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FOLLOWING on from the success of last August’s Etape Hibernia, Clare landed another coup yesterday when it was announced that two stages of the An Post Rás would pass through the Banner county.

In it’s 59th year, 2011 marks a new era for the Rás as it comes under the banner of new sponsor An Post for the first time.

Starting in Dunboyne, Meath, on Sunday, May 22, Stage 1 will finish up in Portumna that evening.

Stage 2 heads 164 kilometres from Portumna to Kilrush, passing through Gort and Lisdoonvarna and featuring the second category Corkscrew Hill just over 60 kilometres from the finish line.

Stage 3 will leave from Kilrush and cover 175.3 difficult kilometres from Kilrush to Castleisland, and includes third category ramps at Barnagh Gap, Ahaneboy and Glanshearoon, plus a finishing circuit which takes in the fearsome category one climb of Crag Cave.

Last year there were three Clare cyclists involved in the Rás. Eoghan Considine, from Ennis was competing with Galway Bay Cycling Club, while Michael Storan, from Clon- lara, and Stephen Teeling-Lynch, from Shannon teamed up with with Kildare Newbridge.

IN a career that spanned more than three decades and included spells with the biggest clubs in England, John Giles has seen and done it all when it comes to football.

So the dramatic events of last week when English clubs splashed over € 200 million on transfer fees for new players, came as no surprise to the former Leeds and Manchester United great.

Recalling how in the 1950s Albert Quixall signed for Manchester United for a then record fee, Giles told The Clare People that big money has always been part and parcel of professional football.

He explained, “I go back to the time when I was playing with Manchester United and we had a lad in 1958, Albert Quixall, joined Manchester United for a record fee of £45,000. So it was always there. I believe even before my time there was a man called Tommy Lawton, a great player, an international. I think he was transferred for 30,000 and people thought this was it. It will never go higher than that.

Then we had the first million pound player with Trevor Francis and everybody thought, my god a million pounds. There’s nothing you can do about it really because if the clubs want to pay it, they want to pay it. Whether you think it’s too much or I think its too much, it doesn’t matter”.

The former Republic of Ireland player/manager was speaking in Ennis on Saturday at the Clare launch of the John Giles Foundation, ‘Walk of Dreams’.

Commenting on the multi-million euro deals that saw Fernando Torres trade Liverpool for Chelsea, and Andy Carroll swap Newcastle for the Anfield club, Giles said inflated transfer fees can sometimes weigh heavily on players’ minds.

He said, “I think it does tell on some players. I don’t know what Carroll is like. He looks quite a confident lad. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by anything, whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing I don’t know.

But he could take it in his stride. But we’ve seen players before like Garry Birtles and Peter Davenport. He went from Forest to United and it was too much for him.

“It can happen. Certainly Old Trafford seem to affect players more than others”.

Gile also believes Ireland have a “reasonable” chance of qualifying for the 2012 European Championships. Citing the emergence of young talent like Seamus Coleman, Keith Fahy and Greg Cunningham, Giles reckons that captain and new West Ham United signing Robbie Keane remains an integral part of Giovanni Trapattoni’s team, despite an unsettled season to date.

H explained, “He’s got 48 goals, he scored on his debut for West Ham. I don’t think players lose that and I don’t think Robbie Keane has…. I don’t think the players do. What I found happens when I turned 30, was that if you had a bad number of games, it was down to your age. And then they are wondering if you are past it”.

Giles added, “You go beyond that then and you actually become ageless. Ryan Giggs is 37. Now I remember they were saying is he finished? It was the same as Paul Scholes. So what can they say now? Scholes is 35, 36. He can still play. Giggs is playing as well as ever. So you become ageless.”

IRELAND’S top soccer pundit John Giles has revealed that he has no interest in taking up any of the vacancies at Sky Sports created by the departures of Richard Keys and Andy Gray.

The pair were dismissed from the station following a recent on air controversy over comments about assistant referee Sian Massey.

Giles, along with Eamon Dunphy and Liam Brady, is one of the star members of RTE’s hugely popular panel of soccer pundits.

The trio’s analysis and comments are often as eagerly anticipated as the action on the field. Speaking in Ennis on Saturday, Giles said he would turn down a move to Sky.

He said, “No, no. There’ll be no chance of that call anyway but I wouldn’t do it. It would be too time consuming. I wouldn’t want to do it. I’m just happy doing what I’m doing at the moment”.

The former Irish international also admitted that he isn’t a big fan of the analysis provided by some of his counterparts on cross-channel televisions stations.

