Limerick SHC wrap

Clare GAA chiefs have demanded that online abuse of players and management be tackled as a matter of urgency.

Champions Kilmallock remain unbeaten in their Limerick SHC title defence.

Less than two months after their All-Ireland Club final defeat to Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilmallock got off to a winning start in the group stages of the Limerick senior hurling championship.

As far as motivations go, few are stronger than emulating those who have come before you in your club.

Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 1-18 v Kilmallock (Limerick) 1-18:

Kilkenny’s Colin Fennelly has aired concerns about the injury woes older brother Michael has faced in recent years.

AIB All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final: Kilmallock (Limerick) 2-19 Portaferry (Down) 0-12: Expect one Limerick town to be empty on St. Patrick’s Day.

Kilmallock broke a six-year hoodoo for Munster club hurling champions this afternoon when they easily overcame Portaferry of Down by 2-19 to 0-12 at Cusack Park in Mullingar.

AIB MUNSTER CLUB SHC FINAL:

Kilmallock 3-22 Sarsfields 3-20 (AET)

Having won this year’s All-Ireland senior and U21 hurling double, and with Sixmilebridge in Sunday’s Munster Club final, Clare hurling is on the crest of a wave.

At 2pm local time on Monday last, 52 hours after entering the water and after four previous failed attempts over the previous 35 years, 64-year-old Diana Nyad emerged from the ocean in Florida Keys and thus became the first person to swim the 110 miles from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage.

Jonathan Clancy is 27, established in his professional life as a fully qualified accountant working with Eamon Keane & Co in Ennis and a hurler of note since he joined the Clare senior panel since 2005.

Clare legend Ger O’Loughlin is in an unique position to assess the three counties still standing in the All-Ireland senior hurling championship race.

Former Clare player and manager Ger O’Loughlin is taking over as Newtownshandrum manager.

Kilmallock 1-15 Adare 0-15

Kilmallock 4-24 Na Piarsaigh 4-13

Adare 1-18 Garryspillane 0-12

Limerick club hurling side Emmets could only muster up 13 players for the start of yesterday’s Limerick SHC game against Adare.

FOR the first time since 2007, Cork and Tipperary have not been drawn against one another in the Munster SH championship.

DAN SHANAHAN has hinted it’s in Waterford’s best interests to look outside the county once more for a manager. The 2007 hurler of the year was a big supporter of his former team-mate Fergal Hartley for the role before he pulled out of the running.

DAVY FITZGERALD will be ratified as the new Clare senior hurling manager at their next county board meeting on October 11, after it was confirmed to club delegates in the West County Hotel in Ennis last night that the legendary All-Ireland-winning goalkeeper was the only nominee to fill the role vacated by Ger O’Loughlin in July.

Davy Fitzgerald is the only candidate in the race to be appointed Clare senior hurling boss ahead of tonight’s county board meeting at the West County Hotel in Ennis.

DAVY FITZGERALD is the only candidate in the race to be appointed Clare senior hurling boss ahead of tonight’s county board meeting at the West County Hotel in Ennis.

PAT GILROY is expected to name the same Dublin team that started in the win over Tyrone for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final against Donegal.

WATERFORD manager Davy Fitzgerald last night hit back at his sharpest critics, claiming they all have agendas against him.

CONSIDERING the past couple of days, never mind yesterday’s achievement, it was understandable Anthony Daly was a little emotional afterwards.

FOR a man who loves Clare hurling as much Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin, the decision to resign as senior manager didn’t come easy.

CLARE boss Ger O’Loughlin will have a “very serious think” about his managerial future following the county exit from the All-Ireland senior hurling championship last Saturday.

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.

THE Galway management took my advice about the elaborate warm-up they had in Tullamore on the night they lost against Dublin.

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.

IN Clare’s magnificent All-Ireland title wins of 1995 and 1997, one man stood head and shoulders above all others — manager Ger Loughnane. A charismatic figure, it was the power and force of his personality that drove Clare to new heights during those heady years.

THE first question I have to ask this morning: Where was this Clare performance all year?

AJ LEIBLING was right, all those years ago: there is still a kick in style and tradition carries a nasty wallop.

THE disappointment of defeat was evident when Ger O’Loughlin fielded questions after yesterday’s Munster SHC semi-final and that was exacerbated for the Clare manager by the decisions made by referee James Owens during the game.

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.

Clare boss Ger O’Loughlin has several injury worries to contend with ahead of next Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final against Tipperary in the Gaelic Grounds, the Irish Examiner has reported.

CLARE boss Ger O’Loughlin has several injury worries to contend with ahead of next Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final against Tipperary in the Gaelic Grounds.

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.

IF you were to reduce winning senior championships in hurling to a formula, then managerial leadership + player talent would be as good as any.

“LIKE trying to climb Mount Everest when you’ve been practising on Carrantuohill,” was how Limerick boss Donal O’Grady described how Division Two hurling would prepare his side for their June 12 Munster championship semi-final with Waterford.

THE angry man in the queue for chips last Saturday night wasn’t sparing the blame.