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Cratloe make hard work of win

Cratloe 0-8 – Clondegad 1-3 at Gurteen

CRATLOE MADE heavy work of seeing off a stubborn Clondegad side but yet in what was a truly bizarre game, the south east Clare side might have been out of sight by the final whistle. Such was the reality of this unique quarter-final tie that saw Cratloe produced 31 scoring chances, including six clear goal opportunities, strike the woodwork seven times and only score eight points. Still Clondegad will legitimately feel that they could have snatched victory, led by County Under 21 captain Podge McMahon who almost snatched a dramatic late goal that would have earned at least a draw.

Clondegad will also point to the fact that they were without the services of county minor hurlers Tony Kelly and Gearoid O’Connell for this knock-out tie, as outside of Eoghan Donnellan, McMahon had to take on the majority of the attacking repsonsibilities himself.

Cratloe, on the other hand, were boosted by the addition of their county senior hurlers, Conor McGrath, Cathal McInerney and Liam Markham, and unquestionably Cratloe were the team on the ascendency for the majority of this tie, without ever making the game safe for themselves.

It took 11 minutes for the game’s opening score through Dean Deloughery and it should have opened the door for a flurry of scores. However, Joseph O’Connor hit the crossbar with a close range effort, Cathal McInerney kicked five wides including another goal chance before Conor McGrath scored only their second point in the 23rd minute to cancel out Podge McMahon’s superb equaliser.

By now, Cratloe were playing a two man full-forward line of McGrath and McInerney but through some stern defending, Clondegad only conceded two points for the remainder of the half, both from the foot of McInerney to hold a 0-4 to 0-1 interval lead.

The second half saw the introduction of Pa Sheehan for Cratloe but his luck in front of the posts fared no better as twice his goalbound shots were denied by goalkeeper Declan O’Loughlin. In fact, while Cratloe kicked four wides and another six efforts into the arms of O’Loughlin, Clondegad realised that the game was there for the taking if they could get their act together up front.

So when Podge McMahon kicked a 50 metre point in the 38th minute and followed up Cathal McInerney’s reply with a 43rd minute goal after a flowing move involving Eoghan Donnellan and Liam Meaney, suddenly the sides were level.

Cratloe needed leadership and they got it through Padraic Collins who took Liam Markham’s crossfield pass and bobbed and weaved himself into a scoring position. He followed up by starting the move for Joseph O’Connor’s 48th minute point while seven minutes later Cathal McInerney restored their three point advantage.

There was still a doubt about the result up until the final whistle as Podge McMahon created a great scoring chance but blasted his shot just over the crossbar and Cratloe breathed a huge sigh of relief as they stumbled into a semi-final meeting with last year’s finalists Lissycasey.

Cratloe
Jamie Joyce, Gerry Cooney, Sean Hynan, Wesley Deloughery, Patrick Carey, LiamMarkham, Enda Boyce, Conor Ryan, Shane Golden, Kane O’Shea, Padraic Collins (0-1), Dean Deloughery (0-1), Cathal McInerney (0-4 2f), Joseph O’Connor (0-1), Conor McGrath (0-1)

Subs
Pa Sheehan for DDeloughery (HT), Dean Deloughery for O’Shea (51 mins)

Clondegad
Declan O’Loughlin, Conor Gavin, Brian Murphy, Cormac Ryan, Joe Neylon, Declan Keane, Paul Flanagan, James Murphy, David Sheehan, Stephen Enright, Padraig McMahon (1-3), Shane Harkin, Padraig Glynn, Eoghan Donnellan, LiamMeaney

Subs
Eoin Glynn for P Glynn (16 mins), Kieran McCarthy for Sheehan (33 mins, inj)

Man of the Match
Padraic Collins (Cratloe) Referee Michael Rock (Ennistymon)

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Sport

Legends come to town for FAI invasion of Clare

TWO legends of Irish soccer will lead the FAI invasion of Clare next week.

Ray Houghton and John Aldridge will be among the guests of honour for the FAI Festival of Football and Agm, which kicks off in Clare on July 11. FAI Chief Executive Officer, John Delaney, who has strong Clare connections, FAI President Paddy McCaul, Ireland Under 21 manager Noel King and Ireland women’s senior manager, Sue Ronan will also be touring the banner county as part of the week long celebration of the beautiful game.

