CLARE bid to reach their first ever All-Ireland IHC final when they go head-to-head with Galway in this evening’s semi-final tie in Cusack Park in Ennis at 6.30pm.

FOLLOWING the success of the minors on Sunday, Clare capture their second Munster hurling title in three days when their intermediate side captured a first provincial crown at Cusack Park in Ennis last night.

FORMER Clare senior star Niall Gilligan is a major injury doubt for the county’s intermediate team who face Limerick in tonight’s Munster IHC final in Cusack Park, Ennis at 7.30pm.

WHERE has the famous ‘Banner Roar’ gone, the old ‘Clare Shout’ of the last tumultuous decade, that’s what we were wondering as the Clare team took the field in the Gaelic Grounds yesterday for this Munster SHC semi-final joust with old enemies Tipperary.

FORMER Clare senior hurling stars Niall Gilligan and Tony Carmody have been drafted into the county intermediate set-up ahead of the Banner’s Munster IHC semi-final meeting with Cork in the Gaelic Grounds on June 19.

GER LOUGHNANE has launched a blistering attack on former Clare players Tony Griffin and Tony Carmody, accusing the former attacking pair of letting their county down.

HURLING’s eighth annual Seamus McIntyre Tournament, sponsored by St Paul’s Garda Credit Union, Cork, goes ahead today at St Martin’s GAA Club in Wexford.

CLARE’S spectacular All-Ireland U21 championship glory last year has many in the county expecting an immediate upsurge in the fortunes of the senior side.

EXPERIENCED Clare forward Tony Carmody has decided not to take up an invitation to play for the county under new manager Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin this year.

Clare 1-22 Tipperary 3-18

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.

CLARE 0-19 GALWAY 4-16

Clare 1-9 Kilkenny 3-16

LIMERICK manager Justin McCarthy introduces James Ryan and Paul Browne for his side’s NHL clash against Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh tomorrow.

Clare 0-16 Cork 2-13

THE all-conquering Portumna hurlers could be back in action for Galway as early as next Sunday when John McIntyre’s men take on Limerick badly in need of league points.

CLARE’S strong second-half showing in the Gaelic Grounds yesterday just fell short of redeeming a situation where they conceded three goals in a short period before the break.

LIMERICK 3-13 CLARE 1-18

CLARE 1-12 TIPPERARY 1-07

Clare 0-13 Limerick IT 0-12, Meelick

ULSTER’S spirited display in the M Donnelly Interprovincial hurling semi-final in Fermoy brought some welcome respite from the miserable weather conditions that enveloped the Cork town on Saturday.

Cork 2-19 Clare 2-17

Munster SHC Final: Tipperary 2-21 Clare 0-19

Clare 4-12 Limerick 1-16, Semple Stadium

CALM and articulate, sweating slightly, Tony Griffin was a relaxed figure in the tunnel under the Mackey Stand in the Gaelic Grounds yesterday.

THE promised torrential thunder-showers didn’t hit Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds until about an hour after the final whistle, long after the disappointing crowd of 17,365 had headed for home.

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

A slight knee injury has ruled team captain Brian O'Connell out of Clare's must-win NHL Division 1B showdown with fellow strugglers Offaly at Tullamore on Sunday.

Clare 1-13 Waterford 0-9, Cusack Park

Wexford 1-12 Clare 1-10

Kilkenny’s all-conquering hurlers, as expected, dominate the list of nominees released today for Vodafone GAA All-Stars awards for 2006.

The official nominees for the 2006 Opel Gaelic Players Awards for Hurling have been announced by the Gaelic Players’ Association, with beaten All-Ireland finalists Cork leading the way with 13 nominations.

Henry Shefflin guided Kilkenny to a 2-21 to 1-16 win and another All-Ireland SHC final appearance as his personal tally of 1-13 left Clare crestfallen at Croke Park this afternoon.

The 2006 selections for the Waterford Crystal-sponsored Munster Hurling and Football All-Stars have predictably been dominated by Cork, the reigning provincial champions in both codes.

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

Clare 2-15 Offaly 1-9

THIS wasn’t just about guaranteeing holders Cork a place in the Guinness All-Ireland hurling championship quarter-final, irrespective of how they fare in the Munster final.

Cork 0-20 Clare 0-14

Clare have brought Barry Nugent into their side, in a straight swap for the injured Andrew Quinn, for Sunday's Munster SHC semi-final against Cork (Semple Stadium, throw-in 4pm).

CLARE have made just one change from the side that lost to Cork in last season’s Guinness All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final for Sunday’s Muster duel with their conquerors of nine months ago at Semple Stadium, Thurles.

WHEN the story of 2006 is being stitched together, April 9 won’t merit a mention, says Tony Carmody. May 28 is where the tale will begin.