The Clare People Archive

IN hurling, as in life, there are no guarantees – that was the resounding message sent ringing out to underage or former underage championship winners within the county by Davy Fitzgerald when speaking to the grassroots of Clare GAA in the West County Hotel last Tuesday night.

Pointing ot the senior experiences and travails endured by both Galway and Limerick after their raft of under age successes in the new millennium, Fitzgerald warned Clare’s rising stars that it doesn’t follow that senior suc- cess is a given after minor and under 21 victories in recent years.

“We are going to have a lot of young players in,” said Fitzgerald, “but it has bothered me over the last two or three years. We have had a lot of (underage) success.

“The thing that’s bothering me is that success leads to success at senior level. I put it to you, did it lead to success for Limerick and Galway for last couple of years?

“We have got to be careful that we don’t put our players up on a pedestal. I believe we have to remain grounded, even after we achieve stuff at minor and under 21. We have to make sure we keep these lads’ feet on the ground and get them working hard for senior.

“That’s what I would encourage,” he added.

“We all know the last few years haven’t been fruitful for Clare. I can’t promise you. I can’t tell you we are going to turn things around and we are going to go back to the glory days, but the one thing I can tell you is that I am going to work as hard as I possibly can and I mean that,” continued Fitzgerald.

“My own personal view is that the rebuilding is still far from finished. I’m going to be straight about it. I think there’s more players that need to be brought in. They are going to get a go.

“The one thing I’m going to encourage ye and the people watching – the way I’ve worked over the last few years is that I have a tendency to play players and give them games. They mightn’t be flying it at the time but it’s important to give them their chance.

“Giving a fella 20 minutes here and a game there doesn’t always work. You need them to get their confi- dence, which is very important. You have to be patient for a small bit, we all want the same thing, but we’ve got to find out what’s what. Character is very important.

“I think Sparrow did a great job in the last two years. It wasn’t an easy job to come into after what had happened.

“He came in, he rejigged it, he started to build. I don’t think our strength and conditioning is good enough, something I’ve done a lot of homework on in the last couple of years. I’m going to work hard on that,” he added.

DAVY Fitzgerald doesn’t expect to get preferential treatment from the Clare County Board, just because he happens to be Pat Fitzgerald’s son. And he doesn’t want preferential treatment either.

That’s the gospel according to himself, something he told county board delegates in no uncertain terms as the outlined his vision for the working relationship between his county senior management team and the top table of Clare GAA during his threeyear term in charge.

“I know my relationship with the county board is going to be very open,” said Fitzgerald. “A lot people will say ‘because he’s Pat Fitz’s son he’ll get what he wants’, this that and the other. I have made it clear to Mike (O’Neill) that I’m prepared to work to the same parameters as any other team management over the last few years. I say that to Mike (O’Neill). He’s a guy I hope to work very closely with myself. As for my own Dad, the amount of respect I have for him is unreal.

“I know he mightn’t be all ye’re cup of tea at times, he has his ways, he’s very dogmatic, trust me I’ve fought with him enough myself. But, I will say one thing, I am very proud of him, so I am – that’s for definite, whether ye like him or don’t like him.

“That doesn’t bother me. He’s very honest and straight and the one thing he has in his head is Clare GAA. There’s no favour. I look forward to working with him. The relationship with the county board will be right across the board, with the whole lot of them we’ll work together,” added Fitzgerald.

“NO man is an island” was John Donne’s line, but it was also Davy Fitzgerald line at Tuesday night as he made his inaugural address as manager of the Clare senior hurling team.

In a wide-ranging speech to club delegates from around the county, Fitzgerald called for everyone in the Clare GAA family to work on the “same wavelength” as the county bid to scale the hurling ladder once more.

Fitzgerald was quick to rubbish the notion that he was going “to try and run this team and that team” and pointed out there should be “communication between all teams” in the county.

“I would never tell a 21 manager or minor manager how to run his team. That’s his job. I think it’s good that we all have communication and that we’re all on the same wavelength about what we do. That’s the one thing I’m asked for, that we’re all working together.

“There is no one man who is going to make Clare a success. It is going to take a team that’s working together and a team working in different areas. We will work very hard. Anything I can do for Clare to make them successful, I going to try and do to get back up to where we need to be. That’s all I can promise on that.

“The one thing I will say, if any club has anything they want to talk to me about, anything with regard to their players, my phone is there. They’ll be able to get my number. I am willing to talk to anyone.

