Month: May 2009

Life of Caher motorcyclist remembered at special mass

SPU OL UNE Sard sloma cham ssbeercmmaeem omelet in the Cusack Cup. Playing only a to- tal of seven games in a league struc- ture will never allow much leeway for manoeuvre, meaning that every two points are potentially crucial. In effect, an extra win could mean the difference between a play-off to make a semi-final spot or a play-off to avoid relegation.

SU elem erulme mnie lomr- Mi NUb(GRUNKomE-Tue questionable and though Liscannor didn’t exactly find themselves in that predicament on Saturday evening, they were lying fifth in the table before the final round of games and now, thanks to a one-point defeat to Shannon Gaels, find themselves in a play-off against the Gaels to find out who will join Kilrush Shamrocks in the Garry Cup next season.

For a while, it looked like Liscan- nor would pull through, though.

Most of the opening half was con- trolled by Liscannor and when the Gaels did aim to build something, their final ball was often laboured and it didn’t help that among the for- wards, space was difficult to locate.

As the half wound down, the Gaels managed to dominate possession — similar to the first five minutes when they blasted four wides — and at last, they got some reward. Declan Power popped over his side’s second score of the game on 24 minutes and three minutes later, he got the final touch on the move that kick-started the Gaels’ revival, not just in this game, but in the league in general.

Having lost their opening five games, it looked like they were des- tined for second tier football in 2010. Their hopes for next season and Cu- sack Cup competition are still alive, though.

David Neylon floated a free kick into the danger zone. It was deflected closer to goal through a crowd of players and Power managed to nudge it to the net.

It provided the Gaels with the lead

for the first time in the game but 1m- mediately after, Kieran Considine slotted over a free kick to tie things up, going into the second-half.

Niall Considine, who started on the half-forward line and kicked two fine points in the opening 30 minutes, was now re-located to his full-back line. In one sense, the move allowed

the Gaels gain a foothold around the middle third of the field.

Neylon tapped over a Gaels free just after the re-start following a foul on Eugene O’Neill and shortly after, Michael O’Donoghue was accurate form 50 yards out with a belting point. The score pushed the Gaels into a two-point lead and suddenly,

Liscannor were on the back-foot.

Neylon then maintained the Gaels lead with a 45, which came about un- necessarily when two Liscannor de- fenders competed for a dropping ball only to knock it out of play.

Liscannor didn’t lie down, though. Ronan Slattery, in particular, began to lead the fightback.

With 15 minutes on the clock, Slat- tery was fouled a distance from the posts. He brushed himself off and floated over a fine left-foot free kick. A minute later, Slattery was once again fouled and once more, he con- verted successfully.

With time running out, Liscannor were still two adrift. A loss meant they were waiting on results else- where to figure out if they were safe from a relegation play-off.

When Slattery converted his fourth free and Ger Considine popped over a crucial score from 30 yards out, it tied things up and a draw, which would have relegated the Gaels, looked likely.

The game wasn’t done with yet, though. With two minutes left, John Paul O’Neill drifted into possession close to goal on the right wing. He turned and curled over the winning point which means that these two must do it all again to maintain their top flight status.

THE precarious nature of this year’s Garry Cup meant that every final round game had implications at both ends of the table. This one was no different, albeit that Clondegad’s win over St Senan’s on Tuesday evening ensured their place in the knock- out stages. However, with four other sides on six points and O’Curry’s lagging just one point behind, a win for the home side would have at least ensured their Division two status for another year.

As it turned out, Clondegad’s strong finish to the tie earned them

top spot in the division and relegated O’Curry’s in the process but it was the individual performances of Pad- dy O’Connell and Cormac Murphy that essentially lifted Clondegad to victory.

Murphy was immense throughout in the centre of the field, a fact that was magnified even more by the loss of Ger Quinlan who had got injured that day playing for the county in a challenge while O’Connell proved a rock at full-back, curbing the in- flunce of Michael Carmody who ap- peared to be running the show early on.

The home side were O-5 to O-2

ahead by the turn of the first quar- ter, with Eoin Troy scoring a brace of frees either side of Michael Carmo- dy’s point for O’Curry’s while Clon- degad could only reply with a Paudge McMahon free and a Rory Clohessy point in that period.

