Category: Sport

A PROPOSAL to run a separate cup competition for B teams has been roundly rejected by Clare clubs.

Citing poor attendance at last year’s cup final between Avenue United A and Bridge United B (the second successive final meeting between the pair), the Clare District Soccer League (CDSL) executive argued that the Clare cup should be run as club competition with a separate cup competition for B teams.

At last Monday’s AGM, secretary Oliver Fitzpatrick explained that the decision to put forward the motion was based on the poor attendance at last season’s final.

Fitzpatrick told the meeting that the executive did not intend to “disrespect” the achievements of B teams who have enjoyed successful cup runs in recent seasons.

In the past five years alone three B teams – Avenue United B (2006), Lifford B (2009) and Bridge United B (2010 & 2011) – have all contested Clare Cup finals.

Figures contained in the annual accounts showed that the CDSL took in € 2410 in gate receipts in 2011. This represented a drop of € 2130 on the figure for 2010. Treasurer Michael McInerney said the shortfall was due to the low cup final attendance.

He added, “It was very poor, well down on the 2010 crowd”.

However clubs strongly rejected calls for a separate cup competition.

Chairman of Bridge United, Finbar Toomey, whose club’s B team has contested the past two Clare Cup finals, criticised the motion.

He said, “We’re totally against it. It discriminates against B teams”.

Toomey warned that if the motion was passed, his club would consider “pulling our A team out of the cup”.

Mark Moloney of Hermitage FC said the proposal would “knock the romance off the Cup”.

Ennis Town Rock delegate, Kevin Keenan questioned if the poor attendance had anything to do with the cup final clashing with the television coverage of the Heineken cup, which was played the same day.

Mikey Whyte of Bridge United said the league should consider making the Clare Cup a double header with either the FAI or Munster Clare area finals played before it.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT of the winners of the Clare District Soccer League (CDSL) fair play award provoked a few wry chuckles at the league’s annual general meeting on Monday night of last week.

“Now lads this isn’t a fix”, remarked league registrar Leo Murphy with a smile as he told club delegates that Treaty Celtic had won the Fair Play accolade for the 2010/11 season.

Murphy’s assurances were jokingly dismissed by delegates as bursts of laughter and cries of “fix” filled the McCarthy room at the West County Hotel.

Surely the clubs had little reason to be skeptical. After all Treaty Celtic are a team comprised of Gardaí based in Limerick and Clare, making them perhaps the team most likely to win a prize for staying on the right side of the law. In their debut season, Celtic finished in mid-table the third division.

Meanwhile, Murphy also reminded clubs of new procedures for the payment of team affiliation fees.

He said clubs must pay € 400 at the start of August while a further pay- ment of € 400 must be made by November.

Details were also announced of a new method of registering players. Murphy told the meeting that players can now be registered by email.

He said this would allow clubs to register new players at short notice prior to games. He explained that forms would only be accepted by the league registrar or secretary.

In his annual report, Murphy also urged clubs to return cheques for affiliation fees by registered post.

Ennistymon 0-12 – Éire Óg 0-9 at Cooraclare

ENNISTYMON are going places; Éire Óg simply are not.

That’s a summary of this Garry Cup final in one sentence as the north Clare Magpies moved forward to Cusack Cup fare in 2012 as impressive winners of this second tier competition.

And, in reality they won this game as they pleased, from the front in the second half as Éire Óg’s tepid performance eventually petered out before the end as their attack failed to make any real impact against a resolute Ennistymon defence.

Contrast this to Ennistymon’s forwards because when it mattered most experienced heads like Joe Dowling and Brian Conway slotted key points from play, while the midfield dominance they enjoyed thanks to David Murphy and Ronan Linnane gave them the platform to win a first ever Garry Cup.

It may have taken Ennistymon 15 minutes to register a score, but that slow start wasn’t bettered that much by an Éire Óg side that failed to translate possession into scores, with a free from Stephen Hickey after three minutes their only return.

Into this vacuum eventually came Ennistymon, with a breakaway point from Joey Rouine mid-way through the half finally getting them going.

That Éire Óg’s best moment of the game came in the 17th minute when Ciaran Russell started and finished a move when he stormed up the field with real intent said much about the overal Townie performance.