Ireland manager Giovanni Trappattoni and his assistant Marco Tardelli are expected to visit the Cliffs of Moher during the festival, while coaching clinics and tournaments will take place across the county while € 100,000 in grants will be available to clubs in Clare.

Clare FAI Delegate and former league chairman, Jim Madden has described the occasion as “the biggest sports event to take place in the county this year.”

Events including soccer schools, coaching clinics and football fun days will take place at over 20 venues throughout the county.

The event runs from July 11-16 with 300 delegates expected to attend the FAI Agm at the West County Hotel beginning on Friday July 15. The festival culminates on Thursday July 14 with a Civic Reception hosted by Ennis Town Council at Glór.

FAI boss Delaney has said that the aim of the event is to ensure a closer connection between the FAI and grass roots football. Speaking at the festival’s launch in May, Michael Guilfoyle of the Clare Schoolboys Soccer League (CSSL), paid tribute to the work of former Munster Council and Clare League Chairman, Michael Leahy, whom he said had done a lot of the “ground work” for the Clare bid.

The festival will round off in Tulla on Saturday, July 16, with an FAI workshop on player development (10am). Later that day the association’s acclaimed emerging talent programme will be in Tulla (3pm).

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Football chiefs announce festival plans

THE great work being done at grassroots level in Clare will be highlighted when former Irish internationals and senior Football Association of Ireland (FAI) officials visit the county next week.

20 clubs from across Clare are on the itinerary for the visit which will see the spotlight fixed on the huge popularity of schoolboy/girls soccer in the banner. Football fun days will take place in Kilrush (July 12, 2pm to 5pm), Scariff (July 13, 2pm to 5pm), Lahinch (July 14, 2pm to 5pm) while summer schools will take place at Lees Road Ennis (July 11, 10am to 3pm), Newmarket (July 11, 10am to 3pm) and Shannon Hibs (July 11, 10am-3pm). Also on July 11, Corofin Harps will host a soccer blitz while Moher Celtic will host a 5-a-side competition in Liscannor. The official opening of community facilities at Lisdoonvarna will also take place next Monday (4.30pm) while Sporting Ennistymon will host a football blitz at 7pm.

On Tuesday, July 12, Lees road will be the venue for a Special Olympics football blitz organised by the FAI in conjunction with the Clare Sports Partnership.

Tuesday will also be a landmark day for Lifford AFC with the celebration of the club’s 50th anniversary. The occasion will be marked by a 5-aside football tournament (11.30am) and the planting of a commemorative tree at Lifford’s home ground, Cassidy Park.

Later that day, the FAI festival of soccer comes to east Clare. Sixmile- bridge will be the venue for an under age blitz and skills competition (5.45pm) while the official opening of Tulla United’s astro turf pitch at the Cragg will take place 7.15pm.

FAI summer soccer schools continued throughout the county on Wednesday with aspiring coaches urged to take part in the kick start one coaching education course at Lees Road, starting at 10am.

There will be events at Bunratty’s Woulfe Park (11.50am) and Kilmaley Fern Celtic’s home ground in Tiermaclane at 12.45pm.

The emergence and success of clubs in west Clare will be recognised later that evening with visits to Gallery Park, Kilrush (4pm), West Clare United and Kildysart Celtic at Kilkee astro turf (4.45pm) and St Pats in Kilmihil at 6.20pm.

Clare’s biggest club, Avenue United, will host an underage blitz at Lees Road on Thursday (11am). All kids, coaches and committee members affiliated to Ennis Town are asked to be at Ennis Rugby Club by 1pm for the club’s soccer camp

Shannon Olympic will host a soccer sisters event from 2pm to 5pm. FAI dignatories expected to attend include FAI CEO John Delaney, former players Ray and John Aldridge and FAI President John McCaul.

Connolly Celtic Soccer Club will be the first club in Clare to receive an official visit from the FAI guests, with Chief Executive Officer John Delaney, FAI officials, development officers and coaching staff, as well as football personalities Ray Houghton and John Aldridge amongst the dignitaries on board the FAI tour bus. Connolly Celtic’s FAI club visit is scheduled for Monday, July 11, 10am to 11am at Kilmaley Sports & Leisure Complex.

On that Monday morning, over 130 members of the clubs schoolgirl and schoolboy club, aged 6 to 16, will be participating in a mini soccer blitz event, from 9am to 12pm.

All the clubs trainers, coaches, junior players and parents are invited to attend and assist with providing supervision, coaching, refreshments and support. Lots of fun and excitement is anticipated with photo and autograph opportunities for all.

