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WITHOUT ever having to over ex- tend themselves, Kilmurry Ibrick- ane brushed Pete the challenge of Eire Og at Labasheeda on Sunday to move to the penultimate stage of the Under 21 championship.

The 13-point margin between the sides at the end, though, can be taken in a broader context that shows the West Clare club have plenty of talent coming through to give themselves a decent chance of dominating the Clare football landscape and creat- ing something resembling a dynasty.

In the second half, they even lim- ited Eire Og to just one point but the real damage was done in a blistering spell just before the break. Things had been ticking away and there wasn’t a lot to suggest that Kilmurry would rout their opponents.

Before this, Mark McCarthy had

clipped in a quality goal when he lofted the ball over the head of the Eire Og goalkeeper. There were just over 15 minutes on the board when McCarthy hit the net but Eire Og’s response was swift enough and they replied with a goal from David Smith.

With the two locked at 1-3 each, though, Kilmurry stepped on the gas and produced 1-4 without reply in the five minutes before the break. McCarthy was at the centre of his side’s good work and Eire Og could have done with the presence of Dean Ryan closer to his own goal at this stage.

The second Kilmurry goal came from the boot of Darren Hickey and suddenly, a fairly significant gap had opened up. The sides retired for half- time with the West Clare outfit ahead on a scoreline of 2-7 to 1-3.

If Eire Og were to have any say in the game, they needed another rapid reply but it didn’t happen.

In fact, it was Kilmurry that con- tinued the work where they left off. They added further points with Mc- Carthy ending up with the fine tally of 1-8 to his name.

Seven more points came Kilmur- ry’s way as Eire Og were now being Steam rolled. Like the seniors, the Under 21 batch will take some beat- ing on Sunday’s performance.

TALK about a comeback. Ten points down early in the second half, Corofin looked dead and _ buried. Snow, on a sun-drenched peach of an evening in Clareabbey, seemed more likely then a Corofin comeback. Or so we thought.

Corofin stormed back, drew level and even had a chance to win it. After John Keane palmed home the equalising goal, Colm Clancy almost nailed the winner but his shot drifted wide. Clondegad too spurned a great chance when Gary Brennan’s injury time free curled short and wide of the Corofin goal.

A draw will feel like a loss to Clon- degad. They let this one slip. Badly. After the pace and polish that char- acterised much of Clondegad’s first half display all but vanished, Corofin gained a foothold. It was gutsy stuff.

Colm Clancy worked with all the en- ergy of bantamweight boxer. Daragh Clancy won plenty of ball around the middle while Luke O’ Loughlin did a good job policing Gary Brennan.

But the biggest reason for the turnabout in Corofin’s fortunes was the contribution from John Keane. Keane was doing a decent job in midfield before he was relocated to full forward. The decision proved a masterstroke. Keane scored two quick points and hit 1-1 in the final two minutes to complete the come- ere .@

Keane was also centrally involved in the first great chance of the match. Barely 20 seconds had elapsed when he tore through the middle and off- loaded to Neil Killeen who pulled his shot just wide.

We didn’t have to wait long for a

goal though. Kieran Browne released Shane Brennan with a quick free in the third minute. The Clondegad wing forward raced towards goal and found the net with a low drive.

Colm Clancy responded with a point for Corofin but Clondegad pushed four points clear with scores from Paudge McMahon and Kenneth

Keath

The west Clare side had two more great goal chances but first McMa- hon and then Francie Neylon saw their efforts blocked on the line.

Colm Clancy pointed a free in the 18th minute but Clondegad ended the half with a devastating 1-3 burst.

McMahon converted a 45’, Eoin

Griffin lifted over a point before McMahon’s powerfully struck free sailed over the bar. Things were about to get worse for Corofin. On the stroke of half time, Brian Car- rig side-footed home a penalty after McMahon was fouled. At half time, Clondegad led 2-5 to 0-2.

Carrig’s fine point after the break

extended the Clondegad lead to ten points. Corofin released a torrent of substitutes and moved Keane to full forward. He hit two superb points on the turn before Dara Shannon roofed the ball to the back of the net in the 44th minute. Darren Malone and Gary Brennan traded points before Colm Clancy dropped over a free to leave the score 2-7 to 1-6.

Keane bagged his third point of the day before outjumping O’Connell and Kenneth Breen to tap in Daragh Clancy’s thump of a free kick.

That leveled matters at 2-7 apiece. Both sides missed chances to win. A priceless point for Corofin. A point dropped for Clondegad. It’s the only way to look at it.

