Month: April 2011

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Sport

Comfortable win for Clooney Quin side

Clooney/Quin 1-18 Whitegate 2-07 at Whitegate

SURPRISINGLY straightforward for Clooney/Quin who expected a battle but came away from fortress Whitegate with all two points intact with little fuss. That said, it could also be seen as a pyrrhic victory of sorts as the two points came at a cost of five injuries to Cillian Duggan, Conor Harrison, Derek Ryan, Mike Daffy and Joe O’Loughlin and only weeks away from the championship, it is worrying for Clooney/Quin.

On the scoreboard, they had little problems though, opening up an early five point lead, with Mike NcNamara grabbing three of those. When Whitegate did finally open their account, Clooney/Quin simply upped the ante once more with another four point burst and repeated the dose once more after Whitegate’s second point in the 19th minute to hold a 014 to 0-02 interval advantage.

Whitegate were better after the break but still made hard work of splitting the posts. Substitute Ruairi McNamara cancelled out Whitegate’s hard earned points with a goal in the 56th minute but there were consolation goals from Ian Fahy and an Andrew Fahey penalty to cushion the blow of Whitegate’s defeat as Clooney/Quin secured their first win of the competition.

Clooney/ Quin
Damien O’Halloran, Joe O’Loughlin, Conor Harrison, Shane McNamara, Derek Ryan, Cillian Duggan, Enda Harrison, Sean Conheady, Padraig Ward, Ronan Gallagher, Mike McNamara, Cathal Egan, Martin Duggan, Fergal Lynch, Mike Daffy

Subs
Tony McMahon for O’Loughlin (inj), John Earls for C. Duggan (inj), Brian McInerney for Ryan (inj), SeanWard for Daffy (inj), Ruairi McNamara for C. Harrison (inj)

Whitegate
AndrewFahey, Cathal Mulvihill, John Bugler, John Minogue, Jason Malone, Brendan Bugler, Christy Jones, Shane O’Rourke, George Waterstone, Stephen Malone, Ian Fahy, Michael O’Brien, Niall Hayes,Terence Fahy, Eric Minogue

Subs
Tomas McNamara for Hayes, Eoin Quirke for O’Rourke,Trevor Kelly for T. Fahy, Gary McClearn

Referee
Johnny Healy (Smith O’Briens)

Categories
Sport

Arthur the difference

Inagh/Kilnamona 0-15 Clarecastle 0-12 at Inagh

A SUPERIOR finish was enough to earn the home side all the points in a game that seemed destined for a draw for long periods. With both sides needing to bounce back after defeats last time out, it was always going to be a battle to the finish and so it proved as the sides were level on eight occasions over the hour before Inagh/Kilnamona broke away to snatch victory.

Indeed, it was the home side’s strong finish in both halves that earned them a much needed win. Tyrone Kearse and Jonathan Clancy were instrumental in Clarecastle holding a 0-6 to 0-4 advantage by the 23rd minute but they would go in trailing by the break after a brace of Niall Arthur points and a monster free from goalkeeper Patrick Kelly.

The second half continued in the same vein with Aaron Considine gaining parity immediately after the break before Kearse and Kelly would cancel each other out with a brace of frees apiece.

The Magpies lost centre-back Patrick Kelly to injury but still had enough opportunities to pull clear but only Aaron Considine would add to their tally before the home side’s strong finish. Again it was the supply from the half-back line that catapulted Inagh/Kilnamona to victory. Two Arthur placed balls and two from play from Tomas Kelly and Conor Tierney in response to two Kearse pointed frees steered the home side to their second win of the campaign while the Magpies were resigned to successive defeats for the first time in 12 months.