“I don’t believe in talking behind people’s backs or anything like that. I would prefer a situation if a club has a problem with something they would come and sit down face to face. I’ll have my opinion, you’ll have yours and we’ll come to a compromise.

“I’d ask ye to have a bit of patience. There will be no grudges, no any thing, no reaction to any media criticism I get, or anything. I’m going to do my job to the best of my ability and all I’d ask for is ye’re support as much as possible.

“All of us working together, that’s the most important thing. Thanks very much for having the faith in me.

“I will do my absolute to make you as proud as possible going forward and we will work very hard,” he added.

YOU SIMPLY cannot argue with Brian Enright’s championship record as Newmarket manager. A perfect accomplishment of two successive county titles has wrestled back control of championship matters from Kilmaley, who were contesting their sixth successive decider on Sunday and he couldn’t speak highly enough of his players.

“It’s absolutely fantastic. They are a great bunch of girls and have been training since January. We went down to Brian Barron’s place in Sixmilebridge and he is a staunch ‘Bridge man in fairness but he opened up his doors for us and we spent eight weeks doing some strength and conditioning, and core work with him.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank him very much because I feel it stood to us as the year went on. We have a great panel of girls that the harder you train them, the more they want it. We took a knock again in the league final against Kilmaley but as it turned out, we met again in today’s final and it was nip and tuck right through to the end. But thankfully we held out by a goal.

“Kilmaley are a fantastic team and are the standard bearers for camogie in Clare and we find it very hard to beat them. There is never anything between us but today was our day and I’m sure Kilmaley will be back to meet us again next year.”

And while he was immensely proud of all his players, he did save special mention for Player-of-the-Game award winner Erica Minogue whose brace of goals immediately after half-time gave her side the cushion to prevail.

“Erica is an absolutely gifted camogie player to be fair to her. She has been talking about retiring for the last two or three years and there is still no sign of her going yet thankfully. She is, I’d say, the only player in the county that could have scored those goals and they stood to us because they were the difference in the end.”

Enright’s only championship blip came in last year’s provincial Intermediate final when going down to a near inter-county Lismore side by 5-15 to 0-11 and he is hoping to go one better this year, starting with the Limerick champions on Saturday, October 29.

“We were disappointed last year. We got to the Munster final and in fairness, we were beaten by a very good Lismore team on the day and I don’t have any arguments about that one. It’s Limerick champions Ballyagran in the first round and we have played them already in a challenge match this year already as well as a couple of times last year and they were tough matches. So that will be an interesting one and we won’t be looking any further than that game.”

Newmarket-on-Fergus 3-08 – Kilmaley 1-10 at Clarecastle

NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS rubberstamped their authority over Clare camogie when fending off their fiercest rivals Kilmaley for the second year running on Sunday.

With the blustery conditions to the fore, the defending champions blitzed their opponents with two Erica Minogue goals against the gale early in the second half and in the end, it was the sufficient lift they required to get them over the line.

In fact, those goals were crucial to Newmarket’s cause after not taking full advantage when the breeze was at their backs in the opening half. Some dogged defending from Kilmaley ensured that the holders would only carry a four point advantage at the break which didn’t seem enough, a view that was further emphasised when substitute Ashling Darcy split the posts in the opening minute of the restart.

However, Newmarket were able to do what Kilmaley simply failed to in the opening half – score a goal against the breeze. And in fact, they would grab two in close succession with Roisin McMahon supplying Erica Minogue on both occasions, each one a dagger to Kilmaley’s hopes.

Kilmaley fought back admirably and five successive points cut the deficit to four by the turn of the final quarter but a missed penalty was magnified only 11 minutes later when Iris Kaiser sealed their fate.

That ruthlessness in front of goal in contrast to Kilmaley’s missed opportunities was the difference in a game between Clare’s flagship sides that was always going to be decided by goals. In fact, the accuracy on both sides has to be commended as both sides only hit two wides each over the hour. However, below the crossbar, Kilmaley will point to a mishit shot by Ashling O’Halloran that drifted wide after an incisive run through the heart of the Newmarket defence while Denise Lynch’s 43rd minute penalty was expertly stopped following a foul on O’Halloran.

