Winter is over and it’s great to have football back

Fri, Jan 29, 2016

With the greatest respect to the pre-season provincial leagues, they are really what they are, challenge matches with large attendances. They are a means to an end, to prepare you for the competitions that matter, the National league and the championship. They are to build up fitness, improve your football skills, and try to unearth a player or two that might make a difference in bigger more important games. Unlike some folk out there, Mayo’s defeat by Roscommon in the final group game in the FBD league does not bother me in the slightest. After all Mayo, like most, were experimenting and playing with a very under strength team. There are two matters that do concern me however; firstly the delay in appointing Stephen Rochford means Mayo are a full month behind the other counties in terms of work done, and secondly the number of players Mayo have out injured for the start of the league.

I know Stephen Rochford wanted to have started work with his management team in November but ended up having his first get together in the middle of December, leaving him behind in terms of his team’s preparations. This will not affect the fitness of the established players who now live their lives like elite athletes, and I know from Tom Parsons (a perfect example) that he never stopped training and pushing himself to make himself a better player, this would be the same for Lee Keegan, Donie Vaughan, Keith Higgins, and all those who have been involved for that last few years, the concern is for the new recruits who would not have experienced the intense training required to play at the elite level. It will not be long until they catch up but they may be found wanting for the earlier rounds of the league.

Ardnaree take one more step towards the promised land

Sun, Jan 24, 2016

“It’s a long way from the hill in Ardnaree to the hill in Croke Park” said Ardnaree chairman Johnny O’Malley on the field in Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday afternoon as the faithful from the hamlet near Ballina soaked in the celebrations. They had just witnessed their side grind out a historic victory over Rockcorry from Monaghan in the All Ireland semi-final and book their place in Croke Park on Saturday fortnight where they will face Templenoe from Kerry in the final.

Ardnaree are fully focused on the next step

Sun, Jan 24, 2016

Amidst the hugs and backslaps from friends, family and well wishers on the muddied field of battle in Carrick-on-Shannon, the Ardnaree players were enjoying the spoils of their greatest victory to date, but they were firmly looking forward to what lies in wait in two weeks time and one last push on the field, that all things going well will see them go from local hero’s to local legends on the most famous field of them all.

Honours even at the end of fractious affair

Sun, Jan 24, 2016

Mayo had to come back from two points down at the start of the second half of extra time in the Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence on a wet and miserable hour of football on Saturday to earn a draw in the first ever North West Cup final.

Coen plays the captains part as Hollymount-Carramore head for Croker

Sun, Jan 24, 2016

Darren Coen played the captain’s part on Sunday in Breffni Park in Cavan scoring eight points as Hollymount-Carramore booked their place in the All Ireland intermediate club final in Croke Park.

Solan’s u21s look for revenge in final rematch

Fri, Jan 22, 2016

Michael Solan's Mayo u21s will face Donegal for the second week in a row, when they take on the Ulster men in the final of the North West Cup tomorrow in the Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence in Scardan. Both sides met last weekend in the third round of the competition in Letterkenny with the hosts scraping home by a single point on a scoreline of 1-9 to 1-8 in O'Donnell Park.

Hollymount-Carramore look to take down Loughinisland

Fri, Jan 22, 2016

Just 60 minutes stand between Hollymount-Carramore and a dream date in Croke Park and a place in the All Ireland Club Intermediate Football Championship final. On Sunday, the south Mayo amalgamations supporters will be making the 190 mile round trip to Breffni Park in Cavan for their side's meeting with Down outfit Loughlinisland.

Ardnaree eye advancement to All Ireland final

Fri, Jan 22, 2016

On Sunday in Carrick on Shannon Ardnaree will face into their eighth championship game this season, and when the full time whistle goes, Declan O'Dea's men will have left everything they have on the pitch to make sure there's a ninth one coming up next month in Croke Park.

Roscommon hold off injury hit Mayo

Sun, Jan 17, 2016

For the second time in 12 months Roscommon came to Castlebar in the FBD League and went home with a place in the final after beating Mayo on their own patch. How this season will be judged will be seen in the months that come on much sunnier days, but in this encounter the hungrier and more in tune visitors were deserved victors.

First inter-county test for Rochford’s Mayo

Fri, Jan 15, 2016

On Sunday afternoon the FBD really gets serious when Mayo face their first inter-county opponents of the new season when they take on Roscommon in Hyde Park. The action on the sideline will be of as much interest for some observers as what's taking place on the field, with Kevin McStay, the man who wanted the Mayo job in late 2014 and didn't get it, and Stephen Rochford, the man who replaced the duo who got the post over McStay, going face to face. It will also be the meeting of two managers who in the last three years have both guided clubs from Connacht to glory in the All Ireland Senior Club Championship.

Mayo open new season with a win

Fri, Jan 15, 2016

An experimental Mayo side got their Connacht GAA Senior Hurling League campaign off to a winning start with this twelve point win over an NUIG side in the Connacht GAA Centre in Bekan on Monday night.

Mayo make short work of students

Sun, Jan 10, 2016

The winter sun that basked James Stephens Park in Ballina on the second Sunday in January gave the 2,000 odd who packed into the north Mayo venue a taste of what lies ahead later on down the track when summer finally comes around, albeit with a winter breeze whipping in on top of them, just in case they were in any doubts that it was still just after the turn of the year.

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