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THEY SAY defeat is only bitter if you swallow it and by the defiant tones of Fergal Lynch after Sunday’s defeat to Tipperary, the Clooney/ Quin man was not about to accept any moral victories regarding their impressive performance in the face of defeat.

“We are talking about good performances in Clare for the last 25 years since the 1977/78 teams. To be honest, it’s not good enough and we haven’t turned the corner. We need to turn the corner in the next couple of years because lads are going to go. Lads are going to leave the country the ways things are happening in the economy. We need to come up with a victory and we need to take one of the big teams. We are well capable of doing it but sometimes we were a bit naïve today in all areas of the pitch.

“We leaked goals and we should have got goals ourselves. We should have came out fighting fairly strongly in the second half and they seemed to tighten at the back and open the space at the front and they brought the game to us whereas we should have brought it to them.

“It’s a lack of a bit of cuteness and if we can develop that, we can turn the corner and there is no reason why we can’t beat any of the big teams.

Neither was Lynch willing to accept that playing in Division 2 was the main reason that Clare failed to maintain their impressive start throughout the 70 minutes.

“It probably did play some part in the end result alright but at the end of the day, we’re all intelligent people and we know exactly how to prepare for a championship match. All the lads inside know exactly what’s needed to win a championship match. The Under 21’s won an All-Ireland so they know what it takes. It’s back to the drawing board for us and we have this match under our belts and we are looking forward to the next game already. We are going to come out fighting out of this.”

That bout is against neighbours Galway whom Lynch has never faced in championship fare but is eager to redress that in a fortnight’s time in Pearse Stadium.

“We are looking forward to the qualifiers. There is no reason why we can’t perform in the qualifiers and there is no reason why we can’t take the likes of Galway.

“It’s just up to ourselves now how we react to this beating. How we react in training next week. How lads are going injurywise so the most important thing now is to get morale up and Ger [O’Loughlin] should be good at that. He’s good at getting lads going so he’d be very focused on trying to get us back on track because we are going to take a scalp this year and it’s going to be a big one and God help, who it’s going to be.”

It has to be Galway or Clare will have to settle for moral victories for at least another 12 months.

THE All-Ireland Broodmare Championship at the Clare Agricultural Show has been recognised as one of the premier showing classes in Ireland by being included in the new Horse Sport Ireland National Showing Championship Series, in association with the Irish Shows Association. Only ten Championships around Ireland have been included in the Series, which will see € 20,000 being injected into showing in 2011

The series will consist of ten championship finals taking place at ten of Ireland’s top rural shows, including three venues in County Clare – the others apart from Ennis are the Scariff and Kildysart Shows. There will be a total of 206 qualifying classes run around the country in the lead up to the finals.

Speaking at the launch, Horse Sport Ireland Chief Executive, Damian Mc Donald, said that as well as providing funding for the Series, Horse Sport Ireland were keen to increase the profile of the showing championships around the country.

“Qualifiers for these championships take place in every corner of Ireland at rural shows and are accessible to breeders. The shows are run on a voluntary basis with all the funding going directly to the exhibitors. Our vision is for these championships to become the Champions’ League of showing,” he said.

CLARE PEOPLE have been asked to send messages of support to the counties two athletes who are bidding for glory at this years Special Olympics World Summer Games in Greece.

Seventeen year old Ciara O’Loughlin, who comes from Ballyea just outside Inagh, will compete in athletics while Sixmilebridge’s Michael Neville is part of the Irish Soccer Team. The pair flew off yesterday as part of the 124 strong Irish team who will hope to bring glory to the Banner County over the next two weeks.

Ciara’s parents and four other family members all flew out to Athens yesterday to show their support to the Irish team. Speaking from Heathrow Airport yesterday, Ciara mother Collette urged Clare people to sent messages of support to the Irish athletes who will compete at the games.

“They will have a wall for all the athletes out at the games and as people send on messages these message will be left up for all the athletes to read. It would be great if people would leave messages for the Clare athletes and all the Irish athletes,” said Collette.

