PBC Cork 19

Never in the history of Irish schools rugby has there been such a scene as witnessed in Musgrave Park yesterday when the Clayton Hotels Munster Junior Cup tie between Presentation Brothers College Cork and St Munchin’s College was hit by three serious injuries and ultimately abandoned after just nine minutes of play.

Ardscoil Rís 17 PBC 23: Presentation Brothers recovered in style from a jittery start to beat Ardscoil Rís 23-17 in a highly entertaining first round Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Junior Cup game at Dooradoyle yesterday.

Munster have dominated Leinster in recent years, but the province’s head coach Adam Griggs believes his side are ready to buck that trend in today’s ladies’ interprovincial title decider at Donnybrook (2.30pm).

Na Piarsaigh (Limerick) 3-11 Sixmilebridge (Clare) 1-15: NA PIARSAIGH remain on course for a third Munster Club hurling title in five years after a blistering second-half performance saw them power past the home side at O’Garvey Park, Sixmilebridge yesterday.

Kilkenny 1-15 Clare 0-04

Kilkenny claimed their first national title since 2008 when they proved much too strong for Clare in a disappointingly one-sided Irish Daily Star camogie league Division 1 final at Semple Stadium.

Clare 1-12 Cork 0-11

Munster 6 Leinster 21

Na Piarsaigh (Limerick) 4-14 Sixmilebridge (Clare) 0-8

Sixmilebridge 1-11 Clonlara 0-11

Munster coach Garry Walsh admitted ‘bitterness’ of defeat played a part in his side’s 15-12 victory over Leinster to claim the women’s interpro title at Ashbourne RFC on Saturday afternoon.

Tipperary edged out their Clare hosts by a point in an entertaining senior hurling challenge at the official opening of the Clonlara GAA facilities last night.

Clare boss Davy Fitzgerald and his Limerick counterpart John Allen had a hot little ‘tete-a-tete’ on the sidelines of this Allianz Hurling League Division 1B final at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday evening.

Limerick 1-16 Clare 0-21

There was irony aplenty at O’Connor Park, Tullamore yesterday as Aaron Cunningham, son of Offaly coach Alan, landed the decisive 70th minute winning point as Clare maintained their 100% record in Division 1B of the Allianz NHL.

Clare had just too much power and speed for Laois at Portlaoise yesterday, but when one recalls the dreadful championship humiliation suffered by the Moores at the hands of Cork in the same venue last summer, there was plenty to be positive about formanager, Teddy McCarthy.

Clare recorded their second win of the Allianz Division 1B campaign with a hard fought victory over Antrim at Cusack Park, Ennis yesterday.

Clare 0-20 Antrim 0-12

A bright start and a driving finish ensured Tipperary took the Waterford Crystal Cup home with them from Sixmilebridge yesterday, beating Clare by six points in the end thanks to their greater accuracy.

Last year they had nine points to spare in their Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final triumph over Dublin IT and yesterday Cork IT replicated that commanding performance at the same stage against NUIG in Bishopstown.

The round robin format of the Fitzgibbon Cup has robbed it of a lot traditional drama but these twoproduced a finale at Dangan yesterday which was a throwback to former days in the competition.

It may have been a senior development squad team on duty, but the New Year began as the old one finished for Kilkenny — a victory, albeit a hard-earned one.

IT won’t bother Crusheen today, their title retained, but the question has to be asked: should this Clare SHC final have been allowed go ahead?

DAVY FITZGERALD, who looks set to be ratified as Clare hurling boss tomorrow night, returned to his roots on Saturday with an impressive display for Sixmilebridge in their SHC semi-final win at Cusack Park, Ennis.

A LARGER than expected crowd were in sunny Pearse Stadium on Saturday evening for this All-Ireland senior hurling qualifier with both sets of supporters approaching the tie with trepidation.

CONOR O’MAHONY returns to the Tipperary lineup for Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final against Clare in the Gaelic Grounds in the only change from the side that defeated Cork last month. O’Mahony is named at centre-back with Padraic Maher moving to half-back and John O’Keeffe to the full-back line in place of Paddy Stapleton.

SHANE DOOLEY’S 68th minute goal from a powerfully struck 20m free ensured that Offaly gained a draw with Clare in Saturday’s high- scoring challenge match to mark the official opening of Crinkill GAA grounds and also saw Gerry Quinn’s return to the Banner fold.

RARELY does league fare take centre stage in the imagination of hurling folk, especially not outside the top tier, but such was the interest in this crucial Allianz Hurling League Division Two final that Ennis on Saturday evening bore all the hallmarks of a championship encounter.

CLARE manager Ger O’Loughlin bemoaned the imbalance in the second tier of the hurling league after Saturday’s mismatch at Cusack Park, Ennis.

CORK boss Denis Walsh placed several of the county’s upcoming talents under the microscope in Passage West yesterday and was rewarded with a thoroughly convincing victory in a senior hurling challenge against Clare.

CLARE had no problem at Cusack Park, Ennis, yesterday in dismissing the challenge of Down in the Allianz HL Division 2.

LAST March when Limerick IT and NUI Galway met in the Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final in Dangan, they conjured up a spellbinding clash that yielded 49 scores over 80 minutes of pulsating action.

TRIUMPH for Donal O’Grady’s Limerick in this Allianz Hurling League Division Two opener in Ennis yesterday, disaster for Clare and their manager, Ger O’Loughlin.

DESPITE horrendous weather conditions at floodlit Mourneabbey on Saturday, Cork and Clare still served up a decent game in this senior hurling challenge ahead of the commencement of the league next weekend.

Cork IT 2-12 NUI Galway0-17

Kilkenny 3-16 NUI Galway 2-12

THEIR senior hurling fortunes may reside at a low ebb after the All-Ireland senior qualifier mauling at the hands of Dublin, but Clare U-21 star John Conlon has pleaded with the Banner supporters to be patient with the streams of underage talent that the county are producing.

REIGNING Munster and All-Ireland U21 champions Clare stay on course to retain their titles, but only after a hugely entertaining battle against Limerick in this Munster semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds last evening.

CHAMPIONS Clare begin the first defence of their Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21HC crown in tonight’s Munster semi-final against Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds and manager John Minogue is hoping his charges can lift hurling in the county after the senior side’s disappointing All-Ireland championship exit last Saturday.

THIRTY years of failures and disappointment in the Fitzgibbon Cup were washed away as NUI Galway swept to success on their home turf in Pearse Stadium on Saturday.