*Cratloe’s Conor McGrath. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill It’s nearing a decade now since Cratloe’s last taste of senior championship glory and while they should have added to their historic 2014 county hurling and football double, four county final de-feats (two in hurling and two in football) along with a host of agonising semi-final exits have only …
Cratloe concentrating on hitting the ground running Read More »
*Clarecastle goalkeeper, Cian Broderick. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill CLARECASTLE are closing in on a decade since they reached the knockout stages of the Clare SHC and with growing experience in their ranks they are quietly confident of causing an upset to get back to the quarter-finals.
*Feakle’s Shane McGrath. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill FEAKLE are tired of “hard luck stories” and the East Clare club are targeting a return to the knockout stages of the TUS Clare SHC for the first time since 2020.
*Michael O’Malley brushes past the challenge of Cathal O’Connor. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill ONLY TWO games may have taken place in the Clare SHC this weekend but Kilmaley’s powerful second half display has put them on the right track to emerging from the group of five.
*Kilmaley’s Michael O’Malley finished as top scorer for his side. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill KILMALEY PRODUCED A stirring second half to defeat county champions Ballyea on Saturday evening.
*Scariff’s Keelan Hartigan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill SCARIFF BECAME the first side to put points on the board in the Clare senior hurling championship accounting for St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield on Saturday afternoon.
*Ballyea’s talisman, Tony Kelly. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill While their second successive Canon Hamilton trophy success last October was a historic breakthrough for Ballyea, one would have to search back half a century to find the last time that a Clare club managed to garner a three-in-a-row of county senior crowns.
*Patrick Crotty. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill SCARIFF’s senior side find themselves in a difficult group of five but will hold an inner belief that they are well capable of making a breakthrough to the knockout stages this season.
*Kilmaley’s Conor Cleary. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill Since the draw was made and the fixtures quickly deciphered, the opening round derby between back-to-back holders Ballyea and then Clare Cup champions Kilmaley easily stood out from the pack as the tie of the first weekend.
*Darragh O’Shea. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill Any thoughts of St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield gradually assimilating themselves back at senior level quickly evaporated last month when pooled in the dreaded group of death alongside back-to-back county champions Ballyea, then reigning Clare Cup champions Kilmaley, 2021 county finalists Inagh-Kilnamona and 2020 intermediate winners Scariff.
