CLARE’S senior hurlers await a date with destiny this Sunday as they take on Cork in the All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final at 3:30pm in Croke Park.
Tony Kelly, Conor Cleary and Cork’s Patrick Horgan, alongside articles with management and supporters from both Clare and Cork. This stat-filled supplement is essential reading for all Clare fans as we join together in wishing Clare the best of luck this weekend! by Stuart
Manager Brian Lohan and his side bring Clare back to the greatest stage in GAA for the first time since 2013, when Clare defeated Cork in a thrilling replay as Shane O’Donnell scored a mesmerizing 3-3.
The Clare Echo this week looks ahead to the showpiece with a special Clare hurling edition, including interviews from players including SOD,
l Ray Stewart puts the finishing touches on the house of Dr Bill Loughnane in Feakle
Photo by Ruth Griffin
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Plans for double decker busses at Blakes Corner - ‘I’ll
get out & stop them myself’
by Paraic McMahon news@clareecho.ie
A CLARE councillor has said he will stand out in the middle of the road to stop ‘double decker’ buses if plans for them to try transit through Blake’s Corner come to fruition.
Secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union, John Hanlon has written to Bus Éireann service delivery manager, Peter Melia expressing concern on behalf of bus drives on plans to use large buses on the 350 route in North Clare.
Bus drivers have “grave reservations” about the prospect of double decker buses being operated on the 350 route to Ennis via Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher. The LD type buses have been recent additions to the Galway depot of Bus Éireann. They are seeking more services rather than bigger buses.
Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) referenced the correspondence. He sought an update from Council officials on plans from Bus Éireann to service the route from Galway at 8am, 10am and 1pm with double decker buses. “If double decker buses are coming through Blake’s Corner then I’d go out in the middle of the road and stop them myself”.
In the letter, Hanlon flagged that bus drivers had major safety concerns on their potential introduction to North Clare roads. “They fear for their own personal safety, passenger safety and the safety of other road users including cyclists and walkers as well as damage inflicted to buses and other vehicles”.
He stated, “After leaving Galway the first tourist hot spot is the picturesque village of Kinvara Here along Seamont and the water inlet the road is very tight, a sweeping bend with a high wall to the drivers left. The bus has to take up the majority of the road. An LD bus would have to keep further to the right as it’s longer than a VB type bus and there are trees overhanging the wall to the left which an LD will hit in which a VB does not. In Kinvara itself there is no designated bus stop and where passengers do alight and disembark it’s very narrow and an LD will block the road completely”. Roads in Bellharbour were labelled as “poor and very uneven” at present.
“After Bellharbour and for approximately 3km approaching Ballyvaughan you are met again with frequent bends and a narrow road and overhanging trees on the immediate approach to the village. This only naturally subconsciously tells the driver to keep
right and straddle the white lines. You also have to be aware of stone walls on your inside. If you were to look at the VB fleet of the Galway depot you will be hard pushed to find one not damaged along the near side of the bus. It begs the question how much of this damage was incurred on the 350 route? Will it only be worse for the longer wheelbase and overhangs of the LD type bus,” Hanlon stated.
Conditions become tighter towards Fanore and “meeting oncoming traffic here is very challenging and dangerous especially when you meet tourists who are not experienced of these type roads in their left hand drive cars and camper vans”.
Hanlon detailed, “At Doolin Church you have to take a sharp left turn. This is normally negotiable but becomes near impossible when there’s a wedding or a funeral taking place when private vehicles are parked here there and everywhere. What is a driver to do when he approaches this junction in an LD, a longer bus than a VB, and is unable to safely turn? Exit the bus and enter the church, interrupt the service and ask the priest to ask the congregation to shift their cars? What is the plan of Bus Éireann should this likely scenario occur”.
Members of the Clare Fire Service deck out the Clare colours and (right) staff at Jimmy’s Discount store in Ennis ahead of the big game this Sunday against Cork
Photos by John Mangan
Fianna Fáil gearing up for General Election with nominations opening
FIANNA Fáil are gearing up for the General Election as they set their eyes on reclaiming a second seat in Co Clare, writes Páraic McMahon
Nominations have opened among the party membership for an upcoming selection convention to finalise the Fianna Fáil ticket for the next General Election.
No date has been set for either the convention or the Election and while party leaders are insisting the Government intends to go full-term, Oireachtas members in the county are anticipating polling day is 15 weeks away.
General Secretary of Fianna Fáil, Sean Dorgan issued correspondence to party members advising them that nominations have opened for the upcoming selection convention in Clare and that the deadline for these is 5pm on Wednesday July 24th.
Consultation has yet to commence between the National Constituencies Committee and the CDC Officer Board on the candidate strategy in Clare. There will be a push from influential personnel in Fianna Fáil in Clare to run only two candidates to maximise their chances of winning two seats.
Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) has received nominations for the convention as will Senator Timmy Dooley (FF). Further nominations are very likely with Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) who contested the General Election in 2020 a potential runner.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, the Doonbeg woman did not rule herself out of the reckoning. “I am naturally considering it, I haven’t made a decision just yet, I will have to talk to the members on it. I am enjoying the job I am in at the minute and I’m settling into that”.
Fresh from topping the poll in his first run for office, Cllr David Griffin (FF) has confirmed he will not be seeking a nomination to make a bid for the Dáil. “I won’t be contesting the convention, I’m only after getting elected to Clare County Council, I’m honoured with the vote that I got and I’m working for the next five years on my role. I will be supporting the nomination of both Cathal and Timmy”.
Griffin believed it would be best if the party ran both Deputy Crowe and Senator Dooley only to maximise their chances of winning two seats.
Having contested the 2016 General Election, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) confirmed to The Clare Echo she will not be allowing her name forward. The Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District felt officials in headquarters would make the right call when it comes to the amount of candidates put forward. “The constituency committee will study the numbers to know what is the best strategy to return two seats in Clare”.
During a recent visit to the county, Tánaiste Micheál Martin (FF) praised the input of former Minister for Defence, Tony Killeen (FF) within the party on a local level. Killeen’s name had been floated as a potential new chairperson of the party branch in Clare but instead of succeeding Mike Enright in the hotseat, he led the efforts to elect an officer board en bloc to try rid the party of division.
“I don’t normally get involved in Dailcheantair elections but I met Tony on the way in there, he is in good form, he has done great work for us organisationally and maintained his commitment to the party since he left Dáil Éireann which I genuinely appreciate, he has been very helpful to me as party leader, he’s always been there as a
listening voice, Tony is a significant influence in a positive way in Co Clare,” the Fianna Fáil leader said.
He confirmed to The Clare Echo that Deputy Crowe was among the personnel in the mix for the Super Junior Minister role which was given to Mayo TD, Dara Calleary (FF) and that of the Minister of State at the Department of Transport which went to James Lawless (FF).
Calleary had been Deputy Leader of the party but stepped down amid the Golfgate scandal in 2020, the post was left vacant for four years.
“After the election we let the Ministers do their work and so on, at the parliamentary party about a year ago it was raised and so I thought about it, reflected on it and it ended up that the elections happened, I watched Jack (Chambers) in action and I said that is what I need,” the Tánaiste said when asked on why the vacancy existed for so long.
On the political podcast, Path to Power, Ivan Yates dubbed that he was ‘Machiavellian Micheál’ for appointing Minister Chambers as his Deputy Leader. “Did he call me that,” the Cork man remarked.
“I studied Machiavelli when I was 15 years of age (laughs) or heard about him when I was 15 years of age, he wrote the book ‘the prince’. I wouldn’t think I’m Machiavellian at all, Jack is an excellent public representative, he did a fantastic job as Director of Elections for Fianna Fáil, he is a bright fella with a lot of strengths to his bow, the feedback from Jack during the local elections was very strong from people around the country and from the candidates in terms of his application, his hard work and his diligence, I reflected on that and felt he would make an ideal Deputy Leader of the party, I had in him when Michael McGrath indicated that he would be interested in the Commissioner position, it was important we sent a senior Minister for that position and I had my eye on Jack because he is bright, he is quick to learn and he has maturity beyond his age”.
Announcement imminent on future of Joe Carey
by Paraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie
FINE GAEL officials in Clare remain in the dark on the political future of sitting TD, Joe Carey (FG).
So far, 14 of the 35 Fine Gael TDs elected in 2020 have announced they will not be seeking re-election to the Dáil. Ex Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar (FG) and former Deputy Leader of the party, Simon Coveney (FG) are the latest big names to confirm they will not be returning to Leinster House.
Expectation is growing among party members that Clare TD, Carey will be the next to announce the intentions on his political future.
The Clare Echo has learned that Fine Gael will be holding its selection convention for the General Election in September which means a decision from Deputy Carey on his political future is imminent.
In March of last year, Deputy Carey was rushed to hospital after experiencing breathing difficulties and he has been treated for cardiac issues. He spent several nights on a trolley at University Hospital Lim-
erick’s (UHL) emergency department before being moved to the cardiology unit.
Carey has not been in the Dáil since this health scare, missing a vote of confidence in the Government in December and also the election of Simon Harris (FG) as Taoiseach. The Clare Echo understands that Harris has not been in contact with Deputy Carey since he became Taoiseach in April.
Efforts by The Clare Echo to contact Deputy Carey for comment on Wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful.
Chairperson of the Fine Gael branch in Clare, Madeline Taylor Quinn (FG) said, “our selection convention will be going ahead in the first half of September. Nominations for selection will be open to the party and everything will be clarified at that point”.
When questioned on Carey’s absence from the Dáil for sixteen months and the subsequent reduction in Clare’s TDs from four to three during this time, Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) stated, “People get sick, we’ve all been through it, when it is a long-term illness we need
to give the people the time to recover, I’m not going slagging off Deputy Carey. The man is sick, the man is ill and he needs time to recover and I would afford anyone that time to recover”.
Cllr John Crowe (FG) praised the work in Carey’s constituency office while he has been on sick leave. “I feel for Joe Carey, I really feel for the man, he is an excellent TD and he has done trojan work as the Carey family have done through the years, he has an excellent office in Ennis that are dealing with queries and in turn they contact fellow TDs to make representations on behalf of their queries, it is like a family within a party working through the office which is followed up in Dáil Éireann”. He added, “People are giving them space so hopefully he will be back on his feet again”. There is a frustration among party members and officials with the lack of information that has been communicated to headquarters to allow for a plan to be put in place as part of their efforts to retain a seat in Clare.
lILLNESS: Joe Carey TD (FG) Photo by Joe Buckley
lPOLITICS: Tánaiste Micheál Martin (FF) visited Ennis last week
‘Family man’ gets suspended prison sentence for child porn offences
by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie
A 45 year old ‘family man’ has walked free from court after receiving a suspended 16 month prison term for the possession of child pornography.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed the suspended 16 month prison term on Liam Kelly of Clonadrum, Mullagh. Judge Comerford said that one of the factors in imposing a suspended prison term is that Mr Kelly has already been punished for the offence. Judge Comerford commented that there have already been quite properly major adverse consequences for Mr Kelly’s life for these offences.
The court was told that in May 2018 Spanish police intervened and met Mr Kelly after being alerted that he said online that he had a sexual interest in young girls and was going to ‘try’ a ten-year old girl while on holiday in Spain. Judge Comerford said that “there is no evidence that the child in Spain on holidays was put at risk but talking in those terms is revolting”.
Counsel for Mr Kelly, Sophie Pigot BL (instructed by solicitor John Casey) told the court that since the case was reported, Mr Kelly has lost his job at the medical device man-
ufacturing firm he worked at for 11 years.
Ms Pigot contended that punishment for Mr Kelly, even with a suspended sentence, “is huge”.
She said, “He has lost members of his family, friends, neighbours, and probably the trust of the entire community”.
Ms Pigot said that the consequences of Mr Kelly’s offending has had a “devastating on him and his family”.
Ms Pigot said that Mr Kelly can’t attend his children’s football matches or he can’t bring them to school.
Ms Pigot said that a report handed into court on Mr Kelly shows that his offending has negatively affected his family.
Ms Pigot said, “His wife was ob-
viously disgusted and absolutely shocked and angry when she discovered his offending behaviour and that has affected their relationship”.
Ms Pigot said that the expert report concludes that Mr Kelly is at a low risk of re-offending and is remorseful. She said that Mr Kelly “initially denied any sexual interest in children but during the course of the assessment he did admit a sexual preference for children and he does show a strong insight now”.
Ms Pigot added, “Mr Kelly indicated disgust at himself and he intends to work through therapy to address these factors”.
Ms Pigot said that the report does show that Mr Kelly “demonstrated insight into how harmful the pro-
duction of child pornography is on the victims involved”.
Ms Pigot said that the images and quantity do come at the lower end of offending.
An Applied Physics and Electronics graduate, Mr Kelly pleaded guilty to the possession of three child pornography still images and one video at his West Clare home in May 2018 following an analysis of his phone. Sgt Claire Haugh of Ennis Garda Station said the images included individual naked females, aged two to three, aged from three to four and aged five.
Sgt Haugh said a video showed a nine to ten year old girl “removing her underwear in a provocative manner”.
Sgt Haugh said that Mr Kelly had stated in a 2018 online chat that he was sexually interested in girls aged from eight to 13. Sgt Haugh said that Mr Kelly told Gardaí that he was on such platforms “with a view to outing paedophiles”.
However, Judge Comerford dismissed this explanation by Mr Kelly as “untenable”.
Ms Pigot asked Judge Comerford to take into account Mr Kelly’s guilty plea, that he is a first time offender, hasn’t come to Garda notice since and has engaged in therapies aimed at addressing his past behav-
iour. She said that Mr Kelly didn’t distribute the images and did not have them for financial gain.
Judge Comerford said that Mr Kelly’s engagement with third parties was an aggravating factor in the case.
Counsel for the State, Lorcan Connolly SC (instructed by State Solicitor, Aisling Casey) said that a Garda analysis of a laptop at Mr Kelly home didn’t yield any child-pornography images “but showed the user involved in various chatrooms that were indicative of a sexual interest in children”.
Mr Connolly said that in one online chat, there was evidence of 32 users online simultaneously and Mr Kelly had different private chats with people with various handles with a sexual interest in children.
Sgt Haugh agreed with Mr Connolly that the private chats Mr Kelly under his handle had were “indicative of sharing thoughts and views and encouraging an interest in paedophilia”.
Judge Comerford said that the process of rehabilitation is better served if an immediate custodial sentence is not imposed. Judge Comerford said a condition of the suspended sentence is that Mr Kelly continue to engage with the therapeutic services.
lEnnis Courthouse
TD denied planning after disclosing second home to An Bord Pleanála
by Gordon Deegan news@clareecho.ie
A CLARE TD has failed in his bid to secure planning permission for a family home after he disclosed to An Bord Pleanála that he owns another house in the area.
This follows An Bord Pleanála refusing planning permission to Cathal Crowe TD (FF) after finding that Deputy Crowe’s need to live in the local area “can be met by property and land in his ownership”.
The board concluded that Deputy Crowe has not demonstrated that he meets the necessary ‘economic need or social need’ criteria in the Clare County Development Plan and nor has he demonstrated that no alternative sites are available.
Deputy Crowe lodged the planning application in his Irish name, C. MacConcradha for the development at Cnoc na Fhraoigh, An Chreatalach in July 2022 after previously withdrawing house plans for the area after encountering opposition.
The application discloses that the site was given to Deputy Crowe by his late uncle, Tom Crowe who died last September.
Deputy Crowe had obtained planning permission from Clare County Council in September 2022 without disclosing his ownership of the other home in the area.
In the Crowe planning application form, a planning agent for Mr Crowe declared that the TD’s only other property was at Clonard, Westbury, Co Clare.
The appeals board planning file shows that the inspector in the case
had initially recommended planning permission to Deputy Crowe. However, with the adoption of the
new Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 which included new rules on the control of one-off
houses in the countryside, the appeals board directed the inspector to seek new submissions on Deputy’s Crowe meeting the criteria to build a one-off home.
A 32 page addendum to the board inspector’s report reveals that in January of this year, Deputy Crowe disclosed the ownership of a second home at Woodcock Hill, Meelick.
The Crowe submission stated that his personal circumstances have changed since the planning application was lodged initially.
The submission states that in July 2022 when the application was lodged with the Council, Deputy Crowe did have a home in the local rural area.
However, it states he did not have use of this house at the time of lodging the application nor did he have use at the time the Council granted permission on the 5th of September 2022 or at the time he responded to the third party appeal lodged in October 2022.
The submission states that there are personal reasons for this circumstance.
A letter from Deputy Crowe’s solicitor, Michael O’Connor details how Deputy Crowe’s uncle, Tom Crowe transferred ownership of his dwelling house to Deputy Crowe together with his farmland in 2018.
The Deed of Transfer dated 14/11/18 reserved the right to exclusive residence of the dwelling house to Tom Crowe for the duration of his natural life.
The submission states that Deputy Crowe, while the registered owner was not entitled to possession of
the property nor was he entitled to rent, renovate or extend it.
The submission states that Tom Crowe passed away on the 25th of September 2023 and upon his passing Deputy Crowe obtained formal possession of the property.
The submission states that Deputy Crowe did not have recourse to inform the Board of these changed circumstances under the Planning Acts.
Based on the new information and new development plan rules, the appeals board inspector, Adrian Ormsby recommended a refusal on May 31st.
The matter only came before the appeals board following a third party appeal by Matthew Broggy as part of a more than a four decade long inter-generational land dispute with the Crowes and the Broggys. Matthew Broggy’s intervention in Deputy Crowe’s planning bid comes 43 years after Mr Broggy’s father, Noel objected to plans by Deputy Crowe’s parents, Michael and Irene Crowe to build their own dwelling home.
Noel Broggy opposed the Crowes’ 1979 planning application over a disputed right of way concerning a strip of land adjacent to the Crowe home at Meelick in south east Clare.
Asked to comment on the decision, Deputy Crowe said, “Disappointed but assessing the situation. There is a lot of paperwork to read”. Asked if he regretted not declaring the ownership of the second property in the application, Deputy Crowe said that he was reviewing the file.
Inagh's Roisin Garvey is new Greens Deputy Leader
SENATOR Roisin Garvey (GP) from Inagh has been elected as the new Deputy Leader of the Green Party, writes Páraic McMahon
Following an online contest on Sunday, Senator Garvey prevailed over Dublin Central TD Neasa Hourigan (GP) by 333 votes to 320 to be elected as the Greens new Deputy Leader. Junior Minister, Ossian Smyth (GP) withdrew from the contest this week.
In what is a period of change for the Greens
following the decisions of Minister for Transport, Climate, Energy and Communications, Eamon Ryan (GP) and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin (GP) to step down as Leader and Deputy Leader of the party, there is now a new-look leadership in place.
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman (GP) was earlier in the week chosen by
Greens as their new leader. Out of an available electorate within the party membership of 3,425, a total of 1,896 members voted to decide who their new leader would be. Minister O'Gorman received 984 votes, or 51.8%, compared to 912, or 48.2%, for Senator Pippa Hackett (GP).
In a statement, the Green Party said Senator Garvey "brings a strong, rural, social justice and climate representation from someone with a lot of experience, as well as a rural female voice from west of the Shannon".
“Huge congratulations” were extended to Senator Garvey by Minister O’Gorman who said, “I look forward to working with you to grow our party across the country and to deliver Green policies”. Galway based Senator Pauline O’Reilly described Roisin as “our rural rebel deputy leader”.
Roisin was first elected to Clare County Council in 2019, becoming the first female candidate elected in the Ennistymon local electoral area. She was nominated to the Seanad in May 2020 and in the February of that year contested the General Election. She currently serves as the Greens spokesperson on Rural Development, and Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Speaking in advance of the contest, Garvey said the Greens were not communicating their message effectively and that she believed she was part of the solution. “We want to be seen as a party that represents the whole of
lNEW HOME: Cathal Crowe TD (FF)Photo by John Mangan
Ireland, not just cities or Dublin,” she stated. Her father Flan is a former Mayor of Clare and Fianna Fáil councillor and her mother is Mairead, a native of Ballybunnion in Co Kerry.
l Senator Roisin Garvey (GP)
‘Two days notice is not optimal’ says Taoiseach Simon Harris
by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie
TAOISEACH Simon Harris has said asylum seekers at Magowna House getting two days notice that they were leaving Inch “isn’t at all optimal”.
As first reported by The Clare Echo, 26 male asylum seekers residing in Magowna House were last Tuesday issued with correspondence by the Department of Integration that they were to be moved to two accommodation sites in Dublin.
Since arriving in Co Clare, the men secured employment in Ennis, Inagh and Lahinch. The correspondence from the Department instructed the men to gather “all of their belongings” with “transport arranged to collect them”.
Speaking in Shannon Airport, Taoiseach Simon Harris (FG) admitted he was unaware that the men at Magowna House had received two days notice that they were leaving Co Clare. “I certainly hope the communication is always better than two days notice, I wasn’t aware of that, these are human beings who have fled a war and we have to approach that with compassion, we also have to be truthful in what we can and can’t do”.
He added, “two days isn’t at all optimal and I will follow that up”.
Magowna House was the subject of national attention last May after a group of 34 male international protec-
tion applicants (IPAs) arrived on a bus to the former three star hotel which had been closed since 2019. This led to locals mounting three blockades in Inch. Magowna House had a planned
capacity for 69 residents under a contract between the Department and Cork-based CRM Properties Ltd, which leases the facility. The absence of a fire certificate last May had been questioned by
Inch residents.
Due to the presence of the blockades, the story was the main talking point in the country and it was among the questions put to the then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (FG) during the second day of a Council of the Europe Summit in Reykjavik.
Blockades had been mounted at Magowna House, Magowna Cross and Magowna Hill on a twenty-four hour basis across six days. The around the clock protest ended after proposals from the Junior Minister for Integration, Joe O’Brien (GP) were accepted by Inch residents. In what was an unprecedented step, the Junior Minister travelled to Ennis to meet with a delegation of the Inch locals that were protesting.
Among the agreements were to pause any further arrivals pending mediation between the people of Inch and men residing at Magowna House. This never took place while the signs reading ‘peaceful protest in place’ remained in place.
lBLOCKADES: Gardaí were present at Magowna House due to protests in May
Seven per cent drop in Garda numbers
INCREASED funding has been sought by Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) in Budget 2025 for the recruitment and retaining of Gardaí, writes Páraic McMahon.
Between 2019 and 2024, Clare has lost almost seven per cent of its Garda numbers. This according to Senator Dooley has led to consistent breaches of the peace that represent a "pattern of intimidation”.
Speaking in the Seanad, he said, "We are now heading into the budgetary cycle and it is vital that in September we have a debate on the requirements of the budget. With this in mind, I am calling for more funding to be made available for the recruitment and appointment of Gardaí. We have become desensitised to what are often considered minor breaches of the peace in certain areas”.
Senator Dooley continued, "For example, in Ennis recently a woman who lives alone in the town had her car destroyed by two thugs with hatchets late at night. They broke all the windows and damaged all the panels on the car. This represents another incident in a pattern of intimidation that does not even get reported in the media anymore because it is below the surface. That woman, however, is now out of her home and will never be able to live
there again. That says to me that as a society we have become somewhat desensitised to this kind of intimidation”.
