An 18-year-old Ennis youth who struck former Clare hurler Alan Markham with a beer glass in an unprovoked attack yesterday walked free from court.

A Munster senior title-winning hurler turned up at Ennis Garda Station last Christmas with his head bloodied and bruised after being struck by a beer glass and a stick.

Some of the Clare players who soldiered after the ‘97 All-Ireland final victory recall the ‘famine years’.

July 25, 2004. Anthony Daly takes a red pen to the hurling manual and designates Alan Markham to a sweeping role in an All-Ireland quarter-final.

A 64th-minute pointed free from halfway by Broadford’s Pádraig Hickey earned his side a draw with title-holders Crusheen in the opening game of the Clare SHC at Ennis’s Cusack Park on Friday evening last.

ASK Anthony Daly about his first big encounter with Kilkenny and the chances are he won’t talk about the match itself, the 1995 National League final.

THE similarities between them first. The two men were defenders by trade and very good ones, the older of the pair being what the reporters of yesteryear liked to term “a veritable colossus” in his under-age days.

Laois 1-11 Clare 2-12

CHAMPIONS Clare scored a notable early season victory with a hard-fought two-point win over Tipperary in the Waterford Crystal Trophy under lights in Borrisoleigh last night.

Clare 0-17 Tipperary 1-12

A useful exercise for new Clare manager Ger O’Loughlin in this first round Waterford Crystal senior hurling tournament in magnificent Meelick yesterday afternoon, as his charges chiselled out a gritty three-point win over WIT (Waterford Institute of Technology).

All-Ireland winner Niall Gilligan has turned down an initial approach to link up with the Clare senior hurling panel for the 2010 campaign.

ALL-IRELAND winner Niall Gilligan has turned down an initial approach to link up with the Clare senior hurling panel for the 2010 campaign.

AS I strolled down to Cusack Park from the centre of Ennis on Saturday, I passed a funeral home a hundred metres or so from the pitch. The thought flashed through my mind that the joust with Galway might be the final nail in the coffin for Clare’s hurling season where they have failed to win a game in league or championship.

IT’S SAID a team reflects the personality of its manager; this All-Ireland SHC qualifier offered diametrically opposing arguments on that particular hypothesis. On the one hand, offering proof positive was Galway.

THE TWO games I saw this weekend – Tullamore on Saturday and Tipperary against Clare in Limerick yesterday – have restored my faith in hurling.

IT WOULD be a major shock were Clare to beat Tipperary in the Gaelic Grounds tomorrow in much the same way as they caught Waterford off guard at this venue 12 months ago.

FORMER All-Ireland winning defender Mike McCarthy is set end his inter-county retirement and rejoin the Kerry squad.

CLARE boss Mike McNamara last night declared Colin Lynch ‘epitomised all that is great about Clare hurling’ after it was confirmed yesterday that the long-serving midfielder had retired from the inter-county game.

CLARE 0-19 GALWAY 4-16

TEN of the Cork team that started in last August’s semi-final defeat to Kilkenny, were named in the starting 15 last night for Cork’s NHL Division One trip to Clare on Sunday.

CLARE 1-12 TIPPERARY 1-07

Clare 2-12 Waterford IT 1-12, Meelick

Three players will make their championship debuts for Clare in Sunday's Munster SHC opener against Waterford (Gaelic Grounds, throw-in 2pm).

At a meeting of the GAA's Central Appeal’s Committee last night, appeals on behalf of Clare’s Barry Nugent, Colin Lynch and Andrew Quinn were heard.

Clare hurling manager Tony Considine is facing more problems than just the 'Semplegate' affair ahead of his side's opening All-Ireland SHC qualifier against Antrim on June 30.

Clare manager Tony Considine has insisted his team will not be pulling out of the All-Ireland hurling championship, despite suggestions to the contrary by Clare County Board chairman Michael McDonagh.

Suspensions have been imposed on Clare players Barry Nugent, Alan Markham, Andrew Quinn and Colin Lynch, and Cork’s Sean Óg Ó hAilpín, Diarmuid O Sullivan and Dónal Óg Cusack, the GAA has confirmed.

The case for freeing the 'Rebel Four' to face Waterford next Sunday week will be heard tonight in Croke Park.

Unofficial reports have named the suspended players following the pre-match fracas that occurred in last weekend’s Munster SHC between Clare and Cork.

Clare 1-11 Cork 1-18

The Clare team to face Cork in Sunday's Munster SHC opener includes three championship debutants (Semple Stadium, throw-in 2pm).

Clare 0-14 Cork 1-13

Down 1-13 Clare 3-25

For the second year running, Wexford have crashed out of the All-Ireland Hurling Championship at the hands of Clare.

2001 All-Star defender Darragh Ryan has fought off injury to be included in the Wexford team for Sunday's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final against Clare (Croke Park, throw-in 2.15pm).

DUBLIN 1-16 CLARE 4-21