ALL-IRELAND football and hurl- ing winners are set to share the same stage as the Clare County Board and Munster Council join forces to celebrate GAA 125 in a four-day spectacular that will pay homage to the association’s founding father Michael Cusack.

A SHOUTING match across the council chamber, name-calling and councillors refusing to take their chair was all part of the first meeting of Clare’s new county council.

It was a baptism of fire for Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) on Friday as he was named mayor of Clare, when newly re-elected councillor James Breen (Ind) got to his feet and opposed the selection process that saw the Shan- non man take the chair.

Watched by a large crowd in the public gallery, six novice councillors and two who like himself regained their lost seat, the former Fianna Fail councillor raised his first objection during the nomination process.

Cllr Mucahy was proposed for the top job in the council chamber by Cllr John Crowe (FG) and seconded by Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) as Nea ueere MO LeU MUN Tcar-U 0m or-DUR MRED I ecp

As Cllr McCarthy finished her speech of support for Cllr Mulcahy, Cllr Breen stood up and said, “I can- not support what I believe is a power sharing agreement.”

The outgoing mayor and chair of the first half of the meeting, Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG) asked the coun- cillor to limit his comments to nomi- nating a candidate for mayor.

The Kilnamona councillor re- mained standing, stating he was ob- jecting to the selection process.

“Are you proposing? Then if you are not, resume your seat,” said Ms

Taylor Quinn.

With no other proposals forthcom- ing, she then deemed Cllr Mulcahy elected. Cllr Breen continued to stand, and continued to object.

“Put it on the record there is one person descending,’ Ms _ Taylor Quinn told the county secretary as she prepared to hand over the chain of office. Cllr Breen remained stand- ing as the chain was presented, much

to the distress of the new mayor’s family and friends.

During his acceptance speech, the new mayor thanked the councillors for “your almost unanimous sup- port here’. At the end of the mayor’s speech, Cllr Breen got to his feet again and, after some protest, said he wanted to wish the mayor well and again make his point.

Cllr McCarthy told the council it

was disingenuous of the councillor to say he was objecting because he was an independent councillor and accused him of turning his mobile phone off when the final deal was being agreed.

“You are a maverick. That is what you are and what you will always be,” she said and accused him of “go- ing on with baloney”.

Again Cllr Breen was on his feet demanding in a loud voice to reply to Cllr McCarthy. “This is not going to be the James Breen Road Show,” warned the mayor. He continued to ask to speak on a point of order.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) then took to his feet and shouted across the chamber at Cllr Breen.

“Reference the point of order’ and “respect the mayor,” he repeated.

Cllr Breen said that he wanted to decide with his election team whether he would be part of the deal to which Cllr Meaney said, “You did not know what it was.”

“You are not in Dail Eireann now,’ said Cllr Kelly.

Cllr Breen eventually took to his SorsLMre DELO MSIODN (COD

“Tam very sorry that your election has been turned into a circus by one member of the council,” said Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) to the mayor.

THEY formed the most famous mid- field partnership that ever togged out in a saffron and blue football jersey — the day 17 years ago that Clare took a catapult to Kerry in The Gaelic Grounds.

The Tom Morrissey/Aidan Molo- ney partnership was too much for Noel O’Mahony and Anthony Glee- son that Munster Final day — 17 years on they joined forces at champion- ship level once more when plotting Cooraclare’s first championship vic-

tory in five years.

It was the story of the opening weekend of the 2009 championship as Cooraclare ambushed five-times county finalists this decade, Eire Og, in Kilmihil on Friday night to bring an end to the biggest losing streak in Cooraclare’s proud championship VI Ke as

“Since 2004 we hadn’t won a cham- pionship match,’ said Morrissey after Cooraclare’s 1-15 to 1-9 vic- tory. “Some of them had never won a championship match but they went out there today and for the first time

in a long time a Cooraclare team showed a bit of heart, a bit of passion and a bit of fire. We’re just delight- ed, delighted for Cooraclare that we LOLeN eM CneT-VObYancxolMmsetclMneueP

“We brought in Aidan ‘Horse’ Moloney and you couldn’t have better than him. He knows all the drills and he put a bit of belief into our lads. We have been down, we have been down a lot in the last four or five years.

“We are a good traditional cham- pionship team. We hope to get out of the group and have made a good start to get out of the group. We have

to go out again the next day and re- peat that — that’s what we’ll be look- ing for. Nearly all of them lads have been playing since 2004 and have not come out of the group. To win is a massive lift for all those boys in there. They’re finally men the way the stood up there today,’ added WY uu

It the only blow for the underdog over the weekend — elsewhere county champions Kilmurry Ibrickane, and Doonbeg, who are greatest pretenders to their throne, were most impressive in easily dispatching the challenges

mounted by Ballyvaughan and Shan- non Gaels respectively.