Drug crime was flagged by the Mountshannon native who said it has led to further difficulties in Garda recruitment and retention. "Drug dealing and the masterminds behind it are at the core of this, feeding further into the difficulty of recruiting and retaining Gardaí”.
He added, “Gardaí are working very hard to try to address these issues but they are now spread more thinly because of the reconfiguration of services between Clare and Tipperary. It must be recognised that Garda management and Gardaí on the ground are working night and day, might and main, to address these issues but we need numbers.
"We need to pay gardaí adequately, provide the necessary funding to recruit more and put in place the kind of regime that targets these masterminds of the drug trade who are in every village and town. There are a couple of kingpins and, if anything is said, they will intimidate and it goes below the radar. We have to call a halt to that and Garda numbers are absolutely crucial to this”.
Airport welcoming hurling supporters from afar for final
EXCITEMENT is building in Shannon Airport as several hurling supporters from Clare and Cork fly home for the All-Ireland senior final, writes Páraic McMahon Passengers and staff at Shannon Airport are gearing up for the final with the International Airport festooned in saffron and blue.
In anticipation of Clare’s first appearance in an All-Ireland Hurling Final since 2013, Shannon Airport has installed a giant ‘Backing the Banner’ good luck card in the airport terminal building, where fans can sign their messages of support for the team prior to Sunday.
The Shannon Airport
‘Backing the Banner’ good luck card is open to all members of the public and the airport community to sign. It is located in the airport Arrival’s Hall.
Clare County Council, in partnership with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Department of Transport have today (16 July 2024) published the final Design Update for the N19 Shannon Airport Access Road Improvement Scheme.
Head of Operations at The Shannon Airport Group said, “All-Ireland Hurling Final fever has well and truly arrived at Shannon Airport as our passengers and staff get up for the match. The airport is a hive of activity this week as excitement builds for the
big day. We are looking forward to welcoming passengers returning home from all over the globe to support their county in Croke Park, while the hot topic among our passengers who will be abroad for the final is finding a spot to watch the game”.
The Design Update No. 1, published in March 2023, included a combination of active travel measures for walking and cycling, facilities to improve public transport, along with new and improved road infrastructure between Drumgeely roundabout and Knockbeagh Point roundabout on approach to Shannon International Airport.
Since the conclusion of Design Update No. 1, the design team has been further progressing the design and environmental evaluation of the Preferred Option. The design of the Preferred Option has now been finalised following extensive stakeholder engagement and detailed consideration of environmental surveys, transport surveys and ground investigations. The project will have a positive impact on the attractiveness and e ciency of public transport and will cater for an enhanced bus service. New and improved active travel infrastructure are a key component of this project and improved active travel links to Shannon Airport and the Shannon Free Zone will further encourage modal shift, the use of sustainable forms of transport and inter-modal connectivity.
Today’s final design update is an important step forward in the project development process as the design team now look to finalise the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and submit the planning application to An Bord Pleanála in 2024, subject to all necessary approvals.
Mr. Pat Dowling, Chief Executive, Clare County Council welcomed the announcement:
“The publication of the final Design Update for the N19 Shannon Airport Access Road Improvement Scheme is a significant step as we look forward to delivering a reliable, sustainable, multi modal transport solution that will enhance the connectivity of Shannon Airport, the Shannon Free Zone and the wider mid-west region. The project will unlock further economic growth potential by improving active travel and public transport connections along the N19, which ultimately will help facilitate and support the sustainable growth and development of Shannon Airport, the Shannon Free Zone, and Shannon town. The project will have a positive impact on the local community ensuring that road safety and the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable road users has been a priority throughout the design development process. Clare County Council looks forward to working with Transport Infrastructure Ireland to advance this project through the Statutory Procedures and subsequent phases”.
Final Design Update drawings are now available for viewing on the project website www.shannonaccess.ie, with hardcopy maps on display at Clare County Council’s Head O ce in Ennis and Shannon Municipal District O ce.
For further information visit www.shannonaccess.ie or contact the project team at info@shannonaccess.ie or telephone 065 6866147.
lCRUCIAL: Senator Timmy Dooley TD (FF)
Photo by Natasha Barton
lBANNER BOARD: Clare hurling superfans (l-r) Cara (8), Paul (11) and Thomas (13) O'Sullivan at Shannon Airport
Photo by Stephen O'Malley
Zelensky holds first bi-lateral meeting
UKRAINIAN President, Volodymyr Zelensky touched down in Shannon Airport where he was embraced by the Taoiseach and addressed the blunder from US President Joe Biden for the first time.
President Zelensky held a bi-lateral meeting with Taoiseach, Simon Harris (FG) at Shannon Airport on Saturday morning, the first such meeting on Irish soil which focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
As he touched down in Co Clare, Zelensky was hugged by the Taoiseach before he shook hands with CEO of the Shannon Airport Group, Mary Considine and the Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko.
Zelensky emerged from the aircraft he travelled from New York on at 12:15pm and held a near half-hour meeting with the Taoiseach. He signed the visitors book at Shannon Airport before posing for photographs.
In brief remarks before the meeting, President Zelensky paid tribute to the Irish people for their support in welcoming the people of Ukraine who have taken refuge in Ireland since the Russian invasion on 24th February 2022.
More than 108,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland and received temporary protection orders since the war began.
This represents 2.4 per cent of the total 5.5 million Ukrainian refugees who have applied for temporary protection across Europe.
To date, Ireland has provided €250 million in non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility, while the Irish Defence Forces have trained 455 Ukrainian personnel in demining, battlefield casualty care
and the use of non lethal mine clearance equipment.
Speaking in Shannon Airport, Zelensky said, “Thank you so much for your support, thanks to Ireland for hosting a lot of Ukrainian refugees, you were with us from the very beginning of the Russian invasion”.
On Thursday night, US President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as ‘President Putin’ while speaking to reporters about Nato’s support for Ukraine.
He later corrected himself, before Zelensky took the microphone. “President Putin?” Biden said, correcting himself. “President Zelensky. I’m so focused on beating Putin”.
Giving his views on the blunder for the first time, Zelensky said in Shannon, “It’s a mistake. I think United States gave a lot of support for Ukrainians. We can forget some mistakes, I think so”.
Taoiseach Harris confirmed following the meeting that he is to visit Ukraine later this year.
Following the meeting, Zelensky in a statement outlined, “We discussed support for Ukraine and continued cooperation in demining and cybersecurity.
“We also talked about the next steps to implement the decisions based on the outcomes of the Peace Summit and discussed the efforts needed to increase global attention to the issue of children illegally deported by Russia.
“I thank Ireland for supporting the Peace Summit in Switzerland and the Taoiseach for his strong personal attention and commitment to the efforts to bring the children home”.
'Ukrainians extremely welcome in Clare but there has to be a balance'
TAOISEACH, Simon Harris (FG) has said he will hold discussions with Clare’s elected representatives over the upset caused by the manner in which Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers have been relocated to and from Co Clare, writes Páraic McMahon Ukrainian refugees in Ennis, Kilbaha and Shannon in the past two months have been relocated from their host communities, a move which has caused upset among the Ukrainians but also within the areas where they have settled, secured employment and enrolled in local schools.
Uprooting of Ukrainian families has been criticised by elected representatives in Clare. Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) said “chaos and heartache” has been witnessed in Shannon as a result while Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) noted North Clare has among the highest percentage of refugees in the country, “they are being moved around without any consideration to where the children are in school or working”.
According to Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) “a silent majority” in Lisdoonvarna “who are up in arms about how their town has been turned inside out”. He said there is a feeling that Lisdoonvarna has been “turned into a Ukrainian hub”.
Taoiseach Simon Harris (FG) held a bi-lateral meeting with President of Ukraine, Volodymr Zelensky in Shannon Airport. The tightening of accommodation and social protection benefits for Ukrainians did not come up on the agenda. “He didn’t bring it up at all, he acknowledged the generosity of the Irish people and support in assisting people from Ukraine, had it come up
I would have been to the point that it is very important that we move from an emergency response to a more sustainable model, we have made the changes we made because we want to be in a position where we can support those who need our support for as long as it takes, by any fair objective view the changes we’ve made very much keep in Ireland in line with what I think is best practice in many European countries, he didn’t bring it up but had he that is what I would have said”.
Speaking in the Burren Lounge of Shannon Airport with Mullaghmore as the backdrop behind him, Taoiseach Harris was questioned by The Clare Echo on the impact of these changes. “We have
“ “ We’ve tried to approach it with a degree of common sense and compassion
to look at this in the round, I travel around Ireland and I’ve been right around Ireland several times over, people say to me ‘we’ve lost our local hotel or our bed and breakfast, our community centre’, they say to me ‘what is the plan’ and at the same time I’m very proud to be Taoiseach of a country which takes this approach, I meet communities who’ve re-
ally welcomed lots of people with kids in their schools, parents working in the local communities and they are very welcome here.
“The Government has to try and bring those two objectives together and it is not easy, we’ve a situation where a lot of taxpayers money is being spent on accommodation, we’ve to constantly make sure that the model is sustainable, we can’t have a situation where as the numbers of Ukrainians in Ireland has fallen significantly where we continue to have an under-utilisation of accommodation in some areas and not capacity in the other areas, we always have to do this in a way that is compassionate, these are people that are extraordinarily welcome in our community, it is heartening that they are so welcome in communities in Clare. I’m continuing to work through these issues with colleagues, I always have an open ear and heart to how we best address these but it isn’t easy because we have to acknowledge that there could be a hotel which is fully taken up with its use that might now be half full or less than half in a town or village which says we need the hotel for the weddings, funerals and the christenings, it is a balanced approach that we need to take to all of this which from time to time has caused local tensions”.
He continued, “Sometimes, some decisions were left off until the school year ended because no one wanted to see a child disrupted in the middle of a school year so we’ve tried to approach it with a degree of common sense and compassion”.
On the upset experienced
by the people who fled war and managed to source employment in Co Clare only to receive notice months later that they were being moved, the Taoiseach stated, “I do understand that but I also understand this, if you were in my job and you have a situation where hundreds of millions of euro every year in emergency funding is being expended on accommodation that was literally planned in an overnight emergency scenario and then you have some of that accommodation under-utilised and you have spare capacity, I can’t look Irish citizens in the eye at Budget time and say that I’m paying for a half-full hotel here or a bed and breakfast that is half empty, I can’t do it so we have to have a balanced approach, there has to be some cognisance to issues around value for money, these are human beings, it has to be done carefully and compassionately, they are extremely welcome in Ireland but it has to be a balance”.
Complaints had been raised in the Seanad by Senator Martin Conway (FG) that his calls and emails regarding the movement of Ukrainians from Shannon and Kilbaha were ignored by the Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman (GP). The Taoiseach said he held his own meeting with Senator Conway in Co Clare when he arrived. “I will talk to Martin about that directly, I met Senator Conway in Clare this morning, I know he, Cllr Garrihy and others are understandably exercised about this, they are representing a community which is welcoming new people, this is a good thing and the antidote to the antics of the far-right which we’ve seen try to take hold”.
lVISITORS BOOK: Taoiseach Simon Harris with President Volodymr Zelensky
by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie
Kieran crushes second week of slimming
THE Clare Echo’s Head of Sales Denise Quinn and Account Manager Kieran Murphy are truly in the swing of things now as they complete their second week of their journey to get healthy with Slimming World.
Following on from Denise’s amazing half stone loss last week, Kieran upped the ante by losing a whopping eight pounds from the scales.
DENISE’S WEEK TWO RESULTS
Another great week for Denise with a three and a half lb loss, giving her a total of loss of 10 and a half lbs so far. Here, Denise tells us about her journey.
PROFILE: Denise Quinn
lGETTING HEALTHY: Denise with Tarah at launch of new Slimming World venue in Hope Cafe Shannon at 7pm on Mondays and Kieran with Louise at Launch of new Slimming World venue on Friday mornings in Newmarket-on-Fergus Community Hall at 9.30am
out when dining out. I am sure most restaurants have healthy alternatives. You just need to be careful how it is cooked.
Tell us about your SW group I attended Louise's first class in Newmarket-on-Fergus last Friday. There was a huge turnout with a mix of ages. Don’t worry about the kids. Louise has set up a play area in the hall. What an inspiring idea! Louise’s calm and supportive approach will get you into the groove very quickly. I had a great chat with another member on the day. She gave me lots of ideas and advice. Everyone is in the same boat and are only delighted to chat to you.
Groups:
How did week two go for you?
It was an exciting and emotional week for me. Second week in and I am feeling amazing. I Introduced my unique activity programme to support my food plan this week which brought so many benefits physically and mentally. I am buzzing with confidence this week and I know I can do this.
Have you noticed a difference?
No more feeling bloated after eating, no more couch potato and Netflix after dinner. I am excited about getting out in the fresh air even if it is raining and date nights are back with my hubby supporting me on walks.
Tell us about your SW group
I am loving the group support and excited for all the new people that joined in Newmarket on Fergus and In Shannon who were nervous coming in for the first time. It's the best choice they have made and I wish them the very best. For the first time in a long long time I feel in control with the choices I am
making and it's all about me for a change.
KIERAN’S WEEK TWO RESULTS
Kieran smashed it this week with an amazing eight lbs loss, earning him his half stone cert, as well as the Slimmer of the Week title. Not only that, but Kieran also came away with the raffle prize!
PROFILE: Kieran Murphy
How did week two go for you?
After a slow start, I am now getting into the swing of things. I have downloaded the Slimming Word app which is an excellent tool. The scanner is just mighty. You get instant feedback on all the food in your cupboards
and when you are shopping. This is a musthave for all slimmers. I have swapped all the full-fat foods (at home) with the low-fat alternatives. I must say, I am not the best at measuring portion sizes, but I do try.
What changes have you made?
I am planning my meals more now. I have introduced more “free foods” in the evening such as turkey/chicken. This helps no end with the cravings (my worst time of the day). I go between three different types of breakfast - overnight oats, omelette or Weetabix with wholemeal toast. It's always tasty. I never get bored. Lunch most days is a salad. Again, we have plenty in the fridge. I highly recommend The Snack Shack in the Abbey Street Carpark here in Ennis Town Centre. They have an excellent salad bowl. Last Friday I had a takeaway from Lana. I had No 39 -Thai Garlic & Chilli with boiled rice. This is a Slimming World recommendation. It was excellent. This shows you don’t need to be left
Louise - Friday mornings at 9.30am, Newmarket-on-Fergus Community Hall, V95 RH93. Call Louise on 086-1381874. Facebook: Slimming World Newmarket on Fergus. Tarah - Monday Evening at 7pm at the Hope Cafe in Shannon. Also at Treacys West County Hotel Ennis every Tuesday at 5.30pm and 7pm. Call Tarah on 086 271 5834. Facebook: Slimming World with Tarah Pamela - Every Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8am and 9.30 am at Treacys West County Hotel Ennis. Also on Wednesday at 4pm and 5.30pm at Teach Ceoil Church Ennistymon. Call Pamela on 087 622 4698 Facebook: Slimming world Ennis & Ennistymon with Pamela.
Martina - Saturday Mornings at CBS Primary School, New Road Ennis at 8.30am and 10.30am. Call Martina on 089 4079264. Facebook: Slimming world Southcourt and Caherconlish.
Leaders supporting tips of the week
1. Choose Unlimited Free Foods and Speed free foods as you can eat as much as you like of these.
2. Use your Unique activity programme to support your weight loss which is tailored to each individual member’s needs.
3. Stay in group which will guarantee you achieving your target and Dream weight.
THE gardens are looking smashing, and some of the first batch of perennial flowers have finished flowering and need to be cut back to encourage the next batch to start.
This includes plants like nepeta, lupins, and possibly some lavenders, depending on what you have in your beds and borders. The garden is an ongoing project for most of us, whether it’s adding new borders or keeping on top of those weeds (which are flourishing this year).
It’s really a vocation, as I have often heard, and that’s true, but it is one that gives us time and space to think, chill, get out of our heads, and just be present. The flowers don’t ask us anything. For me, I love tidying up the flowers, removing dead or spent blooms, and cutting back old flower heads, ready for new ones to appear. It’s also important to weed and keep on top of this task. Even if you have mulch or stones down, weeds will take every opportunity to grow and spread. So, HAPPY WEEDING!
Grasses have become a lovely ornamental feature in our beds and borders over time. I must admit, it took me a while to warm to them, coming from a farm background—I just couldn’t understand why anyone would want grass! But I have been converted once I saw how they can add such beauty to a bed or border. The selection is vast, and the shapes vary too. Some of the grasses I have come to enjoy using, even in my pots, are listed below. Perhaps it’s a plant you haven’t considered for
adding architecture to your beds: Stipa tenuissima, commonly known as ponytails, has clump-forming thread-like leaves that sway gracefully in the wind. Its soft texture and movement are ideal for beds and borders. Carex oshimensis ‘Everillo’ is a striking ornamental grass known for its bright yellow foliage. It has narrow, arching leaves that start out lime green and mature to vibrant golden yellow. It hangs beautifully in a pot or in beds and borders. Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’,
commonly known as Japanese blood grass, has striking redtipped foliage. It features green leaves that turn vivid red and will stand out in any bed or border. Pennisetum ‘Fireworks’ is an ornamental grass with vibrant colours—a striking blend of burgundy, hot pink, and green stripes. Juncus effusus f. spiralis has very unusual twisting stems and is used as low ground cover to contrast with other foliage plants. I hope you all have a lovely week in the garden.
Thought for the week: Life is like hurling
RONAN SCULLY
WHAT a great few under age and senior hurling matches we have had recently. The All Ireland Hurling Final takes place this coming Sunday on the hallowed grounds of Croke Park. I hope to be going yet again to see the game.
HURLING FIELDS OF LIFE
I thought it might throw some additional interest into the day by a discussion about Hurling and team sports and how it relates to life. In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest quotes his mother saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates.” Well, today we are saying “Life is like hurling.”
The game of life is a lot like hurling and other team sports. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity and take your goal chanc-
es when they come. I know some of you are probably thinking that hurling isn’t very spiritual, but I would dare say that there are probably more prayers said on All Ireland Hurling Sunday than on any other day. And in case you are thinking the whole idea of sports is not very Biblical let me refer you to the words of St. Paul in I Corinthians 9:24 as he uses sport as a metaphor: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
As your thought for this week, see where you need
help from your manager. Listen to what is being told to you and try your best to get a good result. Believe in yourself to always play well on the playing fields of life! Let me finish with one of my favourite sports prayers called, “A Hurler’s Prayer” written by Seamus Redmond. I thought it was worth sharing at this time especially since the teams and supporters of Clare and Cork in the All-Ireland Hurling Final are preparing for battle on the great hurling field of Croke Park very soon.
A HURLERS PRAYER“Give me O’Lord a hurlers skill.With strength of arm and speed of limb. Unerring eye for the flying ball. And courage to match them whatever befall. May my aim be steady - my stroke be true. My actions manly - my misses few. And no matter what way the game may go. May I part in friendship with every foe. When the final whistle for me is blown. And I stand at last at God’s Judgement Throne. May the great Referee when he calls my name. Say you hurled like a man, you played the game. Amen”.
Foclóir don chluiche ceannais
All-Ireland
Macalla an Chláir
LE MACDARA Ó CONAOLA
final Gaeilge glossary
l An mbeadh ticéad don chluiche le spáráil agat? - Would you have a ticket to spare for the match?
l Bhí mé leis an rud céanna a fhiafraí dhíot fhéin – I was going to ask you the same thing
l An-imirt go deo! - Great play altogether!
l Coinnigh leis/léi! - Keep/stick with him/her!
l Á, muise Dia dhá réiteach! - Aw for flip’s sake!
l Beidh an chóir leo sa darna leath –they’ll have the wind behind them in the second half
l Nár laga Dia thú! - Fair play to you!
l An-phointe! - Great point!
l An-ghól! - Great goal!
Imeachtaí/Events:
l Nach iontach a stop sé í! – great block/ save (isn’t it great how he stopped it)!
l Ní raibh maith de thada leo inniu –they were no good today
l Níl mé in ann breathnú! – I can’t watch!
l Níl ingne ar bith fágtha agam! - I’ve no nails left!
l Séid an diabhal d’fheadóig a réiteoir!Blow the feckin’ whistle ref!
l Bhíodar thar cionn inniu – they were fantastic today
l Laoch na himeartha – Player of the match
• LUIMNEACH – AIFREANN GAEILGE, chuile Dé Domhnaigh, 10.30am, Mainistir an tSlánaitheora, Sráid San Doiminic, Luimneach
• Clare FM - Cúl-chaint le Domhnall Ó Loingsigh chuile Dé Sathairn, ag 9am ar Clare FM
• CILL INÍNE BAOITHE - Ciorcal Comhrá san XPO, chuile Dé Céadaoin ag 7.30pm
• INIS – CAINT AGUS COMHRÁ, chuile Dé Luain ag 11am sa gCopper Jug, Dé Céadaoin ag 11am in O’Brien’s, oíche Déardaoin sa Temple Gate (8pm), agus Dé Sathairn i nGlór, 11am-12pm. Déan teagmháil leo ag: caintaguscomhra@outlook.com
• AN SCAIRBH – ‘’Lón i nGaeilge’’, 1-2pm, CHUILE DÉ MAIRT i gcaifé ‘’An Gáirdín’’, fáilte roimh chuile dhuine.
ENNIS
IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Up the Baaaaaa-nner
Mikey Roseingrave’s sheep are all decked out for the All-Ireland final on his farm in Barefield
Notes
Pop up-Gaeltacht
SCAIPIGÍ an scéal! Ar an Aoine, 26ú lá de mhí Iúil beidh 'Pop up Gaeltacht' againn i nDroichead an Chláir.
Join us on the 26th of July for Clarecastle's first 'Pop up Gaeltacht'. Power's Pub Clarecastle. Scúps ag a hOcht! Starts at 8pm.
Check out visitclare.ie & ennischamber.ie for more
Ennis plumber pleads guilty to careless driving
A TWENTY eight year old Ennis man has pleaded guilty to the careless driving causing the death of married father of two and GAA coach, Gerard Gunning, writes Gordon Deegan
At Ennis Circuit Court, Joseph Smyth of Cathedral Court, Ennis has pleaded guilty to the careless driving causing the death of Broadford man, Gerard Gunning at Meelick on March 24th 2022.
Mr Gunning was a passenger in the 132 registered vehicle that Mr Smyth was driving at the time.
An apprentice plumber when first charged, Mr Smyth was sent forward from the District Court to the Circuit Court where he was initially charged with the dangerous driving causing death of Mr Gunning.
However, Mr Smyth has now pleaded guilty to the less serious careless driving charge of driving without due care and attention and thereby causing the death of Gerard Gunning.
After Mr Smyth entered his guilty plea, counsel for the State, Lorcan Connolly SC (instructed by State Solicitor, Aisling Casey) said that the case now becomes one of sentence and a victim impact statement is required.
Judge Francis Comerford said that he would prioritise the sentencing hearing in the case. He said, “Where someone has lost a life as a result of an offence, there are serious matters and I will prioritise this matter as soon as I can”.