“Ciara is a member of the Shannon Flyers Club and she has worked very hard for this. She has been training four days a week down in Clare and once a month she has been going to Dublin to take part in training with the Irish team.

“Ciara goes to St Anne’s School in Ennis and everyone gave her a great send off there last week. She also got a great send off from the club who have done so much to help her qualify for the Olympics.”

Ciara, who just turned 17 last week, will compete in the 100 metre sprint and the shot putt while she may also compete in the 100 metre relay race.

Sixmilebridge man Michael was introduced to the Special Olympics through his involvement in a training centre in Limerick four years ago.

Michael has an impressive record in scoring goals, having scored 36 for his club. He competed in the 2010 Special Olympics Ireland Games in Limerick.

His involvement in Special Olympics has greatly improved Michael’s confidence. He now loves going out meeting new people and playing his favourite sport. Michael is a sports fanatic. He loves watching sport such as rugby and hurling and enjoys reading books about sport. His sporting hero is Robbie Keane.

Team Ireland will join 7,500 athletes from 185 nations at the Games which will be the biggest sporting event in the world this summer.

Messages of support for Michael and Ciara can be emailed to eteam@specialolympics.ie while people can also follow their progress live on www.specialolympics.ie.

FRIENDS AND former teammates will gather in the Auburn Lodge Hotel in Ennis on Saturday night to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ennis club Turnpike Rovers.

Founded in 1981 the first meeting of Turnpike Rovers took place in a room over Murphy’s shoe shop on O’Connell Street, Ennis.

The club’s first committee was made up of Tony Gilmartin (chairman), Brian McCarthy (secretary), George Guilfoyle (treasurer) with John Pyne and Michael Frawley serving as PRO and managers.

Other committee members included Donie Pyne, Martin Guerin and Francie Roche. Over the years many people have contributed to the success of the ‘Pike, as either players, managers or committee members. Some of the well-known names to have been associated with Turnpike include James Gormley, Michael Nugent, Michael Sheridan (RIP), John Lavery, Donal Pyne, Michael Guilfoyle, Ronnie Pyne and Frank Gormley. The club initially drew the majority of players from the Turnpike area, McNamara Park and Dalcassian Park. The club’s first ever set of goalposts were made by Paddy McHugh and Peter Fitzgerald in the Walnut House

The early days showed Rovers meant business. The team finished runners up in the division two shield in 1981 before going on to take the first division shield in 1983. In 1990, Turnpike were crowned Munster Junior Clare area champions and the following season lost out to Newmarket Celtic in the final of the Haughey Cup. The next season, Rovers reclaimed the Munster Junior Clare area cup with founding member Francie Roche netting the winner in the final.

The start of the decade also heralded another period of success with Turnpike winning the first division league and FAI Clare Area cup. Further honours followed in 2007 before Turnpike claimed the first division league cup in 2009.

Turnpike also enjoyed a period of sustained success in youth soccer throughout the 1980s and 90s. Under the stewardship of manager John Pyne, the club was crowned youths shield winners in 1983. That season also saw the club lose out to eventual winners Athlone in the quarterfinals of the FAI Youths Cup. A league titled followed in 1985 before Turnpike swept the boards in 1987, winning the youths shield, FAI Clare area youths cup, Munster Clare area youths cup, youths league and youths cup.

Further youth’s cup titles were snapped up in 1990 and 1991 while in 1993 Turnpike lost to Clonmel side Oldbridge in the final of the Munster youth’s cup.

In the 1984/85 season, Turnpike Rovers had the distinction of having two players named ‘players of the year’ in Clare soccer. They were Colm Fitzgerald and Derek McGann who was named ‘youths player of the year’. Over the years Turnpike were well represented on the Clare Oscar Traynor team. In that same season, talented midfielder Brian Pyne was a starter in all of Clare’s games.

Turnpike also enjoyed a period of success in schoolboy’s soccer taking league titles at under 12 (1985), under 14 (1986), under 16 (1991) and under 11 (1996). The club were under 11 cup runners up in 1998 while there were further titles at under 11 (2001/02), under 16 (2004) and under 17 (2005/07).

