*Jacob Loughnane controls the sliotar for O’Callaghans Mills. Photograph: Ruth Griffin.
O’CALLAGHANS Mills and Whitegate advanced to the semi-finals of the TUS Clare premier intermediate hurling championship after topping their respective groups.
Tubber, Tulla, Clarecastle and Ruan progress to the knockout stages with Bodyke and Killanena to do battle in the relegation decider. It will be Tubber versus Clarecastle and Tulla versus Ruan in the quarter-finals.
The final round of group games in the inaugural premier intermediate hurling championship took place over the weekend and the results have cleared the way for the knock out stage.
O’Callaghans Mills are through to the semi-final from group 1 with three wins and a draw to their credit from the group stage. Tubber finished second in this group with Tulla in third place and they both have secured quarter final places.
Killanena, semi-finalists last year, have finished bottom of the group and they now enter a relegation play off against their neighbours Bodyke with the losers dropping down to the regular intermediate championship for 2026.
The outcome in Group 2 went down to the final day’s games with all five teams in contention for the play off stages at that time.
Whitegate defeated Sixmilebridge to claim top spot while Ruan’s victory over Bodyke has earned them second place with Clarecastle getting through to the quarter finals in third spot.
Meanwhile in the regular intermediate championship the way is also clear for the knock out phase. Inagh/Kilnamona are through to the semi-final from Group 1 which they topped beating Broadford 1-21 to 2-16 in their final group tie, the goal coming from Jack Culllinan.
Ogonnelloe helped by goals from Michael Sheedy and Aaron Fitzgerald Bradley finished in second place thanks to a two goal win over Scariff while O’Callaghans Mills have finished third to qualify for the quarter finals.
Smith O’Briens, having topped Group 2 are through to the semi-final with Kilmaley in second place followed by Éire Óg.
Broadford and Newmarket-on-Fergus will play the relegation final with the losers dropping down to junior A.
Tubber in control
Tubber 0-24
Killanena 0-13
Venue: Páirc na nGael, Ruan
Nine players shared in Tubber’s impressive tally as they comfortably saw off the challenge of Killanena at Ruan on Saturday.
Killanena played with the aid of a strong wind in the opening half and they were a little unlucky not to have been ahead at half time.
The winners landed the opening two points but Killanena hit back and the sides were level at 0-5 each before Killanena opened a two point lead.
Ronan Taaffe produced an excellent save from Ian Macnamara when a goal looked on and when the half time whistle sounded the teams were locked together at 0-9 each.
With the aid of the elements in the second half last year’s beaten finalists Tubber dictated matters confining their opponents to just four points, a result that has sent Killanena into the relegation play off.
Tubber; Ronan Taaffe; Pappy Taaffe, Fergal O’Grady, Joey Droney; Mark Earley (0-1), Patrick O’Connor (0-1), James Howard; Cathal Droney (0-2), Padraig Kelly; Lorcan O Grady (0-7), Ronan Monahan (0-3), Osgar Dunford (0-3); Clive Earley (0-3), Senan Dunford (0-2), Joe Clancy
Subs: Darragh O’Connor for Mark Earley; Blaine Earley (0-2) for Padraig Kelly; Macauley Brennan for Senan Dunford; Alan Lee for Lorcan O Grady; Oisin MacNamara for James Howard
Killanena; Colm Moloney; Darren McMahon, Jason Keehan, Donal Moloney; Ian Macnamara (0-1), Cathal Noonan, Ronan Keane (0-2); Shane Broderick, Michael Smyth; Keith Smyth (0-6), Mark Flaherty (0-3) Seamie O’Donnell; Padraig O’Callaghan, Aaron Moloney (0-1), Ronan Bowes.
Subs: Tobias O’Meara for S. O’Donnell; Andrew Flaherty for J. Keehan; Aidan McMahon for D. McMahon;
Referee: Pat Healy (Kilmaley)
Mills maintain unbeaten run
O’Calllaghans Mills 3-19
Parteen/Meelick 2-16
Venue: Páirc Michael Ui Heithir, Cratloe
O’Callaghans Mills maintained their unbeaten run in this season’s TUS premier intermediate hurling championship when accounting for Parteen/Meelick on Saturday.
The winners laid the foundation for this victory in the opening half at the end of which they had an eight point advantage, 3-12 to 1-10.
The goals came from the team’s full forward trio of Seanie Boyce Conor Henry and Gary Cooney while the Parteen/Meelick full forward Paddy Hassett was his side’s first half goalscorer.
Following their loss to Tubber a week earlier Parteen/Meelick’s chances of making the play offs had all but gone and they struggled to match their better balanced opponents on Saturday.
Qualifying for the semi-final has given the Mills a four week break which will give their experienced Conor Cooney a chance to recover from the facial injury he received in training a few weeks ago and be available for the semi-final.
