Category: Sport

AN INTRIGUING game for more than one reason on Saturday evening. Firstly, due to their intense rivalry that peaked in the 2006 and ‘07 county finals; the fact that Lissycasey legend Martin Daly is the current manager of Éire Óg while the reverse was true of Barry Keating while there was also the small matter of Éire Óg needing the victory to secure their semi-final place while Lissycasey required the points just to stay alive in the division after a disappointing start.

True to form, it turned out to be an inch tight contest that see-sawed in both directions before Lissycasey snatched it with a late brace of points.

The Townies had the better of the opening half’s exchanges to hold a 0-7 to 0-5 advantage but the second half livened up considerably with Lissycasey mounting a full recovery through a Martin Moran penalty. Éire Óg’s reply was also through the penalty spot from captain Stephen Hickey and it looked to have been enough to take all the points when holding a 1-11 to 1-10 lead with time almost up.

There was enough time to mount one final rally though and a late brace completed by Francis Hayes’ winner could yet be a pivotal score in Lissycasey’s season.

Lissycasey
Joe Hayes, Cyril Sheehan, Gerry Moran, Martin O’Connor, Cathal Hill, Michael Melican (0-1) Martin Moran (1-0) Enda Finnucane (0-1), Daniel Clohessy, OisinTalty, Francis Hayes (0-2) Alan Nagle (0-1), Paul Nagle (0-1) Niall Kelly (0-3) Derek McMahon (0-2)

Subs
Sean Hayes (0-1) for Talty, Fergal Talty for P. Nagle

Éire Óg
Eoin Slattery, Robbie Malone, Conor Healy, Michael O’Regan, Paul Madden, Dean Ryan, Nicky Hogan, Shane Daniels, Donie Lyne, Niall Daly, Stephen Hickey, Brian McMahon, Gary Flynn, Sean Crotty, David Monaghan

Subs
Danny Russell for McMahon, DonaghWalsh for Daly

Referee
Michael Fitzgerald (Ballyea)

A LOT of people forget that way back when things were rotten, that it was a junior team that showed the way for Clare hurling, winning a Munster final three days after the seniors were pummelled by Tipperary in their final, then going on to win the All-Ireland in Croke Park.

Still, being intermediate manager is a tough station – the seniors are the flagship team, the minors and the under 21 have a higher profile; the juniors are left to pick up the crumbs.

That’s what manager Kevin Kennedy must have thought many times over the past few months as he tried to piece together a panel of players to try and win a first Munster title in grade for 16 years.

“It was frustrating,” he says. “Very frustrating. I’m like Trappatoni. I’m depending on clubs to release players. There are players who don’t want to play for their county. Isn’t that great?

“There were number of players that I asked and they just weren’t interested. Then there were the clubs. Club managers wouldn’t release players for training. It’s practically impossible to prepare a team. What we did was gathered a group of players who were interested and we really pushed it for the last few weeks after the first two rounds of the club championship were over,” adds.

It was the arrival of Niall Gilligan and Tony Carmody into the squad that gave things a huge lift. “It gave lads a huge lift,” says Kennedy, “and now the players we have now are interested and very committed. Whether we’re good enough remains to be seen, because Cork are supposed to be very good.

“There is no doubt about it but there is a team in Clare that could be got together to win a Munster and All-Ireland title in this grade. Two or three years ago we had a good team and we were in a semi-final against Limerick. Ciaran Carey played for Limerick and was the difference between the sides. That’s why I invited the two lads in.”

With Gilligan and Carmody up front, the blend between youth and experience is provided by the younger brigade of Martin Duggan, Ivor Whyte and the precociously talented Daire Keane.

“I would have liked to have got more young fellas,” says Kennendy. “A few under 21s but the problem is that the under 21 management are not interested in having young fellas moving from one panel to the next.

“There are two or three fellas who would on the team, who are under 21 but didn’t join me. I can do nothing about that.

“We played two challenge matches against Galway and Limerick and were impressive in putting up big scores, but unfortunately we were conceding goals.

“That’s a worry, but I think we have the forwards this year to make a difference,” adds the 1997 All-Ireland winning manager.

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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Ruan 0-14 – Sixmilebridge 0-12 at Clareabbey

IT WAS almost a year to the very day since these sides last clashed at the same stage of the intermediate championship, in a game that ultimately mattered far less due to the advancement of three teams from the group of five.

On Tuesday, the consequences of defeat were far greater as now only two places are up for grabs in a group of six teams. In that meeting, an Earol Tuohy goal was enough to give the ‘Bridge a two point victory, this time Ruan got over the line by the same margin when late points from Brendan Lyons and the ever-reliable John Punch put daylight between the sides.

In truth, while Sixmilebridge needed victory more after losing their opening tie against Parteen and indeed will be kicking themselves that they didn’t avail of the chance to close out this game after doing so much hard graft to level up the game by the 58th minute, Ruan deserved to prevail.