They were dire, especially in what was a turgid first half that saw Ennistymon grind out a 0-5 to 0-3 interval lead on the back of the free-taking of Joe Dowling and Brian Conway, who bagged two points each.

A brilliant long range free from David Ryan two minutes before the break did rally the Townies somewhat while another free Stephen Hickey a minute after the resumption had the gap down to the minimum.

Alas, this dawn was a very false one as Ennistymon soon got into the groove once more and effectively closed out the game in the first 12 minutes when a brilliant effort from David Murphy was followed by points by Brian Conway (2), Joe Dowling and Sean McConigely moved them 0-10 to 0-6.

Éire Óg needed a goal, but it never looked like happening as their forwards ran out of ideas long before the end. Another David Ryan point, this time from play in the 43rd minute, again raised their spirits, but by the time Brian Conway resorted their four-point advantage entering the last ten minutes the Garry Cup was firmly destined for a trip up the N67 and not in the Ennis Road.

The Townies did try to take the fight until the last, with substitute David Russell pegging it back to a threepoint game deep in injury time, but had a goal arrived to get them out of the jail, it would have been an injustice – to their own performance and to Ennistymon’s superiority over the 60-something minutes as they finally laid claim to some senior silverware.

It was something that was long overdue.

LAHINCH’S Niall Morrison is the last Clareman left standing in the 110th South of Ireland Amateur Golf Championship taking place in Lahinch this week. The local favourite qualified for the last 16 of the prestigious competition after beating Louth’s Daniel Coyle on the 17th hole on Monday evening.

Morrison advanced to Monday’s second round along with three other Clare men, fellow clubmates Thomas Neenan and Stephen Loftus and Ennis’ Noel Pyne, who despite eventual defeat to Stackstown’s Richard Bridges, carved out his own unique bit of history by playing in his 49th consecutive South of Ireland championship. ROUND1 M.Ryan (Grange) beat M.Mc Alpin (Portrush) 3/2. N. Grant (Knock) beat S. Cannon (Loughrea) 1 Hole. S.Loftus ( Lahinch) beat M.Grimes (Skerries)3/2. I.Murphy (Waterford) beat J.Fox (Portmarnock) 2/1. N. Morrison (Lahinch) beat D. Murphy (Portarlington) 3/1. D. Coyle (Co. Louth) beat T. McDonagh(U.S.A) 1hole. C.Geraghty (L & B ) beat B.Ronan (Co.Louth) 2 holes. M.O’Kelly (Limerick) S.Barry (L & B) 1 hole C.Moulds (Lisburn) beat G.Lenehan(Portmarnock) 4/2. J.Lyons ( Birr) beat C.Molloy (Ardee) 1 hole. J.Hume (Rathsallagh) beat M.Buggy (Castlecomer) 5/4. G.Carew(Edenderry) beat J. Kavanagh ( Castletroy) 2 holes. C.O’Rourke ( Nass/NUIM) beat D.Downie ( Sutton) 2/1. G.Bohill ( Co.Louth) beat E. Smith (Ardee) 2/1. K.McDonagh(Athlone/NUIM) beat D. McInerney 5/3. R. Cannon ( Balbriggan) beat C. McKenna ( Mallow) 3/2. P.Delaney (Arklow) beat L.Hartnett (Milltown) 1 hole. D.Ruddy (Co.Tipperary) beat D.O’Sullivan (Strandhill) 3/2. G.Collins (Rosslare) beat D. Hallissey(Muskerry) 6/5. C.Selfridge(Moyola Park) beat D.O’Donovan(Muskerry) 2/1. J.Pierse (Grange) beat P.Small (Bangor) 1 hole. I.O’Rourke (Cork) beat G.Mungovan (Headfort) 3/2. L.Hutchinson (The Royal Dublin) beat B.Walton(Island) 2/1 R.Bridges (Stackstown) beat P.Murray (Limerick) 1hole. N.Pyne (Ennis) beat D.King (Tramore) 6/4. D.Ryan (Grange) beat E.McCormack (Galway) 4/3. S.Bryan (Delgany) beat N.Goulding (Portmarnock) 4/2. J.Hopkins (Skerries) beat J.Waldron (Muskerry) 3/2. S.Walsh (Baltinglass) beat A. Kelly (Charleville) 5/4. R. Burke (Castle) beat R.O’Sullivan (Cobh) 5/4. T.Neenan (Lahinch) beat S.Moloney(Castletroy) 4/3. ROUND 2 N.Grant (Knock) beat M.Ryan (Grange) 2/1. I.Murphy (Waterford) beat S.Loftus (Lahinch) 4/3. N.Morrisson (Lahinch) beat D.Coyle (Co.Louth) 2/1. A.Hogan ( Newlands) beat C.Geraghty (L & B) 19th. C.Moulds (Lisburn) beat M.O’Kelly (Limerick) 19th. J.Hume (Rathsallagh) beat J.Lyons (Birr) 6/5. C. O’Rourke ( Naas) beat G.Carew( Edenderry) 2/1. K.McDonagh (Athlone/NUIM) beat G. Bohill (Co. Louth) 2/1. R.Cannon (L & B) beat P.Delaney ( Arklow) 4/2. D.Ruddy ( Co.Tipperary) beat G.Collins ( Rosslare) 3/2. C.Selfridge (Moyola Park) beat J.Pierse (Grange) 6/5. L.Hutchinson (The Royal Dublin) beat I.O’Rourke (Cork) 3/1. R.Bridges (Stackstown) beat N.Pyne (Ennis) 5/4. D.Ryan (Grange) beat S.Bryan (Delgany) 2/1. S.Walsh (Baltinglass/UCD) beat J.Hopkins (Skerries) 5/4. R.Burke (Castle) beat T.Neenan (Lahinch) 4/2.