O’Callaghans Mills; Killian Nugent (0-1); Cathal McNamara, Keith Donnellan, Gerry Cooney; Sean Cotter (0-1), Aidan O’Gorman, Aidan Fawl (0-2); Fionn Hickey (0-2), Mike McGrath; Jacob Loughnane (0-4), Darragh Moroney (0-1), Cormac Murphy; Seanie Boyce (1-2), Conor Henry (1-2), Gary Cooney (1-3);
Subs:Mark Pewter for S Boyce; Patrick Donnellan (0-1) for M. McGrath; Stephen Donnellan for C Murphy;
Parteen/Meelick; Oisin Hickey; Donal Kenny, Shane Fox, Eoin Barrett; Noel Bridgeman (0-2), Darragh McDermott, Mark McDermott; Sean Connolly Ruaidhri Nolan (0-1); Jack Kirwan (0-9), Dara Nolan, Daniel Cooney (0-1); Andrew Cleary (0-2), Paddy Hassett (1-0), Joe O’Connor (0-1);
Subs; Damien Moloney for E. Barrett; Gearoid Reddy for P. Hassett; Rory McDermott (1-0) for J. O’Connor; Hugo McDonald for R. Nolan;; Jack Meaney for S. Fox;
Referee: Jim Hickey (Cratloe)
Gallery of photographs by Ruth Griffin
Ruan battle back in second half
Ruan 0-21
Bodyke 2-13
Venue: Gurteen
Five points in arrears at half time in this tie played on Sunday evening, Ruan’s chances of qualifying for the play offs looked slim.
However, they had played against a very stiff wind so they were by no means out of contention.
However when Bodyke look back on this contest they will feel that they should have had a greater lead at the halfway point.
They had got off to a dream start with a goal from full forward Paddy Fitzgerald after just three minutes.
Their second major came from Michael O’Brien shortly before the half time whistle and it helped them to a 2-7 to 0-8 advantage at the break, Aidan Lynch with three and Jack McDonagh with a brace leading the first half scoring for the eventual winners.
With the help of the wind Ruan fought their way back but they had to wait until the game was inside the last ten minutes before they hit the front, substitute Christian Cummins pointing.
Bodyke responded and went a point clear again but Ruan finished strongly and hit the last three points of the tie to go away with a two point win and a place in the quarter finals.
Ruan created a couple of goal chances in rhe second half but Cathal Doyle in the Bodyke goal produced a couple of outstanding saves
Robin Mounsey sparkled throughout while others to impress were Killian Ryan, James Cullinan, Jack McDonagh, Frankie Lyons and goalkeeper Keelan Mounsey who made a number of important saves at vital times for his side.
Ruan; Keelan Mounsey; Jason Power (0-1), Killian Ryan, Patrick O’Gorman; Ashley Brohan, James Cullinan, Brian Roughan; Darragh McInerney, Ryan Power; Jack McDonagh (0-2), Robin Mounsey (0-4), Patrick O’Halloran (0-2); Aidan Lynch (0-7), Shane Punch (0-1), Frankie Lyons (0-3);
Sub: Christian Cummins (0-1) for J. McDonagh;
Bodyke; Cormac Doyle; Kieran Hickey, Tiernan Slattery, Tommy Wiley; Sean Óg Kilkenny, Cian Minogue, Ian Murray (0-1); Cathal McKenna, Fionn Slattery (0-1); Tommy Minogue, Seanie Doyle (0-7, 4f), Sean Browne (0-2); Willie Fitzgerald (0-1), Paddy Fitzgerald (1-1), Michael O’Brien (1-0)
Sub: Keith Moloney for W. Fitzgerald;
Referee: Johnnie Healy (Smith O’Briens)
All photographs by Ruth Griffin
Whitegate seal top spot
Whitegate 0-25
Sixmilebridge 1-15
Venue: Glenomra Park, Broadford
Five days after a hard earned win over Bodyke, Whitegate were back in action and they recorded another victory to secure a semi-final place.
Sixmilebridge needed a victory if they were to make it to the play offs but they weren’t able to break down a strong Whitegate defence and the result capped a very disappointing win for the ‘Bridge as their seniors also bowed out of their championship twenty four hours earlier.
At the end of a fairly evenly matched first quarter, Whitegate had a two point advantage, 0-6 to 0-4.
The margin was still the same at half time when the score was 0-11 to 0-9.
Sixmilebridge struck for the game’s only goal shortly after half time when Paul Corry found the net but the winners had opened a four point lead by the three quarter stage, 0-18 to 1-11.
From here to the finish, the winners held the upperhand and ran out deserving winners.
Whitegate; Andrew Fahey; Dylan White, Donal Burke, Conor McDermott; Liam Murray, Eoin Quirke (0-1), Ian Fahy; Ciaran Keenan (0-1), Michael Bogenbereger (0-1); Danny Hynes (0-3), Finn Madden (0-2), Conor Whellan (0-12, 6f, 1’65); Callum Fahy (0-1), Ronan Hayes (0-2), Paddy Burke (0-1);
Subs; Harry Bogenberger for C. Keenan; Cian McDermott for D. Hynes
Sixmilebridge; Mark Sheedy; Adam Breen (0-2), Aidan Quilligan, Oisin Breen; Dara Fitzgerald (0-2), Caimin Morey (0-1, f), Seamus O’Connell; Dylan Downes (0-2), Cathaoir Agnew (0-2); Luke Keogh, Jack Corry, Ronan Tuohy; Sean Lynch, Cathal Lynch (0-2), Paul Corry (1-4), 0-4 frees;
Subs; Cillian Custy for Keogh; Dara Casey for S. Lynch; Daniel Chaplin for J. Corry; Callum Phelan for R.Tuohy;
Referee: Jim Hickey (Cratloe)
