• Salthill Devon is hosting a poker night with a prize pool of more than €8,000 on Friday March 26 in the Salthill Hotel. The ‘No Limit Texas Hold’ Em Night’ will also feature a host of spot prizes. Registration is 7.30pm.
•Galway Bay Sailing Club is running its ‘Introduction to Sailing’ course starting on Tuesday, March 30 at 8pm in Renville, Oranmore. Galway Bay Sailing Club has run this event on an annual basis aimed at introducing sailing to adult beginners. The course involves training in sailing theory, safety and practice on the water. Recent and experienced sailors in Galway Bay Sailing Club will be present at all training days to brief and welcome prospective sailors. It has been very successful in recent years and its timing coincides with the beginning of the sailing season. For further information, visit www.gbsc.ie or contact Glenn Nolan at 086 852 3722 or [email protected].
•Entries are now being accepted for what is known as one of the toughest Olympic distance races on the Triathlon Ireland calendar.The race is hosted by Galway Triathlon Club in the wilds of Connemara, the perfect place to test sea legs on the 1,500 metre open water swim, battle the bike leg on the scenic 40km cycle, and push legs through a final 10km foot race. Ras Na Portaigh will take place on July 17 in Carna, Co Galway. Entries can be made through www.runireland.com For more information visit www.galwaytriathlonclub.com
• Galway kickboxer Jennifer Baranyai from Pete Foley’s gym in Galway was the central billing at the Kilkenny Top Pro Kickboxing Club’s fight night in an IKF All Ireland Super Lightweight title fight. Opponent Ann Marie Bergin from Kilkenny took the fight by judge’s decision (49-48, 48-49, 47-49 ). Clubmate Cathal Manning defeated Dermot Maher (Top Pro ) by decision (40-38, 39-38, 40-37 ), while Ezra Nolan (Galway Black Dragon ) defeated Gerrry Gaul (Top Pro ) by first round TKO. Mehai Foscie (Top Pro ) drew with Feidhlim Dunne (Galway Black Dragon ) (29-29, 30-29, 29-29 ).
•Galway Black Dragon kickboxer Gary Manogue won the IKF Super Welterweight Five Nations Full Contact Kickboxing Title in the Telford International Centre in Birmingham recently. The Castlepark kickboxer knocked out current British Champion and last year’s amateur World Champion Gareth Porter in the second round of a scheduled five-round title fight with a right hook to the jaw. Manogue, with some 25 supporters from Galway spurring him on, brought his fight record to a perfect nine, with six wins coming by way of knockout.
•Presentation college Tuam suffered disappointment in their women’s senior A schools semi-final, following a three-point (2-7 to 2-10 ) loss against St Leo’s of Carlow in Mullingar on Saturday. In a game dominated by fouling and hard hitting from the Carlow outfit, 2-06 from Tracey Leonard was not enough to secure victory for Sean McGrath’s side. The game got off to a lively start – with Leo’s star Sinead Doogue netting a goal after just five minutes after Roisin and Tracey Leonard had sent over scores. But just four minutes later Pres raised the green flag when Tracey Leonard was fouled in the area and she converted low to level up at 1-02 each. St Leo’s went in two points to the good at the interval, and with eight minutes left St Leo’s extended their lead to five points after Delaney fired home a goal. However Tuam hit back with Tracey Leonard adding three frees and a second penalty to narrow the gap to one before St Leo’s hit two more to seal it at the end.
•Anne-Marie McDonagh of Salthill/Knocknacarra and Corofin’s Una Carroll are part of the Ladies’ All Star team which is travelling to San Francisco at the end of March.
