Category: Sport

TWO Clare surfers have been selected for the Irish Surf team to represent the country when the European Surfing Championships “Eurosurf”, supported by Fáilte Ireland, happen in Bundoran, County Donegal, from September 23 until October 3 this year.

Oliver O’Flaherty, 24, and Stephen Kelleher, 24, both from Lahinch competed in a series of selection events in early 2011 in order to secure a place on the Irish national surf team.

O’Flaherty is a member of the West Coast Surf Club and will be competing in the open surfing division of Eurosurf. Kelleher has recently been elected vice-chairman of West Coast Surf Club and is no stranger to international competition and was ranked 17th whilst representing Ireland at Eurosurf 09 in Jersey. He is also WCSC Longboard Champion 2008, the even he will compete in at Eurosurf.

The European Surfing Championships alternate each year between the senior event “Eurosurf” (odd years) and the Junior event “Eurojunior” (even years). The separation into a junior event and senior event happened in 1992.

The Euros were first held in 1970 in Jersey. 2011 will be Irelands fourth time to host Eurosurf, and third time in Bundoran. The previous Eurosurf events held in Ireland were 1972 in Spanish Point, which was won by England, 1985 in Bundoran, won by France, 1997 in Bundoran, won by Portugal.

The other team members are Ronan Oertzen, Shauna Ward, Darragh McCarter & Richie Fitzgerald from Bundoran, Stephen Kilfeather & Ashleigh Smith from Sligo, Shane Meehan from Strandhill and Cain Kilcullen from Enniscrone.

One position remains to be filled on the team and the contest is between John Britton (JB) from Rossnowlagh and Keith O’Brien from Tramore. A “surf-off” will take place at the Sea Sessions surf and music festival in Bundoran at the end of June to decide the final member of the Irish Surf team to compete at Eurosurf 2011.

The team will be coached by Pascal Devine, a native of Newtownstewart in County Tyrone and managed by Stevie Burns from Portrush. With over 40 years of surfing between them, they are well qualified to bring the team through their paces to compete against the best of Europe in September.

IT WASN’T long ago that the An Post Rás worked its way through the roads of County Clare en route to the second stage finish in Kilrush and race organiser Dermot Dignam has delivered a message of “thanks” to the many fans that turned up along the route to cheers the riders along.

“The support the race received along the route was incredible and it really made the Rás a wonderful spectacle for everyone to see. The encouragement from the locals in Kilrush was fantastic and no doubt it was a great boost to the riders after such a long day in the saddle racing into a gale force wind. Thanks to all involved in making it such a great stage.”

After an action filled eight days of top class racing, An Post had cause for a double celebration as Lithuanian Gediminas Bagdonas took the yellow jersey home for the An Post Sean Kelly team. He was also first past the line in Kilrush, and from there on he never looked back, holding the yellow jersey from the fol- lowing day all the way to the finish line in Skerries, Dublin.

Bagdonas also had words of praise for the Clare crowds after roaring him on to his first stage victory, which he said helped him believe he could go on to take the overall title.

“It was such a difficult stage, with really strong winds. The cheers along the route helped me and the team a lot and I was so happy that I won the stage in Kilrush. It was a special day for me and the support pushed me on to get the victory. After that stage I really believed I could win the race and thankfully I did. It is the biggest win of my career so far and one I will never forget.”

KILRUSH Town Council is to spearhead the development of top-class sports facilities in the heart of the west Clare capital after months of negotiations at securing a key site in the town were brought to a successful conclusion in the past week.

Kilrush Town Manager, Nora Kaye, has revealed that facilities encompassing a flood-lit astro-turf pitch and a number of full size playing pitches are earmarked for the site on the Cooraclare Road.

And, FAI chief executive John Delaney is set to launch the project plan for the new sports facilities when he visits Kilrush on July 12 next when Clare plays host to the FAI annual general meeting first the first time.

