Sports - Gaelic Games

Thursday, 29 July 2010 16:21

Written by claregaasupporter

Kilmaley are the favourites to retain the Clare Senior camogie trophy this year and they have the incentive of claiming a three in a row.

Group 1

Kilmaley v Scariff-Ogonnelloe
Venue: Ballyline
Throw in: Friday, 7:30 pm

Kilmaley are the favourites to retain their trophy this year and they have the incentive of claiming a three in a row. Their club has also tasted success in the U18 A last year and this year’s senior league. They faced stiff opposition from Sixmilebridge last year and will see them as the main threat to their status as queens of Clare camogie. They contain an array of talent in the likes of Denise Lynch, Shonagh Enright, Clare McMahon, team captain Emma O’Driscoll and Kilmihil sisters Eimear and Ailish Considine. Scariff-Ogonnelloe competed together in the league and got off to the perfect start when they recorded a good victory over a strong Newmarket-on-Fergus side. Both these sides compete on their own at Intermediate grade and are actually going to be in opposition with each other in the opening round of that championship. Key players for the east Clare amalgamation are Aine O’Brien, Mairead Scanlan and Catherine O’Brien (Scariff) along with Roisin O’Brien, Regina O’Brien, Susan Vaughan (Ogonnelloe). Exp ct Kilmaley to get their campaign off to a winning start.

Verdict: Kilmaley

Kilkishen v Clooney-Quin

Venue: Shannon
Throw in: Friday, 7 pm

Last year was a progressive one for both these clubs. For Kilkishen it represented their first year back in the senior ranks while for Clooney-Quin they claimed the Glenomra Shield for the first time. Both sides are youthful; Kilkishen will be hoping to cause problems for more experienced team and might see the Glenomra Shield as a path to progression. They possess key players in the form of team captain Sarah Donnellan, Clare senior duo Kate Lynch and Nora Murphy along with Cushla Hehir and teenagers Lisa Loughnane and Amy Heffernan. Clooney-Quin have a bit more experience in the shape of Deirdre Murphy, Claire Ryan and Kelly McLean all of whom are on the Clare senior side. Add in the likes of younger players Jessica O’Neill, Aisling Hannon and Orlaith Duggan and you have a useful side. It will be a tight game but with Clooney-Quin having Deirdre Murphy in their ranks they should get off to a winning start.

Verdict: Clooney-Quin

Group 2

Bodyke-Tulla v Newmarket-on-Fergus
Venue: Clarecastle
Throw in: Friday 7:30 pm

Another first round clash sees another amalgamation in Bodyke-Tulla take on Newmarket-on-Fergus. A shortage of players in Bodyke and Tulla has led to them joining forces for the senior championship and they will be hoping to cause a few upsets. Players available for them include Ann Marie Fitzgerald, Sinead Doyle, Amy Collins (Bodyke), Aine Dinan, Lorna Power and Grace Corry (Tulla) who will be seen as important players. Newmarket-on-Fergus go into this campaign with a youthful side but have been hit by the retirement of perhaps their most experienced and decorated player Patricia O’Grady who holds senior medals with Sixmilebridge and her native Newmarket. She is however part of their management team and could yet come out of retirement if required. They went down in the semi-final last year to Kilmaley and will want to get back to that stage again this year. Key players for them are the Louise and Carol Kaiser, Sharon McMahon, Jane O’Leary, Aimee McInerney and Claire Arthur. It is hard to see anything but a Newmarket victory and they should have too much firepower for the combination.

Verdict: Newmarket-on-Fergus


Sixmilebridge v Wolfe Tones
Venue: Shannon
Throw in: Thursday (tonight) 7:15 pm

These two sides met at the group stages last year where the ‘Bridge were comprehensive victors. They subsequently qualified for the final only to be defeated by Kilmaley. For them it represented good progress getting to a final for the first time in a number of years with a very young team. Their prospects for 2010 have been boosted by the acquisition of Cratloe duo Moira McGrath and Naomi Carroll from Na Piarsaigh in Limerick. They will look to the likes of Clare trio Chloe Morey, Aiveen O’Shea and Naomi Carroll, Niamh Corry, Sinead Crowe and the experienced Noeleen Neylon to lead the way. Wolfe Tones had a bad year last year finishing last in their group and bowing out of the Glenomra Shield at the first stage. The Ray Diviney managed side are in a state of rebuilding with a lot of their victorious teams in the 90’s and early 00’s having retired over the last few years. They will look to captain Evelyn McGirl, the experienced Aine Ni Cormaic, Lizzy Danagher, Clare player Sarah Donovan, Avril O’Dea and youngster Leanne Boyle to cause an upset here. It is expected than Sixmilebridge will get off to a winning start here.

Verdict: Sixmilebridge