CLARE’S history making minor team should be given a two-week lead in to prepare for key championship games so as to maximise the potential the team has to bring further honours to the county.

That was the message delivered to last Thursday’s Clare County Board meeting that was specially convened to try and bring some resolution to the fixtures crisis that the county now finds itself in due to an overlap and clash of club and inter-county championship matches.

County minor team Joint-manager, Donal Moloney, told delegates that a two-week preparation period was vital to the teams’ chances,

“If we are out on the 14th, “ said Moloney, “it will be a case that 16 of the first 20 would be playing the week before. The majority of our players will be playing senior the week before, because they are very important to their clubs.

“If you go back to last year’s AllIreland semi-final against Dublin, we nearly got caught, because we couldn’t get the preparation right. If you look at it all our best performances over the past three years have come when we have had a two week lead in.

“If we are out on the 14 and the senior championship is on on the 6/7 of August, we won’t have our players for that week. We would not be able to plan properly because the week leading up to the match is essentially a rest week.

“It’s a major drawback to us getting to an All-Ireland final. Players are very ambitious and we are requesting that they get a fair crack of the whip,” added Moloney.

However, PJ Fitzpatrick, who preceded Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor in the minor management hotseat rejected the notion of a twoweek run-in, telling delegates that it wasn’t realistic.

“To have these kinds of problems are great problems to have,” said Fitzpatrick. “We are always crying out when we don’t have inter-county success and it absolutely fantastic that the county minors did so well and are going so well.

“I congratulate them whole-heartedly and I congratulate the intermediates. Having said all that we are all sharing the same bed and club hurling has to survive and club football has to survive.

“If it means, when you know what’s coming down the line after Tuesday, having to play some matches the over the weekend of the 7th of August that aren’t affected by the minor – if they’re to be played Monday or Tuesday night, play them.

“There can be no such thing as a team getting a clear run of a fortnight up to a match. That’s not reality. If all the matches were put back it’s going to mean in September that you’d have young lads playing minor for the clubs and Friday and senior on Saturday and schools starting in September. Putting off all matches doesn’t sort things either.

“We will have to play our club matches. That’s my view as a hurling person. We cannot neglect the bedrock of it which is the clubs. It’s not going to be an ideal world for anyone and the pie has to be shared,” he added.

CLARE’S Chris Bryan had a fantastic eighth place finish in the 5k open water event at the World Championships in Shanghai on Friday, clocking in at 56 minutes and 28 seconds – just 11 seconds behind winner Thomas Lurz of Germany. There were 51 starters in total. The result represented Ireland’s first top 8 finish at a World Championships since 2004.