The development will be driven by the Town Council in partnership with Clare County Council and sporting organisations in Kilrush and has been made possible after agreement on a lease has been secured with the owners.

“For over 12 months we have been in negotiations with the ESB and Department of Education,” revealed Ms Kaye, “and we have reached agreement on the lease of lands and now hope to have plans drawn up for an astro-turf pitch and a number of other pitches. It is a very positive move”.

“We had a lot of red-tape to get through and we have been working on this for a long time,” said Town Clerk John Corry, “as we needed to convince both owners of the land.

“Now with agreement reached we are in a position to draw up plans. There is no cost to drawing up plans and then when funding becomes available we have plans in place to avail of funding and go ahead with the project,” he added.

“Unless there is grant aid, it won’t be happening,” warned Mayor of Kilrush Liam Williams, “but by having plans in places we’re told that we’ll be in a position to avail of funding”.

“We have met with sporting bodies in Kilrush,” revealed John Corry “and spoke to them about what their priorities would be.

“Now we will draw up a draft plan and go through planning and hopefully that will take place soon. We will drive the project but when it’s completed it will be managed by a working group”.

“It’s the chance of a lifetime for sport in Kilrush,” said Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF).

Cork 3-16 – Clare 0-10 at Clooney

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Crusheen 4-23 – Broadford 2-08 at Crusheen

THE RACE for the top two qualification spots heated up further on Tuesday as Crusheen reclaimed pole position after a four day absence. And there was never any doubt about the county champions extending their unbeaten run after strolling to a facile victory against a Broadford side that failed to muster even the most token of challenges to the home side’s impressive scoring tally of all but six points from play.

The visitors were missing five of their starting line up but Crusheen for their part finished the game with half their second string either starting or entering the fray.

Missing their county contingent and aided by a stiff breeze, Crusheen gave a debut to David McMahon in goal and he had little to trouble him over the game.

Crusheen raced into an early commanding 1-6 to 0-0 lead before Padraig Hickey scored Broadford’s opening score. Conor O’Donnell had the first Crusheen goal with a long range effort that found the net.

Paddy Meaney (2), Fergus Kennedy, Shaun Dillon and Gearoid O’Doherty (2) were the point scorers. Craig Chaplin (2 frees) responded for Broadford before Crusheen went on a scoring spree in the second quarter adding (3-11) in 15 minutes.

Patrick Meaney was scorer in chief with (3-1) as Gearoid O’Doherty (3) Fergus Kennedy (3), Niall Fitzgib- bon (2), Alan Brigdale and Ciaran O’Doherty added points.

There was little Broadford could manage in the second half especially as the Crusheen defence was totally dominant with Alan Brigdale and Ciaran O’Doherty in sparkling form and Gerry O’Grady and Fergus Kennedy controlling midfield. Crusheen scored the first four points of the second half as Patrick Meaney finished the game with a personal tally of (3-6).

Padraig Hickey scored a great goal and added a brace of frees. Alan Kilcoyne (1-1) and Aonghus O Brien (2) in the final five minutes added consolation scores but there was no denying Crusheen their fifth Clare cup win out of six outings.

Best for the winners was the full back line of the Brigdale brothers and Cronan Dillon with Ciaran O’Doherty in fine form at centre back.

Midfield was dominated by Crusheen whilst up front Patrick Meaney produced a man of the match display aided well by Gearoid O’Donnell, Darragh O’Doherty and Gearoid O’Doherty in the first half.

Broadford are facing a relegation battle from division 1 despite the best efforts of Craig Chaplin, Dara Corcoran, Padraig Hickey, Mark Moloney and Peter O’Brien.