The opening half went along expected lines after Kilmaley won the toss and decided to play into the conditions. With the ball rarely passing half-way, the defending champions grabbed the first six points of the game through Erica Minogue (2), Niki Kaiser (2), Iris Kaiser and Deirdre Cassidy by the 19th minute. And they might have also grabbed a goal in the 11th minute when Iris Kaiser cut in from the right, only to see her stinging shot saved by goalkeeper Edel Griffey.

Kilmaley’s defence were under immense pressure but hunted in packs to ensure that they would not concede further and true to form, they held out until the break while also pouncing on the counter-attack.

Ashling O’Halloran’s chance came in the 22nd minute and they finally opened their account two minutes later when Claire McMahon converted a ’45. Again Newmarket piled on the pressure in search of a crucial goal that would give them a significant half-time cushion but full-back Sarah Reidy cleared a shot off the line in the 29th minute before Claire McMahon doubled her advantage with another placed ball to cut the deficit to only four at the break at 0-6 to 0-2.

So when Ashling Darcy cut the advantage to only a goal directly after the resumption, Kilmaley supporters could sense that the tide was turning. They didn’t account for Erica Minogue however who twice in the space of as many minutes gathered Roisin McMahon deliveries and successfully headed for goal to open up a nine point lead.

Kilmaley brushed off that set-back and after a Claire McMahon 20 metre free was deflected clear, they would hit the next five points, three from the stick of All-Star nominee McMahon.

They were frustrated with that penalty stop, even more so soon afterwards when Iris Kaiser bore down on goal and handpassed to the net in the 54th minute to restore her side’s eight point advantage.

To their credit, Kilmaley never threw in the towel and even grabbed a 60th minute goal through the hardworking Emma O’Driscoll but it was a mere consolation as time was not on their side and they had to yield to their perennial rivals for the second year in a row.

Newmarket- on- Fergus
Carol Toomey (Capt.) (7),Aoife Griffin (7), Jane O’Leary (7), Carol O’Leary (7),Aimee McInerney (8), Roisin McMahon (7), Carol Kaiser (8), Ruth Kaiser (7) (0-1), JoanneWalsh (7), Deirdre Cassidy (7) (0-1), Erica Minogue (8) (2-2), Niki Kaiser (7) (0-3 2f), Sharon McMahon (7), Iris Kaiser (7) (1-1), Jenny Kelly (6)

Sub
Aine O’Brien (7) for Kelly (HT)

Kilmaley
Edel Griffey (7), Niamh Cahill (7), Sarah Reidy (7), Sinead O’Halloran (7), Helen McMahon (7) (0-1), Katie Cahill (7), Eimear Considine (7),Aida Griffey (7), Eimear O’Connor (6), Shonagh Enright (7) (0-2), Emma O’Driscoll (8) (1-0), Claire McMahon (8) (0-6 2f, 3’45), Ailish Considine (6), Denise Lynch (6),Ashling O’Halloran (6)

Subs
Ashling Darcy (7) (0-1) for O’Connor (30 mins), Sinead O’Keeffe for O’Halloran (57 mins)

Player of the Game
Erica Minogue (Newmarket- on- Fergus) Referee Fintan McNamara (Killanena)

Tulla Utd 3 – Avenue United 3 at The Cragg, Tulla

A SIX-GOAL thriller at The Cragg entertained the spectators on Sunday morning as Tulla United deservedly picked up their first point of the campaign when grabbing an injury time equaliser against the bluebloods from the county capital.

You could say that Denis Corry’s charges struck early and late to ensure that they got a share of the spoils against an Avenue side that were hoping to build on their thumping Premier Division opener when they thumped Mountshannon Celtic by 5-1.

However, on this day there was to be no double against east Clare opposition as a resilient Tulla side more than put it up to their opponents.

Indeed, they bossed this game for the first 20 minutes after getting the dream start of a goal inside the first minute. In many ways it was a gift from the visitors, after a comedy of errors in defence was ruthlessly punished by Colin Nelson who found the net past John Healy.

From there Tulla, who were very unlucky to be go down to Lifford in their opening league game four weeks previously, gained real confidence and had much the better of the exchanges against their illustrious opponents with Darragh Corry showing really well in the midfield exchanges.

However, a set-piece play got Avenue back into the game when left winger David Smith beautifully floated a free kick from outside the area into the top corner of the net after 25 minutes.

This changed the game – Avenue’s early jitters and hesitancy was cast away and they grew into the task at hand and had the better of the exchanges for the rest of the half, albeit they failed to press this home on the scoreboard.

