Local GAA Championships

St Brigids must be some side if they knocked out a Kevin McGourty powered UCD last Friday.....must be favourites for the all Ireland, unless McGourty gets a chance of revenge....

Nice Article from the Clare GAA Website

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The hacks in the local papers will have to earn their crust this week. It
must be fierce hard to write about Cratloe and Clonlara. Their’s is a
rivalry that has crept upon us. Five years back isn’t all that long ago,
but for these neighbours, in hurling terms, it’s a different world. On
this weekend in 2005, those that probably had nothing else on, were
huddled amongst a hundred or so on the bank in Meelick, to see who, of the
two, would spill down to the quagmire of Intermediate hurling.



Since then all’s changed, changed utterly. For their Munster Championship
voyages this year, Clonlara and Cratloe endowed four hurlers to the Clare’s
Minors, Seven to the Under 21’s and Eight to the County Senior panel. The
pair have shared the last two County Championships - meeting each-other
in last Autumn’s decider - and when they were fattened and supposed to
fade away quietly they’re back to joust for a run at the Canon again.
Infact if Clonlara prevail this Sunday, they’ll have reached their third
County final on the bounce.



This week in St. John’s , Cratloe’s schoolhouse , every sentence has to
be paused and checked for hurling inuendo. Jackie O Gorman is caretaker
there, while inside at the teacher’s desk in Fourth Class is Mike Sheedy,
Clonlara selector. Behind enemy lines. If 2005 seemed low, Mike and Jackie’s
club hurling days were when being from Cratloe or Clon’ was a far smaller
currency in a hurling conversation than it is now. Infact a Senior
relegation fight might well have been the stuff of dreams.



“Well I suppose we may not have won as much”, maintains Mike, “but it
certainly didn’t mean we loved the game any less. I thought it was nice to
hear Cratloe’s captain Barry Duggan when he got the cup last year mention
all the names that pushed Cratloe up the steps. It would have been the
very same for us the year before. I suppose while winning the actual match
in the sixty minutes isn’t all that earth-shattering – it’s the amount of
time that people put in to get you there that’s huge. That was nice of
Barry. It was like he was representing the parish as much as the team and
in Clon’ we had it too with the work done over at the school and likes of
Moffit, God rest him, hauling us off in the back of the van. You’d be
there yet if you started mentioning all the names”.



Blessed are those who tend the vine though they may not be there to taste
the wine.



Cratloe and Clonlara’s rise in stock has been as quick as it has been
impressive. Both clubs knew they had coming teams but its unlikely that
either expected the road to be as short. In 2007 the strongholds in Clare
kept an eye on Clonlara win their provincial Intermediate crown like you’d
coo in on a baby in a pram. Twelve months later they were trying to keep a
hold of their coat-tails. There was barely a ‘bedding in’ period worth
mentioning and while, rightly, there’s a perception that a County
Championship win has never been as open in Clare, both Clonlara and
Cratloe collide as two teams trying to get the most from the best vintages
they’ve known.



“The turnaround for us, as well as yourselves I guess, happens when all
that work co-incides with a good group coming together at once. There
would have been a trickle through from the 1999 Intermediate winning team
with the like of Todsy (Tomás O Donovan), Paul Collins, Brian Woods and
Cian Moloney and more but the difference I see that seperates maybe the
current crop from the rest is that they played all their underage hurling
at A level. All the underage I would have played, and even later on, would
have been B. They wouldn’t really have the same awareness or regard for
tradition we’d have had all along. Some of them boys grew up in the field
over at Doonass too. The Donovan’s house has hurling on the father’s side
with Kilmallock and the boy’s mother came from a hurling tradition in
Kildangan. We all know about the hurling that was in the Honan’s and the
Conlons are at the pitch pretty much every hour of the day. But as I often
said three or four players is great but it’s the next seven or eight that
makes a team. I mean we always had a lot of great hurlers and great teams
at one era or another over in Clonlara but you need a stroke of luck I
suppose to tie them all in together”.



Mike admits when he was hurling there would have often been talk of the
1919 team that won Clonlara’s first, and then only, Senior title and when
seeing the photo he’d be thinking ‘well this isn’t really for us’. “Our
mindset never extended beyond Intermediate hurling”, he says.