During the visit, a commemorative plaque will be unveiled by CEO John Delaney to celebrate the FAI visit. A member of the FAI delegation will also draw prize-winners from tickets sold by club members in the weeks preceding the FAI AGM.

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Sport

Joseph reels in a silver

A YOUNG Clarecastle fisherman is celebrating today after helping Ireland to the silver medal in the Home Nations Angling Competition in Derry over the weekend.

Joseph Birney did his county and the Lisdoonvarna/Fanore Sea Angling Club proud by helping the Irish team to a very credible finish – loosing out to the eventual winners Wales by the last few fish caught of the last day of the competition.

This was the first time that Joseph has represented his country after a very successful year which saw him represent his club and province with distinction in a number of competitions.

“It has been a great year for me. To get on the Irish team you first have to be named as a master angler for your club, then you have to take on other anglers to get onto the Munster team and once you are there you have to fish off against 20 of Ireland best young angler, five from each provence, to make the national team,” he said.

“This competition only happens once a year and I was very happy to finish second and bring back the silver medal in my first time fishing for Ireland. It’s a great great feeling to be fishing for your county.

“I had a great time anglish this year and I will definitely be back trying to get onto the Munster and Ireland team again next year.”

Meanwhile, Lahinch angler john Keane was the top angler at this weekends Jim Blackwell memorial Competition in Blackhead. John took the overall competition with 132 points and also netted the biggest fish by catching a 11.2 kg conger eel.

Second place in the competition went to Seamus Hayes from Clarecastle with 82 points while Willie Hartley from Galway came third. The best juvenile award was won by Stephen Birney from Clarecastle.

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Deep Heat use girl power to take win

WITH THE ITRA Ennis Tag Summer League passing the half way mark, all matches were fought closer than ever before with the difference between the teams being marginal.

In Division 1, Deep Heat were out for revenge against Lucas’ Legends, who beat them in the last round. Despite Deep Heat being short on players, their female contingent took on the challenge with relish and came out victorious with a win of 18 points to 5, with each female try being worth 4 points.

Tag Her & Try Her were run ragged on the pitch by a speedy MurtysMen and despite MurtysMen leading for a large portion of the match, the experience of Tag Her & Try Her paid off with them taking the match 17 points to 13.

In the highly anticipated meeting of The Try Hards and Scrum N Coke, which saw twins Peter and Mark Johnston as respective captains, The Try Hards looked like they had the game but then in the last 4 minutes Scrum N Coke came back from 14 – 8 down to score two female tries which leveled the scoreline. The game finished with both teams tied on 14 points a-piece.

In Division 2 The Shades had their third straight win of the league defeating DBOCS 17 points to 10. The Shades showed, once again, the importance of getting female tries.

TTM Tryers had their first win of the season in a close encounter with Ennis Randomers, who were also gunning for their first win. TTM Tryers had the passion for the win and came out on top 14 points to 8.

Munstergroup defeated On Wing With Prayer by a very small margin of 21 points to 19 in a game that was fought to the very end. With this setback for On Wing With Prayer, the Division 2 league is now wide open for the taking.

Week 6 Results
Division 1 Deep Heat 18 – 5 Lucas’ Legends Tag Her &Try Her 17 – 13 MurtysMen TheTry Hards 14 – 14 ScrumNCoke

Division 2
The Shades 17 – 10 DBOCS Ennis Randomers 8 – 14 TTMTryers Munstergroup 21 – 19 OnWing With Prayer

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News

Cash buyers coming back into Clare’s housing market

HOMES IN seaside areas in Clare are selling at the moment, while more cash buyers have come into the market in recent weeks. However, overall house prices in Clare are showing no signs of increasing.

According to the latest Daft House Price Report for the second quarter of this year, house prices fell on average by 5.1 per cent. The average asking price for a house in June of this year was € 196,000, which is a fall of 47 per cent on the 2007 peak, according to Daft.

According to Daft, a two-bed house in Clare currently has an asking price of € 108,000. A threebed house has a tag of € 155,000; a four-bed is priced at € 229,000 and a five-bed has an asking price of € 279,000.

These prices are decreases on the figures, compared with the first quarter of 2010. Then, a two-bed house in Clare had an asking price of € 144,000, while a three bed was priced at € 194,000. A fourbed house was priced at € 276,000, while a five-bed was deemed to have a price of € 326,000.