“I approached it differently from the 10k and took it out a lot faster. I managed to stay within the top 15 swimmers for most of the race then towards the end myself and the French swimmer broke away and took a slightly different route than the pack. When I re-joined the pack I was in about eighth position and just stayed calm and pushed hard with 15 minutes to go,” commented Bryan after the race.

“The last 400 metres of the race was rough – everyone was on top of each other, there was a lot of fighting and kicking. I got an elbow in the head but stayed calm and relaxed and really gave it my all to the finish.”

Unlike the 10k race which Chris competed in on Wednesday, the 5k is not an Olympic event. Despite this, today’s race will give Chris a tremendous amount of confidence to continue to perform well on the International stage as he travels to Holland next week to compete in the final leg of the European Open Water Cup.

“This race is going to give me a lot of confidence going forwards and I’m excited to see what I can do in conditions that suit me well, unlike the water today. The 31 degree water temperature here was probably the hottest I’ve ever raced in and it didn’t suit an Irishman!”

Chris finished 27th overall in the 5k event at last year’s European long course Championships (Budapest) and since then has been showing great form on the European circuit, at one stage leading the rankings after the Antalya, Turkey leg.

“A top 8 finish is fantastic. One of Swim Ireland’s targets for this meet is to get two top 8 finishes so this knocks out one of those goals. Last year Chris finished 27th in the 5k event at the European Championships so he has improved a lot in one year. We were hoping for a top 20 finish in the 5k at this meet and it was a very strong field – so top 8 is brilliant,” said Chris’s coach at Swim Ireland’s Limerick High Performance Centre, Ronald Claes.

National Performance Director Peter Banks said “Chris’s top 8 finish is a great start for the team and gives Chris a lot of confidence going forwards when he has another opportunity to qualify for the Olympics in Portugal next year at the Olympic qualifier.”

A WAR of words over the chaos that threatened club championship fixtures over the next month broke out at last Thursday’s county board meeting convened specially to try to deal with what full-time secretary Pat Fitzgerald a “doomsday” situation.

The robust exchanges were between Doonbeg delegate Michael Neenan and county board chairman Michael O’Neill as they clashed over the Masters Fixtures Plan and its failure to make any provision for club championship games to take place in July

“The night we ratified this Masters Fitxtures plan, I suggested that night that when the county teams would be out of the championships, we would play a round of the championship,” said Neenan in leading his charge against the county board.

“You Mr Chairman ruled it out that week. You ruled it out quite strongly from the top table. You said the Masters Fitxtures plan was there and that it wouldn’t be changed. What has changed since?

“Who called this meeting? Did any delegate ring you up to call this meeting? Was it managers from county teams that called it? Was it you from the top table who called the meeting?,” added Mr Neenan.

“I called the meeting as chairman of the Clare County Board,” responded O’Neill, while board secretary Pat Fitzgerald said “there was no point calling you all in when Doomsday is here. It’s now”.

However, Neenan then resumed his stinging criticism of the fixtures blueprint. “There is a Master Fitxtures Plan here Mr Chairman and you shot me down quite strongly when I suggested when all teams would be out of Munster and Qualifiers that we would come back and look at it,” he said.

“We are looking at something blind here tonight. We could have played games that would have helped out managers going forward, if we had played our club championships over the past three weeks.

“I am looking at three weekends in July when games could have been played. How come you couldn’t see this happening. You left three weekends in July when nothing happened.

“You called us in here a big late. You are right on top of the semi-finals of the minor and intermediate now. There were three weekends when we could have been playing hurling and football championship. I pointed that out to you quite clearly,” he said.

“Things happen,” responded the board chairman. “We are where we are. We are in two All-Ireland semifinals and one Munster semi-final.

“I’m not God, I’m only chairman of the Clare County Board. I can’t pre-empt what’s going to happen,” O’Neill added.

THE sweat and toil of pre-season beckons for Ennis Rugby Club as they prepare for a new season.

The club’s adult teams return for training next week as they look to build on the progress made last season.

Ennis finished in mid-table of division two of the Munster junior league and will be hoping to kick on after some encouraging displays.