ANGLERS FROM all over the county descended on Fanore last week for the 50th anniversary of the Lisdoonvarna Fanore Sea Angling Club. The event, which was hosted by O’Donohue’s Pub brought together some of the clubs newest and oldest members and also included a collection of awards won by Clare anglers over the last five decades.

The event also included a photographic history of the club and also served as an open day to attract new members to sea angling.

Speaking at the event club secretary, James Linnane, remembers some of the highlights for the club over the years – especially the success of some of the juvenile members.

“Four years ago Paul Norton from Ruan represented the Club in the Munster Juvenile championship, although not winning any medals on that occasion he was really keen to compete again the following year, this time he had real success not only did he qualify for Munster to compete in the Interprovincials but he made the Irish team to compete in Wales and the team came in second on that occasion – major achievement for Paul and the Club,” he said.

“Watching from the sidelines were young Stephen Birney, Cian Egan O’Brien, Sean Geraghty, Brandon Power and Joseph Birney, all who have competed in the Munster Juvenile Championships over the last three years.

“Last February Joseph Birney succeeded in making the Irish Team and will compete for Ireland in the home Internationals next month. Congratulations to him and we wish him well. These Juveniles are the future of our Club and are real role models for any juveniles out there who would like to get involved.”

James also pointed to the quality of the local angling – saying that it is amongst the best in the world.

“Here in north Clare we have some of the best sea angling coastline of anywhere in Europe – it is absolutely essential that we protect and safeguard this,” he said.

“Under no circumstances should we allow pollution, indiscriminate dumping of waste or over commercialised or illegal fishing to take this away from us. We can all see for ourselves the benefits that the promoting of Sea Angling has done for this area. We have a duty to the founder members of this Club and those not members of any club but simply walked the shore for their own pleasure that we leave area in as good or better condition than was handed to us.”

Meanwhile, Inagh and District Angling Club are holding a fishing competition this Sunday at Clonmacken Lake, Inagh. The competition starts at 2pm and will run until 6. Prizes will be awarded for Senior and Juvenile categories. Music and refreshments will be available at Dillon’s Bar and Restaurant after the competition where the Senior prizes will be presented. All are welcome.

SOMETIMES THE silver lining is not immediately apparent in every cloud. Such was the case when Wolfe Tones lost up to 20 adult players through emigration, injury and retirements at the beginning of the year which inevitably had a devastating effect on the club. In all, the adult club has won only five out of 26 competition games this year, with only one of those victories coming from their hurling sides.

Therefore, the unprecedented success of the Under 14’s this year has been a welcome distraction and by winning the county Féile titles in both codes as well as the Under 14A hurling championship, it has given the club and the town of Shannon a much needed boost.

“It’s a great lift to everyone but really we don’t have a choice at this stage,” admitted Under 14 hurling manager Pat Williams. “With the country the way it is and with so many senior players gone through emigration, all clubs are affected but you’ve got to go back to the grassroots effectively. You’ve got to rebuild and it’s going to take time obviously but we are going the right way and this is the first stage of it.”

All the more satisfying then that this team are the fruit of their thriving underage academy that is in full flow in the background of Under 14 training and was initially set up to rectify the fact that Wolfe Tones had slipped somewhat from their lofty perch as underage hurling kingpins.

“90 per cent of these lads were with us at Under 6’s. They would have been born out of the academy.

“When you think back through this squad’s development, we contested the Under 12A final two years ago and were unfortunate to lose to Sixmilebridge on the day. So it was a case of either we dig deep or we lie down and we had a serious conversation with those group of lads after that county final and we made the decision that we would be back. Two years is a short time really and where we are now is down to hard work and the fact that lads were commited. If you want to succeed today, you’ve got to be committed, it’s as simple as that.”

With the national football Féile to come the following week in Cork, manager Williams, who is ably assisted by a backroom team of Matt O’Connor, Pat McCallen, Ray Carley, Jack Keary and Tony Flanagan, also points to a healthy relationship with the football management, for whom Matt O’Connor is manager, as the main ingredient to their historic success to date.