O’Connell’s. switch was crucial though and it helped Clondegad grab a foothold in the match when Kieran Browne pointed in the 18th minute followed soon afterwards by a superb Gary Brennan point from almost on the endline. Eoin Troy and Kieran Browne traded scores ap- proaching the finish of the half but it was O’Curry’s who would have the

last say when Carmody pointed right on the stroke of half-time to give the home side a two point advantage at ORT rone ay

Needing the points more, O’Curry’s continued where they left off on the restart with another brace from Eoin Troy pushing them O-9 to O-6 in front. However, it was to prove their final score of the game as Clonde- gad started to turn the screw around the centre and O’Curry’s ran out of steam.

The score that proved the catalyst for Clondegad’s revival came at the turn of the final quarter when a swift passing move involving Kenneth Kelly and Paudge McMahon ended up with Francie Neylon who goaled from close range. Bouyed by that score, Clondegad upped it another gear and only ten minutes from time, Eoin Griffin gave them the lead for the first time in the match.

However, the decisive score that came only minutes later was worthy of winning any game when Paudge McMahon raided down the flank and fended off several challenges be- fore rifling the ball to the net from an acute angle. That score sucked the life out of O’Curry’s and it al- lowed Clondegad, and McMahon in particular to pile more misery on the home side, as he kicked the final two points of the game. A win that gives Clondegad pole position for the semi-finals while subjecting a luck- less O’Curry’s to their second suc- cessive relegation.

THE TEMPLATE is there from the League final in Semple Stadium. That is the standard that we must aim to achieve — and exceed. Only the foolhardy would disagree that we are quite a long way from it at this moment in time. The League final action was simply terrific. Cold rea- son will even tell us that we have no hope ever of equaling it. Yet reason 1s often thrown to the wind at champt- onship time. Show strength of mind and body never seen before.

The majority of it in our case will come down to managerial planning and preparedness.

Absolute ruthlessness in the correc- tion of rampant previous mistakes. Players must almost be put on oath not to repeat them. Of any sector of the Clare set-up that reached last year’s Munster final the manage- ment needs to improve the most. At the start we stated here that this is not a novice management. Excuses for failure in approach and planning are hardly acceptable at this stage. Yet some of the mistakes made last year were so obvious and fundamen- tal that one dreads that they may be repeated again.

This is groundhog time.

Back for a moment to the League final. This was trench warfare with style and skill. Those who com- plained that it was too tough should get real.

The only serious injury came from a fair shoulder. No point in dwelling further but one man deserves special mention. In half a century I cannot recall a better half back than Tommy

Walsh. More combative and deter- mined than even the great Whelehan. To my knowledge Walsh played eve- ry round of the league.

Never flinched, never stood back. Courage, skill, steel and spirit. The complete player.

On June 21st Clare will be facing consummate stickmen in either Tip- perary or Cork. It would be unwise to think that we can match their skills totally especially in scoring. Other measures and tactics will have to be produced.

Shock and awe must be the pass- word. The task is enormous. The problems are many. Two of the main ones are defenders who are not up to the pace for championship hurling and the provision of a balanced at- tack. Over the past decade Clare has tended to field too many big men up front. Big men need a lot of space for striking. Space that will not be given, especially by Tipperary.

We do not have a sacrificial fielder. One who would contribute little ex- cept the invaluable ability to field un- der pressure and lay off.

Barry Nugent could do a job here with persistent drilling. Tony Car- mody and Jonathon Clancy are capa- ble of running at defences and taking scores although the latter would be well advised to let it go more often. He was brought to a somewhat shud- dering stop by the Noresiders in Cu- sack Park.

Tony Griffin needs a lot of space these days and the fear is that he has left his best days on the roads with his bicycle. Even more worrying 1s the lack of pace in defence. For in- stance in the game against the Cats

Ritchie Hogan gave Conor McMa- hon five metres yet still managed to beat him to the ball.

Remember that? It was very signifi- cant. Brendan Bugler has some pace but needs to look to his discipline. We need a mobile fullback to help out Gerry O’Grady hence my prefer- ment for Brian O’Connell at No 3.

The loss of Gerry Quinn is cata- strophic for the defence. It is a deba- cle that should never have occurred.

Up in Westmeath when their key forward Dennis Glennon was absent from training his manager sought him out and brought him back to the camp. Domhnall O’Donovan was

brought in late into the panel. Had he played through the League he might well have made it at corner back. Nicky O’Connell could make the team right now either as a halfback or midfielder. Great skills and fire. Surely the makings of a good one. Tipp showed themselves power- fully against Kilkenny. They showed themselves to Cork as well. The Rebels will be primed and ready with plenty of extra incentives to jus- tify themselves after the managerial incident. Cork is bursting with hurl- ing talent. Denis Walsh is putting together a dynamic forward set-up. Thirty two points on the board re-

cently against Limerick.

