Clarecastle’s James Doherty catches the sliotar. Photograph: Chris Copley
The race for the under 21 A, B and C hurling championship titles got underway at the weekend when some big wins were recorded.
Some teams lined out with weakened teams as players who are due to play in adult championship finals this coming weekend werenโt released by their adult team mentors.
Easy for Clarecastle
Clarecastle 5-23
Crusheen/Tubber 0-11
Venue: Tubber
Clarecastle had a comfortable win over a weakened Crusheen/Tubber side at Tubber on Friday night.
Injuries and the upcoming Clare senior hurling final involving Crusheen resulted in the absence of nine players from the Crusheen/Tubber line-up.
Tubberโs Senan Dunford, Pappy Taaffe and Brian Clancy were ruled out through injury while Lorcan Doolin was involved with Ballyvaughan in the junior A football semi-final.
Crusheenโs Eoghan and Murrough McMahon, Oisin OโDonnell, Luke Ketalaar and Diarmuid Mullins didnโt play because of their involvement in next Sundayโs Clare senior hurling final.
Clarecastle were on top from the off and emerged as comfortable winners helped by a hat trick of goals from James Doherty while Conor Halpin scored two goals.
Clarecastle: Cian Broderick; Niall Brigdale, Filip Wiecheinski, Barry Morrissey; Conor Griffin, Cian Galvin, Aaron Hayes; Conor Whelan, Evan OโConnell; Rory OโConnell, Conor Halpin, Evan Price; Oisin Whelan, James Doherty, Scott Brack.
Subs: Sam Browne for Wiecheinski (inj.); Noel Copley for Price;
Crusheen/Tubber: Tommy Fahy (Tubber); Oisin McNamara (Tubber), Cian Fogarty (Crusheen), Ronan Kearney (Crusheen); James Costello (Tubber), Cathal Droney (Tubber), Alan Lee (Tubber); Liam Clancy (Tubber), Glen OโSullivan (Crusheen); Sean McNamara (Tubber), John OโSullivan (Crusheen), Ronan Ketalaar (Crusheen); Oscar Dunford (Tubber), Dan Liddy (Crusheen), Joe Clancy (Tubber);
Subs: Tom Tynan (Crusheen) for Lee (inj); Thomas Roche (Tubber) for R.Kearney; Dylan Lyons (Crusheen) for Liddy; Tom Taaffe (Tubber) for J. OโSullivan; Dara McKeogh (Crusheen) for S. McNamara
Referee: Kieran Liddane (Sixmilebridge)
A winning start for Sixmilebridge
Sixmilebridge 1-16
St. Josephโs Doora/Barefield 0-13
Venue: OโGarney Park, Sixmilebridge
Outstanding performances from Dylan Downes and Dara Fitzgerald inspired Sixmilebridge to this first round victory at OโGarney Park on Saturday afternoon.
Fitzgerald, the St. Josephโs Tulla Harty cup captain contributed 0-3 from wing back in a tie in which the only goal came from Luke OโHalloran whose effort from outfield went all the way to the net.
Sixmilebridge: Cian Fawl; Michael Carey, Leon Kelly, Dylan Downes; Evan OโCallaghan, Sean McNamara, Dara Fitzgerald; Fiachra ร Broin, Oisin Rafferty; Adam Murray, Luke OโHalloran, Luke Keogh; David Kennedy, Colin Kelly, Colm Flynn;
Subs: Matthew OโHalloran for Rafferty; Seamus OโConnell for A. Murray; Evan Murphy for L Keogh; Noel Flynn for C. Flynn
St. Josephโs Doora/Barefield: Evan Creavan; Ian Williams, Paddy Nagle, Ciaran OโDriscoll; Frankie Meaney, Eoghan McMahon, Dara OโCallaghan; Darragh McMahon, Dara Nagle; Matthew Power, EoghanTalty, Senan Crosbie; Eoin Oige Fanning, Eoghan Burke Mike Nash.
Subs: Padraig OโDonovan for Nash; Tom curran for Crosbie
Referee: Aaron Hogg (Clonlara)
Inagh/Kilnamona lay foundation in opening half
Inagh/Kilnamona 3-25
Corofin/Ruan 3-8
Venue: Ruan
Inagh/Kilnamona laid the foundations for this victory in the opening half at the end of which they led by fourteen points, 2-13 to 0-5.
A number of Corofin players including Diarmuid Cahill and Marc OโLoughlin didnโt line out for the losers as they are members of the Corofin panel which will contest the intermediate championship final on this Saturday at Cusack Park. That said, Cillian McGroary lined out at centre back with Shane OโBrien and James Organ starting in attack.
Josh Guyler (2) and Ronan Mescall were the goalscorers for the winners while the Corofin/Ruan goals came from Shane Punch and Frankie Lyons.
Inagh/Kilnamona; Jack OโConnor; James Cullinan, Shane Woods, Colm Kearney; Robert Dowling, James Hegarty, Eoghan Foudy; Sean Rynne, Jamie Wynne; Keith Barry, Conner Hegarty Cathal Ryan; Josh Guyler, Ronan Mescall, Jack Mescall;
Corofin/Ruan; Keelan Mounsey (Ruan); Jason Power (Ruan), Tom OโHalloran (Ruan), Alan Woodford (Ruan); Dara McInerney (Ruan), Cillian McGroary (Corofin), Michael Cahill (Corofin); Piaras ร Sรฉ (Ruan), Oisin Madigan (Corofin); Shane Punch (Ruan), Ryan Power (Ruan), James Organ (Corofin); Jack McDonagh (Ruan) Shane OโBrien (Corofin), Frankie Lyons (Ruan)
Subs: Thomas OโHalloran (Ruan) for Madigan; Cian Doolin (Corofin) for Organ;
Referee: Niall Malone (รire รg)
Six first round games were played in the under 21 B championship which produced wins for Ballyea, Tulla, Banner, รire รg, Kilmaley and Broadford.
U21B Championship Rnd 1:
Ballyea 3-18 Clonlara 0-14
Tulla 1-19 Smith OโBriens 0-10
Banner 3-29 Crusheen 0-6
รire รg 1-15 Wolfe Tones 1-7
Kilmaley 1-11 OโCallaghans Mills 0-11
Broadford 1-18 Parteen/Meelick 0-9
In the C championship, there was one draw with St. Josephโs Doora/Barefield and Clarecastle sharing the spoils on Sunday.
Elsewhere in this championship Whitegate had three goals to spare over Sixmilebridge, while รire รg and Ballyea accounted for Inagh/Kilnamona and Wolfe Tones respectively.
Round 2 in the under 21 hurling championships will take place on the weekend of October 28/29 while the under 21 football championships will commence next weekend.