Crusheen

David McMahon, John Brigdale, Cronan Dillon,Alan Brigdale (0-1), Jason Greene, Ciaran O’Doherty (0-2), Brendan McMahon, Fergus Kennedy (0-4), Gerry O’Grady, Gearoid O’Donnell (0-1), Shaun Dillon (0-1), Niall Fitzgibbon (0-2), Conor O’Donnell (1-0), Patrick Meaney (3-6), Gearoid O’Doherty (0-6, 5f, 1 s/l)

Subs
Darragh O’Doherty for CO’Donnell, Patrick O’Grady for Meaney,AlanTouhy for S. Dillon

Broadford
Cian O’Brien, John Corcoran,Aidan O’Brien, Mark Moloney, Peter O’Brien, Craig Chaplin (0-2), Niall Moloney,Alan Kilcoyne (1-1), Dara Corcoran, DeclanTeefy,Aonghus O’Brien (0-2), PaurigTaylor, Padraig Hickey (1-3),Alan McMahon, Donal Whelan

Sub
Willie Hayes for Taylor

Man of the Match
Paddy Meaney (Crusheen) Referee Fergus McDonagh (St Josephs D/B)

Crusheen 3-14 – Clarecastle 2-15 at Clarecastle

CRUSHEEN strengthened their position at the top of the Division 1 table after a late injury-time brace that halted the home side’s dramatic fightback. Four points clear with two minutes of normal time remaining, having led since the 12th minute, Crusheen appeared to be cruising towards their fifth unbeaten game but had to endure a nervy finish after Clarecastle hit 1-1 to level the game up on the hour mark.

Crusheen replied immediately with a Darragh O’Doherty point while Clarecastle did have a glorious opportunity to share the spoils but didn’t avail of it and Crusheen punished them at the other end, again through O’Doherty to cement the points.

Considering the absence of so many first team regulars on both sides, this was a surprisingly entertaining and open game that either side could of won but Crusheen did thanks largely to three opportunistic strikes from Paddy O’Grady who scored his second successive hat-trick of goals against the Magpies this year.

Those strikes were the difference for the majority as they were aptly timed to keep the Magpies at bay. The first came after Clarecastle’s bright start that saw Patrick Kelly point after only 11 seconds and Kieran O’Dwyer add to that tally. There was also a goal chance for Niall Dunne at the back post but his shot was straight at goalkeeper David McMahon.

That save was given greater significance when Paddy O’Grady stole in for the opening goal of the game a minute later and despite three Adam Healy points in riposte, the momentum was now with Crusheen who held that goal advantage until the break at 1-5 to 0-5.

The second goal halted another Magpie fightback on the restart when points from Aaron Considine and Healy had dented Crusheen’s lead. It came after a Shaun Dillon delivery that broke to O’Grady to pull to the net in the 36th minute and open up a five point gap.

Once more, Clarecastle came back at the county champions, this time hitting four points without reply, three from the stick of Tyrone Kearse by the turn of the final quarter to cut the deficit to two.

However, O’Grady’s third major in the 48th minute appeared to have put paid to any hopes of a revival until that late Magpie burst which should have earned a much needed point for the home side but instead Crusheen ground out another trademark victory.

Crusheen
David McMahon, John Brigdale, Cronan Dillon, Alan Brigdale, Jason Greene, Shaun Dillon, Brendan McMahon,Tony Meaney, Gerry O’Grady (0-4 3f, 1’65), Gearoid O’Donnell (0-1), Niall Fitzgibbon (02), David Forde,AlanTuohy (0-1f), Paddy O’Grady (3-0), Darragh O’Doherty (0-5)

Subs
Fergus Kennedy (0-1) for Meaney (23 mins, inj), Padraic O’Malley for Forde (25 mins, inj)

Clarecastle
Donnagh Murphy, Seanie Moloney, Garry Farmer, Kevin Clohessy, Fearghus Ryan, Patrick Kelly (0-1), Eric Flynn,Tyrone Kearse (0-4 1f, 1’65),Andrew Page, Jamie O’Connor, Kieran O’Dwyer (0-2), AdamHealy (0-5 1f), Niall Dunne,Alan O’Loughlin, Aaron Considine (1-2 1f)

Subs
SeanTalty (1-0) for Dunne (HT), David Green (0-1) for O’Loughlin (48 mins)

Man of the Match
Paddy O’Grady (Crusheen) Referee Seanie McMahon (Newmarket-on-Fergus)

St Senan’s Kilkee 2-12 – Cooraclare 1-08 at Shanahan Memorial Park, Doonbeg

“HOW are ye fixed,” was a question posed to a former Blues great before the start of the championship encounter in Doonbeg on Monday afternoon. “We don’t know,” came the answer. “We never do.”