Judge Gabbett adjourned the case to July 26th to fix dates with the sentencing date likely to be in October.
Judge Gabbett remanded Mr Smyth on continuing bail and excused him from attending the procedural hearing on July 26th.
Those convicted of careless driving causing death in the circuit court can face prison terms up to two years compared to prison terms up to 10 years for those convicted
In a tribute posted by
GAA
the aftermath of Mr Gunning’s death, the club said it mourned the tragic passing of its former underage player and current coach.
The club stated that Ger played to minor level for Broadford, winning U14 and U15 championships with the club and in later years, Ger became very involved in underage coaching and training in Broadford and was a very popular coach among the players of the club’s U11/ and U13 teams.
Cyril Cuddihy remembered as a popular and widely known sportsman by his many friends
CYRIL Cuddihy, whose untimely death took place at his home in St Senan’s Road, Ennis recently, was a popular widely known and successful sportsman, writes Tony Mulvey He was a talented pitch and putt player, winning several major competitions all over the country and he also competed in a number of All-Ireland finals as a member of the Clare Road Pitch and Putt Club.
He and his brother Noel were also among founder members of the club and were famil-
iar figures on the course most Sunday mornings. The course was owned by the late Frank White of the Halfway Bar.
Cyril, who was aged 67 years, also played his part in the promotion of the sport during his time as secretary of the Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland. Cyril was a valued member of the quiz team which represented the Halfway Bar. He also enjoyed playing cards and taking part in dart tournaments representing the popular Clare Road pub.
He was a son of the late Ned and Helen Cuddihy who came from Ballyhale near Kilkenny to live in Ennis with their family in the early 1960s.
Educated at Ennis CBS, Cyril later studied engineering at University College, Galway with whom he also played rugby.
Later on he joined his brother Noel in their Auto Electrics business in their home place at St. Senan’s Road. Unfortunately a lot of his activities had to be curtailed following a
stroke eight years ago. Cyril will be remembered as a quiet and unassuming person and a very friendly neighbour.
Following his death on May 28 last, reposing was at Daly’s Mortuary Chapel, Ennis on May 30 and the funeral took place to Drumcliffe cemetery the following day after mass in St. Joseph’s church.
Cyril is survived by his brothers Noel and Eamonn, sister Helen, nieces, nephews, relatives and many friends.
of dangerous driving.
Mr Gunning (47) of Kilbane, Broadford is survived by his wife, Jennifer and sons, Dillon and Adam.
Broadford
club in
lEnnis Courthouse
Airport to share €4.2m with Cork under new sustainability programme
SHANNON Airport has been included in a new sustainability programme where it will share a capital budget with Cork Airport worth €4.225m, writes Páraic McMahon
Newly appointed Minister of State at the Department of Transport, James Lawless (FF) made his first visit to Shannon Airport since succeeding Jack Chambers (FF) on Tuesday where he announced a new Regional State Airports Sustainability Programme with a capital budget of €4.225m to support Shannon and Cork airports sustainability plans.
CEO of the Shannon Airport Group said the investment will assist Shannon to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. “It will augment our efforts to implement innovative solutions that enhance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and promote sustainable practices throughout our operations, and we thank the government for their support”.
Commenting on the Lawless’ inaugural visit to Shannon Airport today, she said that it was a “great opportunity” to show what has been achieved and their plans for the future. “I was pleased to welcome Minister Lawless to Shannon so he could witness first-hand the benefits of using Shannon as an alternative to Dublin Airport focusing on ease of access, lack of con-
gestion, and the attractive incentive schemes we offer airlines.
“Shannon Airport is an excellent alternative to Dublin Airport for international visitors eager to explore the Wild Atlantic Way and for Irish people looking to conduct business or enjoy overseas leisure holidays.
“Shannon Airport has a pivotal role to play in assisting with allevi-
ating the current capacity issues at Dublin Airport, enabling balanced regional development by aligning passenger journeys closer to where they want to travel to and from, and ensuring that Ireland’s aviation market continues to thrive,” she added.
During his visit, the Junior Minister toured Shannon Airport and got to see first-hand the ease of us-
ing Shannon and the many world firsts and innovative initiatives for which the airport is known. These include being recognised by the World Health Organisation as one of the world’s first Age Friendly airports; being the first airport in the world outside the Americas to introduce full US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance facilities; being home to the world’s
first duty free; and being the first airport in Europe to open a sensory room.
Kildare North TD, Lawless announced the high-level outcomes of the Mid-term Review of the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2025 during the visit. A public consultation was undertaken by the Department of Transport in 2023 to inform a mid-term review of the Programme which currently supports Ireland West, Kerry and Donegal airports.
The review found that the Programme is delivering on its objectives and is in line with Ireland’s National Aviation Policy.
High-level outcomes of the review include the development of the Regional State Airports Sustainability Programme and to expand the scope of sustainability projects funded under the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2025 to support projects relating to the production of electricity from renewable sources such as Solar PV farms. He stated, “This Programme, with a budget of circa. €4m, mirrors the sustainability objectives of the Regional Airports Programme by supporting capital investment at Shannon and Cork airports. This investment builds on the €5.6m capital funding announced for Ireland West, Kerry and Donegal airports on 25 April. Further operational supports of an additional circa €4m will be allocated to these three airports later this year”.
Final design released for N19 Shannon Airport access road
A FINAL design update has been published for the N19 Shannon Airport access road improvement scheme, writes Elaine Tubridy Clare County Council, in partnership with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Department of Transport on Tuesday published the final design update for the N19 Shannon Airport Access Road Improvement Scheme. In the first design published in March 2023, it included a combination of active travel measures for walking and cycling, facilities to improve public transport, along with new and improved road infrastructure between Drumgeely roundabout and Knockbeagh Point roundabout on approach to Shannon International Airport.
Since the conclusion of the first design, the design team has been further progressing the design and environmental evaluation of the preferred option. The design of the preferred option has now been finalised, following extensive stakeholder engagement and detailed consideration of environmental surveys, transport surveys and ground investi-
gations.
An environmental impact assessment report is be finalised before a planning application is submitted to An Bord Pleanála, the design team hope to submit this planning application by the end of 2024.
Attractiveness and efficiency of public transport in Shannon is set to improve as part of the project while it will enhance the existing bus service. New and improved active travel infrastructure are a key component of this project and improved active travel links to Shannon Airport and the Shannon Free Zone will further encourage modal shift, the use of sustainable forms of transport and inter-modal connectivity.
Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling said the publication of the final design represented “a significant step as we look forward to delivering a reliable, sustainable, multi-modal transport solution that will enhance the connectivity of Shannon Airport, the Shannon Free Zone and the wider midwest region. The project will unlock further
economic growth potential by improving active travel and public transport connections along the N19, which ultimately will help facilitate and support the sustainable growth and development of Shannon Airport, the Shannon Free Zone, and Shannon Town”.
He added, “The project will have a positive impact on the local community ensuring that road safety and the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable road users has been a priority throughout the design development process. Clare County Council looks forward to working with Transport Infrastructure Ireland to advance this project through the statutory procedures and subsequent phases”.
Elected members of the Shannon Municipal District were on Tuesday morning briefed on the plans with Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) pointing out that public consultation can be improved, “they said there was very little public consultation feedback on it, people aren’t seeing it”.
Final design update drawings are now available for viewing on the project website
www.shannonaccess.ie, with hardcopy maps on display in Clare County Council’s head office in Ennis and in Shannon Municipal District Office.
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lGOING GREEN: Shannon Airport Group Chairperson Conal Henry, Minister of State at the Department of Transport James Lawless (FF) and Shannon Airport Group CEO Mary Considine
The very best of luck to the Clare team from everyone at Aillwee Burren Experience!
Match-making festival suffers blow as judge rejects 2.30am closing time
by Gordon Deegan
THOSE seeking love at this year’s month-long Lisdoonvarna matching making festival in north Clare have suffered an early blow to their romance prospects.
This follows a district court judge cutting back planned extended opening hours for pubs at September’s Lisdoonvarna match-making festival after Garda concerns.
At Ennis District Court today, publicans across Lisdoonvarna were seeking a blanket extension of opening hours to serve alcohol to 2.30am through an area ‘exemption for a Special Event’ application under Section 10 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1962.
The publicans were seeking the opening hours extension across Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights for five weekends of the festival with the first night of extended opening hours to commence on Friday August 30th and the final night to be Sunday, September 29th.
Those licensed premises seeking the 2.30am extension included The Ravine, The Ritz, The Rathbaun, The Royal Spa, Meg McGuires, The Imperial, The Hydro, The Matchmaker, The Roadside Tavern, The Wild Honey Inn, The Thomond and White’s Castle.
However, in court, Judge Alec Gabbett rejected the 2.30am ‘area exemption’ application from the publicans and has instead extended the opening hours to 1.30am for the month's weekends - one hour less than what was requested.
Judge Gabbett made his ruling despite solicitor, John Casey commenting that the ‘serious work’ for singles attending the festival begins at 1.30am.
Judge Gabbett said serving time until 2.30am “would be the latest exemption I have granted yet”.
On behalf of the Gardai, Sgt John Burke of Ennis Garda Station said: “We have a difficulty with it.”
Acting as agent in the case for M Petty & Co, solicitor, John Casey
suggested a compromise of 2am.
Mr Casey said: “The poor men and women who didn’t get hitched up last year get another opportunity this year."
Judge Gabbett asked: “Would that extra hour make all the difference?”
In reply, Mr Casey said at that time of the morning “time is running out and that hour will become very, very important in determining their future."
Sgt Burke remained firm and told Judge Gabbett: “That is our position."
Judge Gabbett said: “1.30am is perfectly sufficient.”
Referring to the numbers of Ukrainians and International Protection (IP) applicants being currently accommodated in Lisdoonvarna hotels, Judge Gabbett said: “It is a very busy town, every hotel is full already before visitors come."
Judge Gabbett said: “They are all sleeping at this hour- they are not interested in match-making."
Trial ‘clockwise route’ aims to ease traffic congestion
A NEW initiative aimed at alleviating traffic congestion on the R477 coastal road in the Burren is being introduced as part of a traffic management strategy for North Clare, writes Elaine Tubridy.
Coach operators and camper van users are being encouraged to use a clockwise traffic system operating from south to north between Ballinalacken Junction and Ballyvaughan on a trial basis for the remainder of the 2024 season.
The multi-agency initiative is being led by Clare County Council and supported by Fáilte Ireland, Cliffs of Moher Experience, the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark and the North Clare Communities Group (NCCG).
Clare County Council has established a team of six Tourism Traffic Ambassadors operating seven days a week to direct visitor traffic at appointed locations across North Clare, as well as to engage with visitors to the Bur-
ren about local attractions, the culture and history of the area, and other points of interest.
Meanwhile, the Local Authority has installed relevant signage and traffic calming measures at key locations throughout North Clare to improve overall traffic flow.
This has involved actively engaging with local com-
munity groups. It has also involved putting in place drive on left signage at key tourist locations as well as road markings and plans to improve pedestrian facilities by the provision of additional footpaths.
Seasonal overflow car parks have been provided at key locations and safety improvement schemes have
been identified at suitable locations.
Working on a cross-directorate basis, Alan Farrell, Jason Murphy and John O’Malley, Directors of Service for Physical Development, North Clare and Tourism Development in Clare County Council stated, “This clockwise route, which has evolved from an extensive
consultation process involving Elected Members, the local community, businesses and other key stakeholders, will help to improve traffic flow across the Burren and it will play a crucial role in enhancing visitor experiences and promoting all local destinations and attractions, including those located along the R480.”
“The tourism economy is essential to the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark and it is important that we continue to extend a warm welcome to visitors while, at the same time, introduce measures that minimise the impact of increased traffic volumes on local communities and the environment,” they added.
Miriam Kennedy, Head of Wild Atlantic Way (Fáilte Ireland) commented, “Fáilte Ireland is pleased to support this trial aimed at improving traffic flow and enhancing the visitor experience in North Clare. The clockwise route trial is a significant step towards reducing congestion
on the R477 coastal road, ensuring that visitors can enjoy the stunning landscapes in the area with greater ease. This initiative not only benefits tourists by providing a smoother travel experience but also supports the local community by minimising traffic disruptions and promoting sustainable tourism practices."
Tom Barrett, Chairman of the North Clare Communities Group (NCCG) said, “The introduction of a Clockwise Travel System for Tourist Coaches and Camper Vans is an important first step in improving the overall travel and traffic management situation throughout North Clare for the local communities and visitors as well as other steps, now under preparation, improving conditions for improving public transport services; parking and active travel, including pedestrians, schoolchildren and cyclists by reducing road congestion and traffic risk for the local communities as well as visitors.”
lEXTENSION: The Matchmaker Bar, Lisdoonvarna
lTOURISM: The R477 passing by Black Head in North Clare Photo by Visit Clare
Athenry housing projects first to benefit from joint Council framework
ATHENRY is the first location Galway to benefit from a new Design-Build Contractor Framework that will expedite the delivery of new construction projects across the city and county, writes Páraic McMahon Galway County Council and Galway City Council have jointly developed the framework to enable the delivery of social and affordable housing developments through the accelerated delivery programme of Design-Build.
Two developments in Athenry, which are the first projects to benefit from the framework, will deliver 30 new homes at the existing Gort Mhaoilir social housing estate and a further 11 units at the existing Curlibaun estate in the town.
Galway County Council has awarded the Design-Build contract for the two developments to Studio PKA as Architect Lead with an integrated design team comprising Mulcahy Mc Donough (QS), SDS Design Engineers (Civil & Structural Engineers), CBS Consult-
lCONTRACT: Pictured at Áras an Chontae for the Design-Build contract signing for two housing developments in Athenry (back L-R) Alan Brogan (Executive Engineer), Michael Owens (Director of Services), Liadhan Keady (Administrative Officer) and Damien Mitchell (Senior Engineer) of Galway County Council (front L-R) Angela Spelman (Administrative Officer), Eithne Murphy (Senior Executive Engineer), Liam Conneally (Chief Executive) and Councillor Alan Dolan (Cathaoirleach) of Galway County Council, and Paul Keogh and Ellen Mathews of Studio PKA
by Galway County Council
ing Engineers (Mechanical & Electrical Engineers) and Fact Fire Consulting Engineers (Fire Engineering Services).
Michael Owens, Director of Services for Housing with Galway County Council explained, “The new framework, which operates on the basis of a two-year contract with an option to extend, will speed up the delivery of construction projects across Galway City and County while also promoting the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)”. He continued, “The integrated design team services element of the framework allows for a single appointment for each project of an Architect Led integrated design team comprising all disciplines rather than separate individual appointments of each discipline. Both local authorities are now able to run a mini-competition for projects on e-Tenders which will be confined to the 6 pre-qualified participants only, therefore reducing the administrative burden of larger open competitions”.
AS AN avid sports enthusiast, I’ve always been fascinated by the ways we can enhance our performance and recover from injuries more effectively.
One of the most intriguing and scientifically backed methods I’ve come across is hyperbaric oxygenation (HBOT). It’s no wonder that professional athletes around the world are using hyperbaric chambers, and many even have their own.
HBOT involves breathing high levels of oxygen in a pressurised environment, which increases oxygen availability in the blood and tissues. This process has a multitude of benefits for athletes, whether used as a preventative measure or for recovery following an injury.
Many athletes have turned to HBOT not just for its healing properties but also as a preventative measure. Incorporating regular HBOT sessions into a training regimen can improve general muscle health, enhance breathing and circulation, boost overall fitness, and reduce the risk of injuries. One of the standout benefits is its ability to remove lactic acid and ammonia from muscles. These substances are known contributors to muscle
fatigue, so their efficient removal can significantly improve performance and recovery times.
The primary use of HBOT in the sporting world, however, is post-injury. Best practice suggests having a session within 48 hours of sustaining an injury. This timing is crucial because it helps reduce the inflammatory response that typically follows any injury. While inflammation is a natural protective response by the body, it can also impede oxygen delivery, cause pain, and further tissue damage, which ultimately prolongs recovery.
By minimising inflammation through HBOT, we can reduce the risk of complications and make it easier, when required, for physiotherapists to begin their work sooner. Additionally, HBOT promotes collagen production, which is vital for tissue repair. Essentially, it provides the cells with an abundance of oxygen, enhancing the healing process and speeding up recovery.
For years, access to HBOT was limited, making it an out-of-reach resource for many athletes. Thankfully, this is changing. Companies like OxyGeneration are making
this healing environment more ac cessible, allowing more athletes to benefit from its profound effects.
The body’s capacity to regener ate and recover is truly phenom enal when given the right tools. Every stage of healing requires oxygen, so it seems only appropri ate to ensure that our bodies have adequate supplies through HBOT.
So if you’re curious about how HBOT can benefit you, whether as a preventive measure or to ac celerate recovery from an injury, I highly recommend reaching out to OxyGeneration. Their team is knowledgeable and eager to help you understand the best practices for utilising HBOT. Call OxyGeneration at 091394444 to discuss how HBOT can fit into your training and recovery regimen. Your body is capable of amazing things, and with the right support, you can achieve your ath letic goals while maintaining opti mal health.
Hyperbaric oxygenation has be come a game-changer in the world of sports. So whether you’re pre paring for a club championship or an All-Ireland final, don’t miss out on the opportunity to enhance your performance and recovery.
Photo
‘There’s a mighty buzz in Feakle’
by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie
FEAKLE is at fever pitch with excitement for the All-Ireland senior hurling final.
As a GAA club, Feakle has provided many great players and mentors to Clare hurling teams since the foundation of the GAA in 1884.
However nobody from the club has managed to win an All-Ireland senior hurling medal while wearing the saffron and blue of Clare.
That’s a stat which all Feakle people are hoping will change on Sunday as the club provides three members to the Clare panel which will take on Cork in the 2024 All-Ireland senior final.
Goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan, defender Adam Hogan and panel member Conn Smyth are proud members of the Feakle club while another panel member is Keith Smyth from nearby Killanena.
Feakle/Killanena have been together for underage hurling purposes for quite a number of years now and are, in fact, the current under 21 A hurling champions.
For the record, the late Dr. Bill Loughnane, is the holder of a much coveted Celtic Cross which he won when playing with his adopted Dublin in 1938.
While there is huge excitement across Clare this week as Sunday’s final approaches, it’s fair to say that excitement is at fever pitch in Feakle.
“There is a mighty buzz in Feakle and the place has been decorated from top to bottom”, explained club secretary Val Donnellan, another clubman who has represented Clare with distinction.
“Everybody was out last week when there was a big clean-up of the village. We had the assistance of two teleporters as bunting was put up”, outlined Val as he thanked the Community Council for their assistance.
RTÉ will be broadcasting from Feakle on Saturday night with Marty Morrissey live in the East Clare village on Up for the Match while Ireland AM aired a segment from Feakle on Wednesday morning.
The club has produced many outstanding players and mentors over the years and none more so than Ger Loughnane who managed Clare to two All-Ireland titles (1995 and 1997) and three Munster senior titles.
Clare won two National league titles in 1976 and 1977 when when another Feakle native, Fr. Harry Bohan was the team manager.
“Hurling has meant a lot to Feakle. The club won four or five championships from the mid 30s to the mid 40s. Around 1938 there would have been five or six from Feakle on the Clare team”, Fr. Bohan told The Clare Echo this week.
“I grew up in the 1940s and 50s and I never had to look to Manchester or Liverpool for heroes. We had a pub at home and fellas going up to Mass on a Sunday would call into the pub afterwards. They were my heroes,” Harry admitted.
“The GAA made quiet places, small rural areas, famous because of the heroes they produced such as Jimmy Smyth in Ruan. Hurling was everything to us growing up”,
Fr. Bohan added. “I believe people don’t appreciate fully the significance of the GAA in a local area like Feakle. There are great stories told about the games that were played and traditions that surrounds all that. To this day I would look up to see if Feakle juveniles won”.
Praising the part first team players Eibhear Quilligan and Adam Hogan have made to Clare’s march to Sunday’s final Fr. Bohan said, “Clare mightn’t be in the final if Qulliigan hadn’t such a star game in the semi-final”.
He is looking forward to being in Feakle for the Up for the Match programme on Saturday night and he isn’t at all surprised with the excitement and colour that is evident throughout the parish.
Ger Loughnane, Clare’s first All-star, was a key member of the league winning teams managed by Fr. Bohan as was another Feakle man and three time All-Star, goalkeeper Seamus Durack who also managed Clare for a number of seasons leading the county to the Munster final in 1986.
Tuamgraney tree planting ceremony to show solidarity with Palestinians as ‘public focus has shifted of late’
A TREE planting ceremony will take place in Tuamgraney as the East Clare Memorial Committee join forces with East Clare for Palestine, writes Páraic McMahon
To show solidarity with the people of Palestine, the tree planting ceremony will take place on July 28th at the East Clare Memorial Park in Tuamgraney, a site that remembers the struggle for Irish independence in East Clare. Officially dedicated as the Republican Memorial Park in 1954, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the park.
Beginning at 2pm, the event will begin at 2pm will include poetry readings, a perfor- mance by the Éisteacht choir who have recently been invited to perform at Electric Picnic, as well as speeches and refreshments.
Secretary of the East Clare Memorial Com-
mittee, Dr Tomás Mac Conmara explained that the occasion represented an opportunity to express unity with those fighting for freedom in different parts of the world.
“The Palestinian struggle for freedom is inextricably connected with that of Ireland. When in 1917, East Clare and the rest of Ireland was buzzing with separatist sentiment, the Balfour Declaration in Britain promised the land of Palestine to the Zionist project. In the late 1940s when the East Clare Memorial Park was being planned to commemorate our liberation struggle, Palestinians were being driven off their land by those same Zionists to create the State of Israel.
“As we reflect on 70 years of remembering in Tuamgraney, we felt it only appropriate to express our solidarity with Palestine and in
deference to the Palestinians who have been welcomed into east Clare since the recent genocide has been happening”.
Carol McNamara proposed the idea of a ceremonial tree planting. She outlined why, “Since the genocide in Gaza started in October 2023, several people in East Clare came together in unison with the thousands across Clare and Ireland to try and form a civic response to what was happening. We have held multiple public events, fundraisers, protests and demonstrations, including weekly vigils at Killaloe Bridge in solidarity with Palestine. We have been struck by the positivity we have received from the public in East Clare, but it is vital for us to continue in our solidarity as the public focus has shifted of late, despite the ongoing genocide in Gaza”.
She added, “The Awwad family have become an important part of our community in East Clare since they fled their bombed out home in Gaza city in October and eventually found refuge in Scariff. We were all heartbroken when news came through of the murder of a further 30 members of their family in Gaza, killed in an Israeli airstrike on June 25th. It is impossible to comprehend their loss, but we felt we needed to show our solidarity and love in some way”. Indeed it will be a member of the Awwad family that will perform the tree planting ceremony which is to begin at 2pm on Sunday July 28th.
lHON THE BANNER: (left) Jennifer Smyth, Roisin Quilligan and Aedamar Smyth with Phobe the dog; (above) Erin, Bill and Daniel Purcell lead the Clare convoy from Feakle; Ger the “Goalie Mac” Namara, Seamus McGrath, Michéal Hogan, Val Donnellan and Michael Guilfoyle
Photos by Ruth Griffin
Giving it socks in Miltown Malbay
John-Joe setting a high Banner of support
KILDYSART’s John Joe Costelloe has been following Clare hurling teams since 1974 and is regarded as one of the most genuine GAA supporters in the county, writes Páraic McMahon.