The sides were deadlocked 1-1 at the break, but 15 minutes in the tie seemed to turn decisively in Avenue’s favour when Tulla defender Denis Murphy was adjudged to have fouled Mikey Mahony in the box.

From the resultant penalty David Russell drove to the net to put Avenue ahead 2-1, a lead they looked like holding onto as the tie drifted into the final ten minutes. However, after 81 minutes a long free kick from midfield was miss-judged by Alex and Niall Whelan nipped in with a header for the equaliser.

But, the drama was only beginning because back came the Avenue and they seemed ot have kept their 100 per cent start to the season intact when influential midfielder David McCarthy beat Shane Collins in the Tulla goal.

But credit Tulla – they never said die and in the last minute, Denis Murphy atoned for giving away the penalty when he got the final touch after another route one delivery from a free and beat John Healy to bring the drama to a close.

Both sides went home happy.

Tulla United
Shane Collins, David McInerney, Denis Murphy, Niall Whelan, Paul O’Malley, Darragh Corry, Shane

Mason, Brian Hehir,Tommy McKeown,Trevor Corbett, Colin Nelson.

Subs
Ger Hanrahan for Corbett, PadraigVaughan for Hehir, Sunny Jay for Nelson.

Avenue United
John Healy, Simon Cuddy, Mattie Nugent, David Russell,Alex, Con Collins, Gary Flynn, Dave McCarthy, Sean Corry, David Smith, Mickey Mahony.

Sub
Darren O’Meara for Flynn.

Man of the Match
Darragh Corry (Tulla United)

SAME old, some old, everyone thought where the men from the Village of the Little Cross were concerned. More unrequited love in the senior hurling championship. They hit three wides in succession between the 53rd and 58th minutes and then slipped a point down in the 59th.

But cometh the end of the hour, cometh Crusheen. Match-winning points from Fergus Kennedy and Conor O’Donnell got them over the line in this pulsating county semi-final. Firstly, Fergus Kennedy grabbed the sliotar in a few feet of space, and the man who was wearing the number 19 jersey, as the number five had been retired for the day in solidarity with the suspended Cathal Dillon, split the posts from 55 yards.

Then 40 seconds later Conor O’Donnell was fed the sliotar by Joe Meaney and 45 yards out from the Stamer Park end he drilled the winner over the bar. The ‘Bridge still had time, but ran out of it as Crusheen celebrated a first county final appearance in three years.

It was rough justice on the ‘Bridge, as a draw would probably have been a fair result. The sides were level on ten occasions during the hour, evidence of a game in which they nearly traded score for score – and it didn’t end there because they traded wide for wide as well, with both sides guilty of some alarming profligacy that would never be good enough to win a county final.

Crusheen led by 0-7 to 0-6 at the break, but the ‘Bridge got off to a flier in the second half thanks to two Caimin Morey points inside a couple of minutes, before Gearóid O’Donnell and Pat Vaughan replied.

Then it was the ‘Bridge’s turn with two more Gilligan frees by the threequarter stage to put his side 0-10 to 09 ahead. Another Gilligan free in the 50th minute cancelled out Gearóid O’Donnell’s third of the hour to keep that one-point lead intact as the game entered the final ten minutes.

Gerry O’Grady hit the equaliser in the 51st minute before Crusheen’s travails set in and the ‘Bridge looked to be heading back to a first county final in eight years. Kennedy and O’Donnell had other ideas though.

Crusheen
Donal Tuohy, John Brigdale, Cronan Dillon,Alan Brigdale, PaddyVaughan (0-3f), Cian Dillon, Ciaran O’Doherty,Tony Meaney (0-1), Fergus Kennedy (0-1), David Forde (0-1), Joe Meaney (0-1), Gearóid O’Donnell (0-3), Paddy Meaney, Gerry O’Grady (0-1), Conor O’Donnell (0-2).

Subs
AlanTuohy for Paddy Meaney.

WHEN THE betting Gods, or indeed odds, smile down upon you, it would be remiss of anyone to anger them. In a similar position last year, this reporter punted for Crusheen from the outset, sensing the unfulfilled potential that duly came to the surface as the year progressed. So when weighing up this year’s crown, the abilities of the respective candidates and the recent upredictability of the championship in recent years ahead of this year’s race, much introspection led to a change of horses to an up-and-coming ‘Bridge side that had progressed steadily in winning a Clare Cup and Under 21A crowns in the previous six months.