“We communicate all the time and we have a very good understanding. I think that is key to being successful as well because you hear of problems, especially with dual clubs but we communicate so well and believe me it helps.”

So what of Wolfe Tones chances in the finals themselves?

“Every competition we enter we want to win it. Féile at national level is tough but we are going to give it a good go believe me.

“Probably 70 per cent of this squad played in the Féile last year so they’ve had that experience as well and have got a taste for it. We had a good Féile last year albeit that we didn’t progress beyond the first round but we played some very competitive teams.

“We had the Dubs here and Offaly as well as Doora/Barefield so we were very pleased with last year’s Féile in fairness.

“We don’t know a whole lot about Clonoulty Rossmore who are in our group, we’ve had a taste of Craughwell and we seen a bit of Athenry so without being over confident I would be optimistic that we could certainly progress to the quarter-finals and everything after that is a bonus.

“It won’t be for the want of effort or lack of will from this bunch of lads anyway.

“At the end of the day, Féile is Féile and we know it’s going to be tough.”

If Williams and Co are searching for an omen, they need only look to 1988 when Wolfe Tones last completed a clean sweep of Féile titles and went on to add national titles in both, with many of that team subsequently influential in Wolfe Tone’s first county senior success in 1996.

The way things have gone, they could use a silver lining like that.

HAVING WON the county Féile, beating St Josephs, then Clarecastle in the semi final and Éire Óg in the final, Sixmilebridge manager Alma Keane would love to see the girls reach their potential and lift the Division 2 title in this weekend’s Feile na nGael finals. While they hosted the national tournament last year, Sixmilebridge last represented Clare as county winners in 2008.

This time round they will be hosted by Clarinbridge, with the sides clashing on Friday afternoon. On Saturday morning they will play Armagh champions, St Patricks of Keady, as well as Oranmore. With four teams in each of the four groups, the ‘Bridge girls will more than likely need to win all their games to progress to the semi-final that evening.

This same panel of players competed in the U14 Championship in Clare recently and gave some excellent displays of camogie.

Mike Morey, a selector on the backroom team, feels the standard of Under 14 camogie in Clare is high at the moment, a factor he attributes to the hard work being put in Clubs.

“Look at Inagh/Kilnamona, St Josephs, Clooney/Quin, and Éire Óg who won the Div 2 Feile title last year, and you can see what work is being put in. The standard is up across the board. Clubs are putting the emphasis on skills and it’s starting to show.”

Club secretary Keevah Whyte is also delighted with the support the club has received from locals in fundraising for Féile particularly the parents, and paid tribute to the hard work put in by the fundraising committee of Linda Carey, Breda Kennedy, John Carey and Fergal Kennedy. The Club is chaired by Joe Robbins whose positive approach to all things camogie in the ‘Bridge is a refreshing example to all involved in the county.

Sixmilebridge
Panel Nicole Shanahan, Rachel O’Callaghan, Niamh O’Dea, Leanne Gaule, Katie Freeman, Rebecca Keane, Emma Kennedy, Niamh Whyte, Keelin Lyons, Niamh McInerney, Karen Gallagher, Sarah Loughnane, Olivia Phelan,Aoife Roche, Rachel Kelly, Mary O’Connor, Laura Collins, Aoife Corbett, Sarah Moloney,Aoife Hurley, Caoimhe O’Callaghan, Maygen Griffin, Caoimhe Phelan, Hayley Brookes

Management
Alma Keane (Manager), Mike Morey, Flan McInerney,Aine McNamara CLARECASTLE HANDBALL Club are represented by both a girls and boys team for the national finals this weekend which only enhances the strides the club have made during its rejuvenation in recent years. Under the guidance of Pat Hayes, Gabriel Sheridan and Jeff Healy,

both teams will travel to Galway this weekend in confident mood.

The boys team will compete at Williamstown in Division 3 against the hosts (Friday, 3pm) and Carlow side Garryhill the following afternoon (12.45pm) while the girls are hosted by Micheal Breathnachs in Division 2 and are due to take on the home side first on Friday (12.30pm) before encountering Kilkenny side Clogh (4pm) and Sligo’s Castleconnor (7pm) on Saturday.