“Infact the first time I ever remember this fella”, says Mike elbowing
Jackie, - … “apart from seeing him hurling with Clare, was a Junior B game
in Shannon. He must have been at the ‘lets say’ - twilight - of his career
then and I was thrown into goals in one of my first adult games. The
Cratloe lads had to walk through our dressing room to get to theirs before
the match . In skips Jackie with his boots in his hand and he stops up in
the middle of the floor and nods over to our elder lads. Jesus, he says,
‘I thought I was too old for this until I saw ye”.



It’s only really when you compare their records up against their recent
breakthroughs that it seems Clonlara and Cratloe’s histories had more
troughs than peaks. With that 1919 triumph, Clon’ had a handsome five
intermediate titles (1928, ’75, ’89, ’99 and 2007) to their name before
winning the Canon in ’08. Cratloe have four Intermediates (1937, ’43, ’70
and ’94) to go with last years win . Despite their geography they were
never able to play out much of their rivalry. Although co-incidentally
their most successful sides hurled much the same eras as eachother, Jackie
never remembers their paths crossing all that much. He first recalls being
brought to see Cratloe and Clon’ have a rattle at eachother at Minor
level in Kilkishen in the mid 50’s.



“ I used to love watching Tom McMahon and a fella called Noel McEvoy hurl
on eachother that time. I was a child, and fair enough I hadnt seen too
many yet, but I remember thinking that these were the two greatest hurlers
I had ever seen. There’d be an almighty battle between them. And y’know
they both left for Australia not long after”.



“After that then I remember they played eachother, mostly in Kilkishen
again in the 60’s. They were fierce tough matches. That time we had the
likes of Joe Gorman and my brothers, Mick and Eddie and Packie Quinn, Ger
Bentley and The Neills. Clonlara would have had the Crowes and they had
this fella - ‘ Boxer Madden’ at full forward. There was a famous line in
the dressing room about the Boxer – that if a scuffle started be sure to
keep you hurley with you ‘coz otherwise The Boxer would have you looking
up at the sky”. And they had the McDonnells too. They were great hurlers.



Truthfully neither side has hurled towards Sunday having shown their full
hand this season. Both were actually relegated from the top flight in a
Clare Cup campaign that was largely sacrificed to Clare’s league exploits.
Unwittingly it may have been the perfect time to refuel the club appetites
after hurling well into the winter months last year. The championship
brought no dramatic turnaround. Clon’ drew with St. Joseph’s before
ambling past Ballyea, Corofin and Crusheen. Cratloe were hardly inspiring
against Inagh/Kilnamona. They were a mixed bag against both Sixmilebridge
and Wolfe Tones and got their comuppence when they faced Tubber. But the
Quarter Finals showed that both sides seem to be turning the corner at the
right time. September is the month to up the ante.



Mike and Jackie have been steeling themselves for the trick question. Who’ll
do the business on Sunday? There’s the risk of giving something away here.
Closed mouths catching no flies and all that. This is the sort of
hoodwinking that has been going on in school all week. You’d wonder will
Mike and his team will turn up at the right pitch at all? “It reminds me
of the story of the salmon-poacher”, he laughs, “The river baliff walks up
behind him on the bank and when the poacher sees him he looks down into
the fish and says, ‘Jaysus, Would they bite you’? Let on nothing.



“Well seriously I suppose when you look at it in the last few years there’s
never been more than a puck of the ball between the teams. It was nearly
the last puck of the ball that won the game for us in the Under 21s this
year and it was the very same for ye’ in the Senior Final last year. Not
to sound clichéd but I think the feeling in Clonlara would be that it’s a
pity it’s a semi final two South East Clare teams have to meet in. If we
had to pick a county champion apart from ourselves alot would be saying
Cratloe over in Clonlara and I think that cuts both ways. But sure then no
more than playing anyone in a Semi-final it would be terrific to win on
Sunday. It’ll be everyman for himself but it wont be a lot that’ll
separate them sides”.