Controversy came in the shape of an end-of-match dust up between Kilrush Shamrocks and Liscannor players after their drawn game in Quilty.

The fracas saw the Shams’ Alan Daly and Liscannor’s Ronan Slattery receive straights red cards from ref- eree Kevin Walsh.

AS tense and full-blooded a first round tie as you are ever likely to witness in Quilty on Friday evening as Liscannor had to utilise all of last year’s experience to carve out a point. And a draw was probably the fairest result as neither side really deserved to lose but certainly Kilrush will feel that they had enough chances to win this tie long before the final whistle.

The Shams’ superior intensity in the first half constantly disrupted Liscan- nor’s flow, especially after Liscannor talisman Brian Considine had to be withdrawn with a rerecurrance of a hamstring injury but although Kiul- rush led by O-5 to O-3 at the break, it should have been far greater. What would have frustrated Kilrush most was not the quantity of first half wides, incidentally six of those in all, but the manner of the misses as at least four of those it seemed were easier to score than miss. Consider- ing that Kilrush’s full-forward line seemed to have the edge, Liscan- nor would have felt relieved to have only gone in two points behind at the usrehe

It went blow for blow early on though. Liscannor’s Kieran Consid- ine opened the scoring with a free in the third minute that was cancelled out by Jim Young only two minutes later before Peadar McMahon con- verted a free to put Kilrush 0-2 to O-1 ahead by the seventh minute. How-

ever, depsite their impressive open- ing, they also had kicked four wides by this stage and added to the loss of Brian Considine for Liscannor, Kilrush would have felt confident of building on that lead.

However, credit Liscannor for not panicking, and moving Niall Consid- ine to midfield, they dug deep and in- deed it was Considine who set up the equalising score for Alan Clohessy at the end of the first quarter.

Two more wides were to follow for Kilrush but they did regain the lead in the 18th minute when Patrick Mc-

Grath converted a free, this time off the ground after he had failed with a previous effort. And they doubled that advantage only three minutes later when Matthew Maloney gath- ered a kick-out and fed the onrush- ing Paddy Clancy who could have gone for goal but was content to take a point.

The tension moved up a few notches as three Kilrush players were yellow carded in quick succession for some hefty challenges but on the score- board, the Shams held firm after K1- eran Considine and Peadar McMa-

hon swapped frees before the break to earn Kilrush a O-5 to O-3 half-time advantage.

It would get better for Kilrush on the restart when Peadar McMahon pointed within a minute. However, true to form, Liscannor didn’t drop their heads and soon rallied, even- tually gaining parity by the 4lst minute with a Ronan Slattery free, a great passing move that was started and finished by Dara Blake and a huge free from Kieran Considine that brought the crowd in the stand KOM Oslo pup oom

However, Kilrush hit back in style only a minute later with a flowing passing move of their own, moving through Maloney, Young, Brendan Crowley and finally Peadar McMa- hon who struck a great leading point. Alan Daly followed up with a poor wide and Niall Considine and Chris Dixon entered the referee’s book be- fore Alan Clohessy levelled the game up with a free in the 50th minute.

With the game in the balance, Kil- rush should have done better with a counter-attack when John Kelly fed the overlapping Matthew Maloney who bore down on goal but he dillied and dallied before offloading across the box and the danger was cleared. Kilrush made amends with a superb Peadar McMahon free in the 57th minute that dissected the posts but when leaders were needed, Liscannor had them in abundance, epitomised by the equalising score that came af-

ter Ronan Slattery raided up the left and kicked a pinpoint crossfield pass to Dara Blake who dummied inside and put over the bar.

There was still time for some his- trionics and a brace of red cards for Ronan Slattery and Alan Daly who needlessly got caught up in the tense drama late on that took the sting out of the on-field action and hastened the inevitability of the spoils being shared.

THIS was a game of two keepers. Outstanding performance by Pe- ter O’Dwyer and Breckan’s Daniel Collins was all that illuminated an otherwise dull opening to this year’s intermediate championship in En- nistymon on Saturday evening.

As the twilight began to close in from Lahinch, both men remained eagle-eyed and produced a string of outstanding saves. In truth the match was a fairly one sided affair with Breckan’s having much the better of the proceedings until a last gasp comeback from Kilmurry put some respectability on the score.

Breckan’s raced into a comfort- able lead with points from Denis O’ Driscoll, Conor Cormican and two from Pat Nagle putting some clear breathing space between the sides. But Kilmurry struck back, with Paul O’Dwyer breaking a ball to the on- rushing Thomas O’Connor who go- aled to put the westerners right back in contention.