Sunday morning’s scheduled departure time is 08:30 as the Costelloe clan prepare to embark for Croke Park, a journey they would have preferred to be making more often but one they are grateful to be undertaking on All-Ireland final day. “We’ve followed great teams in the 1970s getting to the Munster finals but coming up against a fantastic Cork team,” John Joe recalled this week.
Costelloe added, “2013 was a memorable year and a great win with Davy Fitzgerald and Paul Kinnerk, please God we will be celebrating again in Croke Park”.
Noted for decking out his home in saffron and blue and for writing poems in advance of championship encounters, for the All-Ireland final John-Joe has six carboard cut-outs in Kildysart. Conor Cleary, John Conlon, David Fitzgerald, Tony Kelly, Shane O’Donnell and Peter Duggan are the selected six and according to John Joe, “they are six of the best in the
country, they’d be on any county team. Donal Óg Cusack said to Joanne Cantwell on RTÉ that he never got to see Christy Ring hurl in his lifetime but that Tony Kelly is one of the best hurlers he has seen and that is true”.
For Sunday, he is predicting a “classic final” but noted that Cork are “very confident” heading into the game. “I’d say they think they have won but there is no game like a game of hurling, we’ve had great players down through the years from places like Sixmilebridge and Newmarket-on-Fergus, places where the only game is hurling”.
John Joe has been struck by the level of support for Lohan’s side. “The Clare supporters are the best in the game, we lost three Munster finals and we’re still coming back, we outnumbered Kilkenny three to one the last day, we’re great supporters and we deserve an All-Ireland. They are the greatest supporters I’ve seen, I hope Clare do it for the supporters, they have let us down in a few Munster finals and I know it wasn’t their fault, we have the best supporters, Tony Kelly will lift the Liam McCarthy in the Hogan Stand, Shane O’Donnell win be the Hurler of the Year and
Clare will get nine All Stars and more than our neighbours”.
Clare must learn from past mistakes, he felt. “We threw away the Munster final last year, you have to take your chances, you can’t say people played poorly, you play as good as your let and it is great to see lads back, Aron Shanagher brings power and steel from the
bench, he makes a big difference when he comes on, Ian Galvin is a class hurler and I’d love to see those two lads getting more game time. Cork will be no pushover, they won’t lie down, they will play hurling when there’s other teams pushing and dragging. The 2013 final was amazing and we’re hoping for the same outcome this weekend”.
lCLARE ARE MAGIC: John Joe Costelloe at his home in Kildysart
Photo by John Mangan
(left) Alannah Considine, Cliodhna O’Brien, Caoilinn Considine, Tiarnan Leydon and Croiadh Leyden step it out and (above) Sheamie Garrihy was among the last musicians standing following the Willie Clancy summer school
Photos by John Mangan
Almost 450 solar installations in Clare during first half of 2024
New SEAI figures show that the reduction in the solar PV grant at the start of this year has not resulted in fewer installations, writes Elaine Tubridy.
Co. Clare saw 445 new grant assisted solar installations in the first six months of 2024, with almost no change in installations in Q2 (221) compared to Q1 (224) in the county.
The first half of this year saw 13,498 PV systems installed across Ireland with grant support, according to new statistics published by the SEAI.
Some 7,493 solar installations were completed in Q2 with grant aid from the SEAI, an increase of around 1,500 installations compared to the first quarter.
This means that Ireland is averaging around 83 SEAI grant approved installations per day, despite the SEAI grant being cut by €300 on January 1st.
This is particularly encouraging given there was a surge in applications in December 2023 ahead of the grant reduction in January.
In the first half of this year, 3,014 solar
PV installations were in Co. Dublin, and the county recorded a significant 23.7% increase in installations in Q2, reaching a total of 1,667.
So far in 2024, Cork has seen 1,446 solar installations, followed by Galway with 935, and Meath with 818.
The next highest numbers of installations were in Kildare (722), Wexford (555), Wicklow (549), and Limerick (528).
In the first half of 2024, the SEAI provided €54,737,280 for home upgrades through Individual Energy Upgrade Grants.
In County Clare, there were 614 property upgrades, amounting to €1.57 million.
These grants cover solar PV and solar thermal panels, heat pumps, insulation, and heating controls.
There were over 21,500 recipients of Individual Energy Upgrade Grants in Ireland, of which 13,498 were for solar PV panels.
Grants were paid to 1,769 households for heat pumps, 5,326 for attic insulation and 1,003 for external wall insulation.
Commenting on the solar PV figures for the first half of 2024, Managing Director of EnergyEfficiency.ie James Dorrian said the
situation is promising.
“There were concerns that the grant reduction would have an effect on solar installation figures – however these figures show that demand remains strong as homeowners look to slash their electricity bills,” he said.
“Before Christmas, some government TDs were critical of the “perplexing” move to reduce the maximum grant to €2,100.”
“Of course, it’s impossible to know the true impact of the grant reduction, but the figures are promising.”
“Unlike the stagnation in electric vehicle sales, solar is going from strength to strength, which is fantastic to see – and long may it continue!”
Mr Dorrian said that while the Q2 figures are positive, he would be concerned about the effect of further reductions.
“The Government plans to cut the grant by €300 each year until it’s gone. But we’d advise caution – as this incentive has clearly worked to date.”
“And our own research shows that even more could be done to publicize the grants as many people are still unaware they even exist.”
Shannon rail link must be top priority
NEWLY ELECTED Deputy Leader of the Greens, Senator Roisin Garvey (GP) has said the creation of a rail link to Shannon Airport must be a top priority.
Approval for the all-island strategic rail review was reached at a meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday ahead of the summer recess. The review, which was undertaken by the Irish Government in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive, sets out a €30 billion rail investment strategy for the next twenty years.
Included in the review is a proposal to build a railway connection between Limerick City and Shannon Airport.
Senator Garvey stressed the importance of following through on this proposal.
“This particular part of the Rail Review is of vital importance to our efforts to ensure
that there is a real balance in our Rural Development and a commitment to the Midwest and its people. I will continue to push Minister Ryan to keep regional balance foremost in his efforts to push this important work on our rail infrastructure forward”.
Commitments to improve other rail services included having at least one train every two hours between Galway to Limerick, Limerick to Cork, Limerick to Ballybrophy, Dublin to Sligo and Dublint o Mayo were welcomed by the Inagh woman. Services between Cork and Galway via Limerick with modifications to track and platforms at Limerick Junction are also planned.
The All-Island Strategic Rail Review (AISRR) was jointly commissioned by the Department of Transport in Ireland and the Department
lIMPORTANT: Senator Garvey says the rail review is of vital importance to show commitment to the Midwest
for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland and was announced in April 2021 by Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD (GP) and Northern Ireland’s Minister for Infrastructure, Nicola Mallon MLA.
The Review considers how the Island’s railways are currently used, what role rail could play in future, and how the Island’s railway could better serve the people of the Island of Ireland. The vision of the review is to provide a “high quality, sustainable and integrated railway for passengers and goods across the Island of Ireland”.
Six high-level goals are set out in the review, to contribute to decarbonisation; to improve All Island connectivity between major cities; to enhance regional accessibility; to stimulate economic activity;, to encourage sustainable mobility; and to achieve
economic and financial feasibility. It also considers the interactions between proposed improvements and existing, or planned, commuter rail services. It does not consider rail within major cities, which is subject to separate and established strategic planning processes.
The Review covers the period to 2050 to align with both jurisdictions’ stated goals of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Review has developed recommendations and a roadmap for achieving the Goals and Objectives of the Study. The Roadmap presents a timeline for the possible future development and delivery of key interventions in the short term: from today to c. 2030; in the medium term: 2030 –2040; and in the long term: 2040 – 2050.
‘You can be a world leader here in Ennis’
The Clare Echo is delighted to partner with Vitalograph on a series of articles exploring the history and ethos of the trailblazing company which celebrates 50 years in Ennis this year, employing more than 300 people in Clare and 550 worldwide
by Stuart Holly editor@clareecho.ie
"IHAD two cousins who died from cystic fibrosis, there are people with COPD in my family, people with asthma in my family, and neighbours with asthma and COPD. So it's very easy to identify the types of patients we are working for.”
These are the words of Frank Keane, Chief Executive Officer of Vitalograph, in explaining the source of motivation for his dynamic team.
One of the company’s earliest triumphs was the invention of the first office spirometer to assess coalminers’ lungs. Today, Vitalograph is a global organisation at the cutting edge innovating new technologies and running clinical trials which help develop life-changing therapies for countless patients suffering with a range of respiratory diseases.
Established in 1963 in Buckingham, England by the Garbe family, Vitalograph made a serendipitous move to Ennis in 1974 when a handful of staff were employed at a building leased out by renowned motor dealer Ted Shields.
It would ultimately prove to be a fruitful relationship between Vitalograph and County Clare. Today, more than 300 staff are employed in Ennis at their 100,000 sq ft premises and 550 globally across their sites in Ennis, Limerick, Buckingham England, Hamburg Germany and Kansas City, USA.
The family-owned company is now marking 50 years of operating in Ennis and Mr Keane explains that Vitalograph’s patient-led approach has been a key driver of the company’s successful growth in Ireland.
“We recently received a very good video from a mother of three children with cystic fibrosis, and she called it ‘the
better so it’s much easier to diagnose asthma, much easier to catch COPD early. That’s the really nice thing about working in this business, every day you come to work you know you’re helping out patients at the end of the day.
Mr Keane, an electronic engineer by training, joined Vitalograph as R&D manager in 2004, becoming CEO of the global operation in 2018 following the retirement of Bernard Garbe.
Frank says a defining moment in the expansion of Vitalograph’s Ennis operation happened when the company “re-shored” their products from China.
generation of ownership. “In our market space we are the only 100 percent family-owned company. There is a real family air to the company which is quite unique to work in,” says Belfast-born Frank, whose parents both hailed from Loop Head.
He adds that the quality of life and level of innovation in Ennis makes it a perfect destination for Vitalograph.
sound of silence’. All of a sudden, their coughing stopped and it was because of drugs we worked on. We got that video through to employees which was very moving,” recounts Mr Keane. “It’s important for people to understand at the end of the day there’s a patient. We’re not a profit-driven company. We are profitable but that’s not our focus, that’s not the Garbe family’s focus. It’s very important for us that there’s patients at the end of everything we do.”
Vitalograph is the only company in the world conduct-
ing cough drug analysis trials, which are currently taking place at 5,000 sites across 48 countries.
Frank continues, “In the clinical drug trials, we are helping to develop the drugs which are changing people’s lives. The Vertex drug for cystic fibrosis is a complete game changer, we worked on one of those drugs and it’s fantastic to see that we contributed to that. Similarly the drugs we’re working on for COPD and asthma.
“On the device side, our devices are getting better and
“We discovered that we can build low-cost consumable products in Ireland for less than half the price we can land them from China. That’s been a huge revelation and that’s driven quite a bit of our growth in Ennis.
“You can be a world beating company here in Ennis, and getting that mindset into people that we are a world leader here in Ennis has been a big shift,” says Frank, adding that many of Vitalograph’s suppliers are based in Shannon and Ennis.
Vitalograph is still 100 percent family-owned by the Garbe family, now in its third
“There’s a real confidence about Ennis. We dealt with the council in acquiring our second building in the Gort Road Industrial Estate, they couldn’t have been more accommodating and that professionalism we can see in the town development. The works they’re doing in the town at the moment are superb.
“It’s got these independent shops, it’s a great place to socialise and eat out. Thankfully it hasn’t lost that small town feel although it’s more than a small town at this stage.”
“The sky is the limit for us in Ennis. Our impact here on a town of this size is probably the impact of an Intel on Dublin. We’re trying to get out there a bit more now to let people know we’re there, we’re committed to Ennis there’s no doubt about it, it’s been good to us and hopefully it’ll continue to be good to us.”
n LEADING THE WAY: Vitalograph CEO, Frank Keane and (above, right) team members work on a 3 Litre Precision Calibration Syringe, used for spirometer calibration verification
Photo by Paul Corey
Limerick and Clare ETB calls on Government to tackle inequalities
LIMERICK and Clare Education and Training Board (ETB) are calling on the Government to commit to tackling inequalities in the education sector by supporting the priorities laid out in the #SupportYourLocalETB campaign.
Representatives from Limerick and Clare ETB met with members of the Oireachtas at a briefing event in Buswells Hotel, Dublin, recently where they expressed their concerns.
Clare TDs and Senators in attendance included Deputy Cathal Crowe, Deputy Violet Anne Wynne, Senator Roisín Garvey and Senator Martin Conway.
The event marked the official launch of the #SupportYourLocalETB campaign and was organised by Education and Training Boards
Ireland (ETBI), the representative body of 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) nationwide.
The four priorities outlined in the #SupportYourLocalETB campaign that ETBI and its members are calling for government support on include: Increasing the number and profile of Community National Schools nationwide; increasing the Deputy Principal allocation in ETB post-primary schools with DEIS designation; increasing funding for Further Education and Training (FET) so that funds reflect the proportion of learners; restoring funding for youth work to pre-austerity levels and ensure pay parity for youth workers.
Launching the campaign at Buswells Hotel,
ETBI General Secretary Paddy Lavelle said:
“The 16 ETBs across Ireland provide education and training opportunities for over 450,000 people. We do this through running primary and post-primary schools, and providing Further Education and Training opportunities, including apprenticeships. We are also heavily involved in youth work.”
“Limerick and Clare ETB and all ETBs nationwide offer excellent, equality-based, inclusive educational opportunities to learners of all ages. We are proud to support Ireland’s diverse population of learners – and have a proven track record of doing so. We are delighted to launch our #SupportYourLocalETB campaign and our political
priorities for the coming year. We are calling on the Government to commit to supporting our work.
“TDs can also raise these issues at local and national levels of Government, and ensure these priorities are included in their party’s manifesto for the next General Election”, Mr Lavelle said.
Notice is hereby given that the audit of the accounts of the above-named local government organisation for the financial year ended on the 31st day of December, 2023 will be commenced by Jo-Anne Greene Local Government Auditor, on the 2nd day of August 2024. In accordance with article 17 of the Local Government (Financial and Audit Procedures) Regulations 2014, objections to any matter or matters contained in the said several accounts will be considered by the Local Government Auditor during the audit.
Written notice of any proposed objection, setting out the relevant particulars and grounds on which it is to be made, should be sent to the above Local Government Auditor at Auditors Room, Clare County Council, New Road, Ennis, County Clare within ten days of the commencement of the audit.
The annual financial statement will be available during office hours for the inspection of all persons for a period of seven days before the commencement of the audit.
Dated this 19th day of July 2024.
Pat Dowling, Chief Executive.
l EDUCATION: Violet Anne Wynne, TD; Cllr Michael ‘Moegie’ Maher, President of Education and Training Boards Ireland and Chairperson of Galway and Roscommon ETB with George O’ Callaghan, Chief Executive Limerick and Clare ETB
IN A world that often values quick fixes and instant gratification, it’s easy to overlook the importance of consistent habits.
However, as personal trainer Senada Greca (inset), who works with celebrities like Kim Kardashian, emphasizes, it’s the small, daily actions that ultimately lead to lasting change. I recently listened to an episode of the Jay Shetty podcast with Ms. Greca, who had some powerful words of wisdom for us, with regards to having good habits when it comes to being physically fit and healthy.
When it comes to evolving team culture, the same principle applies. As a culture consultant, I’ve witnessed firsthand how the most basic habits can be easily overlooked, especially during times of high stress or busy operations. However, these are precisely the moments when these touchpoints become even more crucial.
Clear objectives, regular one-on-one meetings to discuss performance, feedback, and coaching tailored to each team member’s needs, and holding value-add relevant meetings with the entire team at appropriate intervals are the foundations upon which strong teams are built. These habits may seem simple, but they are the building blocks of a thriving, cohesive culture.
THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTITYBASED BELIEFS
In his book “Atomic Habits,” James Clear introduces the concept of identity-based beliefs. For example, if you believe yourself
to be a strong, influential leader with a positive impact on those around you, you are more likely to develop and sustain habits that reflect this belief.
This principle holds true not only for leaders but for anyone seeking to make positive changes in their life. When we see ourselves as the type of person who takes care of their health, for example, we are more likely to engage in habits like regular exercise and healthy eating.
BUILDING HABITS DURING STRESSFUL TIMES
The true test of our habits often comes during times of stress. When life gets busy and overwhelming, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “I’m too busy for this,” and letting go of the positive habits we’ve worked hard to build.
However, as Senada Greca emphasizes, it’s during these challenging periods that our habits become even more important. If we’ve established a consistent practice of taking a daily walk for 20 minutes, for instance, we are less likely to abandon this habit when stress levels rise. Instead, we can rely on this routine to provide a sense of stability and self-care.
BARE MINIMUM NON-NEGOTIABLES
For leaders, both new and experienced, it’s crucial to establish “bare minimum nonnegotiables” – habits that they refuse to surrender to, even during the toughest of times. These could be as simple as taking
a few minutes each morning for a short team check, or as complex as maintaining focus on a set of clearly defined strategic objectives and leading others through periods of change as a result.
By prioritising these nonnegotiable habits, leaders set an example for their teams and demonstrate the importance of consistency. They also ensure that they role model building strong relationships as a means of achieving team and individual success.
THE POWER OF SMALL ACTIONS
As Senada Greca emphasizes, even doing something for just 5 minutes per day can begin to build a habit. This principle applies to both personal and professional life. By taking small, consistent actions towards our goals, we gradually build momentum and create lasting change. Surely, we can convince ourselves to do something for 5 minutes per day?
For leaders, this might mean dedicating just a few minutes each day to providing feedback or recognition to team members. Over time, this habit
can have a profound impact on team morale, engagement, and performance. In conclusion, the power of consistent habits cannot be overstated. Whether you are a leader looking to build a strong team culture or an individual seeking to make positive changes in your life, embracing small, daily actions is the key to success. By establishing identitybased beliefs, prioritising non-negotiable habits, and focusing on the power of small actions, we can create the change we seek and build the strength we need to thrive in even the most challenging circumstances. From my experience, the power of basic performance management principles should not be underestimated. What can you do today, to improve your own performance or that of your teams?
For more information on how to set and achieve goals, contact me directly at denise@ obrienlearningsolutions.ie
Clare County Council is currently inviting applications from suitably qualified persons for the below competitions. Clare County Council will, following the interview process, form panels for the areas set out below from which future relevant vacancies may be filled subject to sanction approval from the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage. Please complete online application form available on www.clarecoco.ie under Careers Section. Only applications completed online will be accepted.
• School Warden –Shannon, Ennis & Ennistymon
Closing date: 12 Noon Thursday 1st August 2024
• Recycling Assistant –Scariff Recycling Centre
Closing date: 12 Noon Friday 23rd August 2024
• Internal Auditor (Administrative Officer Level)
Closing date: 12 Noon Thursday 29th August 2024
• Traveller Liaison Officer
Closing date: 12 Noon Thursday 29th August 2024
Clare County Council is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sectors of the Community.
Scriobh chugainn as gaeilge más fearr leat.
Ei announce sponsorship deal with promising golfer Áine Donegan
ENNIS golfer Áine Donegan has signed a partnership deal with Shannon based Ei Electronics, writes Páraic McMahon.
Having qualified for back to back US Women’s Open in 2023 and 2024, Áine is regarded as one of the most promising female golfers in the country.
A member of both Lahinch and Woodstock Golf Clubs, Áine competed in the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Dromoland Castle in 2023. She is currently on a scholarship to Louisiana State University.
She has been playing golf since the age of nine and first represented Ireland aged 14, from that time she has been coached by Garry Madden. She has played at Louisiana State University for the last two years and in June 2023 was part of the Great Britain and Ireland Vagliano Team. She is currently eyeing 2024 Curtis Cup qualification and participation in the 2024 Women’s Irish Open.
At an event held in Shannon Golf Club on Tuesday, Áine met with Founder of Ei Electronics, Mick Guinee to announce the new sponsorship deal. “I’m very pleased that Ei has come on board to support me, and I’m delighted to represent a leading Company from Clare. Their
generous support will make a great difference to me as an amateur golfer competing on a world stage,” she said.
Guinee who serves as Chairman and CEO of Ei stated, “We are delighted to support Áine on her continued successful development path. A passionate golfer she showed great commitment and promise from an early age. In line with Ei’s CSR strategy, we are pleased to support women in sport generally, and Áine being a Clare native makes our involvement all the more significant”.
While she was in Shannon, Áine presented prizes to the winners of the Shannon Chamber Golf Classic. “When our members signed up to play in the Classic on 20 June, little did they, or indeed we, know that Áine would be presenting the winners with their prizes. It was such a bonus, and we are now hoping for an added bonus when the winning team go to the K Club on 17 October to represent Shannon Chamber in the All-Ireland Chamber Champions golf competition”.
l SUPPORT: Mick Guinee, Founder Chairman and CEO of Ei Electronics with Aine Donegan
Clare business featured in 2024 Irish Times Best Places to Work awards
ENNIS based company Keldin Engineering have been named as one of the best places to work in Ireland, writes Elaine Tubridy. The firm featured in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list for 2024.
Launched to recognise and celebrate the very best places to work in Ireland, the survey highlights 35 employers across the country, that recruit and retain top talent along with industry-leading best practices in areas such as engagement, wellbeing and job satisfaction.
The survey uses 26 questions from WorkL’s employee engagement survey, developed by behavioural scientists, data analysts, psychologists, business leaders, academics and other independent parties to most accurately monitor employee engagement, wellbeing and discretionary effort in the workplace. To be success-
fully accredited as a Sunday Times Best Place to Work, organisations must achieve a minimum 70% overall engagement score across WorkL’s six-set framework.
The survey also revealed that of those companies that entered, there is no one area where Ireland scores lower than the UK across all demographics. Further data showed that Gen Z workers, who are the least happy age group in the UK, are the second happiest in Ireland.
The Sunday Times Best Places to Work initiative aims to highlight businesses where individuals feel they have more control over their work life balance, wellbeing and environment and, as a result of this, take more responsibility for the success of their employer.
Entries are now open for The Sunday Times Best Places to Work Awards for 2025. Companies can enter through the WorkL for
business platform where organisations can set up and distribute a survey designed by employee experience experts. The survey includes key questions which will give an insight into the organisation and employee sentiment. Apply at stbestplacestowork.ie
Brian Carey, Business Editor of The Sunday Times, says: “Over recent years the country has enjoyed near full employment, creating a competitive market for recruiters and an environment where talent retention is at a premium. A happy workforce creates a stable workplace. The Sunday Times is proud to bring the Best Places to Work survey awards to Ireland, to sponsor an initiative that drives and recognises good practice, helps organisations develop their culture and identity and promotes employee welfare and ultimately economic success.”
