*Colm Flynn holds onto possession. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill SIXMILEBRIDGE’s second string have advanced to the Clare IHC final for the first time since 2008 after causing a massive upset against last year’s beaten finalists Tulla.
*Clonlara’s Michael Clancy in action against Killian Bane and Gary Guilfoyle. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill As the clock ticks down to the weekend’s eagerly awaited TUS Clare senior hurling championship semi-finals, its fair to say that few, if indeed any, would have predicted who the final four in the race to become 2023 Canon Hamilton trophy …
*Ruan’s Ryan Power. RUAN HAVE completed the line-up for the TUS Clare IHC semi-finals after a fully merited win over a previously unbeaten Parteen/Meelick.
*Jamie Malone bursts through the Smith O’Briens defence. Photograph: Ruth Griffin. A heavy defeat for Whitegate, a narrow loss for Bodyke and an expected if hard earned, win for Corofin were the big talking points after the weekend’s intermediate hurling championship quarter finals, two of which were played in very difficult conditions on Sunday.
*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill SEMI-FINAL pairings for the penultimate stage of the Senior, Intermediate and Junior A hurling championships are now known.
*Conor Whelan finished as Whitegate’s top scorer. Photograph: Ruth Griffin BODYKE finished the group stages of the Clare IHC unbeaten while Ruan and Whitegate ended their last game of the round with a draw to ensure they all advanced to the knockout stages.
*Corofin’s Gearoid Kelly. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill The race for the intermediate hurling championship title is heating up and an exciting battle is developing for the quarter final places.
*Keith Stritch. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill Smith O’Briens, Corofin and Whitegate have edged closer to the play-offs in the intermediate hurling championship following round two victories over Tubber, Ruan and O’Callaghans Mills while Parteen/Meelick and Bodyke got their challenge for honours off to a winning start with victories over fancied Sixmilebridge and Tulla sides.
*Whitegate’s Ian Fahy. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill WHITEGATE and Corofin handed out 28 and 24 point respective beatings in the opening round of the Clare IHC which also saw Inagh/Kilnamona, Smith O’Briens and Sixmilebridge record victories.
*Ronan Monahan weaves through the Smith O’Briens defence of Evan Connolly, Cian Nolan and Mark Stritch. Photograph: Ruth Griffin TWO MORE teams will be relegated from the senior ranks this season so the opportunity to jump from the intermediate grade to the top tier is all the greater for the fifteen teams in action.