•FAI chief executive John Delaney will turn the first sod on the new Oughterard Association Football Club sports facilities on Thursday week. The new sports pitches and facilities are located at New Village, Oughterard. Phase one - the construction of the first natural grass pitch and ground works for the 10 acre site - has commenced and will cost €650,000. In order to raise the estimated total costs of €1.5 million for the full site development, OAFC is hosting a pitchmaker draw on St Patrick’s Day 2009. Prizes include a sporty Mazda 2 car, boat and trailer, €2,000 Marks & Spencer voucher, €1,000 holiday voucher, and laptop. Tickets for the draw are €50 and are available by emailing [email protected] or calling 085-1000 074.
•Bookmaker Boylesports has produced a series of odds looking forward to 2009. In soccer, the Republic of Ireland are 33/1 to beat Italy, not once but twice, and Trap’s Army are 2/1 to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. On the domestic scene, Derry are 7/1 to win the League of Ireland, while in England you can now get 20/1 on Arsenal winning the Premier League. In GAA, the Dubs are 5/1 to win their first All-Ireland since 1995, while Tipp are 11/2 to take Kilkenny’s crown. Corofin are 5/1 to win AIB Club Football Championship, while Galway are 18/1to win Sam Maguire. Padraig Harrington is 9/4 to win any Major in the next 12 months with a fit again Tiger Woods at 1/2 to do likewise, while young Rory McIlroy is even money to win any tour event. In rugby, Munster are 10/3 for European glory once again, while Ireland are 7/2 to win the Six Nations. The Lions are 15/8 to win the series in South Africa.
•The Irish Sports Council is hosting a series of Athlete Education Seminars to support the introduction of the new 2009 Irish Anti-Doping Rules. A seminar will be held in Galway at 7pm tonight at the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland. There is no attendance fee.
•Bow Waves, Galway Sailing and Powerboat School, is running a Day Skippers Navigation Course over 16 evenings. It introduces basic navigation, chartwork, position fixing, and passage planning, as well as the essential subjects of safety and meteorology. It also covers the safe use of the GPS. The course is equally suited to both sail and powerboat users and commences on Thursday January 22. For further information contact Bow Waves 091-560560 or e-mail [email protected].
•The Galway AAI County Indoor Track and Field Championships were held in the National Indoor Stadium in Nenagh, Co Tipperary recently. In the senior competition the 3000m was won by Craughwell’s Mark Davis in 9:30 with Eimear Hanahoe of GCH winning the ladies’ title and returning later with a distance double by winning the 800m. Leona McGuire of GCH had a fine sprint double in the 60m and 200m, while William Finnegan of Craughwell repeated this double on the men’s side and added the shot put, high jump, and long jump titles to round off a busy day. Rachel Finnegan of Craughwell won the 60m hurdles, long jump, and high jump tiles, while Cormac McDonnell of Ballinasloe won the men’s 800m and Mary Barrett of Loughrea won the ladies’ shot put.
• Power Soccer is back for the Winter Indoor Programme. Futsal balls will be used, focusing the players’ efforts on skilful use of the ball. Ladders will be used to develop players’ speed and agility. Power Soccer will also be putting into practice the Everton Way approach to coaching. To register phone 091-865350, post completed registration form to Power Soccer School of Excellence 32 Renmore Road, Galway, or register online go to www.powersoccer.ie