Now the third O hAilpin is on the horizon. Hot stuff there. Fintan O’Leary too is making ground and Patrick Horgan has skill to burn. Their problems may arise in the last line of defence with the departure of the Rock and Brian Murphy. Two great defenders and sportsmen.

Can Clare learn enough from the league final and next Sunday’s semi- final to mount a decent challenge’?

Meer Mee B Le

IT WAS a Saturday afternoon in downtown Barcelona and I was caught between Antonio Gaudi and a very soft place.

My Lonely Planet guide book had made Gaudi a must see experience on my only day in the capital of Catalo- nia, but there was a little matter of a rugby match in Murrayfield between Leinster and Leicester.

Now, if it was Munster v Leicester, Gaudi would have to wait for another year, but Leinster…1 was sure where my loyalties lay.

You see, I suppose I could be called a Lunster — that’s the moniker some wordsmith cooked up these past few months to explain away people who hail from the green field where rugby players wear blue geansais, yet pledge complete allegiance to the Munster Republic.

The reasons for this were mani- fold.

It’s true that I couldn’t be more Dublin — bread there, born there and lived there for the first 24 years of my life and all that. And, that living was done in Blackrock and therefore in the shadow of the famous rugby institution run by the Holy Ghost Fa- thers on the Rock Road.

The only way to explain away Blackrock College is that it has been to rugby what St Flannan’s College has been to hurling. Once upon a time Michael Cusack may have been on the teaching staff there, but that was in the rugby and cricket playing period of his life.

However, Blackrock College was something of anathema to people of country stock — it was this big fee- paying institution behind massive corrugated iron gates, while their ritual winning of Leinster Senior Cup titles on St Patrick’s Day in Lansdowne Road most years did about as much for rugby in Dublin as St Flannan’s winning Harty Cup titles did for hurling in Clare.

I got many opportunities to get my spoke in about the wrongs of Black- rock’s near-monopoly on things rug- by in Dublin. Most days going home from school in fact — the number 6 or 6A bus (one of those old pale brown ones like the red double-deckers in London where you alighted from the back) that transported me home from school passed by the corrugated iron gates of the institution.

Those gates represented hate at first sight and conflict all the way — mea rabid Irish-speaking outsider wear- ing my Dubs (or Kerry at various times it must be said) football colours on my heart and sleeve who went to school on the inner-city northside was looked upon as something of subversive fundamentalist. This was especially so during by PLO scartf- wearing days.

Let’s put it this way — the GAA and the gaeilge made one viewed with deep suspicion, even though one of the first teams to ever win the Dub- lin SFC were Feach McHugh’s from Blackrock. I loved reminding the rugger-buggers of this, telling them (as Gaeilge of course) that the GAA had made it big in Blackrock before there was an oval ball in sight.

This, allied to having the temerity to take the high moral rugby ground on the top of the double-decker bus by saying that Blackrock College were killing rugby for everyone else in Dublin turned deep suspicion into something well beyond hatred and contempt.

Maybe that’s where the Lunster in me was born — railing against all things Blackrock College was the starting point, from there spread into many other corners.

Cast your mind back to the start of the AIL back in the early ‘90s — this was the competition that was going

to confirm Dublin’s dominant posi- tion in the game. That’s what the Dublin-dominated media told the world at any rate — it was Blackrock’s league and if not it was Wanderers’ or Lansdowne’s.

There wasn’t much mention of Shannon, Garryowen, Young Mun- ster or Cork Con. They were beyond the pale, so largely out of sight and definitely out of mind.

With that the Lunster in me grew rapidly towards manhood – still a Dub, always a Dub with a blue gean- sai, but most definitely the sky blue one you’d find on Cnoc 1916 and not the navy or royal blue ones you’d find on the cushioned seats of the Royal Dublin Society or Donnybrook (pro- nounced Dawnybroke in this D4 dis- nulee

You could say the Lunster in me fi- nally flowered in Lansdowne Road in 2006 when Declan Kidney’s Munster hit Leinster’s soft underbelly so hard that they were catapulted back up to

Dawnybroke by a canon as big as the ones that were parked on the Cliffs of Moher during the making of the Guns of Navarone.

So it was without regret that I hopped aboard an open top bus on Saturday afternoon to take up the trail of Gaudi — it was the unfinished/ work in progress of his imposing cathedral over Leinster’s unfinished/ work in progress any day.

Gaudi was run over by a tram in 1926 just as the monument to his life’s work was taking shape — Lein- ster could be run over by Leicester’s train for all I really cared.