Clare Business Excellence Awards to shine a light on leading businesses
CATEGORIES & SPONSORS
BEST HOSPITALITY IN CLARE - Sponsored by the Shannon Airport Group
l BEST PLACE TO EAT (2 x sub-categories; Best Restaurant and Best Bistro/Café) - Sponsored by AIB
l BEST USE OF DIGITAL MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA - Sponsored by The Clare Echo
l CLARE RETAILER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Clean Ireland Recycling
l CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE - Sponsored by McKeogh Gallagher Ryan Accountants
l BEST MANUFACTURER IN CLARE (Employing over 100 people) - Sponsored by Ei Electronics
l BEST VOLUNTARY/COMMUNITY GROUP IN CLARE - Sponsored by Vitalograph
l ‘CLARE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2024’ (Overall Winner) - Sponsored by lead sponsor - Clare County Council
EXCELLENCE Awards has 13 business categories and a special category for best voluntary/ community group. Submissions are judged by professional independent adjudicators.
On Thursday, the Old Ground Hotel was the venue for the launch of the Clare Business Excellence Awards hosted by Ennis Chamber with Clare County Council as the main sponsor of the awards. Sponsors, previous winners and prospective entrants were present for the launch.
The Clare Echo is among the sponsors along with the County Council, Rengen Power, Cup Print, Essilor, Ennis Chamber, TUS, Shannon Airport Group, AIB, Clean Ireland Recycling, the Local Enterprise Office, McKeogh Gallagher Ryan Accountants, Ei Electronics and Vitalograph.
President of Ennis Chamber, Sheila Lynch said, “These annual awards are only possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors. We thank Clare County Council as our overall sponsor, while we also acknowledge each of our category sponsors. With 13 business categories and a special category for ‘Best Voluntary/ Community Group’, there is a category to suit all business types and every sector. I encourage businesses to enter and wish all entrants the very best of luck”.
She continued, “There is an onus on us to keep the awards fresh and relevant, and we do this by introducing new categories. Last year we introduced ‘Health & Wellness in the Workplace’, sponsored by Essilor and this year we introduce ‘Best Manufacturer in Clare’, sponsored by Ei Electronics. It’s great to see Ei Electronics become a category sponsor because they have walked the walk with great success, having won three different categories across three years, including ‘Business Supporting Community’, ‘Best Green & Sustainable Practices’ and ’Health & Wellness in the Workplace.”
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) commented, “It is fitting that Clare County Council has once again adopted a leadership role as main sponsor of these prestigious awards. Each year these awards shine a light on businesses that are leaders within their own sectors, offer-
ing entrants the opportunity to benchmark their achievements against those of their peers. It is important for businesses to avail of the opportunity to celebrate their own success by entering these awards and in doing so to know that their submissions will be adjudicated by professional, independent adjudicators”.
Cllr. O’Callaghan added, “In sponsoring these awards, Clare County Council acknowledges and celebrates the contribution businesses make to the local economy across County Clare, providing employment and supporting our local communities”. Submissions can be made online on the homepage of Ennis Chamber website at www.ennischamber.ie The application forms are straightforward to ensure the awards are accessible to all. “While we appreciate everyone is busy, and time is precious, we hope businesses will see the merits of making time to enter this year’s Clare Business Excellence Awards,” CEO of Ennis Chamber, Margaret O’Brien explained.
Ennis Chamber has contracted SpotCheck, Northern Ireland, a business with an excellent reputation for thoroughness and fairness when it comes to adjudication. SpotCheck will adjudicate and will also directly issue a short benchmark report with constructive feedback, to all entrants.
Independent adjudicators, Spotcheck NI, will complete mystery visits and reviews for categories involving retail, hospitality, tourism and customer service. For categories depending on written submissions an independent expert panel has been established to adjudicate. August 9th is the closing date for mystery visit catagories (hospitality, retail, customer service excellence, tourism, best place to eat) while September 12th is the closing date for written submission categories. Finalists will be announced in October with a gala awards ceremony to take place on November 14th at the Inn at Dromoland.
Businesses large and small from all corners of Clare are invited to enter Clare Business Excellence Awards. Application forms online: https://www. ennischamber.ie/services/business-awards
a Xeinadin company
Best wishes to the Clare Team and management for the All Ireland Final
l LAUNCH: (above) Cllr Patrick O’Gorman, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy, Cllr Alan O’Callaghan, Sheila Lynch, Noeleen Fitzgerald, Cllr Rita McInerney, Padraic McElwee Margaret O’Brien Photo by Eamon Ward; (below) Cllr Mary Howard & Allen Flynn Photo by Eamon Ward; (left) Denise O’Brien, Rosie McMahon, Elaine Ryan and Denise Quinn
Improved pack helps raise the Banner - Lohan
by Eoin Brennan news@clareecho.ie
For the first time in his five year reign in charge of the Clare senior hurlers, Brian Lohan has a full hand to choose from, a fittingly opportune factor ahead of his biggest game as he leads out the Banner in Croke Park in Sunday’s All-Ireland decider against Cork (3.30pm).
Having won two of three All-Ireland finals (1995, 1997, 2002) he contested as a player, the four-time All-Star knows more than most about both the exhilaration and pitfalls attached to competing in such a prestigious and unprecedented occasion and feels that the build-up has to be embraced.
“There’s great excitement in it. You have to try and enjoy the excitement that’s there and embrace it while at the same time keeping in mind that this is a real competitive game and it’s a game that everyone wants to play in but no-one wants to be in a losing team in an All-Ireland Final. It’s worse than losing a semi-final or a quarter-final, it’s a bad place to be so while you’re conscious of enjoying it, you do want to stay concentrated and be tuned in to get the best out of yourself and show the best of your abilities on that big day”.
Having finally gotten over the line against Kilkenny at the third semi-final attempt a fortnight ago, it marked the first time that Clare had won a championship tie in Croke Park since their last All-Ireland Final appearance and famous replay triumph in 2013, making that breakthrough a necessity for this group to maintain their upward curve.
“It was a huge game, particularly after the last two years of not doing what we hoped that we would be doing what we wanted to achieve so losing those two games, completely different games as it turned out, put us under pressure to make up for
that and get the result by whatever means possible to get to the final.
“We didn’t play well in the first half but crucially we had to think on our feet so it was kind of a test of character as well to come back from being six points down so as it turned out it was a good way to win and we feel we can get better and obviously we have to get better as well”.
That required improvement initially stemmed from a successful National League campaign in which Lohan used 35 different players and managed to flesh out his championship options by providing invaluable big game experience to the likes of Conor Leen, Cian Galvin and Darragh Lohan.
“It’s a big deal playing inter-county hurling now and when you are coming up against any of the top teams, the way the competitions are tiered, there are big differences between the Munster League and National League and again from that to the championship.
“So we try to build a panel accordingly too. In the Munster League we try to give an opportunity to players who had done well in the club championship by giving them a Clare jersey and seeing how they perform. Some of them perform really well and are able to progress to a National League team and then hopefully a championship team.
“We’ve seen one or two examples of that this year and we’re delighted with that. After all we had a couple of high-profile injuries this year and did use the league to get more players on the field up against good quality opposition and good players. We didn’t have Ryan [Taylor], we didn’t have Tony [Kelly], we didn’t have Shane [O’Donnell] and David [McInerney], a lot of key guys so it was left to younger players who were only learning and only developing to get experience. And they did really well and we
went onto win the league so we’ve progressed since then and happy with that”.
However, the return of the aforementioned quartet, most recently Ryan Taylor’s inspirational reintroduction last time out a full year after suffering a cruciate ligament injury at the same stage and up against the same opponent has given the squad that extra push to break new ground.
“Ryan’s comeback has been long but we had to be patient to make sure he was fully right. He got the all clear from the surgeon but often with players that are coming back from long term injuries they would
be nervous going back into full contact but he wasn’t and went straight back into it. He played a couple of in-house matches at midfield and he was really excellent.
“For the Wexford game, he wasn’t on the panel, the physio felt that it was just a bit too early and that the cut and thrust of an All-Ireland quarter-final wasn’t a place for him and his development at that time.
“However, he had a further two weeks after that and kept progressing so got the opportunity against Kilkenny and really played well so he’s a great addition at the right time.”
With both All-Ireland Semi-Fi-
nals going against the odds, an expected third successive showdown between Limerick and Kilkenny makes way for a refreshing All-Munster pairing of Clare and Cork.
“The best teams make it to the All-Ireland final,” outlined the Shannon native.
“We can have complaints going back looking at last year or the year before but at the end of the day the two best teams play in the All-Ireland final. It’s Cork now and they’re there on merit. They’ve beaten Limerick twice and I was in the stand watching the last day and it was just a brilliant experience and a brilliant game. The desire they had, the pace that they had, the spirit that they had. The levels of skill. Just the relentless running, the relentless attacking. It was just a real advertisement for hurling and everything that is good in Cork hurling”. So will Clare’s previous victory over the Rebels in Páirc Uí Chaoimh three months ago have any bearing on Sunday’s rematch? “I thought that was a good game too, a really good game. We played really well and it was probably our best performance of the year so far, even though we went seven down just after half-time. So we had to be really good to win and being honest I don’t think we gotten to that level since then”.
Cork have clearly refined their playing style and team line-up since then but so have the Banner who have grown stronger in personnel and squad depth with every passing game. “I suppose that’s just the way it has unfolded and crucial as well that we have gotten games into some of those key players that really need that valuable gametime. We’re happy with where we’re at and obviously we know what’s in front of us as well this Sunday and also the levels that we have to get to”.
l Clare manager Brian Lohan
Photo by Gerard O’Neill
Captain Kelly: Final will only
by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie
FOR ALMOST twelve months up to late May of this year, the question on all hurling followers lips wasn’t could Clare win the Munster or All-Ireland title but rather will Tony Kelly make a full recovery from the injury which saw him miss Clare’s league campaign.
The Ballyea man has been inspirational for both club and county throughout the past decade and the possibility of seeing those teams play without him was something that hurling followers everywhere didn’t want to consider Speaking this week ahead of leading Clare out in Croke Park on Sunday the team captain recounted, “The most frustrating part was waiting to have the surgery done.
“First there was a fracture to my foot and I was on crutches and a boot for a few months because of that. It was still causing me problems and we went back and there was something else.
“I had surgery on December 15, under Stephen Kearns in the Bons in Galway, and I was lucky to get in before Christmas. Once the surgery was done there was a date to work towards for getting back.
“Five months from then was
the return date and you are looking to see if you can get back in three or four. I kind of wrote off the league. The four months leading up to December was the hardest part”.
Hurler of the Year following Clare’s last All-Ireland success in 2013, he didn’t think it would take eleven years to get back to the biggest day in the inter-county hurling calendar.
“When you are young you probably think this is going to be happening every second year. As you get older you get an appreciation of how hard it is and that is probably the biggest thing I have learned since 2013”.
Kelly recalled, “Back then it was everything rolling into one, we came through minor with a good minor team, then won two under 21s in 2012 and 2013 and then a senior with eleven or twelve on it from the under 21 team”.
Hurling has changed in the intervening eleven years, the Clare captain maintained.
“Back then it was probably a lot simpler in terms of training, management and S&C is huge now, it’s gone to another level. Back then it was up and down the field, now it’s all about looking after the ball and if you are not doing that you will probably find yourselves six or seven points
down in as many minutes. The game has definitely changed. We have seven from the 2013 panel, you can draw on that experience in the lead up to the final”.
He continued, “Hurling is so so different now, it’s all about possession now, it’s completely different.
“Limerick were the first to bring in really looking after the ball and if you aren’t good at it, there is no chance of competing or winning. Hurling now is about efficiency and how you use the ball, decision making on the ball and use of the ball and turning that into a score, the rate that the scores are coming at.
“If you have a wide you are probably looking at a score at the other end, that’s how quickly the scores are coming. There are a lot of differences in the game from eleven years ago”.
When Cork defeated Limerick in the second All-Ireland SHC, twenty four hours after Clare overcame Kilkenny, Tony watched it in the company of his teammate David Fitzgerald.
“We were watching the game within the game, not the score but to the build-up to the score, having an eye on who was on the far side, are they going man for man, what
l Eibher Quilligan and Tony Kelly marching ahead of the All-Ireland semi-final win over Kilkenny
Photo by Gerard O’Neill
mean something if we win
are they doing with puckouts. The game was excellent, an excellent standard and better than their round robin game, it came down to the efficiency.
“In the second half when Cork got their chance they took it, as evidenced by Declan Dalton’s two points, they nailed everything. We are used to them, they are used to us, we will be trying to get to a level of consistency for a full seventy minutes”.
Qualifying for the final will only have any significance if Clare are to claim the Liam McCarthy, Tony maintained. “It will only mean something if you win. I have never been on the losing side in Croke Park in a final, we have lost three semi-finals there and you don’t want to have that feeling for the five month period until the new season begins”.
Consistency has been one of the biggest achievements of Brian Lohan’s five year tenure, the fourtime All Star said, “The biggest thing Brian (Lohan) has brought is a level of consistency in being a challenge in Munster.
“He has that thing over the players, the minute he walks in he has your attention in terms of who he was for Clare. He has been there and done it and he is one of your own and one you look up to. He just sets the standard in terms of what he expects, not that previous managements didn’t. He came in at a great age for myself. Experience
comes from playing games which really is the only way you will gain experience while as you get older, the biggest thing is patience, don’t force things, don’t run around like a headless chicken and end up on no ball”.
“ You feed off the lads on the panel, especially the lads that don’t get on. They are the lads that are bursting their gut at training
Looking back on Clare’s two point semi-final win over Kilkenny, Tony said, “We weren’t at the pitch of it in the middle eight in the first half, we weren’t using the ball well around the middle eight. We were wasteful, pucking ball in aimlessly to our forwards. In the second half we did better in getting SOD [Shane O’Donnell], Peter [Duggan], Fitzy [David Fitzgerald] on ball and it allowed myself and Ryan Taylor to get on the ball. That was the big thing we said at half time. We were going to use the ball better and work ourselves into the game”.
He explained, “From a players perspective you are playing
because you want to play at the highest level and play for Clare, you are either good enough or not, the challenge is to get better and get back the next day, the team has that attitude.
“We played brilliant Munster finals and lost, we were really poor at the weekend in the first half and we came back. You feed off the lads on the panel, especially the lads that don’t get on. They are the lads that are bursting their gut at training, doing the extra bit, they come back and bring up the levels. Brian has brought in some excellent lads in the dressing room.
“We put on a burst and got back to two or three and then conceded a goal. When a big score goes in you need to respond from the puckout and we managed that. When you get your purple patch you have to make it count on the scoreboard. Last week we really made it count and we kept them from scoring”.
With a long list of accolades to his name, Tony is determined to add a second All-Ireland SHC medal to the catalogue of feats.
“When you are young you want to make the Clare team. We were brought up on the team of the 1990s. Once you get in its starts to ramp up, it’s all about trying to win.
“We have been fortunate with the club, we dovetailed five or six inter county hurlers mixed in with five or six inter county footballers, we have been very lucky in that regard with experience. We are trying to add another one to the list now”.
The very best of luck to the Clare team this weekend! COME ON THE BANNER!
l Tony Kelly revealed that when manager Brian Lohan (pictured) walks into the room he has the players’ attention
Photo by Gerard O’Neill
ADAM HOGAN AIDAN McCARTHY ARON SHANAGHER CATHAL MALONE
CIAN BRODERICK CIAN GALVIN COLM O’MEARA
CONN SMYTH CONOR CLEARY
CONOR LEEN
DARRAGH LOHAN DAVID CONROY DAVID FITZGERALD DAVID McINERNEY
DAVID REIDY DIARMUID RYAN DYLAN McMAHON EAMONN FOUDY EIBHER QUILLIGAN GEAROID SHEEDY IAN GALVIN
JACK KIRWIN JACK O’NEILL JOHN CONLON JOHN CONNEALLY KEITH SMYTH KILLIAN O’CONNOR
PADDY DONNELLAN PARAIC O’LOUGHLIN PATRICK CROTTY
RORY HAYES
MARK RODGERS
PAUL FLANAGAN PETER DUGGAN
ROBIN MOUNSEY
Best wishes to the Clare team from everyone at The Clare Echo
ROSS HAYES RYAN TAYLOR
SEADNA MOREY
SEAN RYNNE
SHANE MEEHAN
SHANE O’DONNELL TONY KELLY
l The Clare Senior hurling management team (l-r) Ken Ralph, Shane Hassett, Brian Lohan. Tommy Corbett and Brendan Bugler
All photos by Gerard O’Neill
Pre match banter hitting a high note among Clare & Cork members of the Shandrum Céilí Band
by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie
TRADITIONAL music has always been intertwined with GAA in Clare.
When he accepted the Liam McCarthy after Clare were crowned All-Ireland SHC champions in 1995, Anthony Daly famously said, “in Clare we love our hurling but we love our traditionl music as well”.
There are many links that exist between the GAA and the traditional music scene, not least the make-up of The Shandrum Céilí Band, based in Cork but which has some Clare musicians in their midst.
Understandably the banter in that group is great this week. Corofin brothers Brian and Keith O’Loughlin are members of the band joining forces with eight Cork musicians
Indeed it was at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann held in Ennis in 2017 when the Shandrum won the senior céilí band competition for the third year running. They have been very much in demand not just in the Mid-West but across the country over the last decade. Brian and Keith, both of whom have played
l Mike O'Gorman (Boherbue, Cork), Alan Finn (Buttevant, Cork), Timmy Collins (Kiskeam, Cork), Keith O'Loughlin (Corofin, Clare), Mairead Fitzgibbon (Buttevant, Cork), Brian O'Loughlin (Corofin, Clare), Eileen O'Callaghan (Mallow, Cork), Edward Kiely (Boherbue Cork), Tadhg O'Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork), Ger Naughton (Newtownshandrum, Cork)
hurling and football with their club Corofin, are huge Clare hurling followers.
“With the exception of the Wexford game, we have been at all of the Clare games this season”, explained Brian. He along with the band members spent last week teaching at the various workshops for the Willie Clancy summer school in Miltown Malbay.
On Saturday night the band played to a packed attendance at the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point. “Of course the craic and the banter is mighty this week as the build-up to Sunday’s final continues. Three or four of the Cork members in the band are keen followers of Cork so Keith and myself have to stand up for Clare. We have to remind them that while Clare is the home of music we are also a strong hurling county and we had the pleasure of welcoming them last week when they were with us at the Willie Clancy festival in Miltown”.
Whatever the outcome of Sunday’s game, the Shandrum ceili band is set to continue its busy schedule over the coming months.
McMahon will always fly Clare flag
by Seamus Hayes
MILTOWN Malbay native Johnnie McMahon is really enjoying the build-up to Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling final.
Resident on Cork for over fifty years, he was back in his native Miltown last week for the annual Willie Clancy summer school of music. He was accompanied by many of his Cork friends and neighbours and “the banter and the craic was mighty”, he pointed out.
An avid sportsman, he has a particular love for gaelic games, attending games weekly.
A championship winner with his beloved St Joseph’s Miltown, he played for the Clare senior footballers for over a dozen years and was an outstanding team captain in 1976. “We were beaten by Armagh in the Division 3 final that year after a replay which I missed due to an injury I suffered in the drawn final. The late Bert McMahon also missed that replay due to injury while John McGrath was injured in the game. We had a very good team at that time”, he recalled.
McMahon went to college in UCC in 1971 and “I decided I wanted to spend my life in Cork, I enjoyed it so much. It’s a great sporting
county,” he admitted.
He recalled playing “against the Gaels (Shannon Gaels) and it was one of the best games I ever played. I spent the week waiting for the Champion for the report which covered about two inches by one and a half inches. There was very little sports reporting then. I went back to Cork and got the Echo and there was a report of a junior B game in West Cork which ran the length of the page”, he quipped.
In 1983 John set up his own business, BCD Masko in Charleville. That business which he sold some years ago, celebrated its 40th anniversary last year and currently employees in the region of 400 workers.
John is currently the managing director of Platek in Charleville. He transferred from his native Miltown to Charleville GAA, a predominantly hurling club, for two seasons but he returned to his beloved Miltown for his final years as a player.
He told The Clare Echo, “Look, the successes achieved by Clare in the 90’s were marvellous. Being a football man, the ‘92 Munster final win was magnificent but we celebrated the 1995 and 1997 hurling wins as well. They brought great pride to the people of Clare, es-
in Cork
pecially for those of us living in Cork where they always had a respect for Clare hurling. Look Cork is a great sporting county, Cork people love their sport and they are very balanced about sport”.
Charleville is on the Cork Limerick border and the semi-final between those counties brought plenty of excitement. “Not many predicted a Clare v Cork final as a lot didn’t see Limerick being beaten. The banter down here is mighty, in Clem Smith’s (former Limerick player) pub and in Pakie O’Brien’s, a great Cork hostelry. we have a lot of Clare people living here including Syl Barrett from Ballyea and it will be a great week leading up to the final. The thing now for us is for Clare to win. We love beating them. Having played with them and against them, it’s great to get into the psyche of Cork people and their love of hurling. You really can’t appreciate that unless you live amongst them”, he said.
No doubt John and his fellow Clare natives will delve more into the psyche of their Cork neighbours this week in the lead up to Sunday’s eagerly awaited final.
Big screens in Fair Green & Shannon for All-Ireland final
by Páraic McMahon news@clareecho.ie
CLARE supporters unable to make the trip to Croke Park for the All-Ireland SHC final will be able to watch the game on a big screen that is to be erected on the Fair Green in Ennis (pictured) and outside Shannon Town Centre.
Croke Park’s capacity of 82,300 will be met for the 2024 All-Ireland SHC final which pits Clare against Cork in a repeat of the 2013 decider.
Those unlucky in their quest to get tickets for the game or persons unable to make the trip to Jones’ Rd but keen to sample a big-match atmosphere will be able to avail of the big screen experience in Ennis and Shannon for the final.
Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling has confirmed that Active Ennis Tim Smythe Park (Fair Green) will have a big screen in situ to broadcast the game. “It is a great event for us all to look forward to, I’m always very conscious that Croke Park only has the capacity for over 80,000 people and we’ve all enjoyed it many times
and not everybody can get there and it is getting more difficult so Clare County Council have and are continuing to make preparations to have a large screen on the Fair Green on the day of the game for the build-up for it and the game itself obviously.
“We will have other activities on the park on the day so I invite all families with their children, friends, relations, neighbours who can’t make it to Croke Park on the day to come along to the Fair Green and enjoy the atmosphere and festivities and hopefully be roaring Up the Banner when the match is over,” Dowling added.
In June 2023, the County Council had a
big screen at the same location to show the Munster SHC final when Clare lost out to Limerick in an epic contest. Hopes are high that supporters in saffron and blue will be cheering come the final whistle on Sunday evening.