He explained, “I don’t think it’s very good. I look at them the same as everybody else does. I thought at the World Cup they were very poor. I thought the BBC panel, all of them… England were having a nightmare against Slovenia and America and they kept hedging their bets. They were worried about them qualifying and being shown up and I don’t think they called it at all. England were awful at the World Cup. But they only started having a go at them when they were 4-1 down against Germany. But they didn’t say any thing critical of them before that”

Giles added, “I think we call it as we see it. In the first match against America they played very poorly. But when you see the English media, they were saying, ‘oh they played well, they played ok’. When it was obvious to everybody that they played rubbish. But that’s their business and we get on with our business. And hopefully we’ll get the viewers and we’ll keep them”

The 70-year-old Dubliner says he enjoys his role as a soccer pundit and has no intention of hanging up his microphone anytime soon.

He said, “I’ll go as long as they want me. I keep saying I’ve been doing it for 24 years and they haven’t found me out yet (laughs), so until they do I’ll keep doing it”.

TUAMGRANEY’S Diarmaid Nash again tasted national handball success with a stunning victory at the All-Ireland Intervarsities Championships in Kingscourt, Cavan over the weekend. Representing NUI Galway, Nash won the Men’s Open title when he defeated Tipperary man Fergal Collins in the final. Nash had overcome Waterford’s David Walsh and Kilkenny man Nicholas Anthony in the quarter and semi-final respectively.

Nash’s Tuamgraney and NUIG clubmate Niall Malone also reached the Open semi-finals with an impressive win over ITT’s Shane Hedigan but Ballina man Collins had too much for Malone on the day and the reigning All-Ireland under 21 Champion went into the final against Nash. The Scariff native came out on top in Sunday’s decider 21-18, 21-7.

There was also victory for Clooney’s Lisa Loughnane (University of Limerick) when she claimed the Ladies B title with an 11-7 tie-break win in the final against Linda Connolly (RCSIA). Nash’s win in Cavan capped a busy but successful weekend for the Tuamgraney club at adult and juve- nile 40×20 levels. Friday night saw Munster Secondary Schools Championship wins for Alice Akers and Clodagh Nash. Alice (Scariff CC) won the Girls Junior Singles title while Clodagh (Ursuline Convent, Thurles) took the First Year’s crown after defeating Tuamgraney clubmate Katie Minogue (Scariff CC) in the final in Capagh, Limerick. Ciaran Malone (Scariff CC) reached the Boys Schools Intermediate Munster final but went down to Kilkishen’s Colin Crehan (Ard Scoil Ris) in a tie-breaker in Cappagh on Saturday. Barry Nash will this week be involved in the Leinster Schools championship, representing Cistercian College, Roscrea. Meanwhile, in the County Juvenile Championships, Tuamgraney will be represented in the under 12B Singles (Cian Minogue), Under 13B Singles (Ian Murray), Under 16A Doubles (Barry Nash, Patrick Fitzgerald) and Minor A Singles (Ciaran Malone). All five will be bidding to add to county titles won by Tuamgraney players Clodagh Nash (under 12) and Alice Akers (under 16). Tuamgraney will also be well rep resented in this year’s Munster adult Championships. Paul Healy played Under 21 Singles and Doubles (with Chris Ryan, Newmarket) for the county while Ciaran Malone will also play both Singles and Doubles (with Jamie Lynch, Kilkishen) at Minor grade. Malone has already won his first-round singles game as has Ciaran Walsh (Junior B Singles) who also partners Tom Kirby (Shannon) in Doubles.

Diarmaid Nash and Niall Malone will once again be gunning for glory when they compete in both Singles and Doubles at Intermediate and Senior grades. Anne Marie Fitzgerald, Ashling Fitzgerald and Edel O’Grady are all in line to represent Clare in the Munster Ladies Championship in what is already shaping up to be a very busy spring for Tuamgraney Handball Club in what is the club’s centenary year. Tuamgraney will also play League semi-finals in divisions 2 and 3 next week.

THE Munster 40×20 adult Handball Championships are well under way this week and a number of Clare players have been in action and almost all are still in contention. There were first round wins for Ciaran Malone (Minor Singles) Ciaran Walsh, Paul Lynch (Jnr. B Singles) Aidan Lynch (Jnr. Singles), Barry McMahon/Chris Philpott (Minor Doubles) and Ciaran Walsh/Tom Kirby (Jnr. B Doubles). The fixtures continue this week with matches invloving Clare players coming thick and fast.

Clare handball’s management and selectors will be confident of securing at least Munster titles for the Banner County in a number of 40×20 grades this year. Supporters can contact local club secretaries for exact details of fixtures and take advantage of the glut of high-quality handball fixtures taking place in Clare’s handball courts over the next few days and weeks.

