Category: Sport

IT’S rare for a defeated manager to hold a smile at the final whistle; rarer still when taking into consideration the natural competitiveness of said manager Davy Fitzgerald who in his playing career was nominated for nine All-Stars, winning three of those in 1995, 2002 and 2005 as well as two All-Irelands and three Munster titles.

That ferocious will to win hasn’t waned since entering the managerial route in 2008 but with LIT missing several key players and having bigger fish to fry in the Fitzgibbon Cup next week, Fitzgerald was more than happy with his side’s attitude and application on Saturday, despite the defeat.

“I think everyone enjoyed today’s game because it was competitive. We wanted to win, they wanted to win and that’s what you have to have.

“The score wasn’t a true reflection of the game because I was delighted with the performance. I knew that missing the three or four lads we are missing today, it would be very hard for us. Like Clare, if you are on a county panel, you have to be good enough to be on it but on a college team, you might have a good 15 or 16 that are very, very strong but not as strong afterwards.

“When we were missing Seamus Callanan, Seanie Collins, James McInerney and Joe Canning today, you are missing out on four very good lads. I felt that we probably had three or four good goal opportunities that we didn’t finish whereas I felt Clare took the two or three chances that they got. But in fairness to them, I was looking at Clare both last week and this week and there was a massive improvement in their commitment.

“We are delighted with the game because you want to play in competitive games like that. I was delighted to see Clare fighting as hard as that and Clare need those games. You need a bit of fire and I think you’ll see there was a good bit of fire out there today but definitely Clare came on a lot in a week but I expected that anyway.”

Delving deeper into the difference between chance taking, the former Clare goalkeeper offered his opinion on why his side were continually frustrated by current number one Philip Brennan.

“He saved them a couple of times but there is no excuse for him saving them because we should have finished them. You can’t hit the ball hip high at any goalkeeper. Any goalkeeper worth his salt will stop the ball hip high. We have to be hitting the balls down low where it counts but we didn’t do that today but fair play to Clare, they kept the ball out at the back and they took their chances.

“From a Clare point of view looking at it, you’d have to say they worked a lot harder there today and that was a big thing. Fellas got games that hadn’t got games before but as I say we are just delighted we got that game. I didn’t care about winning it because Wednesday week is when we want to win. It was just vital for us to get that game.”

With one half of a potential dream semi-final line-up shattered, at least Fitzgerald has a second bite of the cherry when he brings his Waterford side to O’Garney Park on Sunday. However, with over 20 squad players unavailable for last Sunday’s 1-12 to 0-11 victory over Cork IT, Fitzgerald doesn’t hold out much hope for a repeat of last year’s victory at the same stage.

“If you have to come back here, you have to come back but all I want to do at the moment is get as many games as I possibly can into it. That would be a good game again and if we meet Clare, I don’t think we’ll match them with the squad we probably have at the moment but it will be good for us to give lads a chance because these are the games to try out players.”

“A ONCE in a lifetime night” was how Crusheen GAA Chairman Colm O’Connor described the club’s Historic Victory Social in The West County Hotel on Friday.

“It’s a huge privilege for me to welcome you to this celebration of 2010 on winning the Canon Hamilton for the first time and completing the Junior A double.

“2010 will be remembered for all the wrong reasons at a national political level but in Crusheen it will remembered for all the right reasons.

“To the players of 2010 you have your place in history and rightly so, you will never forget this year and we will never forget what you have done for the people of Crusheen.”

Special guest on the night, Clare County Board Chairman Michael O’Neill echoed those sentiments in his address to the 350 strong crowd.

“Tonight is a night of celebration and no matter how many titles you win in the future, this is the first. Many, many great Crusheen teams went before and it wasn’t for the want of trying that they weren’t as lucky as you were to win the county championship. But that day in Cusack Park you were representing all those players who had represented Crusheen down through the years and we must never forget that. We must never forget the teams that came before us and that’s part of the psyche of the GAA.”

In keeping with that belief, a special slide-show was presented to celebrate the players, mentors, officials and supporters alike from both the past and present.

While Master of Ceremonies Syl O’Connor interviewed many local legends on the night, two of Crusheen’s most celebrated sons were mentioned most. Michael Moroney won an All Star in 1977 and ‘was the undisputed master of the art of line ball taking’ and he was asked to sum up the year before the presentation of the junior medals.

“I suppose it’s the greatest thrill of my life to see them pulling it off. Such a fabulous bunch of players we had this year and tonight we paraded in close to 60 players and they have all given serious commitment all year and it was a joy to watch them win the two junior titles and the senior one. It will always stay in my mind and especially for the players and mentors it is something that they will always look back on. It was a marvellous achievement for a very small parish.”

