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Broadford’s strong finish denies Tubber in opening round of Clare Cup

Full coverage of the opening round games in the Clare Cup as well as a look ahead to this weekend’s Cusack Cup and Garry Cup fixtures in this week’s Clare Champion. Broadford 3-12 – Tubber 1-15 Broadford following a successful 2023 with Junior A and retention of the U-21B hurling title travelled to Tubber on Friday evening with high hopes for a progressive 2024 and came away with a battling late three points to seal their opening win of the Clare Cup. The two shooting stars of the game were Broadford’s Craig Chaplin and Tubber’s Osgar Dunford and it was the Tubber 18 year old who had the opening score after seven minutes with Diarmuid Whelan back in the Broadford colours responding for his side. Joe Clancy saw a gilt-edged goal chance cannon off Broadford goalkeeper Cian O’Brien that saw the resultant 65’ converted by Lorcan O’Grady. Domhnall McMahon and Darren Chaplin traded points by the 15th minute before O’Grady …

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Coláiste Muire secure historic cup final spot

Colaiste Muire, Ennis

Coláiste Muire will line out in the Pinergy Girls Schools U-19 Munster Senior Cup final next Wednesday after a whirlwind few weeks for the Ennis school. This is the first year that Coláiste Muire have fielded a rugby team with their progress nothing short of remarkable. The team has made an impressive entrance into the U-19A schools cup competition and are set to face off against Sacred Heart Clonakilty in the final. With Joint captains Lyndsey Clarke and Ellis O’Flaherty, who have represented Munster at underage level, at the helm, along with the experience of Orna Moynihan, Sally Kelly and Jennifer Weston, the team possesses quality operators and players who are willing to learn. While Coláiste Muire has achieved great success in music, debating, volleyball, Gaelic Games and athletics, the introduction of a ladies rugby team is another significant milestone. Despite the physicality of the game, respect is at the forefront of the sport as the Coláiste Muire players have …

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Liddane set for crowning moment in green

Michael Liddane will proudly step out and represent this country this weekend in what will be a moment that will sit proudly in his distinguished footballing career. The long serving Naomh Eoin clubman is part of the Irish Over 40s squad that will play Australia in the Masters International Rules series this weekend down in Mayo. He will fly the Banner flag alongside Kieran Kennedy who is playing for the Over 50s game against their Southern Hemisphere rivals while Louise Henchy is part of the first ever Ladies Over 40s squad. The moment is undoubtedly a proud one for Liddane although he will not be the first member of his own family to don the green of Ireland. His daughter Leana has shone in surf lifesaving and has secured World and European medals with her father now aiming to make his own impression. “This caps it all off for me. I have played club, county and now after this weekend …

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‘We would have to be happy overall with the point’ – Lohan

Another physically challenging encounter for the Clare manager to digest which saw his side, in his opinion, gain a point with the former Clare captain acknowledging that Wexford might feel it was an opportunity lost as they certainly were the better team for large spells. “It was a very tough physical game which we expected as this is always a really hard place to come. To be honest I don’t know whether Wexford will be happy with the draw but we have to be. Considering our performance in that first half we would have to be happy overall with the point. We were completely outfought in that entire first thirty five and Wexford won almost every single breaking ball. They dominated us physically and we weren’t happy at all with our performance. We spoke about it at the break and in fairness we did regroup.” Facing into the elements was always going to be challenging and we changed things up …

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Consistency the aim as Fitzgerald’s footballers look to end ‘topsy turvy stuff’

It may have been Clare’s biggest victory of this year’s National League to date and back-to-back wins for the first time but new manager Mark Fitzgerald still wasn’t getting caught up in the euphoria or feel-good factor in Cusack Park. You see, what the final scoreline did mask was a painfully slow start for the Banner that despite having a strong wind at their backs were largely chasing a Wicklow side devoid of confidence and points. However, the game changed utterly and absolutely with that rousing brace of Cormac Murray goals just before the break. “We scored 2-15 and conceded 0-8 but when it was a game I felt we were decent without being brilliant.” Outlined Fitzgerald immediately afterwards. “We had some sloppy turnovers early on but we got the goals and they gave us that little bit of comfort really.” Three wins from four puts the Banner firmly looking upwards for the remaining three ties but the Tralee native …

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From Chapel Lane to Croke Park

A stalwart of Ennis and Clare football in the 1950s Michael Garry from Chapel Lane in Ennis passed away in Australia before Christmas in his 88th year. Joe Ó Muircheartaigh recalls a remarkable football story for club and county. Michael Garry left his native Ennis for Australia in the mid-1950s, but when it came to the GAA it’s safe to say that he never really left at all, because his heart was always in the games and the Banner. He showed this to be true in different ways down the years — it was through the letters he wrote to The Clare Champion about club and county games and it was in the pride he had having represented his club Ennis Faughs in county finals and his county in Munster and All-Ireland finals. Michael Garry’s time was in the early to mid-1950s when he was a key member of two great teams in the county — the Ennis Faughs team …

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Clare hoping to keep the Faith-ful

Allianz Football League Division 3 Round 3 Offaly v Clare at Glenisk O’Connor Park Tullamore, Sunday 2pm (James Molloy, Galway) There’s no need for Mark Fitzgerald or Seanie Buckley to script any motivational speech for this Sunday’s return to National League action in Tullamore. Nothing to do with their hosts Offaly, more an inevitable need to itch a scratch caused by the injustice of their last outing on away soil against Mullingar a fortnight ago. What initially seemed and has been since proven to have been a legitimate Cormac Murray match-winning goal was agonisingly ruled out for a perceived square ball by referee David Murnane, a bitter pill for Fitzgerald and his new-look Banner to have to stomach. Every cloud has a silver lining though and unquestionably Clare will be fired up to redress the balance and get themselves back into the promotion mix albeit still without three of their most experienced leaders as captain Cillian Brennan, midfielder Darragh Bohannon …

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McGann fires Avenue into final four of Munster Cup

Avenue United 5 – Togher Celtic 2 A twenty year wait to reach the semi-final of the Munster Junior Cup has been ended by a scintillating away day performance from the Ennis based club. David Russell’s charges were simply put- a class above their West Cork opponents and inspired by a player of the match performance from Steven McGann they ran out convincing winners. Starting on the front foot with a massive determination it only took the current premier league leaders seven minutes to draw first blood with midfielder McGann creating the opening for centre forward Ronan Kerin with a delightful delivery to the back post. The number 10 rose highest and powered a header past the helpless Ciaran Murray in the Togher goal. Buoyed by this positive start Avenue kept up the pressure and an Elias Kunz effort from outside the box went narrowly wide moments later. McGann was instrumental throughout, pulling the strings in the centre and another …

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