Activities kick off at the Fair Green from 1pm for the free, non-ticket, alcohol-free event. Additional parking will be available at Áras Contae an Chláir from 11.00am until 7.00pm. There will be no road closures for the event and the normal Sunday parking arrangements will be in place around Ennis. Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) predicted, “This will be a great event for all Clare supporters as our hurlers endeavour to secure their first All-Ireland title in 11 years. Clare County Council is delighted to facilitate the screening and bring people together to celebrate the occasion in our county town”. Meanwhile in Shannon, all the action will be broadcast from the courtyard outside Shannon Town Centre. On-site food vendors, ice cream trucks and half-time entertainment will be located in the town where Clare manager Brian Lohan hails from.
Past pupils: Ross Hayes, Seadna Morey, Eibhear Quilligan, John Conneally, Conor Cleary, Robin Mounsey, Killian O'Connor, John Conlon, David Fitzgerald, Cathal Malone, David Conroy, Peter Duggan, Ryan Taylor, Cian Broderick, Tony Kelly, Shane O'Donnell, David Reidy, Paul Flanagan, Cian Galvin & Tommy Corbett
PICTURED: Johnnie McMahon with his grandson Photo by John Mangan
Cleary: Mature Clare know what it
by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie
BOTH Clare and Cork have “come on a long way” since their meeting in the Munster championship earlier this year.
That’s the view of Clare full back Conor Cleary who was speaking ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final clash of the sides at Croke Park.
Having overcome Cork already in this year’s championship will have little bearing on the All-Ireland final, he outlined. “We are under no illusions, they had a man sent off when we met and we got a foothold after that. If they had 15 it might have been different. That game seems an awful long time ago now and both Clare and Cork have come on a lot since then”.
A native of Miltown Malbay, Conor plays his club hurling with Kilmaley and came to the fore with the county when lining out for the minors at centre back.
While Clare have suffered disappointing days when pushing some of the top teams closely during Brian Lohan’s five seasons as senior manager, there has always been a firm belief that Clare were moving in the right direction, Cleary explained. “We had some
very poor losses but Brian’s (Lohan) big thing was to get better at every session. With regard to the Munster final losses, we weren’t out of the competition. That’s what he has been driving at, always improving your own game, be it S&C , hurling, fitness, it’s all about getting better. We never saw those games as a final destination, we knew there was another chance. We always believed we could get better”.
Learnings from the Munster final have been put into practice in their two subsequent outings, most recently the semi-final win over Kilkenny, he said. “We were under no illusions. In 2022 we got beaten by a better team while a year later we still didn’t get over the line but we were better. If we had dwelt on those games, it might have been a different story. We had a huge amount to learn from this year’s Munster final and I think we brought that into the last two games”.
“It’s about the next game all the time, everything comes so quick. We lost to Limerick on a Sunday and we were playing Cork the following week. If that game (the loss) is not out of your head by Tuesday, you’re in trouble with another top quality side waiting on the Sunday”, the full-back added.
Reflecting on Clare’s win over Kilkenny, the Rice College secondary school teacher found it difficult to pinpoint what caused a poor opening half display from Clare. “It’s very hard to put your fingers on it when you are on the field yourself. In fairness to the lads, with analysis and things, it was clear to see our use of the ball wasn’t good in the first half. With the six forwards and two midfielders we have the quality of the ball we were getting to them wasn’t good and there is no better team than Kilkenny who will eat it up and send it back out the field.. Our use of the ball was poor and was costing us”.
He was quick to acknowledge the contribution of the man behind him, Clare goalkeeper EIbhear Quilligan for keeping them in the contest with four first half saves against the Cats. “We have to be very grateful to Eibhear Quilligsn who pulled of a few very good saves to keep us in the game. We knew at half time we had a chance, the game wasn’t gone from us. Stats were telling us we had to use the ball a bit better. The introduction of Ian Galvin and Ryan Taylor brought it to a new level and pushed us over the line”.
A member of the senior panel since 2014, Conor said, “There is a maturity in the squad,
takes to prevail in All-Ireland final
a lot of the players are there nine or ten years. It was nice to get on the right side of a result like that. Saturday’s win wasn’t perfect but we managed to get over the line. Sunday’s game was a level up on ours”, he said confirming that he watched Cork’s win over Limerick “at home with my girlfriend. It was nice to be able to watch that game having qualified the previous day. We know how good Limerick are and for Cork to beat them twice in the one year, shows how good they are too”.
Limerick’s record was praised by the Miltown Malbay man, “A lot of us are friends with Limerick player having bceen in college with them, You could have nothing but admiration for what they have achieved over the last four or five years, to win 4 All-Irelands on the trot, we had some great battles with them. They are a great team and we have nothing but respect for them”.
That Cork overcame such a strong Limerick team not once but twice this year shows their credentials, the defender flagged. “We are coming up against a Cork team that have beaten the best team of the last ten years, a team who are really on form. They have excellent players. Traditionally Cork forwards are very good stick men with an eye for goal.
Look, you are going to be up against the best players in the country at this stage”.
Losing three Munster finals in a row plus back to back All-Ireland semi-final losses has grounded the squad, the thirty year old believed. “Before 2022 we hadn’t played in a Munster final since 2018. There was always a mindset of when we went back training in October that we have to up it a level. There is more maturity there in recent years. The Munster round robin is hugely competitive and any year you get out it’s good. Everyone is in the game to win but maturity of the panel has made it easier to deal with the losses. We know from being up there for the last two years that there is nothing won and there is a huge task ahead of us. The losses have given us a good grounding of where we are”.
As vice captain, Conor got to lift the Allianz National Hurling League title when Clare defeated Kilkenny in this year’s final, winning the league for the first time since 2016. Captaincy of county teams is nothing new in the Cleary household with his twin Eoin having led the senior footballers for many years.
Alongside Ennistymon’s Cathal Malone plus Inagh/Kilnamona trio Aidan McCarthy, David Fitzgerald and Seán Rynne, Diarmuid
Ryan of Cratloe, Crusheen’s Ross Hayes and Corofin man Killian O’Connor, Conor is one of seven players also representing their club at senior level in football.
Playing football which he has done from an early age aids his hurling, Conor maintained. “I got an appreciation of what being able to play means when I was out for a time last year after dislocating my shoulder. It’s great to go back and play football with my home club Miltown along with my brother and I believe that it does freshen you up to be able to play another code”.
Eleven years ago, Conor won an All-Ireland U21 medal but was in the stands in 2013 when the senior were crowned All-Ireland champions. “I was 19 in 2013 and was seated in the top of the Hogan, I was the same age as Shane O’Donnell and just out of minor. My main memory was being delighted for Shane, I had been on development squads with him, you could not meet a more grounded, humble fella, I would have been in school with Tony (Kelly). It lit a fire for lads to get on the panel,” he recalled.
No doubt he wants to see Sunday’s final do the same for the current crop of young players in the county.
l Conor Cleary at the press briefing last week and (opposite page) enjoying the AllIreland semi-final win with Brendan Bugler
Photos by Gerard O’Neill
CORK WILL BE ‘A DIFFERENT ANIMAL’
by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie
USE of the ball will be key for Clare in Sunday’s All-Ireland final according to David Reidy, who is determined his name won’t be omitted from the starting fifteen for the decider against Cork.
Clare’s win over Cork in the Munster SHC “probably doesn’t matter,” Reidy admitted as the finishing touches are put on plans for Sunday’s All-Ireland final between the two counties.
For their meeting at the end of April, Reidy chipped in with 0-3 as he produced a strong second half display. “That was a long time ago. When we played them it was a must win game for us as we were coming off a loss. The structure Cork had at the time has changed a small bit and there have been a couple of personnel changes to their team. The way they have come into their own and the way they are playing tactically and physically means the threat they pose has come up a couple of per cent since we played them”, he explained.
Ending Limerick’s run for five All-Ireland titles showed the ability of Cork, the Ennis man said. “What Cork showed on Sunday is unbelievable. We were in a privileged position in that we were able to sit back on the couch and watch the game. Some of the scores they were taking were unbelievable. They will be a different animal on Sunday”.
Sitting down to watch the game, David didn’t have any preference as to who he wanted to see winning, “I sat down to watch a good game of hurling”.
Drafted onto the Clare senior panel in the winter of 2013 having been part of the All-Ireland winning U21 squad earlier that year, Sunday will be David’s first taste of an All-Ireland senior hurling final. “I am on the panel for the last ten years and this is my first All-Ireland final. I have said to a few of the lads that have come into the panel this year not to get used to this as there are no guarantees. There can only be one focus and that is on Sunday”.
Reidy recalled, “The senior final
was a draw, there was an under 21 final in between that and the replay which Clare won. You then get a call up to join the panel of the All-Ireland senior champions. It was only natural for a young player to think that this is going to last but you are quickly brought back down to earth. It’s not that easy. There are up to eight or nine teams at that level and if you stay static for a month you will see that in the results”.
In their first season after the All-Ireland win, Clare lost to Wexford in a replay in Wexford in a game in which current team coach Brendan Bugler was sent off, “It was 2018 when we got back to Croke Park”. Securing a place on the starting Clare team is not easy, the Éire Óg hurler outlined. “We have 41 training and the pressure each one puts on to get into the match day 26, or be one of the five, possibly six subs is massive. Everyone can’t start. When you don’t start I suppose it’s about proving the management wrong and showing them what you can do, showing the resilience to come back after being dropped and do what can be done. Hopefully I can do that in training and make sure my name won’t be left off the team sheet”.
Focus for Clare’s hurlers is on concentrating about the game not allowing pressure to build, he said. “We will enjoy the build-up but we will concentrate on a game of hurling which will run for up to 76 minutes, against Cork who have improved so much. We will have to come with our own performance, that’s where the focus has to be. We have to have a 75 minute performance or we will be in trouble”.
Additional train services in place
Reidy stressed, “use of the ball is key. We were wasteful against Kilkenny, we weren’t getting ball to hand and that’s the standard, it has to be ball to hand, move the ball fast and take your opportunities. This group has always went after the performance, sometimes we got it and sometimes we didn’t. It’s about looking to how can you improve, and how to rectify a weakness in the game, pinpoint that weakness and go and try again”. ADDITIONAL TRAIN services have been announced by Iarnród Éireann for the All-Ireland SHC final, writes Páraic McMahon
additional train services will be in place between Ennis and Dublin Heuston on July 21st. Two additional services will depart Ennis at 7.30am and 9.20am with two services returning from Dublin at 7.15pm and 7.50pm.
On Sunday morning (July 21st), there will be three additional services from Cork Kent to Dublin Heuston. These services will depart at 7am, 8.10am and 9.40am, with a further service from Mallow to Dublin Heuston departing at 9:35am. There will be three additional trains returning to Cork from Dublin later that evening at 6.55pm, 7.30pm and 8.05pm.
Photo by Gerard O’Neill
Páirc Uí Chaoimh win a turning point
by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie
KEN RALPH made a prediction in April that the team to overcome Cork would win the All-Ireland senior hurling championship.
Speaking ahead of the All-Ireland SHC final which pits Clare against Cork, Ralph revealed a prediction he made following the opening round of the Munster SHC which saw Limerick defeat Clare and Waterford overcome Cork. He recalled, “After the first round robin game I said the next team to beat Cork will win the All-Ireland and we are getting there”.
Reaching the All-Ireland final has “been a relief,” he admitted. This comes following defeats to Kilkenny at the penultimate stage in 2022 and 2023. “We have gone a step further which is positive,” he explained of reaching the next step and the county’s first All-Ireland SHC final since 2013.
Knowing their place in the de-
cider was secure allowed Clare to study the other All-Ireland semi-final where Cork ended Limerick’s drive for five.
“Having watched the other semi-final on the following day brought us back down to earth when we saw what is ahead of us. Look, it's great to be in the final and we will prepare as best we can for the game”, the Clarecastle clubman commented.
Looking back to April 28 when Clare emerged from Páirc Uí Chaoimh with a two point win over the Rebels to save their season, Ralph admits it was a decisive moment.
“At the time if we didn’t win we probably wouldn’t be sitting down here with you all right now. Because of what had happened the previous week (Clare’s loss to Limerick), it was a huge day for us. We had to win and, in fairness to the lads, they came up trumps. It seems a long time ago now and we are facing a whole new ball game”.
“Cork are a far different team now from then. They have had a few close scrapes but they have got through. For a few of us, it’s no surprise that they beat Limerick, we thought they would. They bring a whole new set of problems to us, different to Limerick. They are formidable opposition. We will be hoping to get everything right on the day,” Ken continued.
Replying as to why he was so confident they would beat Limerick the Tipperary native said, “I felt when they beat them the first day the penny dropped for Cork. I felt they had figured it out how to beat Limerick. We think we know how to beat Limerick but thinking we know how and doing it are two different things. We did it once and came close a few times. Cork have all the tools in the toolbox to do what needs to be done, they proved it the first day. It was very close, but they learned from that and showed up a few cracks”.
l Clare selector Ken Ralph
Photo by Gerard O’Neill
Clare must cope when Cork unleash ‘bomb squad’ of speed from bench
by Seamus Hayes news@clareecho.ie
ANY TEAM expecting to beat Cork must be able to cope with the “bomb squad of speed” they unleash from the bench in the final 20 minutes, says Clare selector Tommy Corbett.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC final, Corbett pointed out that Cork’s physicality, athleticism and speed are among the biggest areas they must curb if they are to be crowned All-Ireland champions for a fifth time.
Ennis native Tommy is in his first year as a selector with the county senior side. On the approach taken by management in 2024, he explained, “The management team as a whole looked at participating in three different competitions, the league, Munster championship and the All-Ireland championship. We went out to win every game and we won the league. We didn’t succeed in Munster and this is another competition now and we are one game away, albeit a very difficult challenge ahead and one we are looking forward to”.
On April 28, Clare recorded a 3-26 3-24 win over Cork in the second round of the Munster SHC. The game will have little significance on how the All-Ireland final pans out, Tommy asserted. “Every game takes on a life of its own. Our backs were to the wall down in Páirc Ui Chaoimh, we performed very well and so did Cork, it could have gone either way. Will it have any bearing this week, I don’t really think so. I don’t think Cork will be thinking about that game, we certainly won’t. The game next week will take on a life of its own, a completely different scenario”.
Captain of the All-Ireland winning St Flannan’s College side in 1991, Tommy praised Clare manager Brian Lohan for bringing a patience to Clare regarding player development. “The development squads changed some years ago and this widened the net
completely; Clare and many others don’t compete in Tony Forrestal any more, There are development squads now of 55 to 60 players.
“Young adults develop at different stages and it’s very important you wait for that development, it’s also true at senior level, if you get an 18 or 19 year old lucky enough to be on a senior panel it’s probably going to be two, three or even four years development before he is ready for championship hurling in particular. How you need to be physically is a huge thing now when it comes to inter county championship hurling. Very few 19 or 20 year olds are making teams, you have to be patient and Brian [Lohan] has brought that to Clare. We have seen a good few lads getting a good bit of league time and a bit of championship time this year, lads that hadn’t figured previously”.
Limiting the supply of the ball to Cork’s inside line which is set to include Brian Hayes, Alan Connolly and Patrick Hogan is a focus for the Clare management.
“They bring huge physicality and a huge aerial threat and on top of that they have huge athleticism and speed. You must try and limit the supply of ball and then limit the type of supply they want,
“ Cork have that X factor, they have five or six players who would make any team and we are aware of that
that is easier said than done. It’s something we will be analysing over the next week. Its something we are aware of along with the threat they have all over the field”.
Corbett continued, “Darragh Fitzgibbon has been phenomenal, along with the Downeys in the centre of the
defence, Tim O’Mahoney, Ciaran Joyce, they have so many options on the field and then they have the bomb squad of speed they can bring in after fifty minutes. Any team expecting to beat Cork will have to deal with that”.
On the subject of television coverage of GAA games this season, the former Éire Óg hurler stated, “when you are involved with an inter county team, you are caught up in your own world. There has been a lot of talk about the coverage hurling is getting. We are busy enough doing what we are doing, the nature of the championship is that games come thick and fast. Whether games are on TV or not is not something we think about. When an All-Ireland comes along you have to embrace it without getting caught up in it, there is a fine balance. It’s a differ-
ent All-Ireland this year, two new teams, yes we met 11 years ago, we will approach it like other games, it’s still being played on a grass pitch”.
“Most of these players have played at a high level, inter county underage, Fitzgibbon cup, they are used to these occasions. Shaking hands with the president is another part of the day. You need to back yourself, you are there to showcase skills and that’s what both squads will be doing,” the ex-Éire Óg and Clooney/Quin senior hurling manager said.
Corbett was pleased with the impact from the Clare bench in the two-point All-Ireland semi-final win over Kilkenny and believed a factor was that they sprung players earlier than previous games. “Most teams will try and get an impact from substitutes and sometimes it works and sometimes it
doesn’t. We got it last week and so did Limerick. Cork probably didn’t for the first time this year, they didn’t get the impact they wanted, For them it was a very tough game to come into against the reigning champions going for five in a row. We are very lucky in that we have a strong bench, we got the impact last week, we probably didn’t in previous games and maybe that is down to the management as we probably didn’t bring them on in time but Cork have that X factor, they have five or six players who would make any team and we are acutely aware of that”.
A member of the extended Clare panel in 1997 when Ger Loughnane won his second All-Ireland title as Clare manager, Tommy added, “these guys are around long enough, they have a belief in their own abilities. We believe in them, they believe in
themselves. Some days you perform and don’t get a result and some days you don’t perform and you get the results. For half the game last Saturday we didn’t perform but we were lucky to come out on the right side of the result. For the last couple of years we performed in two really tough Munster finals and didn’t get the results”.
“When you break down any game, 1000 mad things happen and someone wins. You have to play in the moment, our lads tend to do that and we were lucky enough last week. We knew there was a lot more in us and it was just a case of doing the right thing. There was a serious wind there and a lot of people didn’t realise that, small things like that can turn momentum and it swung in our favour and we got over the line”, he concluded.
l Paul Flanagan, David Reidy, Ken Ralph and Tommy Corbett at the press briefing
Photo by Gerard O’Neill
Everything has changed since 2013 for star man O’Donnell
by Eoin Brennan news@clareecho.ie
THE wheel turns full circle for Shane O’Donnell this Sunday when 11 years after his indelible All-Ireland Final debut as a carefree teenager, he faces the same opponents at the same stage in an almost eerie decider rematch against the Rebels.
The Éire Óg star etched his name into the history books in 2013 when, after witnessing an ultra-dramatic ‘Holy Moses’ stalemate between the sides from the sidelines, he was catapulted into the starting line-up and completely turned the tide in Clare’s favour with a 3-3 man-of-thematch display to cement a first title in 16 years.
Fast forward over a decade and the flowing locks are still there - as is his passion and enthusiasm for the gamebut having just turned 30 last month, he returns to the gladiatorial arena a much different attacking threat.
“I think everything has changed since 2013, the way I play the game and the way I prepare for games. What I’m now able to do out in the field is now completely different and what I’m trying to achieve is also fairly different.
“At the same time, it’s the same game, you still have to beat your man and still have to win the ball.
“Certainly, for myself, it’s
so different how I prepare, how I think about these games. Even the position I was in. I didn’t think I’d start in that game so that preparation build-up was completely different. And therefore, there isn’t any, really that much inspiration I can draw from it. The only thing that is kind of is similar is obviously the opposition and the size of the occasion. It never stops becoming something that you are so delighted to be in. An All-Ireland final is what you play hurling for,” he told The Clare Echo And yet this day might not have ever come for a Clare side desperate to back up that 2013 breakthrough as well as for O’Donnell himself who came perilously close to calling time on his inter-county career following a debilitating concussion in 2021 that kept him out of the game for almost a full year.
“Just because of the trajectory of my career and the fact that I was very close to probably retiring a few years ago, it almost gave me a free shot at everything that came after that. So I feel no real pressure when it comes to big games. I would always put a lot of pressure on myself before the head injury.
“But now I become almost obsessed about getting the most out of myself but in a strange way I don’t necessar-
ily think that there’s pressure associated with that, it’s just trying to do the best that you can. I think that’s probably my over-riding thought process in the last couple of days that the build-up to this All-Ireland Final is something to be enjoyed, it’s not to be winding yourself up on the what ifs”.
However, the burning desire of O’Donnell and the
five other 2013 survivors (Peter Duggan, Paul Flanagan, Tony Kelly, David McInerney, Seadna Morey) to finally reunite with the Liam MacCarthy is still very much blazing. “Maybe you do think after you win an All-Ireland in your first year that you’re going to be up there competing in semi-finals and finals every year. Obviously that hasn’t been the case as it’s the first time back there and it is definitely one that if we win, I can categorically say I will enjoy a lot more than I did back then. We were on a roll back then, we won minors, then Under 21s and suddenly we won the senior and obviously it was a huge deal but it was also in a strange way just another year of success back then.
“Obviously it’s much different when more than ten years pass and you get back there again. Also I was close to not going back a few years ago and it was front and centre in my mind that I couldn’t believe how my career had gone from winning it in my first year and then having to go through injury and never
getting that opportunity to do so again.”
So is there even a feeling of finally putting the 2013 chapter to bed almost this Sunday? “There’s a very small part of me,” O’Donnell says with a wry smile. "But at the same time that would make it sound as if I wasn’t so happy how 2013 went. It certainly would be a nice way to – I won’t say book-end, as I don’t intend to retire this year but it would be a nice way to stagger, not just having one win at the start of your career but winning another after that”.
Asked if he has imparted some advice from 2013 to younger players on the Clare panel, Shane said, “We’ve kind of chatted about it but just at a very high level, saying to just enjoy it and not to feel guilty about enjoying the build-up because this is why we play hurling to experience and enjoy these days.
“We’ve a brilliant panel and the younger lads are incredibly mature, far more mature than we were than we were their age so I think they’re capable of doing that themselves. Outside of being a Clare versus Cork final, there are few comparisons to be even drawn with 2013. I mean Cork are a different team, definitely so are we and even hurling has changed so much in the last 10 or 11 years.
“Indeed, Cork are a very different team than when we played them three months ago so things change very quickly and we’ll have to do a lot of work to prepare for that game”.
Analysing what Cork did right against Limerick that Clare didn’t, O’Donnell outlined, “They certainly did a few things that we tried to do. In some ways, we are relatively similar in that we both rely a lot on pace in the forwards and try to get Limerick moving because they are such a structured team in defence.
“There are opportunities there if you can get them moving so that’s a large part of what Cork got joy out of
and also where they got joy out of Páirc Uí Chaoimh earlier in the year.”
Having lost three Munster Finals in succession to Limerick, what ingredient keeps this Clare team coming back for more? “It’s a somewhat strange narrative that I often hear but I just don’t find it difficult. Maybe it’s because I just love playing hurling so when I have a bad loss, all I want to do is play another game so the fact that there’s another game in front of you is brilliant. To be able to jump back into training and prepare for another game with all your friends on the panel, there’s no better place to be.
“Obviously you’re disappointed and crestfallen after a big loss but the best way to get out of that is just to get straight back at it and build for the next one.”