True too, they’re Kilkee after all – the moody Blues who can lurch from the very good to the bad.

Thankfully from their point view the good side was on show as they ground out a deserved victory over a Cooraclare side that never really got going.

It was a tough weekend for Cooraclare after the sudden death of Pat Lillis, former club chairman, championship winner and father Fergal and Cathal who put family tragedy behind them to take their place on the starting 15.

Some things are much more important than football, but it was tough out on the field for Cooraclare too as they played second fiddle to a Kilkee side that showed a clinical touch in front of goal in the second half.

Michael O’Shea was the man – his haul of 1-7 was the difference between the sides, his goal nine minutes into the second half putting his side six points clear, while he then tacked on three crucial points in the final ten minutes after Rory Donnelly’s 45th minute goal had helped bring the gap back to a point.

Things looked good for the Blues at the break after they carved out a 06 to 0-5 interval lead having played against the strong breeze blowing towards the scoreboard goal. They held the initiative early on thanks to two Michael O’Shea points, gradually Cooraclare settled down and reeled off three in a row courtesy of Rory Donnelly, Declan McMahon and Cathal Lillis by the 19th minute.

Indeed, Aidan Moloney’s side looked to have grabbed the initiative approaching half time when they responded to a levelling point from Barry Harte with points by Mark Tubridy and Rory Donnelly, but it was missed goal chance in the 29th minute when they led 0-5 to 0-4 that really cost them dear.

The chance fell to Rory Donnelly about six yards out, but he snatched his left-footed shot into the side netting.

From there the Blues raided, with Kevin Larkin storming up the field and kicking the score of the day from 45 yards and Michael O’Shea following up with an injury time point to give them the interval lead.

Nine minutes in they had stretched it to six after Chris Williamson and Michael O’Shea points was followed by O’Shea’s goal after he was put through by Senan Larkin with his first touch after coming on as a sub. From there it looked as if the Blues would close out the game but it was back in the melting pot when Sean Maguire set up Rory Donnelly for a 45th minute goal that was quickly followed by two Mark Tubridy points from frees to leave only a point in it. Suddenly the force was with Cooraclare, but Michael O’Shea restored order with a hat-trick of points by the 56th minute as Kilkee moved four clear, while Chris Williamson’s 61st minute goal finally closed out an impressive day’s work for the Blues.

Ennistymon 0-10 – Liscannor 0-08 at Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown Malbay

IT WAS A changing of the guard in some respects, not just between these former team-mates but in the overall championship itself. In a game as tight as a submarine door, you would have expected experts Liscannor to pull through just as they have done countless times before but aging legs were replaced by Ennistymon’s fresh ones in the crucial final quarter.

With an average age of 31 and two thirds of the team the wrong side of 30, Liscannor were unable to kick on from an 0-8 to 0-6 advantage held by the 45th minute and it was Ennistymon, backed by seven of their Under 21 winning side, who kicked the last four scores to take the honours and give themselves a tremendous boost heading into the ten week break.