Seamus Lynch and Pat Nagle traded points before Peter O’ Dwyer stepped up with two saves to keep Ibrickane in touching distance.

The first was right out of the top drawer. O’Driscoll found Darragh Considine whose curling shot looked a certain goal until O’Dwyer some- how got a finger to it. On the stroke of half time he saved well again at the feet of the onrushing Mikey Keating.

Breckan’s stole ahead in the open- ing minutes of the second half with points O’Driscoll and Greg O’Leary before Nagle converted a penalty when the impressive Cormican was hauled down in the box.

The match looked all but over as

a contest, and when Paul O’Dwyer crashed a penalty onto the post after 15 minutes the writing was on the wall. Points from Stephen Tierney and Nagle stretch Breckan’s lead Stephen Lynch got Kilmurry moving eNeee DOE

But the last 10 minutes would be- long to Collins. First he tipped a rasping goal bound shot from Tho- mas O’Connor over the bar before producing the save of the match to deny substitute Barry Lynch what looked a certain goal.

A goal then would have leveled the match as points from O’Connor, Sea- mus Murphy and Lynch had put Kil- murry within touching distance of the north Clare men. But that would have been rough justice for St Breck- an’s, who looked the stronger outfit throughout and capped the match with a last minute point from the free scoring Pat Nagle.

A MASTERFUL display from Ger- ry Kelly inspired Kildysart to victory over Michael Cusacks on Saturday.

Kelly kicked six terrific points from play as Kildysart edged past Cusacks in a closely contested and high qual- ity encounter at Clareabbey. Kelly also played the crucial role in the goal that ultimately proved the dif- ference between the sides.

Just two points separated the teams when Kelly curled a free that dropped below the posts, and, with assistance from Brian Sullivan’s waving arm, travelled to the back of the net.

Christy Clancy’s point a minute later gave Kildysart a six point cush- ion and it looked like they had finally broke clear from a determined and impressively mobile Cusacks side. fel aey

Cusacks, like they had done throughout, stuck doggedly to the task at hand. Urged on by Pat Hynes and Niall Hehir, the north Clare side pared Kildysart’s lead back to three points.

But despite the threat posed by the pacy Neil Quinn, who contrib- uted a sparkling O-6 over the hour, Kildysart finished strongly enough to take all two points.

A brisk and entertaining first half offered convincing evidence of both side’s championship — credentilas. Barely 30 seconds had elapsed when Kelly stroked over his first point of the day. Micheal Jordan replied with a point for Cusacks three minutes ltoe

The blueprint of the game was set. Kildysart edging ahead. Cusacks reeling them back in. The sides were level on seven occasions in the first eee

Playing with the wind, Kildysart’s forwards won plenty of possession. Points followed from Christy Clancy, Noel O’Grady and another sweet strike from Kelly. But Cusack’s dy- namic full forward line was causing problems for Kildysart. Jordan point- ed before Neil Quinn converted two frees to tie the game O-4 O-4 in the 15th minute.

Quinn waltzed through for a great point in the 21st minute but two points from Kelly and a rousing effort from Eoin Kelly ensured Kildysart led 0-8 Q-7 at half time.

Kildysart made an excellent start to the second half with Shane McNeelis storming through for a point. Jordan replied with a fine left foot point for Cusacks. Kelly rounded off a patient build up with a point as Kildysart

edged 0-10 0-8 clear.

The crucial goal arrived in the 42nd minute and was swiftly followed by a point from Christy Clancy. That put Kildysart 1-12 0-9 ahead but Cusacks weren’t about to give up. Hynes and Hehir pointed before Quinn struck his sixth point of the day. Hynes’ free cut Kildysart’s lead to two but Kelly had the last say to see his side home.

IT was the same old story for the intermediate side in The Gaelic Grounds on Sunday. As they showed in large chunks of this game, they were certainly good enough to win this semi-final but a lack of serious preparation, backing and a coopera- tion from all sides again conspired to hamper Clare’s challenge. That is of no fault of the players or management who commited to Clare’s second side and gave it their all but really unless the county takes the competition seriously, Clare will always be the bridesmaids at this level.

Like other counties, Clare should treat this championship as a feeder side for the senior squad, using sen- ior substitutes that aren’t on the 30 man squad and more of the Under 21 squad, and that way it would be of infinitely more benefit to the county going forward as it would provide players with the opportunity to rep- resent their county on big champion- ship days.