Clarecastle
Donnagh Murphy, Seanie Moloney, Conor Plunkett, Mark McNamara, Kevin Clohessy, Patrick Kelly (0-1f), Stephen O’Halloran, Fearghus Ryan, Eric Flynn, Derek Quinn, Kieran O’Dwyer, Jonathon Clancy (0-2),Aaron Considine (0-2), Darragh Moloney,Tyrone Kearse (0-7 6f, 1’65)

Subs
Ollie Plunkett for McNamara (HT), Garrett Barry for Kelly (40 mins), Fergal Griffin for Moloney (57 mins)

Inagh/ Killnamona
Patrick Kelly (0-3f), Milo Keane, Brian Glynn, Dermot Lynch, Damien Lafferty, Eamon Glynn, Ronan O’Looney, Colm Pilkington,Tomás Kelly (0-1), Niall Arthur (0-8 4f, 1’65) Cathal Lafferty (0-1), Dermot Gannon, StephenToomey, Gerry Arthur (0-1), Conor Tierney (0-1)

Subs
David Hegarty for Pilkington (40 mins), Eoin Vaughan for C. Lafferty (45 mins), Shane Griffin for Gannon (45 mins), Sean McConigley for Toomey (53 mins) Gary Lafferty for Keane

Referee
Ger Lyons (Ruan)

Categories
Sport

Champs dig deep to beat Tones

Crusheen 1-17 Wolfe Tones 2-13 at Shannon

IT WAS the sort of performance befitting county champions. The innate ability to dig out a result while not firing on all cylinders and while it was cruel on a luckless Wolfe Tones who were determined to bounce back from their sizeable defeat to Sixmilebridge last time out, a late rally ensured that Crusheen maintained their perfect start to the competitive season.

Four points down with only ten minutes remaining, the visitors had to use all of their experience to claw out the victory with Gerry O’Grady grabbing the decisive goal to inspire further scores from Paddy and Joe Meaney.

All this after Wolfe Tones had led for the majority, with a Garret McPhillips goal spurring them to a 19 to 0-8 half-time advantage. A second goal from Paul Walsh appeared to have the Shannon side on the road to their first victory of the campaign and with just over ten minutes left, they led by 2-11 to 0-13.

O’Grady’s goal sparked the Crusheen recovery however, Paddy Meaney followed up with the equalising score and gathering momentum, Joe Meaney put Crusheen ahead with only minutes remaining. Daithi O’Connell attempted to stop the rot with a levelling point but by now, Crusheen had the bit between their teeth and two frees from Joe Meaney set up the win, with a late Barry Loughnane point merely a consolation as the 2009 finalists remain on course for a semi-final spot.

Crusheen
Donal Tuohy, John Brigdale, Cronan

Dillon,Alan Brigdale, Ciaran O’Doherty, Cian Dillon, Cathal Dillon,Tony Meaney (0-2), Pat Vaughan (0-7), Jamie Fitzgibbon (0-1), Joe Meaney (0-4), Gerry O’Grady (1-0), Fergus Kennedy, Shaun Dillon, Gearoid O’Donnell (0-1)

Subs
Paddy Meaney for Kennedy,AlanTuohy for Dillon (inj), Conor O’Donnell for A. Brigdale

Wolfe Tones
Paul Hogan, John Coen, Joe Mc Gauley, Niall Murphy, Shane Chambers, Bobby McPhillips (0-2f), Barry Loughnane (0-1), Stephen McInerney, Daithi O’Connell (0-2), Brendan Hughes, Declan O’Rourke (0-2), Kevin McCafferty, Alan Hehir (0-1), Garret Mc Phillips (1-5), Paul Walsh (1-0)

Subs
Richie Lillis for McCafferty, Daniel Gallery for Walsh

Referee
JimHickey (Cratloe)

Categories
Sport

Burren promotion hopes alive

Burren United 3 – Shannon Olympic A 2 at Shannon

BURREN UTD took three vital points off league leaders Shannon Olympic on Wednesday evening as the First Division title race comes to a close finish.

The Burren started the game all guns blazing, their first chance came after only eight minutes with Olympics ‘keeper Gary McGettrick at full stretch to save a superb volley from the Burren’s Marine Ghita. Burren piled the pressure on for the next twenty minutes which resulted in a penalty being conceded by Olympic.

Martin Mc Donagh stepped up and took the spot kick which was excellently saved by McGettrick. After this lucky escape Olympic seemed more lively with a couple of chances from Ian Hogan and Karl Scott. The Burren soaked up the pressure and dealt a major blow to Olympic with a goal in the 37th minute from Ghita giving the Burren a well deserved lead at the break.

The first thirty minutes of the second half saw the Burren putting more pressure on Olympics defense. Burren were rewarded for all their hard work in the 77th minute when Enda Coughlan headed home giving the away side a two goal advantage. The fatal blow was dealt by the Burren in the 79th minute when Martin Mc Donagh atoned for his penalty miss by scoring Burren’s third goal.