And they don’t come any bigger than an All-Ireland Final that may have taken eleven years to rediscover but what a journey it has been for Clare and more pointedly O’Donnell himself who despite his injury woes is currently level with his manager Brian Lohan on 54 appearances, a feat he will surpass on Sunday to become Clare’s sixth most experienced championship player behind team-mates John Conlon, Tony Kelly, David McInerney as well as 2013 manager Davy Fitzgerald and top-goalscorer Niall Gilligan.
“I did not realise that but it a real source of pride but I feel proud about so many things in hurling. I feel proud for what we’ve done as a panel, I feel proud for being able to play for that number of years, I even felt proud watching Cork play Limerick the last day. I mean it’s just great to play this fantastic game and to be able to watch it and experience such a brilliant match and occasion. It makes me proud to be involved and makes be feel proud to have the All-Ireland Final to come so there are a lot of factors that make me draw that emotion”.
Photo by Gerard O’Neill
CLARE’S ROUTE TO THE FINAL
MUNSTER ROUND 1
Limerick 3-15 Clare 1-18
April 21 at Cusack Park
MUNSTER Round 2
Clare 3-26 Cork 3-24
April 28 at Supervalu
Páirc Uí Chaoimh
MUNSTER Round 3
Bye
MUNSTER Round 4
Clare 4-21 Waterford 2-26
May 19th at Cusack Park
MUNSTER Round 5
Clare 1-24 Tipperary 0-24
May 26th at Cusack Park
MUNSTER FINAL
Clare 1-20 Limerick 1-26
June 9th at Semple Stadium
All-Ireland SHC quarter-final
Clare 2-28 Wexford 1-19
June 22nd at Semple Stadium
All-Ireland SHC semi-final
Clare 0-24 Kilkenny 2-16
July 6th at Croke Park
Rebel with a cause: Horgan
by Páraic McMahon news@clareecho.ie
OF ALL THE hurlers that will line out in Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC, Patrick Horgan has been playing senior inter-county hurling longer than them all.
Indeed it was against Clare in the 2008 All-Ireland SHC quarter final when Hoggy made his first start in senior championship for Cork having earned his debut in the league against Dublin in March and his championship bow when defeating Tipperary that June.
He has scored 700 points in the championship but a coveted All-Ireland medal still eludes him. There is a narrative focusing on the Glen Rovers man’s bid to win a Celtic Cross but he said it is something skipping his mind. “I'm not saying it because I'm in the position, but it's actually not even close to that for me. I'm not aiming 17 years towards a day. That doesn't mean I haven't had good times.
“I’ve had good days down through the years and the amount of stories you have from match days going down through the years and training and 17 years of my life has been coming here, hanging out with the boys, new fellas coming in, getting to know them, becoming great friends with them. That means a lot to
me. Obviously, it'd be unbelievable if we could get across the line, but it can't be just about that. In your hurling career, it's lovely to get it and everybody wants to have it and I’m no different. But I'd look over a long time and did I enjoy it or didn't enjoy it and I did”.
How Sunday pans out won’t impact whether his involvement for next year, Patrick said. “If I were to say it would have an impact, I would just lied in the last question. Obviously, if I see myself falling off like a performance or speed-wise, and you can see that easily. And if I feel like I don't have the hunger to train and put in the amount of effort that the players we have put in, then I wouldn't. It's a very simple thing to say, I'm not going to do it because if you don't have it, you don't have it”.
He continued, “Training on Wednesday night is what it's about for me. I love coming down early, being ready, throwing on the gear, going out and just do whatever you want on the pitch. Boys come along, have a few chats or whatever. That's what sport is. It's great to be involved in these big games and sell outs there last week but it's about the people you meet and the days you have with them”.
Staying involved in the inter-county game has been a delight, Hoggy outlined. “Like you
Photo by Gerard O’Neill
chasing shot at history
could be flying and then you could pick up a knock. You could be out for three or four months. You might miss the championship then because it came at the wrong time. Then next year, it's all the fight for places again. Some other fella comes in and he's flying and you're in a competition for a place you might not get. Then that's two years gone. So you have to be lucky along the way as well and I have been really lucky, I have to say that”.
His enjoyment for the game has not waned during this time, “If I didn't love it as much as I did, I wouldn't play at all. There'd be no reason to. Even to win the Limerick game, for me, wasn't the reward of the match at all. It was like, we get a training session Tuesday, back with the boys. We'd all be done together because we get on really well, obviously”.
Explaining why he thinks this enjoyment has sustained, he said, “I think it could be I just have this thing where I just have to try to get better all the time. It's weird. I think if you lose that, you'll just freefall Well, obviously, if you're gone. But I feel like I'd be annoyed if I couldn't do something or try to do something. When we train, we'd see a
lot of players doing a certain move or strike or whatever, and then every fella is over trying to do it and you'll be freaking out if you can't do it. I think it's just the hunger to be better is just really strong”.
Cork’s forwards have been “flying”, he said. “I suppose all our forwards have been flying. All our team have been. They just bring a lot of energy. Shane (Barrett), especially, he just doesn't get tired. It looks like it anyway. But he just keeps going the whole match and it creates a lot of openings for other fellows as well by doing that. Then you have the two boys in the wing who are just always have to be minded as well. We've a good thing going inside as well with the other two lads as well. It's just been unbelievable to play in the team, really, at the moment”.
Losing to Clare in the 2013 final following a replay was “disappointing at the time,” he recalled. “We probably should have got out of line, didn't, whatever. Probably stung for a while after, yeah. But after that, it was a case of get back to what you loved doing. You can think of that and it'll affect your going forward or else just try to forget about it and improve”.
On his memories of Domhnall O’Donovan’s equalising score to force a replay, he commented eleven years on, “do you know what I can remember is it must have been just a thing that it was supposed to happen because if you look at the I just remember a sequence of play where five or six things happened, and if one thing happened differently, the game was over, and it just kept seem to break for them, break for them. A handpass going to ground, then pick. A couple of things happened like that. And then the strike, and I think one of our or fellas went for a hook and just missed that and it went all over the black spot then”. Horgan believes he will know himself when the time is right to exit stage left on the inter-county hurling scene. “I'll see myself like what I go on when I said, if I feel like I can't contribute to training, contribute to the team, well then there's plenty young fellows there that can. We see every night in training. That's the level we're at here, where there's going to be fellas not make the panel next week. They'll feel like they should have, and they should have because they've done so much effort. But that's the panel we have, and that's how I see it”.
Cork embracing expectation surrounding All-Ireland final
by Páraic McMahon news@clareecho.ie
CORK manager, Pat Ryan is expecting Clare to pose a more direct threat than Limerick as they go head to head in the All-Ireland SHC final.
In what will be the second championship meeting of the counties this season, Ryan is determined they can put lessons learned following their two-point Munster SHC loss to Clare in April into practice this weekend.
Peter Duggan and Mark Rodgers were among the players to cause havoc on that occasion, their input is not forgotten by the twotime Munster champion.
Giving his view on how Clare differ to their semi-final opponents, reigning All-Ireland champions Limerick, Pat outlined, “I suppose they probably play a bit more direct in Limerick. They probably get the ball from back to front a bit quicker, whereas Limerick will create those triangles and those extra men and get scores from outside.
“They bring you huge physicality in the half-forward line as well, where there's probably more movement in the Limerick forward line from puckouts. The Clare forward line, they're doing an awful lot of that pod puckout down on top of Peter Duggan, and it is easy to say, you know it's coming, but it's another thing to defend it. That will be something that we'll have to really work on. He's a phenomenal player”.
Sean O’Donoghue’s dismissal in that round robin tie had a big bearing on the outcome
so the matter of discipline has been stressed within the Cork camp. “Keep 15 players on the field is the first thing anyway. There's loads of things you can talk about Clare, look, they're fantastic players. They're fantastic forwards. I think their movement inside is very, very good.
“The way that they can interchange between players and stuff like that is fantastic, and look, they're really, really physical. I suppose they're the one team that that are very, very athletic. They have a lot of pace around their team. Ryan Taylor is a huge player back to them. He had a very good game in Ennis against us last year. So from their point of view, great to see him back from a nasty injury he got last year. But maybe a bit of a pity (for us) he didn't wait for another couple of weeks”.
Manager of the Cork SHC winning Sarsfields side of 2012, Pat was a spectator in Croke Park a year later for both All-Ireland final duels between his native county and Clare. “The first game was a great game, obviously. The second game, look, in fairness, great days, great spectacles, they were fantastic matches, you'd still see them back on YouTube. From our point of view it was disappointing the first day that we didn't win. We should have probably closed that game out, but Clare were much the better team the second day. They have a couple of lads playing from that day, and we still have a couple of lads playing that day. That brings an extra-special edge to the game”.
An unused substitute in Cork’s 0-13 0-12 win over Kilkenny in the All-Ireland SHC final of 1999, Pat did play a part in the Munster final that year when they overcame Ger Loughnane’s Clare on a score of 1-15 0-14. His and fellow selectors Wayne Sherlock and Brendan Coleman’s involvement on Sunday means they won’t be waving out to the crowd alongside their 1999 teammates. “That’s a fantastic day for a group of players that was there. And there's still great friendships in that group, that's an exciting day for them. I think Landers was delighted there'd be a crowd there for him
anyway, so that was the main thing”.
Experiences of 25 years ago may be used by Ryan and his management to aid Cork as they bid to win a first All-Ireland since 2005.
“I remember how calm that Jimmy (Barry Murphy) was around the group. How much confidence he gave
that ball coming back in”.
Having conceded nine goals in their four Munster round-robin ties, Cork have witnessed goalkeeper Patrick Collins keep a clean sheet in the last two outings. “The scoring has gone through the roof. Look in fairness, I suppose we conceded probably the
Photo by Gerard O’Neill
to the lads. It was just another day so enjoy it because these are days to be savoured. He brought a real calmness to the group, I thought. And, look, obviously we had fantastic leaders and players in that group. You had fantastic leaders like Mark Landers who was captain and a fantastic leader. Obviously Donal Óg and Brian Corcoran. Brian was fantastic in the lead-up to that. An absolute super player that gave everybody great confidence going into it. We've some of those players as well”.
Launching puckouts and long deliveries onto Brian Hayes in the full-forward line worked a treat for the Rebels in the semi-final win with the St Finbarr’s man hitting 1-4. “It’s something we've been trying to do, that we get the ball in direct more and it there's probably a double-edged sword in that, you're also set up in the backs a bit more. Sometimes when you're working it out, you're actually expending a bit more energy, and we feel that's made us a bit defensively securer, in that lads are already set up for
same amount of chances in all the games. Patrick made two great saves in the semi-final, whereas in other games...maybe he wasn't given the opportunity to make those saves. But look we're creating plenty of opportunities ourselves”.
Overcoming Limerick for a second time in one season has heightened expectation around the Rebels but that is to be embraced, the manager outlined. “I don’t think you do protect them; I think you just have to embrace it, to be honest with you. That’s the way I’m looking at it. As I said to the lads there a while ago, there’s no pressure here. This is where you want it to be. We’ve had lots of fellas who’ve gone under the knife, gone to England for hamstring injuries and knee injuries and all that type of thing. That’s where pressure is, that’s where you get down a bit. Our fellas… embrace. It’s a brilliant two weeks. We’ll be back in Mallow in November in the pissing rain again and that will be more hard than the next two weeks”.
ALL-IRELAND final time, particularly if one’s county hasn’t been there too often over the years, gives rise to plenty of talking points and that is certainly the case in Clare this week.
One such talking point concerns Clare’s first All-Ireland win in 1914 and a special medallion which was the property of Willie ‘Dodger’ Considine, a member of the Clare team.
The medal is currently in the possession of another Ennis man, Donie Fitzpatrick who purchased it at an online auction.
This week Donie told The Clare Echo that he is “trying to find out how it ended up in the hands of an auction house for military medals in London, called Noonans”.
“It was an online auction that I joined and I had to bid on it and eventually my bid was finally accepted. It started off at a fairly low
price but quickly moved up and for a finish there was one other bidder, online as well, and we both kept bidding until I eventually got it”, explained Donie who started out his hurling with the Ennis Dals which was the club of Dodger Considine.
As part of his search to find more information on this medal, Donie contacted well known Ennis historian Ollie Byrnes who has written a number of books on Ennis and Clare hurling and he put him in touch with relatives of Dodger Considine.
Ennis based photographer Liam Hogan is a grandson of Willie Considine and he put Donie in contact with another grandson of the All-Ireland winner who is also named Willie Considine and who resides in Wexford and Donie arranged to meet with him.
“I saw the Munster and All-Ireland medal which he has and he saw the one I have. He had never heard of this medal which was com-
missioned by William Redmond, M.P. for Clare in 1914 who was from Wexford. “I believe, without having seen another one, that he would have got each of the team members one of these. I would like to know if there are any others
there. This would have been worn on a watch chain which was the fashion of the time. William Considine in Wexford has the watch chain as well and the All-Ireland medal and Munster medal from 1914 are both on the chain”, Donie explained.
l The 1914 medallian which was said to be commissioned by a local MP and (opposite page) the back of the inscribed medal presented to Willie Considine. (left) Donie Fitzpatrick who purchased the medal at auction
Photos by John Mangan
attention 110 years on
Donie outlined that All-Ireland medal winner Willie was 29 years of age and he had a younger brother Brendan who was seventeen and both were on the Clare team.
“Brendan’s medals were donated by the family to the museum here in Ennis but from my enquiries one of these medals wasn’t included in what was donated”.
He continued, “At the time in 1914, politically the first World War was
breaking out and there was a drive to recruit Irish men into the British army. The Redmonds had the Home Rule party which was active and William Redmond went over and fought and was killed.
“The seat here in Clare then became vacant and Eamonn de Valera replaced him. The Dodger Considine was very much involved with Fianna Fail and the Republican side and Eamonn de Valera and he acted as part of the se-
curity detail when Eamonn de Valera came to Ennis and there are photographs of the Dodger controlling the crowd”.
At the moment Donie’s target is “to get a history of this. I would like to know if there is another one anywhere, amongst the families of the other players from 1914. I would love to hear from anybody who might have a medal from that time”.
Adding to Donie’s interest in seeking more information on this medal is the fact that his mother, Hannah Slattery “lived in the Turnpike and the Considines lived in that locality as well. My mother would have been friendly with a daughter of the Dodgers and she came to live in Kincora Park and my mother used to meet her often at St Joseph’s Church”.
With so much interest this week in the lead up to the All-Ireland final, Donie would love to hear from anyone who might have a similar medal from any of the team members from 1914 when Clare won the All-Ireland senior title for the first time.
‘You don’t always get what you deserve in hurling’
by Eoin Brennan news@clareecho.ie
ONE irritating stigma that has consistently been thrown at Clare over the past decade is that this team peaked in 2013 and were almost lucky to claim that crown as they failed to back it up ever since.
That ‘flash in the pan’ jibe was almost a noose around their necks at times as they endured penultimate stage heartbreak in 2018, ‘22 and 23. Consequently, it made this year’s late turnaround against Kilkenny all the sweeter a fortnight ago, particularly for the surviving sextet of 2013 that included Paul Flanagan. “It was probably an easy narrative to go to but the reality is more that in that period of time, there were a couple of different managements, set-ups and coaches and plenty of changes along the way. So as a player, you’re trying to find your feet and put that bit of traction under you to help you to get better.
“I think as a collective group, the last few years have been really enjoyable for us. We’ve really enjoyed the set-up and really enjoyed being part
of this and it has give us a real lease of life to go and try and do as well as we can,” Flanagan said.
Mentally or physically, he doesn’t feel there has been a big change for Clare in 2024. “That said, without a shadow if a doubt, you want to be competing in finals and you want to be involved in the shake up looking to push for silverware.
“I’ve always felt over the last few years that even getting to an All-Ireland Final would be a big thing so it has been bitterly disappointing not to get there in the last two years because you felt that we were genuinely playing well but they are the breaks in sport. You don’t always get what you deserve in hurling and you contrast that with the fact that Kilkenny have been in the last two finals and Limerick have obviously been really consistent as well while we have just been doing our level best to compete with them”.
While the Ballyea star captained Clare to a Munster minor titles in 2010 and Munster and All-Ireland honours in that famed year of 2013 when he was also on the matchday
panel for the All-Ireland Senior success, his adult inter-county career didn’t exactly go according to script after that.
He did make his senior championship debut as a sub in their epic two match All-Ireland defence against Wexford in 2014, it took until 2020 and the in troduction of Brian Lohan as manager for Flanagan to finally don a starting jersey.
“It has been peaks and troughs really for me. I often say it to the younger players that there’s an element of actu ally being able to figure that out for yourself that there’s times that you have to be patient and there are times to just go with it. But
in saying that, Brian has given us a real chance and as a set-up it’s been top drawer and as a player that’s all you can ask for really.
“It’s funny we were probably very young at that time [for the All-Ireland win in 2013 and got a great start to our senior inter-county careers but you have to earn it from then on. We’ve had games that we performed well in and really enjoyed over the past few years and equally there have been games that we probably learned a good few lessons from but I think it was important for this group to get over the line against Kilkenny in the semi-final and now looking forward to a final again is huge”.
While he
was arguably the most relieved player in the panel that a Clare v Limerick final pairing wasn’t realised due to his Ardscoil Rís teaching connections, the Ballyea defender is an integral part of not only the current senior squad but every future team as well due to his mental performance coaching role with the Banner’s underage development squads.
“The vision that the likes of Kieran McDermott and Donal Moloney have had over the past number of years is something that I’ve really enjoyed being part of, no more than any of the other coaches involved.
“For me, it’s refreshing to be contributing to your own county and possibly imparting some nuggets of being a player to younger players and just giving them the support to be able to enjoy what they’re doing and go out and express themselves as best they can”.
Fundamentally to ensure that the next generation don’t have to suffer such an interminable eleven year gap to the next All-ireland Final appearance no doubt.
Ex Clare hurler Barry outnumbered in Murphy household but confident of getting bragging rights
EX CLARE hurler Barry Murphy will be outnumbered in his own house when it comes to supporting his native county in the All-Ireland SHC final but he’s confident that Brian Lohan’s side can produce their best performance of the year this weekend to quieten his Cork family.
It was in April 1992 when Barry made his first championship appearance for the county, coming on as a substitute for the minors when they lost out to Waterford on a score of 1-10 to 0-5. He would go on to win an All-Ireland medal in 1997 as did the full-back and centre-forward of that minor side, namely Frank Lohan and Ollie Baker.
Living in Cork since 1999, Barry is employed in timber haulage and works out of Fermoy. A father to Daithi, Fionnan, Silín and Gearoid, he is involved in the U16 Killavullen hurlers. Coaching is best described as “challenging,” he laughed. “We’d be a small club, the numbers would be tight, we’d have some good fellas, once you get a few lads out of it every year you’d be doing okay”. His son Daithí has already represented Cork at U15 level so the coaching nuggets from his father must be paying off.
As part of the victorious 1997 Clare set-up, Barry admits it is hard to believe that Clare’s next taste of All-Ireland glory would arrive in 2013. “I was only twenty when we won the All-Ireland, I had only come onto the panel the year before in 1996, you’d think at that age we’d be in the final every few years and to be honest it’s hard to believe we haven’t won a Munster title since 1998, it is unbelievable really, look at Cork they are starving of success and have won nothing at senior since 2005”.
Though success may have eluded the Rebels, the ability to garner confidence quickly has not escaped them. “The gander is up in a big way, the Munster championship win down in Páirc Uí Chaoimh over Limerick has given them a huge appetite for success. The likes of my own fellas have never seen Cork win anything or an All-Ireland so there’s huge excitement and a buzz down here at all agegroups which the girls and boys are really buying into,” he told The Clare Echo.
With the excitement making its way to the Murphy household, Barry is quick to point out he is outnumbered “big time, I am agreeing away with them, hopefully we’ll have our
day on Sunday”.
Prior to Mark Rodgers, Barry was the last Scariff man to play senior championship for the county with his inter-county career coming to a close in 2004 after Clare exited the All-Ireland SHC following a replay to Kilkenny in the quarter-finals.
Seeing a fellow Scariff man play such a key role in the Clare attack is “brilliant,” Barry admitted. “He is having a great year and he is a lovely fella. I played with his father Ger at senior level for Scariff even though he’d be a few years older. It is great to see Mark and Patrick Crotty on the panel, I even played with his father Tom, they’d have been tough hurlers in
their day”.
That local link makes the occasion a bit more special. “It makes a huge difference, you’ve the connection there, I had the young lads with me for the Munster championship game in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, we met Mark afterwards and had a chat with him, he gave them a sliotar and to be fair they’ve always had great time for him, they’d be imitating him a small bit when they’re playing”.
Forwards like Rodgers, Shane O’Donnell and Tony Kelly in the Clare side and the Cork danger men of Shane Barrett, Brian Hayes and Alan Connolly will have the big bearing on who prevails in the All-Ireland final, Barry outlined. “It will be down to the forwards, I’d see a few weaknesses in the Cork full-back line that Clare could expose, it will be a fierce open game, whoever does the shooting on the day will make all the difference, if Tony Kelly, Shane O’Donnell and Mark Rodgers go well you would have to say we have a great chance. The Cork threat is Shane Barrett on John Conlon, he exposed Declan Hannon the last day, they are a more physical team than Cork are normally up front with Alan Connolly and Brian Hayes, they are physical but they are very fast too. It could be a big shootout, whoever has the accuracy on the day will win”. He is of the view that Clare have the most improving to do and is confident they will deliver in Croke Park. “My head says Clare by two or three points. If you looked at the two semi-finals, they were chalk and cheese, the Limerick game was way faster, Cork geared everything towards it, they will try lift it and it is very hard to get to that level again, I think there’s a lot more improving in Clare and they can improve a lot, Ryan Taylor made a huge difference when he came on, he is a big throw in to have, hopefully we will do the business”.
Quin's Amy will cheer on Clare among a sea of Red in Croke Park
QUIN’s Amy Colleran has experience of winning All-Ireland titles with Clare in Croke Park but she has had to become accustomed to cheering on her beloved county surrounded by a sea of red.
For the past fifteen years, Amy has lived in Cork and resides in the city with her husband Tadhg Nagle, a native of Doneraile and three daughters Ellen, Anna and Lucy. She was part of the Clare panel crowned All-Ireland junior camogie champions in 2008. At the time, this was the county’s first team and their success came twelve months after a heartbreaking loss to Derry when Amy was corner back, along with defeats to Dublin (2005) and Galway (2003).
Now working as a Director with Johnson & Johnson, Amy admitted one of the most frequent text messages she is receiving in advance of Sunday’s hurling final is to see what jersey her three daughters will be wearing. “They said they’d shout for both, they are equal enough in fairness, my husband is saying otherwise though”.
Although Cork reached the
All-Ireland final three years ago when they lost out to Limerick 3-32 1-22, there is a growing confidence down by the banks of the River Lee that the Rebels can win a first All-Ireland SHC title since 2005.
