*Keelan Sexton. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill ON SUNDAY in Owenbeg the Clare senior footballers suffered defeat at the hands of Derry, one of the in-form teams in the country, consigning them to Division 3 for the first time since 2016.
*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill Clare’s seven-year stay in Division Two came to an end on Sunday when Kildare saw off Limerick after the Banner men fell to high flying Derry in Owenbeg.
*Darragh Bohannon breaks away from David Byrne and Lee Gannon. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill PRIDE, frustration and passion were just some of the emotions that Clare players, management and supporters were left with after leaving Croke Park last Saturday evening after a pulsating league encounter against Dublin.
*Jamie Malone is tackled by James McCarthy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill THEY MATCHED DUBLIN for all of Saturday’s National Football League tie and led by six points with fifteen minutes remaining but Colm Collins and the Clare footballers were gutted to leave Croke Park with no points to show for their efforts.
*Dermot Coughlan was one of Clare’s top performers. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill CLARE’s senior footballers came agonisingly close to recording one of the results of the year against the kingpins of Dublin.
*Clare GAA Chairman, Kieran Keating. Photograph: Natasha Barton CHAIRMAN OF CLARE GAA, Kieran Keating has hit out at the “very flawed process” that resulted in suspensions for two of the county’s senior hurlers this year while the need to provide facilities of a comparable standard to other counties was also stressed.
A nail-biting finale to Group 3 on Sunday afternoon saw the top three contenders only separated by scoring difference as Ennistymon and Kilmurry Ibrickane cemented quarter-final places while previously unbeaten Clondegad enter a play-off.
*Kilmurry Ibrickane’s Michael O’Dwyer. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill Last year’s beaten finalists Kilmurry Ibrickane justified the favourites tag when opening their campaign on a winning note with a merited win over Doonbeg at a well appointed Hennessy Park in Miltown this Sunday afternoon.
*Aidan McCarthy’s return to full fitness is a major lift for Kilmurry Ibrickane. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill NEVER SHORT OF MOTIVATION ON THE BEST OF DAYS, Kilmurry Ibrickane will not be found wanting when the race for the Jack Daly kicks off this weekend.
*Terence Fahy will continue as Clare U20 hurling manager. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill TERENCE FAHY AND DERMOT COUGHLAN have been reappointed to their roles as Clare U20 hurling and minor football managers, 16 applications have been received for the new HOO role within Clare GAA and outgoing secretary Pat Fitzgerald chose not to attend his final …