Jackie sees Sunday along the same lines. “ It’s a replica of last year
sure. The two teams had a bad oul’ run in the Cup. Much of it wasn’t their
own fault, a lot of hurlers were busy with Clare commitments but they
snaked along in the championship then without showing any huge form and
they’re there again now. The two teams are very similar to last year, so
why should it be any different? There’s no real feature where you’d say
one will have the advantage over the other. You couldn’t say that if
Cratloe play like they did in the first round…..or if Clonlara play like
they played in the second round…..there’s no form so it’s all on the day
really. It would take a wise man to call to it”.



You leave them and you’d love to know what they really think.



Cratloe vs. Clonlara, Cusack Park, Sunday 3rd October - 4pm.

Crusheen beat Sixmilebridge by a point in a tough tight affair this afternoon to book a place in the county final....13 points to 12

The Puke wrote:Crusheen beat Sixmilebridge by a point in a tough tight affair this afternoon to book a place in the county final....13 points to 12

I was in Galway awhile this afternoon and think I heard a few minutes of the game on the radio (5.45ish?). Lively commentary!

the Tyrone senior championship has been thrown into disarray following the decision by Omagh St Enda's to take a case to the DRA. This had led to the postponement of their semi final against Carrickmore. The Omagh club claim their decision to seel legal advice is an attmept to over turn 3 suspensions handed down to 3 players after a melee broke out at the end of their Q/F win over Ardboe.

However in my opinion the decision to go to the DRA is a much more sinister one, during the Q/F Justy McMahon was sent off courtesy of a striaght red he received for striking, he subsequently received a 4 week suspsension and the postponement of this weekends game now means that Justy will effectively be available for the s/f tie. Its my guess Omagh felt they hadnt much hope going in against Carrickmore who would be widely perceived as a physical side whereas Omagh would not be noted for their physicality.

They will have won very few friends for pulling this stunt (not that they have many anyway) and is another example of this culture which IMO eminated from our county were appeals are the order of the day. All those suspended were caught striking and can have no complaints for the punishment they received however clubs seem intent on doing everything they can to get players off.

This may come as a bit of a shock to some of you, however Cross are in the Armagh final.

Ollie Murphy vs Brian Farrell in the Meath Intermediate Final today.

Although I'm sure fourteen other Carnaross or Nobber men will claim medals if either man can win it.

Castletown v Kilanerin ( repeat of 1995 and 1999 finals)in the senior football next sun preceded by minor football final shelmaliers v Ballinastragh Gaels (combination of Kilanerin and Tara Rocks).
Senior B final Gusserane V Taghmon Camross
Intermediate football final HWH Bunclody (1st) v St Mary's Rosslare (last years between finalists). 2nd Oct
Intermediate B Final St Pats V Craanford
Junior Football Davidstown/Courtnacuddy V Clonard
Junior B played won by HWH Bunclody (2nd team) v Tara Rocks
Junior C played won by St Joesphs V Duffry Rovers(2nd team)
Junior D St James Ramsgrange(2nd team) V HWH Bunclody(3rd team)
U21 premier won by Shelmaliers v Glynn Bartown

Hurling is Oulart v St Martins a repeat of two years ago sunday week 10th
Senior B Gylnn Barntown v Oylegate Glenbrien
Intermediate is Shamrocks v HWH Bunclody. 9th Oct
Intermediate B Monageer/Boolavogue V Fr O Regans Craanford
Junior Hurling Adamstown V Buffers Alley(2nd team) 9th October
Junior B won Shelmaliers (2nd) V Faythe Harriers (2nd)
Junior C Oylegate Glenbrien (2nd) v St Martins (2nd)
Junior D Adamstown (2nd) V HWH Bunclody (2nd) 9th Oct
U21 Premier won by Glynn Barntown V Shelmaliers

Winners in bold

Jayo Cluxton wrote:

The Puke wrote:Crusheen beat Sixmilebridge by a point in a tough tight affair this afternoon to book a place in the county final....13 points to 12

I was in Galway awhile this afternoon and think I heard a few minutes of the game on the radio (5.45ish?). Lively commentary!

That would have been the closing stages of it....That is the legendary Syl O'Conner, some man to call a game


We drew with Cratloe today in the other semi.....Probably should have won it went in three down at half time and domnated the second half, Cratloe got a goal just as we looked to be taking control of the match.....1-12 to 15 points....4 Clare minors started in it and all more than held their own, Tots O'Connell was the pick of them....We were missing three big players from the start today, all three should be in the reckoning next week, that coupled with out second half performance has me bullish about our chances.....Fairly annoyed that it ended as a draw meaning that we were told no beer tonight...