The final words of advise to the Class of 2010 were fittingly uttered by former player, club sponsor for over a decade as well as county sponsor, Pat O’Donnell who could not hide his pride in the club’s achievements in 2010.

“Whatever the recipe, hold it, keep it, nourish it, embalm it.”

“OCTOBER 17, 2010 is a date that going to live long in the minds of Crusheen people, no matter where they are on this planet. Decades of disappointment were finally put to bed that day and I as a proud Crusheen man was so happy for everyone in Crusheen that finally our day had come.”

The opening lines of Crusheen senior manager Michael Browne’s speech before the historic medal presentation to his panel of players. Delving deeper into the club’s Clare Cup and subsequently successful championship campaign, he paid special tribute to the players who brought the side to victory as well as the rest of his management team.

“You could see the confidence and the belief beginning to develop among the players as we got out of the group and entered the quarter-final of the championship. The discipline that this team showed on and off the pitch was second to none. They really responded to the challenge that was put in front of them and for that, I really admire them.

“You could also see it grow in the management. Nothing was left to chance and we had an absolutely fantastic management team in place. Eddie [Fitzgibbon]. Niall [Griffin] and Gerry [Kennedy] worked absolutely so hard at training and prepared meticulously for everything that happened throughout the year and for them nothing was too much, too far or too hard.”

In also thanking Cyril Lyons for his role in taking training at various junctures throughout the year, he recalled a conversation he had with the former inter-county star.

“Cyril felt that ‘for every team, there is a small, short window of opportunity to win a county title’ and I know many people felt that for Crusheen, that window had disappeared and was gone. But I can tell you that as we made progress in 2010 and especially in September and early October when that window came back into focus for us, there was absolutely no way that we were going to let it pass this time and that is exactly what happened.”

Junior A manager Joe Mullins reflected on the perfect year as his side claimed both league and championship honours.

“What a year we have had in 2010. We entered two competitions and won both of them, championship and league and in doing so contributed hugely to what has been the most successful year in the history of Crusheen GAA.

“We played 11 games in the league, winning nine, drawing one and losing one and this after we had already qualified for the semi-final. It’s a great record by any standards and after seeing the way the team performed in the final especially when the pressure came on, we knew that this could be our year to have a real crack at the championship.

“On the 30th of October, we lined up against our old foes from Newmarket. The lads played tigerishly and it ebbed and flowed as all tight games do but we said to each other going out for the second half that whatever happened we would fight to the final whistle. And so we did fight and that is why tonight we are honouring these county champions who have brought the junior A cup back to Crusheen for the first time since 1959 and not only that but they have also brought back the junior A league Cup to Crusheen, a double that has only been achieved twice before by any club.

“So in summing up the great year for the Crusheen junior A team, especially for the times we are living in, I’d like to put it like this:

“If this were a company and I was chairman of the board of directors and all of you were the shareholders, I know that you are very happy with your investments.”

EARLY days, so early that it’s far too soon to make a call on Clare’s chances of realising their goal of promotion from Division 4 at the league’s end, but some more encouraging signs were manifest in Sunday’s display.

A win against physically stronger opposition and a win in which the work undertaken by the squad during the closed season really came up trumps as they maneuvered themselves into a winning position before a late CIT comeback threatened to bring the game to extra-time.

That CIT’s comeback that yielded a burst of three points from substitute Andrew O’Brien in the closing ten minutes just came up short was just desserts for Clare, simply because the quality of their play in the second half made them far the better side over the hour.

Yes, Clare were slow to get going and could only muster one point in the opening 25 minutes, but once they took the lead for the first time with a fine score from Rory Donnelly, they had exerted a control over proceedings that was eventually rewarded with a win and a semi-final outing against Waterford next Sunday.

CIT didn’t start their two Cork AllIreland winners Aidan Walsh and Ciaran Sheehan, but All Star midfielder Walsh was introduced as early as the 18th minute when the students realised that they were in for a tough hour.

Walsh did add strength to an al- ready strong CIT side, but ultimately brains and not brawn was the winning of this game as a flurry of wellworked and executed scores in the second half showcased the real difference between the sides. Clare had that bit of panache in the final quarter of the field – CIT didn’t.

Indeed, despite kicking seven first half wides, Clare looked to be on the high road just before half time after Donnelly’s point from lifted some of the gloom that inevitably attached itself to a game that produced only two points in 25 minutes – Barry John Walsh’s opener for CIT after five minutes and Alan Clohessy’s equaliser 11 minutes later when a soaring catch from Timmy Ryan teed him up for a tap-over.