With the game looking dead and buried Olympic came out of their shell with substitute Alan Casey making some probing runs down the left side. Olympic played without fear for the next ten minutes with Mick O’Connell and Karl Scott scoring, bringing the game back to 3-2.

Olympic pushed for an equaliser in the final five minutes but the Burren defense stood tall and they held out for a well deserved 3-2 win, earning three huge points in the race for promotion to the Premier Division.

Shannon Olympic
Gary McGettrick, Mick O’Connell, James Fitzgerald, Karl Fogarty, Ian Hogan, Jimmy Houlihan, Donncadh Kelly, Ray Quigley,Wayne Regan, Karl Scott, Jay Regan.

Subs
Alan Casey, Greg Keane, Michael Byrnes, David Kearns.

Burren Utd
Craig Flanagan, Enda Coughlan, Mickey Keating, John Mc Donagh, Ian Mc Inerney, EvanTalty, Patrick Darcy, Marine Ghita, Danny Burke, Martin Mc Donagh, Mark Mc Carthy.

Subs
John Mc Cormack, Martin Garrihy, Eric Murrihy, LiamKeane.

Categories
Sport

Avenue on course in Lions Cup

Avenue United 2 Rockmount (Cork) 0 the Fairgreen

THE LIONS Club Cup is a 32 county national competition for under 15 players. Avenue United are the Clare representatives and current holders having captured the trophy for Clare for the first time last season.

The competition is promoted by the Lions Club of Ireland to foster friendship, through football, for young people throughout Ireland North and South.

On Saturday last Avenue met Rockmount of Cork in the Fairgreen in the last eight having beaten Charleville United 3-0 away in the last 16.

Rockmount the former school boy club of Roy Keane, travelled to Ennis with high expectations and boasting a central midfield pairing, both of whom are Irish schoolboy internationals.

The game for the first 15 minutes was an even affair with a fierce battle taking place at mid field with Avenues Ross McCarthy and Cian Crimmins getting the upper hand on their more illustrious rivals. Avenue struck first blood on 15 minutes with a well worked move from mid field finished off clinically by Ross McCarthy. Avenue pressed hard looking for a second but were hit on the break five minutes from half time to make it one all.

The second half saw a fired up Avenue team begin to take control of the mid field battles and the whole team lifted their game. Their pressure was awarded when Sultan Kasali finished on his second attempt following a great save from the Rockmount keeper. Avenue wrapped up the match five minutes from time with a great individual effort from Eimhin Courtney. A great team performance by Avenue was rewarded and they go on now to meet a top of the Galway League table Salthill Devon team for a place in the May 21st final.

This game was a great show piece for schoolboy soccer in Clare and was played in a spirit of fairness and respect as promoted by the Lions club. Following the game both teams retired to the old ground for a meal and get together hosted by the Lions Club in Clare.

Avenue
Bryan Colleran, Evan McNamara, Lee O’Callaghan, James Woods, Barry Guilfoyle, Sultan Kasali, Ross McCarthy, Cian Crimmins, Rory Brennan, Eimhin Courtney and Bryan Guilfoyle.

Subs:
SeanTwoomey for Bryan Guilfoyle, Michael Moloney for Rory Brennan, Patrick Chesser for Barry Guilfoyle and Niall Keane for Evan McNamara

Unused subs:
David Egan, Conor McInerney and Ciaran O’Halloran

Managers:
SeanieWhyte and Robert McCarthy

Categories
News

Unwanted dogs find homes with Rover Rescue

A CLARE woman is saving the lives of hundreds of Clare dogs each year by rehousing unwanted Clare animals in Wales. Ennis woman Deirdre Ryan set up Rover Rescue in 2008 and has prevented more then 500 Clare dogs from being destroyed over the last three years.

The charity works by taking in stray Clare dogs, giving them a com- plete medical check, and then transporting them to new homes in Wales or elsewhere in the UK. Stray dogs have virtually been eliminated in the UK over the last ten years meaning that there is now a demand for unwanted Irish dogs.

“These dogs are literally on death row and there is no room for them. Frankie [Cooke, Clare Dog Warden] could have 10 lovely dogs brought into him on one evening and he only has five kennels. So if a home can’t be found quickly for them they will have to be put down. Those are the dogs that I prioritise,” said Deirdre.

