A wide range of topics were dis- cussed in the meeting including “Government attacks on rural life’, the proposal to cut Government sup- port for the Rural Transport Pro- gramme, and the high rate of unem- ployment and youth unemployment in the county.

More than 10,000 people in Clare are without jobs at the moment and the number of people under 25 with- out work is almost at 2,000 in Clare.

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