Teams profiled as sliotar throws in on U21 championship
*Clooney/Quin’s Jack O’Neill. KEENLY CONTESTED clashes await when the sliotar is thrown in for the U21 hurling championships this weekend
St Josephs Doora/Barefield
Race for U21A football honours wide open with wins for Bricks, Cooraclare, Ennistymon & Clondegad
*Clondegad’s Seán McAllister. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. KILMURRY IBRICKANE, Cooraclare, Ennistymon and Clondegad kicked off their U21A football campaigns with impressive victories.
U21 teams profiled as the games begin in football championship
*Tom Curran will be part of the St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield side. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. ACTION begins in the U21 A, B and C football championships this weekend with a total of twenty three teams chasing honours, all but one of which will see action in the opening round.
The Water Break: How Éire Óg painted the town of Ennis red with historic senior double
*Photograph: Ruth Griffin ÉIRE ÓG painted Ennis red when winning a first senior championship double in the county town since 1929.
Éire Óg win historic senior double
*Aaron Fitzgerald with the Jack Daly and Canon Hamilton. Photograph: Ruth Griffin. ÉIRE ÓG have won the senior championship double after scoring 1-8 without reply to shake off the challenge of a gutsy St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield to win a fourth Clare SFC in five seasons.
Eoghan hoping Thynne is now for Doora/Barefield to take senior honours
*Eoghan Thynne scores a goal for St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield in the first round. ST JOSEPH’S Doora/Barefield head into a first Clare SFC final in thirteen years as underdogs against champions Éire Óg but they will have no fear of taking down the holders according to one of their longest serving players.
Cruel injury blow for Colm & Doora/Barefield set to start Kelleher
*Colm Walsh O’Loghlen. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill ÉIRE ÓG’s Clare SFC title defence and Clare’s senior footballers have been dealt a blow with confirmation that talented forward Colm Walsh O’Loghlen has sustained a serious knee injury while Fionn Kelleher is expected to make his Doora/Barefield return in the county final.
O’Brien keeping a cool head as Doora/Barefield gear up for county final
*St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield defender, Conor O’Brien. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. COOL HEADS are needed on the big days like county finals, St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield defender Conor O’Brien is always a calm figure within the dressing room, the approach is not just to help the team but also his health.
Raffertys preparing for finals on the double
*Joe & Mark Rafferty. WITHIN THE Rafferty household they have a county final involvement on the double.
Darragh determined to engineer Doora/Barefield’s senior breakthrough
*St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield captain, Darragh O’Shea. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill. BELIEF has been building within St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield having taken down two of Clare’s strongest sides, now they must overcome the best in the county to secure the ultimate honour.