Clare only led once in this qualifier, but they hit the front when it mattered most, landing a winner as the game slipped into stoppage time to crown a great weekend for the Banner County.

Cork U21 football manager Sean Hayes has enjoyed more relaxing weekends than the one just gone.

Kilmurry-Ibrickane made it through to the Clare SFC semi-finals, when beating Clondegad 2-10 to 1-11 at Cooraclare on Saturday.

Clare SFC round-up : Holders Cratloe got off to a winning start in the opening round of the Clare SFC at the weekend, defeating Éire Óg 2-12 to 1-12 at Cusack Park, Ennis on Saturday evening.

Two men today walked free from court after receiving suspended jail terms for their robbery of a 68-year-old man who abandoned his west Clare home after being terrorised there by robbers.

Standing outside the abandoned home of pensioner Michael McMahon, Councillor Bill Chambers remarked: “Michael was really happy here.”

A Co Clare community felt "revulsion" at the ordeal of an elderly man who cycled 30 miles in the middle of the night to escape intruders at his home.

Cratloe made it through to their first Clare SFC final when they defeated Éire Óg, Ennis 2-8 to 0-9 in the semi-final at Clarecastle yesterday.

Tipperary may be overwhelming favourites to beat Clare in this evening’s Cadbury Munster U21 football championship semi-final at Semple Stadium (7.30pm) but with Joe Garry in charge of the visiting Banner, anything is possible.

A 12-year-old boy tried in vain to resuscitate his gravely-ill father after he fell 10m from a barn roof.

A man in his 50s has died on a farm in Co. Clare.

Kilrush Shamrocks join Ennistymon, Cooraclare and Doonbeg in the Clare SFC quarter-finals as a result of a three point win over Shannon Gaels at Cooraclare.

Wolfe Tones na Sionna made it two wins out of two when they defeated St Breckan’s at Corofin in the Clare SFC yesterday.

The Clare SFC got underway at the weekend with some excellent football served up.

On the night of July 18, 1992, Martin Donnelly sat in his hotel room in the Clare Inn looking at 20 brand new Clare jerseys.

A 360-degree viewing platform, with panoramic coastal views, will form part of a planned €100 million wind farm.

THE Irishman who led the operation to capture dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 has landed a senior role with the controversial US private security firm formerly known as Blackwater.

THE Clare senior football title race began this weekend and Kilmurry-Ibrickane record a first round win over Kilmihil on Saturday.

THERE’S roughly 137 miles separating Liam McHale’s home in Ballina in north Mayo and the village of Cooraclare in the west of Clare. In the winter he embarks on that route two nights every week to the pitch which is the epicentre for the Banner county’s football preparations.

Former Kildare footballer Niall Browne will make his Munster SFC debut when he lines out for Clare against Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday (throw-in 3.30pm).

KERRY will have home advantage for next Saturday night’s McGrath Cup final against Clare following yesterday’s semi-final victory over Cork in Killarney.

CLARE claimed the spoils in this competitive McGrath Cup quarter-final at Cooraclare yesterday.

Defending champions Kerry reached the semi-finals of the McGrath Cup, following a facile 2-18 to 0-5 victory over Limerick IT at Austin Stack Park.

CORK boss Conor Counihan will make his 2011 managerial bow in next Sunday’s McGrath Cup quarter-final against Limerick in Newcastlewest but will operate without the majority of his All-Ireland winning team for the pre-season clash.

All-Ireland champions Cork ran out comfortable winners of their first competitive match of 2011, beating Waterford IT by 0-19 to 0-5 in the McGrath Cup.

CLARE football boss Micheal McDermott is confident that the GAA’s Central Council will look favourably this weekend on their request to become eligible for the scheme which allows players to declare for the home county of their parents.

CLARE football chiefs will look to second generation talent to aid the county cause for the upcoming McGrath Cup and National League campaigns.

KILMURRY-IBRICKANE, the Clare and Munster football champions relinquished their titles as they lost to rivals Doonbeg in Saturday’s county semi-final in Cooraclare (1-6 to 0-8).

MUNSTER SFC (Quarter-Final): Waterford v Clare (tomorrow, Dungarvan, 3pm)

FOR the majority of last night’s Cadbury’s Munster U21FC quarter-final in Cooraclare, Limerick full-forward Cormac Joyce-Power’s role entailed aiding his colleagues out the field.

KILMURRY-IBRICKANE boss Michael McDermott is optimistic long-serving attacker Odhrán O’Dwyer will be fit for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Tír Chonaill Gaels in Ruislip.

KIERAN DONAGHY has stepped up his bid for a dramatic return to Kerry colours for the All-Ireland final by taking a full part in Kingdom training.

THE GAA dual player may be considered a dying breed but Brian Fox is doing his best to buck that trend. Three months into the season and the Éire Óg-Annacarty man has been dividing his time in a three-way fashion.