It was all so different in the early stages as Liscannor surged into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead by the end of the opening quarter with Niall Considine at full-forward grabbing two of those scores. However, their grip was loosened by an Ennistymon rally that saw them hit four without reply in a six minute spell as Danny Rouine punished from frees while impressive wing-forwards Kevin Scales and Joe Dowling were on target from play. There was even a half chance of a goal for Robert McDonagh af- ter a Rouine free rebounded off the upright but he was smothered by Liscannor’s last line before Clohessy gained parity at the other end going into the interval. The scores were few but the en- tertainment and tension grew to a heightened level as the second half progressed. Ennistymon appeared to have kicked their hopes of victory away in the early stages with three successive wides while Liscannor were more accurate at the other end in grabbing three out of the first four points of the half by the turn of the final quarter to lead by 0-8 to 0-6, with Brian Considine’s curling effort from 35 metres the pick of the bunch. More often than not, Liscannor would have seen out the victory from that point but far from dropping their heads, Ennistymon refused to lie down and their hunger to succeed allied to their fresher legs saw them gain confidence from every passing score. A Danny Rouine free and a Joe Dowling left footed effort from 35 metres levelled up the game for the third time amidst a huge roar of approval from a packed new stand while Dowling turned provider for their third point in as many minutes as Ennistymon took the lead through Kevin Scales in the 50th minute. The expected backlash from Liscannor never materialised however as they got nowhere near to scoring their first championship goal in seven games. Instead, it was Ennistymon who strengthened their position further when Scales burst through the centre of the defence and was hauled down for Rouine to complete a perfect start to the championship and come out from under the shadow of their north Clare neighbours.

St Breckan’s 3-11 – Éire Óg 1-10 at Páirc Finne, Corofin

THE biggest score of the opening weekend of the championship; the biggest winning margin; the biggest shock.

All combined to make this a glorious return to the ranks of senior football for the men from Lisdoonvarna and Doolin as they dished out a thoroughly deserved seven-point beating to an Éire Óg team that’s already fighting for survival in the 2011 championship.

Where to start for Breckan’s.

The all action display of the likes of Stephen Tierney who started running when the ball was thrown in and didn’t stop until the end in a performance highlighted by his brilliant 55th minute goal that finally the game and put his side seven points clear.

Sean Cormican’s two-goal blast in the first half that put Breckan’s on the road to victory – the industry of everyone wearing maroon, whether snaffling up 90 per cent of the breaks around midfield, Dinny O’Driscoll pulling the strings, Greg O’Leary coming out of retirement.

All this and much more conspired to bring Breckan’s alive against an Éire Óg team that was flat-footed and consequently overrun for the 60 minutes and lucky to be within seven points at the end.

The writing was on the wall for the Townies are early as the 11th minute when a quick free-kick from Pat Nagle on the 21-yard line was finished to the net by Sean Cormican before anyone in red knew what was happening.

It put St Breckan’s 1-4 to 0-3 clear against the breeze, bookending a bright start that saw them hit early points through Denis O’Driscoll (2), Donal Howley and Pat Nagle to replies from Stephen Hickey (2) and Eoin Glynn.

Éire Og did bounce back from the goal with points by Hickey and Nicky Hogan by the 19th minute, but a sweeping move in the 21st minute, started by the impressive Raphael Considine, carried on by fellow wing-back Stephen Tierney and then blasted to the net by Sean Cormican from 12 yards showed up the gulf between the sides – Breckan’s had energy, support play and killer instinct, the Townies didn’t. That said, another rally that yield- ed 1-2 in the closing minutes of the half – Hickey pointing on either side of Nicky Hogan’s scrambled goal brought the sides level at the break. It was a very false reflection, how- ever, something that was hammered home by a rampant St Breckan’s side in between hitting seven second half wides. Éire Óg were restricted to just three points from frees in the half – Breckan’s hit 1-7 to cruise to victory. They were on their way thanks to points by the Cormican brothers and Pat Nagle as they moved three clear and they never looked back. They toyed with the Townies at times before points by Nagle (2), Shane O’Connor from distance in response to token points from two Shane Daniels frees and finally Stephen Tierney’s brilliant goal settled the issue. Not even the sending off of captain Conor Howley near the end could spoil St Breckans’ party. A second Nicky Hogan goal was disallowed in the 60th minute for a square ball, but even if it had been allowed, it wouldn’t have made any difference.

