Heart and guts from Castlebar see them edge a thriller

Fri, Feb 19, 2016

Castlebar Mitchels are through to their second All-Ireland club final in three years after a heroic semifinal win over club kingpins Crossmaglen Rangers in Breffni Park last weekend. It really was a battle royal with both sets of players getting stuck into each other from the get go. I don’t imagine either team came up against such intensity in their run to the semifinal.

There are so many talking points, so many key moments, that ultimately decided the game. Crossmaglen hit the ground running and had their first score on the board inside the first minute. Things looked ominous for the Mayo champions in that first half as Jamie Clarke most definitely brought his A game and terrorised the Mitchels defence and Tom Cuniffe in particular. The message from the Castlebar management was simple — in Tom we trust, he is their best man marker, however he was very isolated in his full back line in the first half and Clarke took full advantage. Clarke finished the half with 0-3, it could easily have been 1-04 or 2-03 had he taken all the chances offered to him. In fairness, Turbo Tom was on a hiding to nothing as Clarke was given some unbelievable passes by the three Kernan brothers which were simply impossible to defend against if on your own.

Coen confident as Mayo look to down the Royals

Fri, Feb 19, 2016

The Mayo senior hurlers got their National League season off to a winning start last Sunday, when they saw off Donegal in MacHale Park in round one of the league. This year sees Mayo drop down to the Nicky Rackard Cup for their championship campaign in the summer time and we caught up with Mayo senior hurling manager JP Coen during the week to look ahead to the season and what he expects from his charges.

Feeney goal seals opening day win for hurlers

Sun, Feb 14, 2016

A Kenny Feeney goal 20 minutes from time was the deciding moment in this entertaining encounter that saw Mayo get off to a winning start in the National Hurling League in Castlebar on Sunday. Feeney and Keith Higgins were the main men for Mayo with the two scoring a combined 1-9 between them over the 70 minutes.

Mitchels show the heart of champions to book final spot

Sun, Feb 14, 2016

If anyone had any doubts about how much Castlebar Mitchels want to be bringing the Andy Merrgian Cup to Castlebar in March, they got their answer in Breffni Park on Saturday night. Mitchels are a team packed full of talented footballers from one end of the field to the other, but on Saturday night heart, guts, fight and determination were as much responsible for their one point win over Crossmaglen Rangers as any amount of talent.

Mitchels look to make their mark

Fri, Feb 12, 2016

When St Patrick's day rolls around Castlebar Mitchels will be hoping they are preparing for a perfect ten out of ten record in championship games in the All Ireland final. The Mayo and Connacht champions have played in and won eight championship games since they opened their account on a rainy Saturday evening in Josie Munnelly Park against Ballaghaderreen early last summer.

Mayo showed what they are made of

Fri, Feb 12, 2016

Last Saturday can only be described as a Super Saturday within Mayo GAA circles with three big games on — However none of the results matched the excitement within the county. The All-Ireland champions Dublin travelled to Elvery’s MacHale Park for what was meant to be a walk in the park for them, given Mayo’s performance the previous week in Cork. What ensued was everything but as a very different Mayo made them fight to the bitter end, only for Dublin to scrape home by two points.

Conditions in Castlebar can only be described as Baltic yet over ten thousand hardy souls turned out to support their teams. The swirling hail stone shower as the teams warmed up brought back horrible memories as to how difficult it was to play in such conditions. I wasn’t built to play football in the Arctic and wasn’t envious of the players on the field. I don’t recall a Mayo team playing in the last 15 years in any competition where the bookmakers were offering 4/1 for them to win, even at home. A bookmakers odds normally very indicative of what might occur and they were expecting the Dubs to run riot as were most of the supporters in the large crowd, including yours truly.

Draws set up some mouth watering encounters

Fri, Feb 12, 2016

The focus of all the GAA clubs in Mayo was sharpened this week when the draw for the senior, intermediate and junior football championships were made in MacHale Park. In the senior championship the defending champions Castlebar Mitchels were pitted in a group with two of the heavy hitters from the recent past with Ballina Stephenites and Crossmolina Deel Rovers in the pool with them. Joining those three sides are Ballinrobe who'll fancy their chances of turning over at least one of the former giants.

Last years beaten finalists Breaffy have landed themselves in the south Mayo 'battle royale' group with Davitts who nearly cut Breaffy's run off at the knees before it got going last year, Garrymore and Claremorris making up the four team group. Ballintubber will open their championship run at home to last years intermediate champions Hollymount-Carramore who only finished their season last weekend, the other two sides in the group are the east Mayo heavyweights Charlestown and Aghamore. With Ballintubber on paper, favourites to take at least one of the two last eight spots. the second place in the quarter-final is sure to be a hotly contested one. The final group in the senior championship looks to be another tight affair, Knockmore and Ballaghaderreen look to be the two heavy hitters, but Kiltane and Ballyhaunis won't let them have it all their own way

Mayo look to make it three in a row

Fri, Feb 12, 2016

Mayo made it two wins from two in the National Football League last weekend when they saw off Dublin by two points in Swinford Amenity Park. This win, backing up their victory over Cork the previous weekend has laid down a serious marker of intent from Frank Browne's ladies for the season ahead.

Mayo look to get off to winning ways

Fri, Feb 12, 2016

The Mayo senior hurlers get their league season underway on Sunday, when they host Donegal in Elverys MacHale Park at 2pm. Mayo will be hoping to use the league as a learning curve as they have much bigger things on their mind come summertime.

Dubs hold Mayo and rain storm at bay

Sun, Feb 07, 2016

Mayo showed the kind of fight and heart that will have given their supporters plenty of cause for optimism going into the rest of the league campaign which will return at the tail end of the month. However, despite that fight and heart Mayo are still pointless after their first two rounds of action in the league and now face into two tough road trips to Ulster on the bounce before the final swing of three games at the tail end of Spring.

St Mary's end Hollymount-Carramore adventure

Sat, Feb 06, 2016

The great Hollmount-Carramore All Ireland adventure came to an end in Croke Park on Saturday night, where the south Mayo men came up just short against an impressive St Mary’s, Cahersiveen side in the All Ireland final.

Ardnaree fall short on All Ireland day

Sat, Feb 06, 2016

It just wasn’t to be for Ardnaree in Croke Park on Sunday, the Mayo champions had blitzed their way through the club championship in Mayo and on into Connacht, but on the day they just came up against a better team, despite their best efforts.

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