Éire Óg 1-8 – Cooraclare 0-4 at Cooraclare

A STORMING second half performance helped Éire Óg advance to the last four of the Garry Cup on Saturday. In a dress rehersal for their upcoming championship game with memories still fresh from their three epic encounters in last year’s championship quarter-final, the Townies opened the scoring after 21 seconds when midfielder Shane Daniels raced through to score following a pass from Sean O’Meara.

Playing against the very strong wind that was blowing straight down the pitch the west Clare men coped confidently with the Éire Óg attack and they leveled the game after 21 mins when Rory Donnelly pointed from a close in free.

In a game that lacked any kind of excitement, the teams would retire at the break level at three points apiece.

Éire Óg’s short hand passing game would stand to them in the second half, allowing them to control the pace of the game for long period’s as Cooraclare simply could not break into the Éire Óg half.

The Townies would go on to outscore their opponents by 1-5 to 0-1 in the second half with the winners midfield dominating and in particular Brian Frawley setting up plenty of scoring chances for their forwards.

Éire Óg’s goal in the second half was scored by captain Stepen Hickey from the penalty spot and they also had points from Eoin Glynn, Michael O’Regan, Hickey, Daniels and the O’Meara brothers, Sean and Darren as they ran our comfortable winners.

Éire Óg
Shane O’Connell, Michael O’Regan (0-1), Donie Lyne, Dean Ryan, Paul Madden, Conor Healy, Nicky Hogan, Brian Frawley, Shane Daniels (0-3), Brian Mc Mahon, Stephen Hickey (1-1), David Monaghan, Eoin Glynn (0-1), Darren O’Meara (0-1), Sean O’Meara (0-1)

Subs
Danny Russell for D. O’Meara, David Ryan for Madden

Cooraclare
Declan Keane, ColmCarroll, Mark Tubridy (0-1), Conor Marrinan, Fergal Lillis,Thomas Downes,Thomas Donnellan, Sean Maguire, John O’Looney, Declan McMahon, Rory Donnelly (0-1f), Tommy Connors (0-1), Michael McMahon, Cathal Lillis, James Burke (0-1)

Sub
Gearoid Kelly for Connors

Referee
Michael Fitzgerald (Ballyea)

Lissycasey 0-12 – Ennistymon 0-09 at Lissycasey

LISSYCASEY’S recent good form was enough to consolidate their status in the Garry Cup for another year after seeing off championship rivals Ennisymon on Saturday. Following on from their narrow victory over Éire Óg last time out, the home side completed their survival comeback with a superior work ethic. Ennistymon for their part, were not a patch of the side that edged out Liscannor in the opening round of the championship at the beginning of the month and played more as individuals over the hour.

With a strong gale blowing toward Fanny O’Dea’s, the writing was on the wall for Ennistymon after a lacklustre first half in which they used possession poorly and needlessly kicked the majority of their clearance to the waiting arms of unmarked sweeper Paul Nagle. The north Clare side did open the scoring through Brian Conway in the fourth minute but with Niall Kelly unerringly accurate from frees, Ennistymon were never allowed to pull clear at any stage of the half. Indeed, a brace of placed balls had Lissycasey 0-2 to 0-1 ahead by the ninth minute and while Joe Dowling (2), Sean O’Driscoll and Ronan Linnane replied for Ennistymon before the break, their two point half-time advantage was never going to be enough to hold off a resurgent Lissycasey side.

And so it proved as wind assisted Lissycasey kicked the first four points of the half by the 38th minute through Cathal Hill, Martin Moran, Oisin Talty and Matt O’Shea to take a 0-7 to 0-5 advantage. Meanwhile, luckless Ennistymon had ample opportunity to regain the lead but first a Kevin Scales mazy run and shot cannoned off the post, with Joey Rouine’s rebound going over the bar while only a minute later substitute Sean McConigley played a clever pass across the square to the waiting Robert McDonagh but his tap-in was somehow blocked over the bar by Matt O’Shea.