O’Curry’s 3-09 – Ballyvaughan 1-03 at Hennessy Memorial Park, Miltown Malbay

A CLASH OF the last two relegated sides from senior level but it appears that O’Curry’s are in the best position to regain that status in the coming year after an impressive treble scores victory on Sunday. 2-6 to 0-1 ahead at the break and a whopping 16 points clear by the three quarter mark, the gap in quality at times appeared as contrasting as their northsouth divide on the county map and it meant that O’Curry’s could ease up to victory and empty the bench in the process.

From the line-ups alone, it was clear that Ballyvaughan came off worst in the emigration losses and so it proved as O’Curry’s kicked 2-4 without reply in the opening quarter, with Eoin Troy in particular revelling in his role at full-forward. Indeed, he was involved in all but one of those scores, scoring 1-1 himself while also crucially teeing up Damien Clohessy for the opening goal in the sixth minute.

O’Curry’s slicker passing was eyecatching, emitomised by Troy’s 13th minute goal that was moved through Sean Haugh, Ger Quinlan and Michael Carmody before ending up with Eoin Troy who roofed his effort from close range on their way to an eleven point interval lead.

Any hopes of a Ballyvaughan recovery were irrefutably put to bed as early as the third minute of the new half when Eoin Troy’s pinpoint pass over the top to Sean Haugh saw him hauled to the ground by Kieran Casey and Eoin Troy place the resultant penalty to the right corner of the net. Indeed, O’Curry’s should have raised a fourth green flag soon afterwards but Damien Clohessy somehow conspired to miss from point blank range.

That miss hardly registered in such a one-sided contest as Derek and Eoin Troy added to Ballyvaughan’s woes to open up a 16 point gap by the 42nd minute. As O’Curry’s emptied the bench though, Ballyvaughan availed of the opportunity to restore some pride with Jack Queally grabbing a goal in the 47th minute when suppied by the north Clare side’s best performer James Hynes inbetween points from John McCormack and Hynes. They could have cut the deficit further when Hynes and Queally again combined late on but goalkeeper PJ Greene was equal to the substitute’s efforts while a second yellow for Ray Casey rounded off a thoroughly forgettable afternoon for Ballyvaughan while possibly the start of a memorable one for O’Curry’s.

O’Curry’s
PJ Greene (7), Paul Roche (7), Michael O’Shea (8), Gearoid Lynch (7), BrianTroy (7) (0-1), Ollie Quinlan (7),TomDownes (8), DerekTroy (7) (0-1), Ger Quinlan (8), Damien Carmody (8) (0-2), Sean Haugh (8) (0-1), Michael Foran (7), Michael Carmody (7) (0-1), EoinTroy (9) (2-3 1-0 Pen), Damien Clohessy (7) (1-0)

Subs
DeclanWalsh (6) for Foran (38 mins, inj), Jack Scanlon (6) for M. Carmody (41 mins), Eoin Murray (6) for D. Clohessy (46 mins), Ryan McMahon (6) for Downes (49 mins), GeraldTroy for E.Troy (58 mins)

Ballyvaughan
Damien McNamara (6), Marc Walsh (7), Sean McNamara (5), Mark O’Loughlin (7), CianWalsh (6), Kieran Casey (6), John Linnane (6), Ray Casey (6), John McCormack (6) (0-1), PhelimCoyne (5), Kevin Carrucan (5), Cillian Mahon (6),Adrian Niland (7) (0-1f), Donnacha Mahon (6), James Hynes (7) (0-1)

Subs
Jack Queally (7) (1-0) for Coyne (HT), Paul Darcy (6) for Carrucan (HT),Thomas Francis (6) for D. Mahon (41 mins), John Mooney Hynes for C. Walsh (53 mins)

Man of the Match
Eoin Troy (O’Curry’s) Referee Barry Kelly (St Joseph’s Miltown)