“There seems to be a great excitement, they are looking forward to it based on the last performance vs Limerick, they are saying they know they can do it but they have to give the same level of performance, there is a confidence there but they know they need to give a good performance, remember when they played Clare in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Clare narrowly won, it will be a fair enough battle,” Amy outlined. Outside of Cork, it has been remarked that ‘Corkness has gone into overdrive’ which translates as their confidence has gone through the roof and they fully expect to wipe the floor with Clare. This is not necessarily an accurate picture according to Amy. “It depends who you are hanging out with it I guess but the people I’m with are modest, the bunting is gone up all over the place and the signage is out from local businesses, they are very good supporters, I don’t see an air of confidence to be honest. They would be fair enough asking if I think Clare will do it, they see it as fifty fifty battle and the view is that the best team will come out on top”.
At club level, Amy won intermediate championships with Clooney/ Quin forming a vital part of their defence as they challenged for honours in the top tier but lost three senior finals in a row in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Given the Colleran family is such a vast network, the strong links to the parish remain and she is particularly proud to see two of her club members Peter Duggan and Ryan Taylor line out in an All-Ireland final while the promising Jack O’Neill has recently been added to the senior squad.
“When I was at the Clare and Cork game in Páirc Uí Chaoimh I was surrounded by Cork supporters because it was my husband that got the tickets, I was one Clare jersey in a sea of red. Peter had a great game that day catching balls everywhere and the last day Ryan Taylor made a great impact, you’d hope they will play the best that they can, if they do and each of the Clare team do then Clare have a winning chance. You’d be seeing them (Peter and Ryan) when they were smaller, Peter’s cousin Mike trained us for years in the camogie and you’d be shouting them on as loud as you can even though I was surrounded by Cork supporters, I noticed the children with those trumpets got louder to try match me as the game
was going on”.
Having been nine years involved with Clare camogie, Amy is able to recall many fond memories and “great times” while her teammates will be able to point out that there are few better carrot cakes to be had than those whipped up in the Colleran household, modern day inter-county set-ups may be stricter on such gifts.
Now she is kept busy as Ellen and Anna’s camogie and ladies football careers take flight with St Finbarr’s with youngest Lucy on course to join them in the coming years. “It is great for making the friends, having the confidence playing and being part of a team, they both play football and camogie with the Barrs, it is a fantastic club who really look after their players and they get to play a good lot of matches, I was stuck at two blitzes on Sunday, one for the U9s and the U11s but I’m hoping the girls will keep it up and continue to enjoy it”.
Turning focus back to Sunday’s All-Ireland final, Amy believes if Clare deliver the performance they are capable of then Tony Kelly will be lifting the Liam McCarthy. “I think Clare have won all the way through without everyone playing well in the one match, I think Cork had their big match against Limerick, I hope Clare can bring the per-
formance they are due, they have been coming and coming, Ryan Taylor is back but we really need to be getting the right type of ball into Shane O’Donnell, if we can have Peter continuing to make the big catches, Eibhear has been fantastic and I really think if we get the ball into O’Donnell I’d be very hopeful. It will be a very close match and I hope that it is because I don’t want any of the teams to under-perform which can happen in a final. I’d be hoping Clare by two, my husband has the same prediction for Cork but if we get the performance that we need from Clare then I think they can do it”.
by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie
by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie
l Barry Murphy flanked by his children Fionnan, Silín, Gearoid and Daithí.
l Amy with her late mother Mary who was a loyal supporter during her camogie career and that of her sister Imelda.
Robert McIntyre Triumphs at Home in The Scottish Open
by PÁDRAIG MCGRATH
In a momentous and emotional victory, Robert McIntyre clinched his first Scottish Open title, a triumph that resonated deeply with the home crowd at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick. McIntyre, the 27-year-old from Oban, showcased not only his golfing talent but also his unwavering determination and connection to his Scottish roots throughout the tournament.
The final round was a test of nerves and skill, with McIntyre starting the day three shots off the lead after his first hole behind Aberg. The weather conditions, typical of a Scottish summer with intermittent rain and gusty winds, added to the challenge. Yet, McIntyre remained composed, drawing on his intimate knowledge of the course and conditions. His iron play was impeccable, and
his putting, often a critical factor on the undulating greens of The Renaissance Club, was nothing short of spectacular.
McIntyre’s key moment came on the par-5 16th hole, where he hit a towering second shot to within 10 feet of the pin after getting relief from a sprinkler in heavy rough, setting up an eagle putt that he duly converted. This moved him into a tie for the lead with Adam Scott who had been three shots ahead of the pack only a couple of holes earlier, sending the home crowd into raptures. His calm demeanour under pressure was evident again on the 18th hole. Hitting a super drive down the right-hand side of the fairway left him hitting another super iron strike to just over twenty feet from the hole. He hit another excellent putt which fell in the front of the hole to the screams of joy from the local home crowd watching their home buy win his dream
home tournament, which he told Tim Barker he has dreamt about winning since he was a young kid.
"I can't describe the feeling of winning here, in front of my family and friends,"
McIntyre said, his voice filled with emotion. "It's a dream come true. Growing up, I always imagined what it would be like to win the Scottish Open, and now that it's happened, it's even better than I could have imagined."
His victory was made even more poignant by the presence of his family, including his parents, who have been his steadfast supporters since he began playing golf as a young boy in Oban. McIntyre’s journey to this victory has been marked by perseverance and hard work. After turning professional in 2017, he quickly made a name for himself on the European Tour with his aggressive playing style and fearless approach.
The Scottish Open win is not only a personal triumph
Sligo reign supreme over Clare minors in All-Ireland semi-final
SCAN HERE FOR MATCH REPORT
“ MANAGER COMMENT
“The two goals caught us. We had a lot of possession, we turned over a lot of ball, defensively we were very good for a lot of the game. But we turned over too much ball ourselves and got caught for the two quick goals, and we had too much to do then in the second half. I thought we did a lot better in the second half, but we just had a mountain to climb. “There was a strong breeze, but wind doesn’t win you any games. A bit more composure on the ball, we lacked that today, and that’s the way it goes. But you can’t take anything away from Sligo, they’re a good side. I watched them in
l Clare's Hazel
the Connacht final against Roscommon and I knew coming here it was going to be a tough battle. That team will be hard to beat.
“Winning any grade of a Munster title is a plus. If you’d told me at the start of the year that we’d win a Munster ‘B’ title, I’d have taken it. Coming from where we were to turning up here today, I’d say it was a good year. I was very honoured to be involved with the team and to be asked to manage. Then you have days like today when you come up against better teams and that’s the way it is, it’s disappointing. But you win together, you lose together and you move on”.
for McIntyre but also a significant milestone for Scottish golf. It has been over a decade since a Scotsman last won the event, and McIntyre’s success has reignited hopes for a new era of Scottish golf excellence.
McIntyre's win has already had a ripple effect, inspiring young golfers across Scotland. Local clubs reported a surge in interest from junior players following his triumph. "Seeing one of our own wins such a prestigious tournament on home soil is incredibly motivating," said John Grant, head coach at Oban Golf Club. "Robert's success shows that with dedication and hard work, young Scottish golfers can achieve great things."
Clare Badgers crowned All-Ireland Inline Hockey League Champions
In a stunning display of skill, determination, and sheer willpower, the Clare Badgers clinched the League 1 Inline Hockey Championships on Saturday at the SETU Sports Area in Waterford.
Inline hockey, a fast-paced and exciting sport played on inline skates, is a game that combines elements of ice hockey and roller hockey. It is accessible to players of all ages, starting from 4 years old, and promotes inclusivity with its mixed-gender teams. This amateur sport requires significant dedication from both coaches and players, with the season spanning from September to June.
The Clare Badgers’ journey to the championship was nothing short of extraordinary. Throughout the season, players from League 1, and 2, as well as underage formats Under-15, and Under-11, teams travelled
across the country, facing formidable opponents from across the country, North and South. Each match was a battle for points to secure a coveted spot in the playoffs.
Against all odds, the Clare Badgers clawed their way into the playoffs, showcasing tenacity and resilience. Their semi-final match against the Bangor Chiefs. With just 22 seconds remaining, the Badgers scored the winning goal, securing their place in the finals against the Cork Wolfpack.
The championship final was a testament to the thrilling nature of inline hockey. Tied at 3 goals each at the final whistle, the game went into sudden death overtime with a 3v3 format.
The tension was palpable as the Wolfpack launched relentless attacks, only to be thwarted by the Badgers' outstanding goaltender, Daniel Wolanin. With just 4 minutes remaining, Mike Donoghue rocketed a 100mph puck past the Wolf-
pack goalie, sealing the victory and bringing the championship trophy back to the Banner County. Such was the intensity of this game it was voted most exciting game of the Play Off weekend, with All Star Awards for Badger Players Daniel Wolanin, Lukasz Kandler, and Owen Kearns.
Atis Vitolins, captain of the League 1 team, expressed his immense pride in the team’s accomplishment. “I am incredibly proud of the hard work, dedication, and the fire in the bellies of every team member. We had a mountain to climb, and every player brought their best to achieve this victory.”
The Clare Badgers’ success is a shining example of what can be achieved through dedication, teamwork, and passion for the sport. As inline hockey continues to grow in popularity, the Badgers’ triumph will undoubtedly inspire new players to join this thrilling and inclusive sport.
l Robert McIntyre raises the Scottish Open title.
Barry Donnelly, Clare manager
O'Shea.
Photo by Burren Eye Photography
Newmarkets Purcell prepares for life after men's soccer following 28 year career
by Páraic McMahon paraic@clareecho.ie
PADDY PURCELL
has brought the curtain down on his two year tenure as Newmarket Celtic manager which ends an era of twenty eight years involved in men’s football.
Having hung up his playing boots at the age of forty two, Paddy moved straight into management with Celtic where he guided them to a historic first FAI Junior Cup title in his debut season where they also contested the Munster Junior Cup final but lost out to Regional Utd on a penalty shootout. He stepped down as manager of the side and has been succeeded by Eoin O'Brien.
Speaking to The Clare Echo in an exclusive interview, the Oscar Traynor winning captain explained his reasons for stepping down. “I’ve been twenty eight years involved in men’s football, I started playing when I was sixteen, it’s been pretty full tilt since with every Tuesday and Thursday with a Saturday or Sunday, it was something when I stopped playing two seasons ago when I hadn’t planned on going into management at all but I also felt we had unfinished business at Newmarket with what we were trying to do and there was a bit of a void there so I said I’d take on the job for a season, I extended it by one but I hadn’t planned on doing it long-term.
“It was more when I finished playing that I wanted to give time back to the kids coming through but also my own kids because it is hard going on them and Claire too, they are a big part of it coming to all the games but equally the amount of time devoted into it I wanted to give that back to the family. It wasn’t a difficult decision only for it is hard to walk away from a dressing room when you’ve been there with Newmarket for nine seasons but in general pretty much playing football since the age of eight is a big change”. He admitted that his decision to step down as manager was one he made as far back as last September. “In my heart
of hearts I knew, I started a college course in January and that culminating in the last two seasons, my died passed away last season and I haven’t even dealt with that properly to be honest in all transparency, my mind was made up and I didn’t let anyone know that because it wasn’t a thing that mattered it was just something I had in the background that I knew I wouldn’t be going beyond this season”.
Given he had reached a verdict on his future so early in the season, one could argue that he felt going back for a second year was a mistake but Paddy disagreed with this stance. “I knew when I went again that it was one more year, it wasn’t a decision that was made, it was just deep down I knew I wasn’t going beyond the second season, I had no sense of regret and I was glad. Having played under a lot of managers with Newmarket and having been there for seven years playing I really wanted to give it everything for the two seasons even though I hadn’t planned on management, it was an easy decision to stay on but with family and work there’s time commitments that you want to spend on and I really want to give more time back to the family so it was a bit easier in that sense, I’ll get to give back more time to the kids and coaching them when I can, I’ve no regrets”.
MAJOR HIGHS
Reflecting on his dream debut season which saw Celtic win the FAI Junior Cup and secure league honours, Paddy said, “There’s a lot of luck involved overall, it was really just focusing on my beliefs on what I believe works from a manager’s perspective in terms of how you communicate to the players, it was the perfect storm of some of the older lads still there on the squad and some younger lads coming through, the management structure we had with myself, Steve (Austin) and Eoin O’Brien with Sammy (Owen McCarthy) helping out and Martin Cooney as physio, it all culminated in the right way, we stayed fairly level headed through the whole season, we didn’t have any major highs or
l Eoin O’Brien and Paddy Purcell.
major lows”.
On a personal note that dream season was tinged with sadness and the absence of Paddy’s biggest supporter from the celebrations, his father John who died in October 2022. “It was ironic, my Dad would have been one of my biggest supporters over my entire career, the year I stopped playing is the year he passed away in October of that year, it was one of those things that was ironic. We had a good bit of luck along the way, we gained players as the season went on, we had a big squad, with a lot of young fellas who were in their first year playing men’s football and at times they didn’t play a lot but they contributed a lot to the season, when you reflect back on it you think what was the one or two things I can’t really put my finger on it”.
Year two of the Purcell regime saw Newmarket suffer early exits from the FAI and Munster Junior Cups while they lost out to Avenue Utd in the Clare Cup final on a penalty shootout and came up short against the Roslevan club in their bid to retain the league. “The team and the squad, management and players have been there for some time, last season was exhausting, we won four trophies this year, the Tom Hand, the President’s Cup, the Munster Champions Cup and the Hugh Kelly so whilst we weren’t as successful overall we still won three
trophies that had never been won before in Clare, that in itself is a long time being on the road and I’m very disappointed overall that we didn’t capitalise on the Clare Cup, we weren’t really right at times and didn’t do enough to win the league overall so I wasn’t surprised we didn’t win that. There is a tinge of disappointment this season but also quite happy overall with the two seasons combined, we were in unchartered waters at the start of the season going to play Rockmount, the Northern Irish Junior Cup winners and the Champions Cup itself is a really tough competition to win itself so there are a lot of hard matches over time. Naturally enough if you have won the FAI Junior Cup and had the success we had, you’re on the chopping block and everyone wants a piece of you, teams drawing with you see that as a win so everything is a lot more difficult, if you’re not one hundred percent as sharp as you were as a group then you’re there to be taken down a peg and that was always the case”. What proved costly in their efforts to hold onto the Premier Division were dropped points to Tulla Utd and Kilrush Rangers plus a home defeat to Bridge Utd, all of which occurred in a short window of time. “It was a funny one, really funny actually, we had a poor fixture congestion in a season where we had far less games to
by Joe Buckley
play. We went four weeks without playing a game and our pitch is playable every week so that was definitely a factor in how we ended up coming together in those last four or six weeks which we tripped up, it was that and it was the stop start nature of the second half of the season which we had, it distracted a few players and it distracted the routine of what we had, whilst we tried to maintain it with training sessions and internal challenge matches it’s still not the same as the week in week out competitiveness and that is what caught us more, it is difficult to have four free weekends for lads and keeping them tuned in. I give credit to the players because they did stay tuned in but you can’t replicate proper competitive matches during that time, that is maybe the one thing that did catch up with us for those fixtures and some other elements of maybe lads taking their eye off the ball, you get back what you deserve and as a result of maybe the fixture congestion and how we dealt with that, that is where you drop your points”.
RECRUITMENT
Celtic didn’t strengthen their squad in last year’s transfer window which meant there was no new dimension added to their side. Purcell acknowledged that they could have beefed up their team but also pointed out that they were pleased with the
players within their ranks. “It is a hard one because we had a very big squad the first year and we had younger lads who just came out of youths that featured at different times, they didn’t get as much game time as they could have but it is very hard with a team competing to the levels we are competing to, the squad thinned itself out in the off-season, we lost one or two players, it is a hard one, even in year one it wasn’t a case that we went around and tried to sign loads of players, my first year of management we had a handful of players that we went after, other than that we had a good squad and youths players coming through. Maybe, we could have recruited better for the second season but equally we were satisfied enough with what we had overall with the depth of the squad and that some of those youths players were going to step up a bit more, it is hard to draw players out of other leagues to try and come play for you, thankfully a few players had put themselves forward and were knocking on our door to want to come and play for us, some of the players that did sign for us had a good impact on the season but you’re trying to balance the numbers with improving the squad so it is a difficult balance”. His wife Claire Wehrley herself is a respected soccer coach and has been involved at provincial level with schools as well as numerous set-ups. The secondary school teacher is set for a shock to the system in dealing with Paddy around the house more often. “Even last year when I was contemplating doing a second season because of the various things going on she was pushing me at the door, at the moment she is enjoying having me around more but she might be sick of me by the end of our two week holiday so I could be looking for a job then, who knows. All jokes aside, we are looking forward to getting Sunday mornings back, we spent a good bit of the off-season last year in Lahinch and Clahane enjoying our Sunday mornings so we’re looking forward to doing that now, we’ll have no bother filling the time together”.
Photo
CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL, TEERGONEAN, DOOLIN, CO. CLARE
Take notice that G. & J. Lodges intend to apply to the Planning Authority for permission to retain the outdoor canopy area, food/ beverage container and toilet cubicle along with associated site works at the above address.
That the planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.
CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL SHANNON AIRPORT, COUNTY CLARE
Shannon Airport Authority DAC intend to apply for permission for development at Shannon Airport, Shannon, Co. Clare.
The development will consist of the demolition of existing single storey administration offices, consolidation/protection works to the western end of the shared services building, the removal and upgrade of the facade to the eastern end of the main terminal building over 2no. stories, the reconfiguration of the existing Airside personnel and passenger entrance/egress locations, new security fencing, hard and soft landscaping, with the provision of wayfinding and branding signage, including all associated site works. Demolition works will be carried out within the curtilage of a protected Structure (RPS No.: 328).
The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.
CLARE CO. COUNCIL MAGHERA, LAHINCH.
Take notice that Patricia Shannon intends to apply for permission for development, the development consists of the construction of a slatted unit and associated site works at the above address. The planning application maybe inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.
CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL
SITE NO. 7, DÚN NA COILLE, MOUNTIVERS, SIXMILEBRIDGE, CO CLARE
We, LPN Construction (Holding Ltd.), are applying to the above authority for permission/retention permission for the following development on property at Site no. 7, Dún na Coille, Mountivers, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare:
Retention Permission for the relocation of approved house type on site no.7 and increase in floor area of approved house type (P18519 and P23-60105 Refer), Permission for revised position of detached garage and revised site boundary together with all associated ancillary and incidental site works.
The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.
Permission for the 1.) Partial demolition of existing storage building, 2.) Restoration and repair of remaining storage building to use as a bat roost 3.) Construction of revised staff facilities building and all associated site works previously permitted under Planning Reference P2360227 is being sought by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not
exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority Clare County Council, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours.
A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.
CLARE CO. COUNCIL CASTLETOWN, CARRAN, CO. CLARE
Permission for the construction of 4 agricultural storage sheds and associated site works adjacent to an existing farmyard is being sought by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority Clare County Council, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours.
A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.
CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL MOYNOE, SCARIFF, CO CLARE
“Take notice that Lourdes Garcia and Diego Andres Saenz intend to apply to the Planning Authority for planning permission to demolish part of existing stone dwelling and replace with new, construction of new rear extension including new roof throughout and installation of new wastewater treatment system along with all ancillary works.
The planning authority may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours.
A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20 within the period of five (5) weeks, beginning on the date of receipt by the Planning Authority.
CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL
FURTHER INFORMATION / REVISED PLANS
PLANNING REF: P23/60554
Development Description: to erect 5No dwellings & foul sewer treatment systems & percolation areas, to connect to ancillary services and to develop service road and new site entrance
Location: Knockerra West, Kilrush
Take notice that Pat Fitzpatrick has lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P23/60554. This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, New Road, Ennis, Co Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the newspaper notice and site notice by the planning authority.
CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL
FURTHER INFORMATION/ REVISED PLANS
PLANNING REFERENCE P24/60095
Development Description: Works includes the construction of a single storey extension to the rear and side of the existing dwelling,
a single storey shed 57sqm and all associated ancillary works. Total size of the four bedroom dwelling 268sqm.
Location: Casa Maria, Kilaspuglonane, Lahinch, Co Clare V95 H4C6
Take notice that Tara Flanagan & Pat Byrne has lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P24/60095. This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the newspaper paper notice and site notice by the planning authority.
PRAYER
THE MIRACLE PRAYER
Dear Heart of Jesus, In the past, I have asked for many favours. This time, I ask you
This special favour.
(Mention Favour)
Take it dear Heart of Jesus, And place it within Your own broken heart
Where your Father sees it, Then in His Merciful Eyes
It will become your favour Not mine. Amen.
Say this prayer for 3 days. Promise publication. Anne Corry
THE MIRACLE PRAYER
Dear Heart of Jesus, In the past, I have asked for many favours. This time, I ask you This special favour. (Mention Favour)
Take it dear Heart of Jesus, And place it within Your own broken heart
Where your Father sees it, Then in His Merciful Eyes It will become your favour Not mine. Amen.
Say this prayer for 3 days. Promise publication. Anne Corry
1Dr. Moosajee Bhamjee came to Clare from which country?
a. India
b. Sri Lanka
c. South Africa
2 Dr. Moosajee Bhamjee later became involved in which political party in Clare?
a. Fianna Fail
b. Labour Party
c. Fine Gael
3 Marty Morrissey lived in which American state before moving to Clare at age 10?
a. New York
b. Chicago
c. Boston
4For how many years did Marty Morrissey play with the Clare Minor Football Team?
a. One
b. Two
c. Three
5In which country did political leader Daniel O’ Connell die?
a. France
b. Italy
c. England
6What happened between O’ Connell and D’Esterre in County Kildare in 1815?
a. A political debate
b. A gun dual
c. Public trial
7Gene Kelly was a famous American ____ who’s grandparents came from Clare.
a. Baseball player
b. Singer
c. Actor
8Robert McNamara who’s grandfather was from Clare was the U.S ________?
a. Secretary of Defence
b. President
c. Vice President
9He was an architect of which famous war?
a. Korean War
b. The Gulf War
c. Vietnam War
10Which famous Australian Actress grandparents originate from Clare?
a. Margot Robbie
b. Nicole Kidman
c. Kate Blanchett
Spot the Difference
Kidman
l QUESTION 5 : In which country did political leader Daniel O’ Connell die?
THIS WEEKS PUZZLES July 18th
WORD SEARCH
Baklava
. Blini
Borscht
Cassata
. Chapatti
Chow mein
Couscous
. Dim sum
Dolmades
. Falafel
. Gazpacho
Goulash
. Haggis
Halva
. Hummus
Lasagne
. Luau
. Moussaka
Paella
. Pita
. Sashimi
Stollen
. Sushi
. Tagine
Tempura
. Tortilla
HOW TO PLAY Sudoku is a logic puzzle where you have to populate the grid with numbers. A number can appear only once in each row, column and house. Each puzzle can be solved using logic from the given information and requires no guesswork.
ACROSS
1. Competent(4) 3. Gossip(8) 9. Tropical cyclone(7) 10. More judicious(5) 11. Fracture(5) 12. Artist (anag)(6) 14. Paradise(6)
16. Maintenance(6) 19. Specimen(6) 21. Smell(5) 24. Long narrow range ofhills(5) 25. Exact copy(7) 26. Holiness(8) 27. Move by slow degrees(4)