Having got out of jail, Lissycasey wiped their brow and attacked Ennistymon once more, with an inch perfect score from Enda Finucane on the left wing nudging them ahead once more before impact substitute Dermot Nagle doubled the advantage in the 49th minute.

Brian Conway eventually broke Ennistymon’s eleven minute scoring drought with a curling effort with the outside of his left boot but a more determined Lissycasey added the next three scores through Francis Hayes, Oisin Talty and substitute Nagle once more to open up the biggest gap of the game at 0-12 to 0-08 entering injury-time.

Ennistymon’s luck never turned at the other end either as a penalty appeal for Lawrence Healy was turned down while Sean McConigley did have the ball in the back of the net in the final minute but was penalised for being in the square. They will hope for better fortune when they sides meet again in the final round of the championship group stages in early September.

Lissycasey
Joe Hayes,Alan Nagle, Gerry Moran, Martin O’Connor, Cathal Hill (0-1), Michael Melican, Martin Moran (0-1), Enda Finucane (0-1), Danny Clohessy, MatthewO’Shea (0-1), Francis Hayes (0-1), OisinTalty (0-2), Derek McMahon, Niall Kelly (0-3f), Paul Nagle

Subs
Dermot Nagle (0-2) for McMahon (38 mins), Cyril Sheehan for M. Moran (54 mins), Sean Hayes for Melican (60 mins)

Ennistymon
Noel Sexton, Michael Anthony Devitt, Lawrence Healy, James Murphy, Michael O’Loughlin, Sean O’Driscoll (0-1), OisinVaughan, Cathal Malone, Ronan Linnane (0-1), Kevin Scales, Brian Conway (0-2), Joe Dowling (0-3 1f), Sean Cullinan, Robert McDonagh (0-1), Joey Rouine (0-1)

Subs
Sean McConigley for Cullinan (HT),Willie Murphy for Vaughan (44 mins), Kieran Monaghan for McDonagh (55 mins), Patrick O’Dwyer for Conway (60 mins)

Referee
Pat Cosgrove (Corofin)

KILMIHIL will be the venue on Saturday for the opening round of the Senior B championship in which Miltown play Newmarket at 7.30p.m. This will be a very interesting game. Surprisingly Miltown did not field in last years senior championship. This year they have new management in James Murrihy (manager), Jim. Marrinan and Thomas Garrihy. Miltown have a big panel of young talented players with a number of U 16 A and Minor A titles to their credit.

Michelle McCaw is the team captain. Niamh Pender, Ciara Burke, Sinead Burke and Shauna Crowley were on the Clare Minor panel this year.

Newmarket also have a young team and will be hoping that the expierence gained by winning the Intermediate Championship and getting to the Munster Junior Club Final will stand to them.

Roisin McMahon is in her first year on the Clare senior panel and played at centre back when Clare defeated Fermanagh in the Div. 3 league final. Joining her on the Co. Panel is the club captain Carol O’Leary. Up and coming youny stars such as Niki Kaiser, Chloe Morey, Anne Marie Hayes, Bríd Enright and Zelika Browne are all on the Blues panel who are managed by Neil Ryan and his mentors Johnny Ryan, Kevin Corbett, Kevin Greene and Co. Camogie Secretary, Marie Louise Kaiser whose four daughters were on the panel last year.

Crusheen will start as favourites to overcome Coolmeen in the opening Round of the Senior B on Sunday at Lissycasey at 2p.m. There has been little between these two sides in recent years but this year Coolmeen who are managed by Aaron Kelly and Marie Haugh are down eleven of last years panel and will have a number of young players on duty such as Sarah Meaney, Aisling Reidy, Aisling McGann. Co. Senior players Sinead Eustace and Eimear O’Connor are key players as is team captain Lisa Farrell. Grace Lynch (injured) and Niamh Greene (away for the summer) are a huge loss.

Both were on the Clare panel. Crusheen are managed by Patrick Meaney with Martin Ogie Murphy and Damien Murphy as selectors. Maria O’Grady is the team captain, Crusheen will be looking to Emma Kearney, Rachel Lenihan, Nora Murphyand Noelle McGuane.

Fergus Rovers have a bye in the opening round.