Now it must be made clear in Sixmilebridge’s subsequent run to the final that this hurler on the ditch is not in any way claiming to knowit-all when it comes to hurling. Nothing could be further from the truth in fact. It is only mentioned as an aside in not wanting to jump ship ahead of Sunday’s decider.

After all, it wasn’t as if Sixmilebridge were rank outsiders, they were championship favourites even before a ball was pucked in the championship and that included the defending champions.

Like any championship though, there is also a large slice of luck involved in winning it outright. How each of the respective sides would have fared had their first round escapes failed to materialise could be debated endlessly as Clarecastle and Kilmaley should perhaps have taken their chances against Sixmilebridge and Crusheen respectively.

They are all whimsical if’s however as the saying goes ‘if my aunt had dangly bits, she’d be my uncle.’ The fact remains that both sides survived that day and haven’t looked back since, with Sixmilebridge and Crusheen comfortably easing through the remainder of the group and in the latter’s case, through the business end of the campaign as well with the minimum of fuss.

Sixmilebridge on the other hand, Dona l Tuohy Only 22 but the shotstopper already has a wealth of experience behind him. An All-Ireland Under 21 title tops the bill but he has also played championship for the county seniors. He is vital to Crusheen’s cause, has only conceded four goals so far and has kept successive clean sheets in the knock-out stages. Another one in the final would go a long way to retaining the title. Crusheen 8 Cr ona n Dillon V Nia ll Gilliga n A veteran duel that could well decide the outcome of this final. Gilligan is the Bridge’s undoubted leader, with his strength and guile difficult to stop. The eldest of the Dillon’s has buckets of experience though and will relish the challenge. Crusheen 7 Sixmilebridge 9 Paddy Vaugha n V Sha ne Golden Another crucial match-up, simply because both are

the engine rooms for their

respective sides. Vaughan is Crusheen’s top scorer

and freetaker and while he has been troubled by injuries, he is invaluable to

their cause. Golden is one

of the best up-and-coming talents in the county, has

ten points to his name and will relish taking on the county captain. Crusheen 9 Sixmilebridge 8 J oe Mea ney V Tony Ca r mody Pa Sheehan started in the midfield berth for

Sixmilebridge in the semifinal but a fit again Tony Carmody might just get

the nod, mainly due to his wealth of exprience. The All-Ireland intermediate

captain has settled in well

with his new club and will hope to get the better of Meaney who has finally filled the troublesome midfield spot to partner Paddy Vaughan. Crusheen 7 Sixmilebridge 8 J ohn Br igda le V Ca imin Mor ey All-Ireland Under 21 winner Morey hasn’t hit top gear yet but there were signs against Cratloe that is approaching his devastating best. Has the capability to win a game on his own but won’t get anything easy from Brigdale. Crusheen 7 Sixmilebridge 8 Ala n Br igda le V Da nny Mor ey Could be the headto-head battle of the game as these folically challenged livewires face off. Morey is the ‘Bridge’s top scorer from play with 4-10 while Brigdale is probably playing his best hurling at the moment. Crusheen 8 Sixmilebridge 8 Cia n Dillon V Ror y Sha na ha n The youngest of the Dillon brothers in the side is also the most vital to their prospects. Man-of-thematch in last year’s final, he will find Shanahan difficult to mark though. And if Shanahan can break even with him, it could well be enough. Crusheen 9 Sixmilebridge 7 Cia r a n O’Doher t y V Decla n Mor ey O’Doherty is an important part of Crusheen’s lauded half-back line but he will need to keep an eye on Morey who grabbed 1-2 in the semi-final. The Bridgeman has an eye for goal and his mazy solo runs could cause O’Doherty some concern. Crusheen 7 Sixmilebridge 7 Cat ha l Dillon V J a mie Sha na ha n Dillon is a talisman for Crusheen and invariably when he is going well, so do his side. He should have the strength and aerial dominance here but Shanahan is arguably Clare’s best prospect and on form, can do a lot of damage, despite his relative inexperience at this level. Crusheen 8 Sixmilebridge 8 Nia ll Gr iffin Michael Liddy Colm O’Connor

(Cha ir ma n) Michael Br owne (Ma nager ) Eddie Fit zgibbon by Eoin Bren n an Ma nagement