P.S If Conor McGrath isn't starting for Clare in the first round of the championship next year then it is idle

bit of a shock in Derry with Coleraine claiming their first ever title against a fancied Ballinderry. A big boost for GAA in non rural parts of Derry and can only be good for GAA in general.

fair play Coleraine.

Peter McGinnity meanwhile guided his native Roslea to a first Fermanagh title in 25 years - they were outscored 8 scores to 7 by their opponents St Pats but crucially 3 of their scores were goals - seems McGinnity hasnt changed his tactics much and from chatting to a few guys in the know his Roslea are an awful team to watch in terms of negativity and spoiling tactics.

Glenties won the Donegal SFC final against Killybegs on a scoreline of 1-15 to 0-8. The game was poor enough fare (as those of you tuned into TG4 will have noticed). The fishermen were going to be up against it anyway and when they went down to 10 men just before half time it was game over.
NC will need to improve a lot if they are going to trouble Kingscourt Stars.

RMDrive wrote:Glenties won the Donegal SFC final against Killybegs on a scoreline of 1-15 to 0-8. The game was poor enough fare (as those of you tuned into TG4 will have noticed). The fishermen were going to be up against it anyway and when they went down to 10 men just before half time it was game over.
NC will need to improve a lot if they are going to trouble Kingscourt Stars.

5 men sent off!!!!!!!!

RMDrive wrote:Glenties won the Donegal SFC final against Killybegs on a scoreline of 1-15 to 0-8. The game was poor enough fare (as those of you tuned into TG4 will have noticed). The fishermen were going to be up against it anyway and when they went down to 10 men just before half time it was game over.
NC will need to improve a lot if they are going to trouble Kingscourt Stars.

in fairness they could hand the Ulster Club title to St Galls anytime - the quality of teams coming out of the other counties is not great to be honest and they shouldnt realistically give St Galls much trouble.

Rathnew beat Baltinglass in Wicklow and Mattock beat Cooley in Louth.

Neasden Gaels are new London Champs after beating Parnells 1-07 to 0-07, they play the winners of Ulster in the All Ireland Quarter Final.

Haven't been on here lately as the club side won the County Championship and it's been a bit of a lost week!!

Great news for Coleraine, they have completed the Senior Football & Camogie Double, 2 breakthrough wins in the one year after meteoric rises for both teams after only moving into Seniors less than than 3 years ago. A club really going places that shows all clubs that investing in youth pays off!

Football
Senior Castletown v Kilanerin
Minor shelmaliers v Ballinastragh Gaels a draw
Senior B final Gusserane V Taghmon Camross
Intermediate football final HWH Bunclody (1st) v St Mary's Rosslare (last years between finalists). 2nd Oct
Intermediate B Final St Pats V Craanford
Junior Football Davidstown/Courtnacuddy V Clonard
Junior B played won by HWH Bunclody (2nd team) v Tara Rocks
Junior C played won by St Joesphs V Duffry Rovers(2nd team)
Junior D St James Ramsgrange(2nd team) V HWH Bunclody(3rd team)
U21 premier won by Shelmaliers v Glynn Bartown

Hurling
Senior Oulart v St Martins a repeat of two years ago sunday week 10th
Minor Shelmaliers v St Annes Rathnure.
Senior B Gylnn Barntown v Oylegate Glenbrien
Intermediate is Shamrocks v HWH Bunclody. 9th Oct
Intermediate B Monageer/Boolavogue V Fr O Regans Craanford
Junior Hurling Adamstown V Buffers Alley(2nd team) 9th October
Junior B won Shelmaliers (2nd) V Faythe Harriers (2nd)
Junior C Oylegate Glenbrien (2nd) v Cloughbawn (2nd)
Junior D Adamstown (2nd) V HWH Bunclody (2nd) 9th Oct
U21 Premier won by Glynn Barntown V Shelmaliers

Winners in bold[/quote]

Swanlinbar took the Cavan Junior final in style yesterday, Robbie Prior hitting 2 points better than anything seen in the Senior Final and future Cavan Midfielder Gearoid McKiernan picking up the man of the match award.