Take the appearance of Nicky O’Connell and Darach Honan as a prime example. While the support in the stands wasn’t exactly heaving, many did come to have a glimpse at the Clonlara duo’s progress after last year’s senior championship suc- cess and they weren’t disappointed as O’Connell produced an immense display at centre-back for the side while Honan’s cameo appearance at full-forward suggests he may finally be back to his best after a prolonged NO bs entce

The most frustrating aspect of this game was that Clare could have actually won the game had events gone slightly differently. The Ban- ner began in fine form, going 0-6 to O-2 in front by the tenth minute with O’Connell grabbing three (two frees), Sean Chaplin converting a

brace of frees and Peter O’ Brien add- ing the other.

However, Cork’s main threat came in the form of full-forward Luke Farrell who singlehandedly dragged Cork back into this game, scoring three points to get the Rebels to within one before he took advantage of a Clare defensive error to grab the opening goal of the game in the 25th minute.

Going firmly against the run of play, it was a significant blow to Clare, particularly as Clare were frustrated

by two good smothering saves by Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash from Padraig Hickey and Clive Earley.

By half-time, Cork held a 1-10 to 0-11 point advantage but on the balance of play, Clare would have been optimsitic for the second pe- riod. In an effort to regain control, Clare brought out Blaine Earley as a third midfielder and they were soon level with another Chaplin free and a trademark monster score from O’Connell.

Je yuspeter-bel

Ring and Cormac

O’Donovan swapped points by the end of the final quarter but that was as good as it would get for Clare as they visably tired and a fresher Cork side, aided by a flurry of substitutes, resumed control. They tacked on a further five points in a ten minute period to put some daylight between the sides while Clare’s only oppor- tunity came by way of substitute Darach Honan whose effort hit the side netting.

Cork finally put the result to bed in the 56th minute and again it was

Farrell who did the damage, raiding down the right wing before deliver- ing a cross that eventually broke to Maurice O’Sullivan to pull to the net. Clare did reply with a goal of their own only seconds later when Cormac O’Donovan burst through the centre of the Cork defence before somehow kicking to the net after his shot was hooked but it was too little too late as Cork marched on to the final.

So it’s back to the drawing board again for Clare but hopefully the county board can redevelop the county’s interest in the competition and not just provide different col- oured chalk.

IT’S a case of “beware the wounded animal’ this Wednesday for Clare as first round victims Waterford travel to Ennis in search of revenge. Clare certainly rode their luck in a last gasp 1-12 to O-14 victory over the Deise in Fraher Field, Dungarvan in April but with a back-door system in place for the first round losers, it al- most seemed inevitable that it would be Waterford to re-emerge as Clare’s opponents for this week’s semi-final.

As the last meeting between the sides demonstrated, there will be little between them on Wednes- day and really it is all about which side has learned the most from the last encounter. Despite edging that game, Clare didn’t perform to their

undoubted potential that night but perhaps that can be put down to first day nerves and the incessant rain that made conditions quite treacher- O)USd ere

However, Clare’s biggest dilemma this year has been their tendency to play more as individuals rather than as a team, a somewhat inevitable re- sult of being the best players at their clubs. It is particularly up front that this has hurt Clare as individual greed to take on a shot overrides the need to find a team-mate in a better position, resulting in a total of fifteen wides in the first game. Still, Clare have had eight weeks to rectify that fraility along with tackling (excuse the pun) the problem of needless in- discipline that almost cost Clare last ebeslemelULM

It is envisaged though that the per- sonnel may stay the same for Clare this week, with perhaps only a few alterations to positions. That said, main forward Conor McGrath needs more support in the scoring stakes if Clare are to survive here as Wa- terford will be targetting the Cratloe player after his 1-7 haul in the quar- ter-final. Daire Keane did chip in with two storming points from the wing but they need the likes of Gary Guilfoyle, Aaron Considine, David O’Halloran and Eoin Hanrahan to share the load.

Waterford’s half-forward duo of Paudric Mahony and_ Brian O’Halloran were the chief cause of concern for Clare in the quarter-fi- nals, scoring three points apiece and they tacked on a further 1-6 between

them in the play-off against Limerick at the beginning of May. That added to the leadership of Martin O’Neill who almost singlehandedly beat GUE Tcceeyn We eve s0Ue, sLN0Ur: clei elo dom clen ond half display in Dungarvan, scor- ing eight points makes Waterford a dangerous opponent, particularly as they will need no motivation to take on Clare after their previous meet- ing.

Still, with home advantage, the confidence gained from the last game and the huge carrot of playing in a Munster final, this is a unique opportunity that Clare cannot afford to pass up. And in the right frame of mind, they should grasp that oppor- tunity here.