In similar circumstances last year, they let slip a three point advantage in the closing minutes but fortunate- ly for Ruan, this time they held their nerve to see out the win. In all, 16 wides made it a far less comfortable ride to collect the points, especially in the opening half when they dominated but still only found themselves ahead by the minimum at the break, with John Punch securing the first four of that total at 0-8 to 0-7.

The ‘Bridge’s best opportunities came from frees as they would only score three points from play over the hour but it was only in the final five minutes that they would really threaten Ruan’s hold on the game. Trailing by 0-12 to 0-09, two Sam O’Sullivan frees and a point from substitute Paul Corbett gained parity by the 58th minute as memories of last year’s late turnaround came flooding back.

However, whether last year’s final experience has steeled Ruan or not, they didn’t panic with Lyons and Punch pointing to maintain their perfect start to the championship and more or less ending the ‘Bridge’s hopes in the process.

Ruan
Pakie Roughan, Gary Bell, Niall O’Connor,

Leon Quirke, Killian Ryan, Jonathan Clohessy, Dara Roughan,Tadgh Hanrahan, Caimin Howard,Aidan Lynch (0-2), Eoin Hanrahan, MikeyVaughan, John Punch (0-10 7f, 1’65),Alan Bell, Brendan Lyons (01)

Subs
Sean Cullinan (0-1) for A. Bell (35 mins), Colin O’Donoghue for T. Hanrahan (54 mins)

Sixmilebridge
Sean Chaplin,Wayne Kennedy, Eoin Quinn, Cathal Walsh, Jonathan Downes, Stiofan Fitzpatrick, Christy Griffin, SamO’Sullivan (0-6f),Adrian Chaplin, Mark Culbert, Ronan Hayes (0-1), Sean Stack, Earol Tuohy (0-1), Rory Liddane, Tommy Liddy (0-3f)

Subs
David O’Meara for Stack (43 mins), Michael O’Halloran for Liddy (46 mins), Paul Corbett (0-1) for Griffin (54 mins)

Man of the Match
Eoin Hanrahan (Ruan) Referee Michael Fitzgerald (Ballyea)

Doonbeg 1-13 – Lissycasey 3-05 at Cooraclare

WHAT might have been for a Lissycasey team being teed up as whipping boys beforehand in what was supposed to be a gentle opener for Doonbeg in the defence of their county title.

Thing is, just like that county title was hard won after nine years of toil, this game was hard won too – they only got there because Lissycasey got caught like startled rabbits in the headlights when they should have been able to kick on to victory.

Lissycasey led 2-3 to 0-7 at halftime after goals by Danny Clohessy and Niall Kelly had rocked the Magpies – with the gale to come in the second half, the shock of the championship in the first game of the championship looked at hand.

Alas from Lissycasey’s viewpoint, they effectively imploded in the face another tour de force from David Tubridy, who hit 1-9 over the hour – 1-5 of it coming in the second half when his team needed his scores and leadership the most.

A sluggish Doonbeg struggled to get into their stride in the first half when a more pumped up Lissycasey side more than held their own when playing into the wind thanks to points by Matthew O’Shea and Derek McMahon by the tenth minute in replay to two early Tubridy points.

Shane O’Brien and McMahon then exchanged points before Paul Dillon and Brian Egan put Doonbeg 0-5 to 0-3 clear by the 24th minute. Then the game was turned on its head in the closing five minutes of the half thanks to two Lissycasey goals.

A forceful run up along the left wing by Martin Moran created the opening for Danny Clohessy in the 26th minute, with the midfielder gleefully blasting the ball beyond Nigel Dillon in goal.

Four minutes later it was Niall Kelly’s turn after he beat Padraig Gallagher to a long ball, turned and blasted to the net from eight yards to put Lissycasey four points up going into first half injury time.

It could have been panic stations for Doonbeg, but two pointed frees form David Tubridy during the four minutes played by Barry Kelly steadied the champions – they were portents of things to come.

Tubridy continued where he left off before half time with a brace inside the first ten minutes of the restart to level matters, while those around him gradually cranked up their performances.

Lissycasey did edge back in front in the 43rd minute thanks to an Oisin Talty point but there was no stopping Doonbeg when they hit 1-4 without reply in a 14 minute spell to kill the game.

Tubridy sowed the way with two more points by the 50th minute; Conor Whelan raided up the field to fist a point in the 53rd; Conor Downes teed up Tubridy for the match-winnng goal in the 56th, while Frank O’Dea rounded off their blitz with his first point in the 58th.

Lissycasey did rally with a Martin O’Connor point in the 59th minute and Niall Kelly’s second goal three minutes later, but it was too late.

They needed scores much earlier in the half, like the 46th minute when the sides were level and Paul Nagle raced through on goal with only Nigel Dillon to beat, blasted a dropkick that Dillon saved.

That’s where it all started to go wrong for Lissycasey.

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.