“I am doing this in my own home – I live in a terraced house and unfortunately I don’t have lots of room so I depend on a number of dog fosterers who take dogs for days at a time when there is too many. I can keep four or five dogs here and after that I am dependent on help from dog fosterers and from Frankie to hold the dogs until they are ready to be shipped over to the UK.”

Rover Rescue gets a lot of help in preparing animals for transport from Second Chance, Clare Animal Welfare, the Clare SPCA and the Clare branch of the ISPCA.

“I am sending them to quality rescue centres in the UK. If it hasn’t been done already, the dogs will be neutered and will have a full health check before they are placed with a family in the UK. The group will also micro-chip all the animals and will conduct a home check to make sure they are being looked after.”

Deirdre works is the Peter Barks Dog Grooming Parlour and is also the founder of Ennis Dog Club. Anyone who wishes to donate money can lodge funds into the Rover Rescue bank account in Ennis at account number 54547426 and sort code 935387.

Anyone who wishes to help or become a dog fosterer can contact Deirdre on 065 6848684.

Categories
News

McNamara talks up Connolly

WHEN Labour’s Michael McNamara was elected to Dáil Éireann in the recent General Election, the spirit of the workers’ revolution was evoked by former party member Christy Curtin when he quoted James Connolly by saying “the cause of Labour in the cause of Ireland”.

The same clarion call was sounded out by Deputy McNamara when giving the keynote address at the 1916 Rising Commemoration in Kilrush on Easter Sunday as he called on “all true Republicans gathered here to renounce murder that so besmirches our tricolour”.

“It is hardly surprising that as a Labour T.D. I propose to focus on one sentence on the Proclamation in particular: ‘The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally…’

“It is also perhaps unsurprising that I would choose wish to focus in particular on the role of James Connolly.

“Connolly wrote: ‘Whenever the clergy succeeded in conquering political power in any country, the result has been disastrous to the interests of religion and inimical to the progress of humanity.

“And indeed the clergy succeeded in conquering political power in the State that followed from 1916, and the consequences, as we can now see, benefited neither the Church nor citizens.

“The religious liberty guaranteed in the Proclamation provides not just for all religions to be able to operate freely, for all parents to be able to bring up their children in a religion of their choice, but also freedom from religion.

“To those parents who wish to have their children educated in a school with a religious ethos, the establishment of a national forum on school patronage which was welcomed ‘very much’ by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, poses no threat,” added the new Labour Party deputy.

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News

Businesses watch out

BUSINESS people in the Ballymaley areas of Ennis have been urged to exchange information in an effort to deter criminals who are targeting businesses.

The advice from gardaí came at the launch of the Ballymaley Park Business Watch Scheme, which creates a structured link between businesses in the Ballymaley area of the town and gardaí.

It is one of a number of schemes set up by gardaí in recent months across the county and follows spates of crime where scrap metal and home heating oil has been stolen.

Business representatives in the Ballymaley area were given tips on improving security by the Clare Garda Division Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Joe Downey, at the launch of the scheme at the Auburn Lodge Hotel on Thursday.

“Prevention is better than cure. The more obstacles in the way of the potential criminal, the better. Make it obvious that you have security measures in place,” he said.

He said that CCTV is essential and urged businesses to ensure images from CCTV systems are good quality. He also stressed the importance of good lighting, alarms and adequate door locks.

The theft of scrap metal has been a huge concern in Clare over the past year and gardaí have stressed the importance of ensuring that areas where scrap is stored is secure.

Ennis Community Sergeant Frank Naughton urged the business community in Ballymaley to work well together, in an effort to prevent crime.

“Use your own eyes and ears. For the people working in the estate, if ye see anything suspicious, pick up the phone and ring the guards,” said Sgt Naughton. “Alert your staff. Make them aware what ye can do to make your own place secure,” he said.

Superintendent Peter Duff told The Clare People that gardaí will continue to focus on setting up community alert, neighbourhood watch and business watch schemes.

“One of my goals here is to increase the community alert and business watch type of organisations because it is all about the exchange of information,” he said.