Points via a David O’Brien free on

TWO games down and two wins. Positive stuff as Clare’s season comes to life, not so much because of the win that puts Clare within 70 minutes of a first McGrath Cup final since the dramatic win they scored over Limerick in the 2009 decider – more to do with the way the victory was achieved.

“I would say we won dirty,” says Clare manager Micheál McDermott. “I’d be always of the view that any match you go out you have to try and win, no matter what that game is. Winning dirty like the lads did today is important for the team because is shows character.

“They showed last week against University College Cork that they wanted to win it and they showed this week against Cork IT that they also wanted to win it, even though we made a lot of mistakes we really wanted it and that’s important for the development of the team as we get ready for the start of the National League.”

From there McDermott sifts through the game – both negatives and positives of a 70 minutes that was insipid, if physical, for much of the first-half before opening out in the second-half on the back of some impressive forward play by Clare.

“We were quite unfortunate to lose Gary Brennan in the first-half and it put us under pressure. We didn’t play good football for a lot of it and we gave away too many easy scores, but some of the football we played and some of the scores we kicked were good and it gives us something to build on again.

It’s early in the season and a result is very important for us because it gives us another competitive match, this time against an inter-county team which will be a fair test of where we are at as the National League approaches.

“Cork IT are a good side. They won the Sigerson Cup two years ago and they’re a very strong and physical side. Every college team we play is made up of very strong club players from Cork and Kerry and intercounty as well. We needed the physical challenge and a lot of the younger players stood up well. A lot of the younger players did well, Cathal O’Connor did some great work in midfield. He made a couple of mistakes but he has a great future ahead of him.

“Some of our ball movement was very good at times, while we kicked some quality scores, while it was very positive to see David Tubridy back from injury. He was itching to get back into it – we didn’t think we would have to use him so early but he really stood up to the challenge and has a game under his belt.”

With that McDermott’s mind drifts to the start of the National League – he’s not forgetting the challenge to be faced up to when Clare play Waterford on Sunday, it’s just that he knows that the National League from February onwards is what his team will be judged on, not McGrath Cup fare in January.

“You never really know until you hit the pitch in the first round of the league how you’re going to perform,” he says. “We always said that first match against Leitrim is vitally important. As they say in the Premier League, it’s six-pointer and both teams will be looking to do well in the division, so if we can get a win away from home it would be a great start.”

They might be heading that way.

WINNING isn’t everything but the will to win is as Clare proved on Sunday by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. With experimentation the norm at this time of year, expectations weren’t high as can be seen from the paltry support in O’Garney Park. And really the only prerequisite is the result as the county crave as many competitive games as possible ahead of the real business of the National League.

In that regard, Clare can count themselves very lucky to be still in the hunt for Waterford Crystal Cup honours after producing a six point turnaround in the final three minutes to deny their student counterparts.

With eight senior debutants in the starting line-up, Clare never flowed with any great purpose over the 70 minutes and it almost cost them dearly. The home side hit 16 wides and even the conversion of basic frees eluded them while in contrast, ITT made their most of their chances, particularly through Limerick’s Eoin Ryan who was unerring from both placed balls and play.

To hammer home the extent of the changing of the guard in the county side over the past few years, Clare had only two survivors from the starting line-up of 2009 (Gerry Quinn and Fergal Lynch while ITT had eight.

What finally turned around Clare’s fortunes however was the Under 21 class of 2009, Nicky O’Connell and debutant Conor Tierney from the starting line-up as well the introduction of Caimin Morey, Cian Dillon and John Conlon.

It was Morey who grabbed the headlines however, scoring an unanswered 1-3 in the final three minutes to take the spoils, with 1-1 of that total being supplied by Tierney.

That urgency was not as evident earlier in the proceedings however as despite a healthy first half breeze at their backs, a ringrusty Clare were wasteful in front of the posts but still able to keep their heads above water by the break.

Indeed, it was a Clare man that opened the scoring, albeit for IT Tralee. Thomas Downes, the Cooraclare player who plays his hurling for Éire Óg, was one of three Banner natives on the Kerry College starting line-up along with his clubmate Stephen Guilfoyle and Crusheen’s Fergus Kennedy and duly set the ball rolling after three minutes.

Clare replied with three out of the next four points through Cormac O’Donovan, Colin Ryan and Diarmuid McMahon before the game came to life in the 14th minute with the opening goal for the visitors. In truth, it was the type of goal that would only be forgivable at this time of year as midfielder Nickie Quaid was handed two bites of the cherry before flicking the ball over the line from point blank range.