Real Kerry Fan wrote:Well as the championships in most counties are near completion just wodering how is it going in your county. Kerry. Next Sunday great semis double header in Fitzgerald Stadium. Dingle v Stacks and South Kerry (holders) v Crokes. Dingle-South Kerry Final I predict.

Stacks v Crokes final, hope ya didn't visit a bookies with your predictions.

JimWexford wrote:

Real Kerry Fan wrote:Well as the championships in most counties are near completion just wodering how is it going in your county. Kerry. Next Sunday great semis double header in Fitzgerald Stadium. Dingle v Stacks and South Kerry (holders) v Crokes. Dingle-South Kerry Final I predict.

Stacks v Crokes final, hope ya didn't visit a bookies with your predictions.

TG Jim I didnt . Crokes were 2-10 to 0-3 up at half time but SK staged a good comeback but not enough. Gooch was in top form. Dara Long(son og Cork allstar,Dinny) knocked in 2-2 for the Stacks. Crokes should be favs and its the first all club final for years.
Gneuveguilla are intermediate champs,while it is an all South Kerry Junior final. St.Marys v Dromid Pearses.

Real Kerry Fan wrote:

JimWexford wrote:

Real Kerry Fan wrote:Well as the championships in most counties are near completion just wodering how is it going in your county. Kerry. Next Sunday great semis double header in Fitzgerald Stadium. Dingle v Stacks and South Kerry (holders) v Crokes. Dingle-South Kerry Final I predict.

Stacks v Crokes final, hope ya didn't visit a bookies with your predictions.

TG Jim I didnt . Crokes were 2-10 to 0-3 up at half time but SK staged a good comeback but not enough. Gooch was in top form. Dara Long(son og Cork allstar,Dinny) knocked in 2-2 for the Stacks. Crokes should be favs and its the first all club final for years.
Gneuveguilla are intermediate champs,while it is an all South Kerry Junior final. St.Marys v Dromid Pearses.

Does anyone els thing it disgraceful that amalgamations can compete in club champioships? Surely it is very unfair on the clubs who play on their own.

Castletown are your club Jim - nach ea? Whats the crack with Matty - is he a beaten docket at this stage?

God no Castletown are closer to you than me. They are on the border with Wicklow.
It was a good game best team won.
Mattie cant do anything unless you give him the ball and fair dues to Castletown (themselves and Kilanerin are neighbours on the opposite sides of the N11 heading into Gorey from Dublin, Kilanerin are on Tos Byrnes side the pub Castletown are the other LHS from your neck of the woods) the snuffed out the ball into Mattie.
As quite as he was he still plundered 6 points and he was ploughing a lone furrow up there on his own.
Last few county finals in Wexford have been decent affairs this was no different.
Castletown's win gives a few more of us hope we can do it.
As regards that man been a spent force I hope not, he deserves to get his hands on the Delaney Cup.

Good to hear about Matty. I hope he gets a good run of injury free fitness - he needs and deserves it. Toss Byrnes pub! Went in their once ... thought I had two heads with the looks I was getting. And the balaclava still in the car ....

We (Drumcliffe-Rosses Point) managed to fall at the final hurdle in the Sligo Intermediate Championship this Sunday.

All year we've been well served by letting the other team build up a lead, and then storming back from behind in the second half. We tried it again on Sunday (six points down after 20 minutes), and were level with 5 min to go, but this time it was our opponents who kicked on in the dying stages.

Utterly sickening loss, especially considering that we had beaten them in the first round already.

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black&white wrote:We (Drumcliffe-Rosses Point) managed to fall at the final hurdle in the Sligo Intermediate Championship this Sunday.

All year we've been well served by letting the other team build up a lead, and then storming back from behind in the second half. We tried it again on Sunday (six points down after 20 minutes), and were level with 5 min to go, but this time it was our opponents who kicked on in the dying stages.

Utterly sickening loss, especially considering that we had beaten them in the first round already.

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ye where very unlucky against easkey thought ye would have won it to be honest, we are playing saturday v pats in the junior a final so heres hoping i can be celebrating come sunday!!!!