This week will see the following in Munster Chamionship action; Ciaran Walsh & Tom Kirby (Tuesday in Tuamgraney v. Limerick, JBD), Christy Philpott (Tuesday in Kilkishen v. Cork, SMBS), Jamie Lynch & Ciaran Malone (Wednesday in Dungarvan v Waterford, MD), Trevor Vaughan & Alan Leamy (Wednesday in Dungarvan v. Waterford, U21D), Niall Malone and Diarmaid Nash (Wed. in Tuamgraney v. Tipp & Cork, Intermediate Singles), John Nihill (Wed. in Cashel v. Tipp, SMBS), Paul Lynch (Thur. in Clooney v. Limerick, JBS), Cathal Hannon (Thur. in Clooney v. Limerick, JS), Aidan Lynch (Fri. in Clooney v. Limerick, JS), Derek Healy & Finbarr Sheridan (Fri. in Clarecastle/Ballydesmond v. Limerick/Cork), Ciaran Walsh (Fri. in Nenagh v. Tipp, JBS), Ciaran Malone (Sat. in Cappagh v. Limerick, MS), Lisa Loughnane (Sun. in Broadford v. Karen Lawlor (Kerry), Intermediate Singles Final).

REMEMBER last year’s treacherous Division 2 campaign that could be likened to a circus ghost train of unforeseen pitfalls? Clare senior hurling selector Danny Chaplin is adamant that Clare are not about to endure another such trepidatious ride through the so-called lesser lights of the hurling world and feels that the county are better equipped both on and off the field to deal with anything that is thrown at them during this year’s league campaign.

“I hope that it isn’t like last year because it wasn’t good for the heart condition last year down in Carlow and up in Antrim. There are banana skins, of course there are but we would feel that we are a year further down the road and better prepared ourselves on the sideline for these level of games. We would probably have a better view of it ourselves so last year was a big learning curve for us as well.

“What went on last year, it was our first year and we accepted certain things but we wouldn’t be happy with that this year. We have to get performances, even if it is the league. It is no good struggling through games and last year the biggest score we put up was against Westmeath [4-19] but yet we conceded 3-15 which took a lot of the good out of it. But the likes of that, we would hope to rectify this year and put teams away from early on and not be praying that we get a late score.”

That confidence is derived from a positive attitude from the players to their individual strength and conditioning programmes during the winter collective break as well as a further batch of new talent that have embraced the squad in the Waterford Crystal games.

“I think one of the big things for us this year is that we have a good pre-season done and after the winter break, we were ready to start in January. We had looked at the Clare cham- pionship last year and we brought in a few new guys. Some of the Under 21’s made the step up as well and at the end of last year, we had a small panel of only 23 so we added to that and gave them a weights programme which they were doing themselves because of the collective ban. In fairness they were all doing it in gyms so by the time January came around, we were ready to start the physical programme. It’s going well, we are getting a great response and the players are putting in a superb effort and if anything I would be concerned that we are a good bit ahead of where we were last year.

“Some guys have taken the chances, more guys haven’t as of yet availed of the chances they got but they will get another couple of games before we trim down the panel. Some of them have been very promising. I mean you look at the likes of Mark Earley who would not have made the 21’s and he has played in a couple of games in the Waterford Crystal and did very well. Conor Tierney started out very well in the first couple of games and maybe wasn’t as effective in the last game but he will get another game. It’s guys like that who are getting chances and that’s what it’s all about at this time of year.

“The two Cratloe guys Conor McGrath and Cathal McInerney; Darach Honan who is only in his second year at this level; Patrick O’Connor who we looked at at wing-forward on Saturday against Cork, all these guys are only 19 or 20 years of age and doing very well.”

Looking at the league schedule, the stand-out fixture for Danny Chaplin is undoubtedly the first round clash of Division 2 favourites Clare and Limerick in Cusack Park on Sunday, a tie that not only renews the local derby rivalry but may also have a greater relevance in terms of making the final in May.

“Clare and Limerick takes on a life of its own really whether it’s league or championship, Division 1 or Di- vision 4, it doesn’t really matter. It’s Clare against Limerick and it’s just like the club scene in Clare, it’s your nearest neighbours and it will be the same on Sunday. There’s the local rivalry aspect of it, guys know each other well so I think it’s good for us and will give us a real barometer of where we are. We are very hopeful of doing well in it but it’s probably going to be our toughest game.