That’s what pre-conceived wisdom told me at any rate as my old preju- dices about Blackrock Collge and the fee-paying elite culture of rugby in Anna Livia converged one more wba ele

Antonio Gaudi, the most talked about architect of the 20th century after Hitler’s Albert Speer, was making a Catalan out of me for the

afternoon. Catalans want their inde- pendence from Spain — I was Lunster from the Munster Republic making my own independent stand.

However, something happened en route from Sagrada Familia (Gau- di’s cathedral) to Parc Guell (Gau- di’s Park). A fellow Paddy-traveller who was wearing a Leinster geansai crossed my path.

He’d been on Gaudi’s trail too, but had now turned deserter and was in search of Michael Collins — not the one who was alive in Gaudi’s time but the pub bearing his name.

Suddenly, I was caught between Gaudi and a very hard place. Some Michael Collins-like nationalism sparked. It wasn’t about being anti- Blackrock College any more. Same way as for Catalans last summer it wasn’t about being separatists any more as Spain marched on Austria/ Switzerland to win Euro ’08.

For the Catalans it was about being rabid nationalists, same way for this Lunster — it meant deserting Gaud1’s trail and hopping aboard the Leinster train to Michael Collins’ pub.

Of course, for my own peace of mind I cooked up a temporary get- out clause from my Lunster contract and Blackrock College prejudices.

‘Rock’s finest GAA man after Car- ron’s Citizen Cusack was Citizen O’ Driscoll — before rugby super-star- dom opened out before him he played football with Clontarf.

This was the same club that gave the lion-hearted Jim Roynane to the “Dirty Dozen’ team of 1983 that won the All-Ireland for the Dubs, while Kilmihil’s Noel Normoyle of Clare’s Munster championship win- ning squad of 1992 also togged out for “Tarf for a few years.

There were 20 minutes left in Mur- rayfield — the sides were level 16-16 and Michael Collins’ was a little melting pot of Irish rugby nationalist SroeLNDOOLSI 81m

There were Lunsters there; there were (by their Dawnybroke accents) a few ‘Rock old boys there; there were those from the fourth green field who support Ireland but not the flag; there were those who sing Ireland’s call in- stead of Ireland’s Soldiers Song.

But for those 20 minutes we were all Leinster and willed Jonathon Sex- ton’s penalty between the posts.

Still a Lunster thanks to the number 6 bus though, but always a rabid na- tionalist when it comes to the four eau BECCA K

Up Leinster!

Now it’s time to get back on Anto- nio Gaudi’s trail.

Bishop looks at controlling Communion expense

CLARE’S only candidate in the Eu- ropean Election Michael McNamara has called for all counties to be al- lowed elect its own local mayor.

The Independent candidate, who believes an overhaul of local govern- ment is long over due has asked can those in the provinces not be trusted to elect the heads of their local gov- Simone ate ome

“While the announcement of a di- rectly elected mayor for Dublin 1s positive for Dublin, one has to won- der why it wasn’t extended beyond the pale, where it is most needed in light of the centralisation of power in this country’, he said. “It does not change the fact that on June 5 coun- cillors will be elected in Clare.” Yet, all executive power is in the hands of the County Manager who is ap- pointed from Dublin. Is this local democracy?” he asked.

Con (onmsslomanunleUbelcans(OUse-DUMBDOMNele counties local authorities, difficult decisions will have to be made in the months and years after the upcoming election. Indeed they are already be- ing made as we see from news from the Roads Section. There decisions must be made by democratically elected representatives who have to answer to the electorate for their de- C1Sions.”’

“There is general agreement on the need for greater accountability in government but at the moment it remains just a slogan to glibly throw out. Accountability has to begin somewhere. All politics is local, the say. So it has to begin locally,’ he Sr nLe

“In the time spent campaigning throughout the constituency, since my late entry to the race, one issue has stood out in the vast and var- ied constituency. That is a sense of increasing alienation from govern- ment, including local government, by citizens and community groups. This growing chasm is very worrying and needs to be bridged,” he added.

‘Perhaps, the answer is less local government with greater power and a more regional approach. I think that the people of Clare feel a strong affinity with Munster. Indeed the re- cent Clare FM poll where the major- ity felt that the voters of Clare are not adequately represented in being part of the North and West European Par- liament Constituency is noteworthy in this regard.”

HOW soon work will begin on the second phase of the rejuvenation project in John Paul Estate depends on funding being available from Hse NM OCovourveeroele

Kilrush Town Council prepared a detailed project brief in October 2008 in respect of a continuation of Remedial Works at the council es- tate.

