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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 JUDGE left his bench after a pris- oner lashed out during a district court sitting in Ennis on Thursday. Several prison officers and gardai restrained the young man, who lashed out af- ter a young woman approached him from the body of the court, at Shan- non District Court, sitting in Ennis courthouse.

As he was being restrained, the young man in his 20s — with an ad- dress in Shannon — screamed at gardai, while the girl also lashed out and roared, “Get off my brother.” The young woman was immediately taken from the courtroom by gardai, while the man — who was in court, charged with motoring offences — was taken back to the cell by prison eno ne

Judge Joseph Mangan left the bench while the incident was taking place and returned to the courtroom after calm had been restored. A short time later, Inspector Tom Kennedy, pros- ecuting, asked that the young man’s

case be adjourned for a month. The defendant’s solicitor said his client was involved in the fracas and was “in a very highly elated and aggres- sive state’. Judge Mangan adjourned the case until July 16 next.

This was the second time that the same courtroom was the scene of chaos in recent weeks. Five weeks ago, three prison officers ended up in hospital with injuries after a prisoner lashed out and attacked them, also during a Shannon District Court sit- ting in Ennis.

One officer sustained a broken arm and was bitten, another received head and shoulder injuries and was detained overnight in hospital, while a third sustained a badly swollen wrist. The incident occurred after a 30-year-old prisoner – in custody at Limerick prison – became irate.

It took several prison officers and gardai to control the man, who was handcuffed, as he lashed out both physically and verbally outside the courtroom and later in the holding AI eCey ace b race

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.

www.clarepeople.com

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.

2006 GRAND National winning trainer Martin Brassil has led the tributes to Tom Costelloe, the legen- dary Clare horse trainer and dealer who died on Sunday. In a remark- able career in the horse racing indus- try Costelloe put six winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup through his Newmarket-on-Fergus stable as well as training the winner of the Irish Grand National.

“He had the biggest supply of horses going into England for a long number of years,” Brassil told

a | wouldn’t be surprised if 10-year-olds were involved (in drug abuse).”

He said that drugs are widely avail-

able.

“In the past, it was always thought that heroin was available just in the larger cities but there is no such place as a quiet place any more,” he said.

“Drugs are available in the most ru- ral parts of Clare as much as in Lim- erick city,’ he said.

‘The big need in the mid-west is to have a drug detox service based in all the main centres – Limerick, Ennis, Nenagh.

“The Health Service Executive (HSE) has plans for it, but in the cur- rent economic climate, it may be put on the long finger,’ he said.

Mr Duffy said that the spread of drugs is linked to the increased de- mand.

“It’s a supply and demand issue. If there was no demand, there wouldn’t be need for supply. It’s the people who create demand who create the supply,” he said.

“l’m concerned there are people out there who should know better, who are stoking up the demand side which leads to misery,’ he added.

‘People who dabble in recreational drugs think that a let-off at weekends is to dabble in drugs. They have to bear in mind that the consequences

of that leads to problems,” he added.

“We have a very high tolerance of drugs. Social acceptability doesn’t allow it,” he said.

While gardai in Clare have repeat- edly expressed concern about the increased availability of heroin and cocaine, Mr Duffy said, “I couldn’t say it’s one or the other. Someone who starts on soft drugs graduates up along.”

Services, like Bushypark addiction treatment centre in Ennis, have been provided in an effort to help people get off drugs, such has been the spi- raling use.

Mature art students prove a dab hand

YOUNGSTERS at Meelick National School would do a lot of things to get a half-day but their forebears were given time off to go and work in the ueb Oke

That is just one of the little gems of information contained in a school roll book which has been kept at the school since 1874.

The unique roll book was one of the items being exhibited as part of the school’s celebrations of 50 years of learning at the ‘new’ school.

‘This was the roll book for the old school, which opened in 1874. It 1s a lovely piece of work, with beauti- ful writing. The names of the 150 pupils are all recorded along with people’s jobs, who the landlord was and lots of details like that. It noted the names of children who worked as mill-hands and that they were to be given time off for that. It’s a so- cial history of the area,’ said school principal Dan Graham.

“I found the book in the school’s strong room and I’ve had it rebound to pass it on to whoever takes over from me here.”

Friday’s celebrations began with a Mass and later, parents, teachers, past pupils and priests who had been connected with the parish over the years moved to the hall where there was an exhibition of old school pho- tos and other memorabilia.

On the day, it was recalled that the original school opened it’s doors on May 11, 1874 and the first principal, Thomas Barry had an annual salary of £24.

The new school was opened on May 12, 1959 and cost £13,500 to

build.

The staff and pupils planted a tree and buried a ‘time capsule’ contain- ing a list of the childrens’ names, their photos and other item like cal- culators, biros and the school jour- nal.

Then a commemorative plaque was

unveiled before a trip down memory lane in which past pupils and teach- ers recalled their days at Meelick school.

The plaque was unveiled by former school teacher, Kitty Garvey, who taught at the school for 40 years.

The day was rounded off with a

dance in the Greenhills which was attended by pupils and staff.

HIGH King Brian Boru would have been more than happy to sip his mead from one of the lovely ceramic gob- lets created by the pupils of Ogonnel- loe National School.

The youngsters took a step back in time and, with the Clare king as their theme, they produced goblets, bowls and daggers which were then put on exhibition. Ogonnelloe parish hall was decorated like a great hall witha large table in the centre with goblets and bowls made by the children of

third, fourth, fifth and sixth classes. In the fashion of the great King’s hall ceramic ‘swords’ were placed at a ta- ble by the door.

At the bottom of the hall there was plaques designed by the children of first and second class on the theme of the Children of Lir. Junior and sen- ior infants also had a hand in making bowls and the exhibition was com- pleted with a display of some jew- ellery pieces made by the fifth and sixth class.

The event was a joint venture be- tween the Artists in School scheme,

staff at the school and the parents’ association.

Eleanor Walsh, Chairperson of Ogonnelloe Parents Association, welcomed everyone and thanked Jane Seymour, the artist who had come to the school under Clare Council Arts and Education Grant. She also thanked the staff of the school “for facilitating this great achievement” and thanked the children “for their designs and hardwork over the last few weeks to make the night such a great success”.

Jane Seymour thanked all involved

and said how much she enjoyed her time at the school. Marie Roberts, Principal of Ogonnelloe National School said what a fantastic night this was and how it showed what a great working relationship between the Parents Association, the school and the Board of Management of Ogonnelloe and also the parish.

She thanked the children for all their enthusiasm over the previous weeks and complemented them on how well the hall looked. The exhi- bition was opened by local historian, Ger Madden.