Ennis-based auctioneer Diarmuid McMahon of Sherry Fitzgerald McMahon said yesterday that the Daft figures “are consistent on asking prices. They are not on sold prices. Prices nationally have fallen by between 40 per cent to 60 per cent between 2007 and now and have fallen in Clare by between 40 per cent and 60 per cent”.

“We’re seeing a lot more cash buyers coming into the market. There are apartments for sale around the town of Ennis that you would get rent for between € 450 and € 500 per month and that you would buy for between € 50,000 and € 60,000,” said Mr McMahon.

“The majority of our sales now are cash buyers. They are coming back into the market now because they can see value,” he added.

“Some of the seaside properties are selling well. We are selling a lot in Kilkee; selling for prices the vendors are willing to accept,” he said.

Some property owners in seaside resorts are not losing money because they bought before the peak in 2007.

“They are selling. The prices are down considerably,” he said.

Looking ahead, Mr Mahon predicts, “I’d say the best scenario by the end of this year is stabilisation. I think that stabilisation is starting to happen in better locations. Good quality houses will trade at prices that I think will be the same in six months’ time. I think eventually, in four to five to 10 years, you will get price increases but they would be in line with inflation.”

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Door-to-door survey for ferry service

THE future of the proposed Ballyvaughan to Galway ferry link will be decided this week as an independent survey group arrives in north Clare to speak to locals and complete the feasibility study which will be used to determine whether the project should continue.

The Spyria Partnership will be going door to door in the Ballyvaughan, Fanore, Kilfenora and Lisdoonvarna areas this week, asking local people to complete a survey.

This survey, as well as market research into the commercial feasibility of the link, will be used by the survey team to make a recommenda- tion on the future of the ferry link.

A meeting of all stakeholders will also take place in St John’s Hall in Ballyvaughan on Friday morning from 10am. This meeting is designed to attract local business people and to allow anyone who may be indirectly affected by the link being established to have their voice heard on the project.

“This meeting is aimed at guesthouses and any tourism attractions who could benefit from this and from having more people travelling to and from Galway on the ferry,” said Gwen Ryan, chair of the Ballyvaughan Bay Hop Group.

“It is about teasing out how the service would work. This is a com- munity-based service so we want to get people’s opinions on this. We don’t have a commercial operator behind this just yet.

“They are also going to go from house to house with a survey for the people who might think of using the service to commute themselves. We will be trying to get a leaflet into every house in the area and we also have a survey that can be completed on-line.

“We had a survey in the past but the Spyria people have a more detailed survey that they need to have completed for the feasibility study. So if anyone has completed the old online survey, we would ask them in particular to come back to the website and complete the new survey again if they want to have their voices heard.”

The group from Spyria Partnership will be in the Ballyvaughan area from July 6 to 9.

The response that they receive here will largely decide the outcome of the feasibility study.

“The people who I have contacted all think that this is a wonderful idea so I guess what I am trying to do now is make everyone aware of what is going on, especially the people who are stakeholders and will benefit from this ferry link if it becomes a reality,” continued Gwen.

Anyone interested in completing the new survey should contact www. ballyvaughanbayhop.com.

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Mayor to cut rates and celebrate County Clare

THE new First Citizen of Clare has told his fellow councillors and local government chiefs that cutting rates is key to kick-starting a resurgence in the county’s economic fortunes.

Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes has said that tackling the rates problem within the county will be a priority during his year in office, even if it means introducing cut-backs in other areas of Clare County Council’s yearly budget.

“The rates issue is critical,” Mayor Hayes told The Clare People . “A lot of businesses in Clare are struggling to survive. They have cut every other cost, but when you take the rates, from commercial rates to sewerage and water charges, it is a huge burden on ordinary businesses.

“The small businesses across the county are the ones that are going to get us out the trouble we’re in. They’re the ones that are going to provide employment. Clare County Council needs to recognise this.

“If cutting rates means we have to cut services, they we have to look at that. It we don’t do something, our rates base is going to fall. And with new charges that are put in place by the government, it’s important that the funding from these charges filter back into local government immediately.

“In the next few months, prior to any budget, I want all councillors in Clare to have a real look at what we can do to make this council leaner – it is important to look how we do all our business in the sake of finances. If we don’t continue to make strides in that, our rates base is going to fall. It is a key thing for me as mayor of Clare,” he added.