By the turn of the opening quarter, Clare had gained parity through the hardworking Nicky O’Connell and

IF RTÉ radio and television reports were to be believed on Sunday, Ryan Cup hopefuls ITT had produced the shock of the round to knock out the 2009 champions Clare. And in truth, it was an eventuality that appeared extremely likely approaching the final stretch as the visitors led by three points.

However, much like George Best in the 1999 Champions League Final between Man Utd and Bayern Munich, RTÉ’s source must have prematurely exited the game before Clare’s late recovery saw them secure their passage to the quarter-finals.

Afterwards, manager Ger O’Loughlin was relieved but understandably not leaping to any conclusions after only the first competitive game of the year.

“It was a good workout although Tralee IT are probably going away thinking how the hell did they lose that one. We worked hard but I think what we got out of today is that we had nine or ten lads out there that are trying to make their way onto the team and we’ve learned that maybe three or four might do it and there are another three or four that won’t and that’s being truthful about it. So it’s as well off to learn this in January and February I think and that’s what we got out of it more than anything else.

“We were lucky and we turned it around and got the few breaks towards the last few minutes to win it and it was important to win because we want a couple of games as well. But you know it’s our first competitive game as such so I’m delighted to win it but I know overall you’d be disappointed with our display.

“In saying that, I would take good heart out of a lot of things. We brought on a few lads and a few showed up well. Cian Dillon was very good when he came on, Caimin Morey showed well and I thought Nicky O’Connell went through a lot of work and I was very, very happy with Conor Tierney so they are all the positives.”

“We have no hurling done and it probably showed out there but in saying that we will take a bit of heart from eight or nine displays and we know we have a mountain to climb in terms of work but I think we are hitting in the right direction alright.”

Clare are certain to meet a more stubborn challenge against LIT this weekend and with O’Loughlin unsure of the availability of his large NUIG contingent due to Walsh Cup commitments, the odds are certainly stacking up against his side to reclaim a semi-final spot.

“LIT would be considered stronger and I don’t know the schedule next week but we mightn’t have the Galway lads next week so I’m not sure how they are fixed for that game.

“But look it’s a chance for lads but we probably need to be going out a bit stronger that what we did today to get over the line in these games. We are all using them to prepare for the season ahead and we have learned a good bit today and I think that’s the main thing. We have a lot of work to do but I’m happy with some displays as well.”

A BLOWTORCH to the cobwebs, a dash of new faces and more importantly a result to match as Clare eventually edged out their stubborn Cork opponents to get the season off to a positive start.

Twelve months earlier, in near identical circumstances, the same opponents had humbled the home side in what was Micheál McDermott’s first competitive outing as manager but this time, it was his new look Clare side that held the aces when it mattered most in the final quarter.

Granted, this was not a patch on the UCC side that went on to contest both the McGrath and Sigerson Cup finals last year, with only four survivors from last year’s clash in Cooraclare as well as being without their Cork senior inter-county trio on Sunday.

However, that won’t concern Clare who crave as many competitive games as possible before they embark on another tilt at the Division 4 title as can be seen by their determined, hungry finish.

It wasn’t all plain sailing though as this evenly matched contest was in the balance throughout, with only a kick of the ball separating the sides at any stage of the contest. Indeed, Clare were slow to start, appearing to be suffering from an imbalance of strength and conditioning in the gym and a lack of actual football due to the collective ban on inter-county sides in November and December.

That early immobility gave UCC a window of opportunity to strike a decisive early blow as Clare seemed ragged and indisciplined. But while freetaker Daithi Casey converted three unanswered frees in the opening eight minutes, UCC were also guilty of spurning three glorious first half goal chances, two of which came in the first six minutes. Had they taken either, Clare’s McGrath Cup campaign might have been over before it had even started but a combination of goalkeeper Joe Hayes and relieving goal-line stops by Niall Whyte and Martin McMahon from Kevin O’Driscoll and Paul Honohan respectively kept Clare’s head above water.

Clare first strike at the posts came after eight minutes when Cathal O’Connor’s shot drifted wide but from the kick-out, a well worked move involving Conor Ryan, Martin McMahon and Alan Clohessy ended up with debutant David O’Brien who pointed from an acute angle.

A minute later Clare had doubled their tally when Gary Brennan found Rory Donnelly who broke a tackle and dissected the posts and suddenly it was Clare who appeared the more threatening side. Daithi Casey hit back with another free but Clare were beginning to dominate the midfield clashes and again it was Brennan who fed full-forward Timmy Ryan to reduce the deficit to only the minimum at 0-4 to 0-3 by the end of the first quarter.

