JOHN CONLON INSPIRED his club Clonlara to reach the Clare senior hurling semi-finals today as they held off last year’s finalists Éire Óg Ennis by 1-14 to 0-14.
Conlon, who lines out at centre-forward at club level, struck five points, while Michael O’Loughlin bagged 0-6 and Colm O’Meara pounced for the only goal of the game in the opening period.
David Reidy fired 0-12 for Éíre Óg as most of the scoring responsibility fell on the shoulders of the free-taker, Shane O’Donnell chipping in with a point late on.
Earlier Crusheen advanced to the last four with their 3-7 to 1-7 success over Newmarket-on-Fergus. Breffni Horner rattled the net twice for the victors, while Fergus Kennedy also grabbed a goal. Eanna Crimmins scored the only goal for a Newmarket-on-Fergus team that fell short by six points.
Feakle and Scarriff both bagged their spots in the semi-finals with quarter-final victories yesterday. It sets up a novel quartet in the last four Clare race for the Canon Hamilton trophy. Feakle last contested the final in 1988, Scariff in 1995, Clonlara in 2016 and Crusheen in 2014.
Finally Clarecastle were relegated from the Clare senior hurling championship, losing to O’Callaghan Mills 1-16 to 1-13, and the result will see them drop to intermediate level for the first time since 1931. Clarecastle have won 12 Clare senior titles, last successful in 2005.
Wolfe Tones also dropped out of the senior race with yesterday’s six-point defeat at the hands of St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield.
Meanwhile in Kilkenny the quarter-final draw for the senior hurling championship took place this evening.
- James Stephens v Graigue-Ballycallan
- Dicksboro v Shamrocks Ballyhale
- O’Loughlin Gaels v Mullinavat
- Glenmore v Bennettsbridge
The quarter-finals will be played next weekend 30 September-1 October. This weekend’s action saw first round wins for Bennettsbridge, by 5-12 to 3-10 against Tullaroan, and Graigue-Ballycallan, who saw off Clara by 1-18 to 1-14.
The relegation semi-finals saw Mullinavat defeat Erins Own 4-11 to 0-10 and All-Ireland champions Shamrocks Ballyhale overcame Danesfort 2-16 to 0-14.
Those results will see Mullinavat and Shamrock Ballyhale move into the quarter-finals, while Erins Own will face Danesfort in the relegation decider.