“I’m following in the footsteps of former councillors from East Clare who served in the chair,” Cllr Hayes told fellow councillors at the Clare County Council AGM last Thursday. “Sean Brady from 1932 to ’69, Johnny Moloney from 1984 to ’85 and Colm Wiley from 1993 to ’95. They were Fianna Fáil men as well and it was great honour to follow people like that,” he added.

“We have great hope right across this county. We as a council have been putting in place policies to lead this county forward. You can see that in the County Development Plan in the Clare Tourism Forum.

“What’s good about Clare is its people, its culture and its sharing capacity to help each other. We need to celebrate the good things of Clare and come out with a positive attitude of celebrating that. We need to do that on a monthly basis. Every month we should look at an aspect of our county and celebrate that.”

47-year-old Mr Hayes is the fifth Fianna Fáil mayor of Clare since the title was created in 2001 and the 20th chair of the county council from the party from the Fianna Fáil benches.

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New group gives hope to the jobless

A NEW group which aims to fight for the right of the unemployed and marginalized in Clare will be officially formed in the coming week. The group, which is a collection of employed and unemployed volunteers, is currently working under the name ‘Hope for the Marginalized’ but is aiming to host an AGM before the end of July and officially launch the group.

The first aim of the group will be to lobby for practical and inexpensive changes to education, social welfare and local business strategies which they feel could have a massive effect on the lives of young unemployed people.

“We have found that we can work towards and very workable ideas that we could lobby the Government to introduce changes which will make our country a better place to live in,” said Ennis woman Paula McNamara of Hope for the Marginalized.

“At the moment the unemployment crisis is so massive, especially in this part of the county, so our first aim to work in that area but after that we would hope to broaden out our work to other parts of the community who are marginalized.

“The group isn’t just people who are unemployed – it is a wide cross section of people in Clare. If anyone who has any ideas that they think might help the situation then we’d love to hear from them.

“We are at a crossroads now, we have to make a choice about how we want this country to be. Do we want it to be focused about bailing out the banks and forget about the weak and vulnerable or should we think about this in a different, more sensible way.”

Some of the ideas put forward by the group include targeted training in universities, colleges, VECs and FÁS, which would see a greater focus on offering courses in areas where there is a realistic prospect of a job.

The group is also looking for all people on social welfare to be given a single case worker to oversee every aspect of the case, from benefits to retraining opportunities and is calling for a greater emphasis to be put on alternative local opportunities for creating jobs.

“We know that the country is broke – that is why we are not calling for big schemes, we are looking at practical solutions which could help drag us out of this situation,” continued Paula.

Anyone who wants to be involved in Hope for the Marginalized can contact Paula on hopeforthemarginal ized@gmail.com.

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‘Talent fair’ saved by mystery donors

A MYSTERY Irish American couple have come forward with funding for a new project which could create hundreds of jobs in Clare over the next 12 months.

Details of the project, which is the brain child of West Clare man Jim Connolly, will not be officially released for another month but The Clare People understands that the project is modelled on a similar project started in Clare the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Jim, who is the founder or Rural Resettlement Ireland and was a candidate in this year’s General Election, says he had been seeking funding to restart the project for the last number of year but when no Government help was forthcoming the project was saved by the mysterious donation from America.

The project will see a series of open fair days being hosted around the county which would encourage unemployed people to show off their own talents and to grow confidence in the people.

“We are trying to attract people to set up their own jobs for themselves. It aims to promote one person enterprises by hosting free open days where unemployed people can come along and sell their good or services. It sounds like a simple idea but the response was simply overwhelming. This became a huge project, not just in Clare but in six other counties.,” said Jim.

“The key is that the whole thing is that it is totally free and people have nothing to lose. It is a great way of encouraging people to explore own talents and to give them confidence.”

Jim had failed to gain Government support for his project over the last two years, which was eventually why he decided to put his name forward for the General Election earlier this year.

“Through the publicity from the General Election I was contacted by an Irish American couple, who wish to remain anonymous, and within three or four weeks they had sent money over from America to fund this project on a part-time basis for one year,” continued.

“We have an application in with the new Government. I met the Minister last week and they are keen but have given no guarantee but if they come on board we could make it a fulltime project and extend it for more than a year.”

The project will be officially launched later this summer and any unemployed people are asked to prepare for the fair. The majority of the fair will be hosted by the local VECs but they will be made open to other locations.