For all UCC’s early threat, it was

AN identical start to the season for Clare in all but two key aspects, the performance and of course the result. Almost a year ago to the day, Micheál McDermott’s competitive debut as Clare senior football manager was against UCC in Cooraclare but they found it tough against the college side who would go on to contest the final of the McGrath Cup against Kerry.

On Sunday, McDermott had the perfect opportunity to right the wrong of last year and despite a lack of football due to the collective ban on inter-county teams, it was Clare’s hunger that eventually won the day for the home side.

“I’m relieved more than happy today.” Admitted McDermott immediately afterwards. “It’s the first game of the season for ourselves and it was very evident that we were very rusty in the first half and gave away a lot of possession and gave away a lot of possession even in the second half.

“We looked leg weary as well at times because of the gym programme for two months that probably took it’s toll but I was glad we finished very, very strongly. In the last 15 minutes we showed good character to want to win the game and there was some very good football played at times, very good scores kicked and listen, today is about something to work on and hopefully we will be better the next day. We were missing a lot of players there today that even cried off at the last minute. But it’s a strong panel and this competition is going to be an opportunity to have a look at everybody on the panel.”

Players like Alan Clohessy, who was the outstanding forward on show, did themselves no harm and McDermott also saved special mention for his newer recruits.

“Alan Clohessy was in good form today. He was showing well for the ball and he was winning the dirty ball as well and it must be said, there was some quality ball put into him as well. It’s something that we are going to be working on over the next numbers of weeks because we had done very little football on the field so it’s good to get a win and another competitive match next weekend.

“It’s also a big step up for the likes of David O’Brien making his debut and Conor Ryan but listen, these are young players as well and it’s going to take them time to blend in but I was happy with their contribution there today. They tried hard and all we ask for from a player going out onto the field is to give us one hundred per cent honesty and we got that from every player today.”

The reward for Sunday’s victory is a home quarter-final meeting with another Cork college and for McDer mott and Co. it’s a further opportunity to test his squad.

“Cork IT will be a tough side. I think UCC beat them last year in the second round but Cork IT are littered with inter-county stars as well and with the Sigerson getting ever so close, it’s going to be a real tough battle but these are the games that are going to help us pick our best 15 for the first round of the National League. It’s going to be a competitive game and we are going to have it at home as well and it’s good to have another game to look forward to next Sunday.”

A SIXMILEBRIDGE proposal to put in place an individual or body with the responsibility of monitoring the welfare of players participating on county panels was the only motion to be passed unscathed at Thursday’s Bord na nÓg Iomaint Convention.

In order to counteract potential player burnout and nourish young talent, Sixmilebridge delegate Adrian Hogan outlined to delegates the need to set up such a committee and deal with players on a more personal basis.

“What we are looking to do is put more focus on the individual players and their individual welfare, and mind that player essentially on the county panel because everybody is trying to draw from the same player. Take the minors that went to Croke Park last year, you are going to have colleges, secondary schools and even the clubs themselves can be accused themselves at times of being selfish in wanting to play their own players. It should be looked at that there should be an officer or at least a role or responsibility somewhere there that the players themselves can liase with that person.

“It’s not necessarily something that needs to be elected tonight but at least that it would be considered in the future. Even if it was considered as part of the panel of selectors in the management team but there needs to be a liason officer between county, club, college and wherever the draw is on these players. Some of the players are dual playing and even play other sports outside of our code so it’s really to try and get an understanding and take care of that individual play- er so he’s not overworked.”

A Ruan motion to establish a ‘Games administration committee that will run all hurling competitions organised by Bord na nÓg Iomaint’ or essentially back-up for the county secretary in organising fixtures was deferred to the first meeting of the year where delegates can nominate people to help out.

A similar motion from Ruan to establish a Hurling Development committee was eventually withdrawn as it was felt that the development Squad Committee already catered for that role. However, outgoing chairman Sean O’Halloran, who set up that committee under his watch, welcomed the addition of more people who are interested in getting involved with the numerous development squads at Under 12,13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 levels.

“The people that have been involved over the past 14 or 15 months have given a commitment to stay for another 12 months and oversee the development and they are happy to do that but having said that, there is always room for additional people who have the same type of vision that they have for underage hurling. I have no doubt that if there are a people interested in coming on board, that would be more than acceptable once they have the same vision and a clear knowledge of where we are going and where we want to be in four or five years time in relation to underage hurling.”

Meanwhile, Kilmaley’s proposal for the Under 15 championship to be completes by the end of August was deferred to the structures committee meeting as it was felt that pasing the motion would tie the hands of the

board somewhat and limit flexabil

ity.