RIP Laura Buckley Noonan
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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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PIC: Sportsfile
The Loughmore Castleiney players will have little time to dwell on their no-show in Walsh Park on Sunday as they will be back on the pitch this week in preparation for another Munster Club Championship last-four tie, this time in the big ball as they prepare for another away day in Clare this coming Sunday.
The manner of their performance against Ballygunner is not what we have come to associate with this group of players and it took many by surprise just how easy the game was for the Waterford champions, particularly in the second half.
Some of the explanation came out in the aftermath that a bug was circulating in the group, especially affecting Brian and John McGrath which hurling boss Eamonn Kelly revealed had them sweating on whether they would even be able to feature in the game at all.
In fairness, they looked far from the players who had such fantastic games in the county final, and Shane Hennessy and his management team will be hoping they can recover this week in an effort to be match-fit come Sunday. They will train later in the week to see how they are moving in advance of the game.
It has been over a month since Loughmore Castleiney clinched the county football title and with hurling thrown into the mix, they again come into this game with a considerably less match-practiced group that is in direct contrast to their opponents, Éire Óg Ennis on Sunday. The Clare champions played a quarter-final against their Limerick counterparts Adare a few weeks ago and had five points to spare in the game.
The Ennis club have a key platform in their half-back line with county player Ikem Ugwueru at centre-back and the experienced Ciaran Russell scoring a goal apiece in the quarter-final, so their runs from deep will have to be checked.
This is another tough task for Loughmore away from home, but they will be happy that they still have the opportunity to make amends for last Sunday’s disappointing performance; with a Munster final place at stake.
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