“When we looked at the league when the draw came out, we saw we had Limerick first and then Antrim up in Belfast next which are probably the two toughest games in it. But our targets are two wins out of two in the first two weeks. Next Sunday will take on a life of its own and it’s probably the bigest league match that we have been involved in, even bigger than last year because we didn’t meet Limerick last year and we are really looking forward to it.”

Árdscoil Rís 2-19 – St Flannan’s College 0-22 at Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

THERE was no silverware handed out in the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday but Árdscoil Rís are certainly overwhelming favourites to claim historic back-to-back titles after overcoming main rivals St Flannan’s at the penultimate stage.

Regardless of your allegiances, it was a truly great advertisement for college’s hurling, a throwback to the memorable jousts of the past that invariably involved St Flannan’s in some capacity. Indeed, it was no wonder that Árdscoil’s Niall Moran implored supporters to travel to the game as it was compelling end-toend action from the first minute to the final whistle.

It truth, the result could have gone either way in a dramatic finish but defending champions Árdscoil just about deserved victory in the end, thanks to their greater experience and leadership at the vital times as well as two second half goals in a seven minute period at the turn of the final quarter.

The game centred around the unerring accuracy of two inspirational protagonists: Shane Dowling at centre-forward and later midfield for Árdscoil Rís who claimed 1-10 of his side’s total and Ballyea’s Tony Kelly who at times single-handedly maintained St Flannan’s challenge with a haul of 14 points.

In between those scoring feats, there were three point cameos for impressive wing-forwards Mark Carmody (Árdscoil Ris) and Conor O’Gorman (St Flannan’s) and corner-forwards John Fitzgibbon (Árdscoil Ris) and Shane O’Donnell (St Flannan’s) that further enhanced this tie. However, it was Shane Dowling’s 38th minute 20 metre free to the net and Oisin Hickey’s opportunistic follow up seven minutes later that swung the contest decisively towards the holders.

The opening half was a seesaw affair that saw both sides take control for extended periods but all the while cancelling each other out. Limerick side Árdscoil Rís flew out of the blocks to open up a 0-5 to 0-1 advantage by the seventh minute and could have even snatched a goal in that period when Kevin O’Brien’s acute shot rebounded off the crossbar.

St Flannan’s were struggling but found their feet thanks to the determnation of Tony Kelly who hit four out of St Flannan’s first five points to level matters by the 12th minute.

Shane Dowling pushed Árdscoil ahead once more with three frees while St Flannan’s had goal opportunities through Conor O’Gorman and Kelly that both ended up as points. And as the momentum swung towards the Ennis school, they finally took the lead for the first time with further points from Martin O’Leary, Kelly and O’Gorman at 0-10 to 0-8 by the 22nd minute.

Three successive points, two from the stick of Dowling had Árdscoil in the ascendency once more approaching the break but inevitably it was Kelly and O’Gorman who gave St Flannan’s the narrowest of advantages at 0-12 to 0-11 at half-time.

Árdscoil brought out Meelick’s Damian Moloney to man-mark Conor O’Gorman for the second period but it was Kelly who maintained St Flannan’s early lead with two points in the opening three minutes.

However, an unanswered 1-3 including a bullet free to the net from Dowling in the 38th minute transformed the game dramatically. With the bit between their teeth, the holders hammered home their momentum through a Dowling free and 1-1 in the space of a minute for Meelick’s Oisin Hickey who was perfectly positioned to finish a John Fitzgibbon flick from a Declan Hannon clearance to the net in the 45th minute.

Now eight points in arrears, St Flannan’s needed to dig deeper than ever before and indeed got a spark of in- spiration from corner-forward Shane O’Donnell who tormented Árdscoil’s last line over the next ten minutes.

Along with hitting three points himself, he also earned two frees that Kelly converted to cut the deficit to three by the 54th minute and there was almost a full reprieve when an Alan O’Neill close range pull produced a great diving save from goalkeeper PJ Hall.

St Flannan’s could smell blood but while Kelly continued to chip away at the lead with placed balls, Árdscoil kept their cool at the other end through points from substitute Jack Kelliher and John Fitzgibbon.

Indeed, St Flannan’s best chance to snatch something out of the game came in the 58th minute when a teasing ball across the square by O’Donnell was flicked towards goal by Alan O’Neill only to drift agonisingly past the far post much to the relief of the Árdscoil defence.

The scenes of celebration at the final whistle highlighted just what this victory meant to Árdscoil Ris. With their main rivals out of the way, the passage is clear for a second successive title and taking into consideration the quality of the second semi-final, it appears that on this performance, anything other than an Árdscoil win would be the shock of the competition.