This brief specifically identified proposed works in terms of specific je atone

It was then submitted to the De- partment of Environment, Heritage and Local Government on Novem- ber 12 last seeking funding under the Remedial Works Programme 2009-2011.

The department requested clarifi-

cation on some points on the sub- mission in late February 2009 and these were immediately responded to by the council.

An inspector from the Department of the Environment then inspected the estate and the proposed works in April 2009.

He suggested some amendments to be made to the council’s brief. These amendments are being final- ised.

“The feedback which I have re- ceived from the DoEHLG is that they would be very positively dis- posed to the continued remedaia- tion of the estate and that it 1s next in line in a group of projects to be approved subject to funding being available,’ Town Clerk John Corry told this month’s meeting of the town council.

EFFORTS by Kilrush Town Coun- cil to buy out of a contract that has already flushed away €305,185.58 of the council’s money, has been blocked by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

This month’s meeting of the town council was told that central Govern- ment refused to allow it get a loan to buy itself out of the contract for the public Superloo.

Last year the public toilet in the square cost the council €38,325, with an income of just €1,250.

This year the Superloo is to flush another €39,806 down the drain with an estimated income of €1,300. This will see the council losing €38,500 again this year.

The town council are bound to the contract until August 23, 2019. To remove itself from the contract, the council would have to give 12 months’ notice and pay a penalty of 25 per cent of the cost per year re- maining on the contract as well as the cost of having it removed.

Kilrush town clerk, John Corry told the members of the council on Wednesday, “The dilemma this council has is the cost of buying out Web ISe

“We have to remain in budget for the year. We are looking at budget- ing the €120,000 (buy out) for the

next year which would be a huge increase in the annual rate of valua- tion,’ he warned.

“We got a loan for Henry Street, why can’t we get a loan?” asked Cllr Deirdre Culligan (Ind).

“We have approached the depart- ment about a loan and they said no way, said Mr Corry.

‘The rent we are paying for the next three years would pay that (the loan) off with no rate increase,’ argued Cllr Marian McMahon Jones (FG).

“We all agree it is crazy, but we cannot raise the loan. Can I ask you to go back to the company?” said the mayor, Cllr Liam O’Looney.

Town manager Bernadette Kinsella told the councillors that their options were restricted.

“You either borrow, which there 1s a limit on nationally, or you look at the levies. You also need to consider what other facility do you plan to provide given Kilrush is a heritage town.”

Cllr Culligan pointed out that the council is not required to provide such facilities.

“If the Government is tying our hands and insisting we waste money, it’s no wonder the country is in the state it is in. If they are letting us squander money on a toilet and won’t let us buy ourselves out,” she said.

Cllr McMahon Jones asked for the costing of a small building for a to1- Colm Kom orom chek, armel oy

has learned that a team of runners will carry a flame from the birthplace of Michael Cu- sack in Carron to the birthplace of the GAA in Thurles for the Munster hurling final on July 12.

The torch will be handed to the Munster GAA chairman Jimmy O’Gorman on the pitch before the senior decider. O’Gorman will then light torches for all the heads of the

GAA in the province who will bring back the flame of Cusack back to their own county.

“In association with the Munster Council and the Clare GAA board we have planned the relay torch run- ning from the Michael Cusack Cen- tre to Thurles for Munster Final day. This would be symbolic of Cusack’s own journey to Thurles to found the GAA,” said Martin O’Loghlen of the Michael Cusacks Centre.

“The torch will then be taken from Thurles to all the counties in Mun- ster, again symbolic of the idea of the GAA spreading out from Thurles and the impact of Michael Cusack.”

The Cusack Centre was developed by Michael Cusack Development

Company, a not-for-profit voluntary group formed in November 2003 to restore Michael Cusack’s cottage which had fallen into disrepair.

“We feel passionate about the con- nection between the GAA, Carron and Michael Cusack. We feel that it is important to remember his legacy to the country, not just the foundation of the GAA but his entire legacy,” continued Martin.

‘We have a number of events com- ing up in the next few weeks to mark the 125th anniversary celebrations. We are trying to encourage as many people as possible into the centre during the anniversary so we are providing a special offer for all GAA clubs over the summer months.

“We are working closely with Clare GAA and the Munster Council and on June 20 we will also have a number of activities up at the centre as a special commemoration.”

The special offer will see all GAA clubs being offered a special reduced admission fee of €3 for adults and €2 for children between six and 16 years throughout the summer.