Former Garryowen head coach, Dara O’Sullivan will begin his second season at the helm. This year the club will field two adult teams so all new players are welcome. Anyone interested in joining the club can contact Brian Farrell (captain) 087 9610968 or Richard Murphy (chairman of rugby) 085 1166298.

The club would also like to thank all people who came out to support for a recent golf classic at Ennis Golf Club. Pre-season training begins at Ennis Rugby Club on Tuesday August 2 at 7pm.

THE county intermediate hurling side that made history two weeks ago when bringing a first ever provincial title to the county in the grade used the special meeting of the Clare County Board to issue their call for a seven-day run in free from club championship duties ahead of the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway.

“We need to get a week to prepare for the All-Ireland semi-final from the 6th to the 13th,” selector Niall Romer told last Thursday’s meeting – directing his appeal to both clubs and the top table for this leeway to be given to the intermediates before their semi-final against Galway on August 13 that will now take place in Cusack Park.

“We have no problem with club hurling. When club hurling is going well, county hurling is going well, but our players just want a fair crack of the whip before the All-Ireland semi-final.

“A week is all we’re asking for. A week from the 6th to the 13th. Before we played Cork in the Munster semifinal we had one player who played championship two nights before, but we said nothing about it. Now all we are asking for is that you give us a bit of a break. We’re fighting our own corner here and all we want is that week,” added Romer.

The move by the intermediate management comes after their preparations for the Munster final against Limerick were hampered by club and county board insistence that club games go ahead during the week leading up to the fixture that took place on Wednesday July 13.

“We’re the whipping boys of the Clare set-up. We were given no chance,” said Romer ahead of the Munster final.

“If we got a little bit more support from certain people it would mean so much to us. We’re fighting against people in our own county. In racing language it should only be a seven furlong race, but it feels like it’s a Grand National. There are hurdles every step of the way.

“It’s very frustrating, but it’s driving us on. We’re working away on our own. All we were asking that we’d have no matches from Wednesday to Wednesday so that we wouldn’t run the risk of having any more injuries,” he added.

Before the Munster final club games were played up until the Saturday beforehand, much to the chagrin of the management.

The situation was magnified when key player Niall Gilligan injured his hamstring when lining out for Sixmilebridge, but he still took his place on the Clare team four days later that brought a first ever title in the grade to the county.

Newmarket 4-14 – Fergus Rovers 0-03 at Banner GAA

NEWMARKET recorded a comprehensive victory over an understrength Fergus Rovers on Thursday evening to keep them in the hunt for silverware.

The dual senior club, who captured the county intermediate title last year, were much sharper while seven of their players contributed scores. At half time they led 3-7 02 and maintained their firm grip on proceedings for the second period to ease up to victory. The Kaiser sisters, Ruth and Niki scored two goals each while team captain Carol O’Leary chipped in with four points.

The winners had fine performances from Roisin McMahon, Chloe Morey, Carol O’Leary, Laura McMahon and the Kaiser sisters. Carmel McGuane was outstanding for Fergus Rovers while Kelly Talty, Aoife Clohessy, Clare Hester and Laura Hanrahan all played well.

Newmarket are well in contention in this competition and will play Miltown in an outstanding fixture after the Clare v Tipperary match next Monday while Fergus Rovers are now out of the championship.

Newmarket- on- Fergus
Aine Lawlor, Jane O’Leary, Stephanie Halpin, Maria Kennelly,Aoife Griffin, Roisin McMahon,Aimee McInerney, Chloe Morey (0-1),Aine O’Brien, Gemma McInerney (0-1), Carol O’Leary (capt.) (0-4), Laura McMahon (0-2),Ali Quinlan, Ruth Kaiser (2-2), Niki Kaiser (2-3)

Fergus Rovers
KellyTalty, Rita Donnelly,Aoife Clohessy (0-1), Carmel McGuane, Laura Meaney, Lorraine Kelly, Clare Hester (capt.), Clodagh McNeilis, Laura Hanrahan,Triona Melican, Grainne Griffin,Aine Kelly (0-2 1f), Grainne McCarthy, Ciara O’Malley, Jackie Coughlan

Sub
Zara Hill for Aine Kelly (inj)

Referee
Barry Kelly (Miltown)