In relation to the Business Watch schemes, he said, “We are going in and making contact with people. We have recently set up schemes in Ballycasey in Shannon and we are also setting up a scheme for the Quin Road area of Ennis.” However, he said that Business Watch is “not a substitute for calling the guards. If you are in doubt, you should call gardaí.”

“Thankfully Ennis is not a high crime area compared with the rest of the country, but there are criminals around,” he said.

A similar scheme for businesses in the Quin Road area of Ennis is also being launched. Business representatives are invited to attend the first meeting at the Peppermill restaurant on the Quin Road at 4.30pm today, Tuesday.

Categories
News

CCTV cameras for Cloughleigh

A MAJOR tool in cracking down on anti-social behaviour in the Cloughleigh area of Ennis is to be rolled out within weeks.

Gardaí are currently in the process of linking up the main Ennis town CCTV system with the existing system covering Cloughleigh. Up until now, the systems were not linked up, but a decision was taken by gardaí, in conjunction with Ennis Town Council, to change this.

According to gardaí, this essentially doubles the potential success of the invaluable CCTV system.

In 2009, a new state-of-the-art CCTV system was installed at Ennis Garda Station.

A bank of 19 television screens located at a control centre at Ennis Garda Station relays images from 17 cameras locate around the town centre.

The images from those cameras are very clear and the system has played a key role in solving incidents of crime in and around the town centre.

CCTV has played an instrumental role in the investigation of serious incidents, particularly involving as- saults, public order and thefts in the town centre.

The sharp images generated by the CCTV system has also been credited for a reduction in rates of shoplifting in the town.

However, the system operating in Cloughleigh was a separate scheme and up until now, has not been linked to this scheme.

Ennis Superintendent Peter Duff told The Clare People that this new resource will be invaluable in garda investigations in the town.

“We are in the process of integrating the Cloughleigh communitybases CCTV system into the (garda) station.

“Ennis Town Council has 19 cameras in Cloughleigh and it is being integrated into the garda station so that gardaí can access it and view it from the station,” said Superintendent Duff.

“Work has commenced on feeding the system into the garda station. It’s going to mean increased coverage,” he said.

“The separate systems will be connected. It more or less doubles our system. It may help to curb anti-social behaviour and criminal activity,” said Supt Duff.

Categories
News

1916 hero wed on eve of Easter Rising

AS KILRUSH commemorated the 95th anniversary of the Easter Rising on Sunday, a woman from the town has told a remarkable tale of how her father celebrated his wedding on the eve of the rebellion before heading off to join Padraic Pearse’s garrison in Dublin’s GPO.

Belfast-born Thomas McMullen, who lived and worked in Kilrush for many years before his death over 40 years ago, was also one of the few Catholics to work on the building of the Titanic before joining the Irish Volunteers and taking part in the independence struggle.

“My father married Annie McGill on Easter Sunday 1916 in Ss Peter & Paul’s Church in Belfast,” Teresa O’Loughlin told The Clare People . “He got word that night from Padraig Pearse that the Rising was going ahead and he made his way down to Dublin on Easter Monday and was garrisoned in the GPO for the Rising.

“My mother didn’t mind him going off to the Rising. They were both of the one mind that Ireland should be free, so he had her blessing when he went off to the the GPO to fight for Ireland.

“Many, many years later I was in Dublin for Easter Rising commemoration and we went to the National Gallery and saw photograph of my father with Countess Markievicz.

“He was captured sometime after the Rising and was put in jail. He was involved in the whole War of Independence and he went on hunger strike for six weeks and suffered with his stomach for the rest of his life after that,” the 82-year-old from Henry Street, Kilrush added.

Ms O’Loughlin was born in Mitchelstown where her father worked in the local creamery, before the family moved to Kilrush when he took up an appointment with the West Clare Creamery.

“He lived in Kilrush until he died aged 74 in 1969, but he never really spoke to us about his role in the Rising. It was only my mother who’d tell us something about it. ‘Come on now,’ he’d say when we’d press him to talk about his part in the Rising. ‘Don’t fill the children’s heads with this stuff,’ he’d say.

“‘I’ll tell ye all about the Titanic.’ He told us there were awful things written on the hull. He knew because he worked on the building of it; one of the few Catholics who worked on it, but he had a great friend who got him a job in Harland and Wolff,” added Ms O’Loughlin.