Galway the underdogs as they welcome Mayo to Salthill

Fri, May 17, 2013

If past performances are a good indicator of future performance – and they are – Mayo will beat Galway on Sunday at Pearse Stadium (4pm).

Moyles’ Mayo looks to retain title

Fri, May 17, 2013

It’s probably forgotten by a lot of people, but along with reaching the All Ireland senior final last year, Mayo also reached the junior equivalent of the competition also, where they came unstuck against a classy Kerry side in Cusack Park in Ennis.

The junior competition itself is a strange competition, with different rules for different counties and plenty not even taking part in it. Ulster don’t hold a competition at all, while Mayo can only field players who haven’t played senior club championship or with the senior inter-county team the previous year. And Sunday’s Connacht final opponents are hamstrung by not being able to field players who have played with the senior inter-county side in last year’s championship, so it’s effectively a B team for them.

“I’m sure they’re planning an ambush in Salthill”- Horan

Fri, May 17, 2013

All eyes on Sunday will be on a new look Mayo front six as the Connacht Championship throws in for another exciting instalment. Injuries have forced the hand of James Horan into lining out without what most people would say are four of his chosen starting forwards. While it’s good news that Alan Dillon and Andy Moran have made sufficient progress to take their places on the bench for Sunday, how match fit they are and what kind of impact they will be able to have after prolonged lay-offs is yet to be seen. The loss of Jason Doherty in recent times has added even more to Mayo’s problems up front along with loss of Michael Conroy a few weeks ago for a good portion of the early summer at least. Stepping into fill the gaps on Sunday are two championship debutants, Cathal Carolan and Darren Coen. While Carolan has got some inter-county miles under his belt in this year’s league campaign from the first Dublin game on, the only game time that Coen has seen in the senior side in the league this term has been a brief blood sub appearance on Leeside. Joining Cillian O’Connor and Kevin McLoughlin and the pair of debutants in attack is the experienced duo of Alan Freeman and Enda Varley.

Ladies face old rivals as they get back to the big time

Fri, May 10, 2013

Once upon a time, not so long ago, Mayo were the dominant force in ladies’ football, winning all before and behind them. While Mayo slipped down the pecking order over the past decade, Cork stepped up and grabbed the top spot in the pecking order and have remained there more or less ever since.

Mayo enter the last chance saloon in the Garden County

Fri, May 10, 2013

Following on from their 11-point defeat at the hands of Kildare in Newbridge last weekend in round one of the Christy Ring Cup, the Mayo senior hurling team are on the road east again this weekend looking to keep their season alive. Christy Phillips side will make the journey to Arklow for tomorrow afternoon’s game knowing that unless they pick up a win their season will come to an end in the second weekend of May.

Celtic ladies reach national final

Fri, May 10, 2013

Last Monday afternoon, Castlebar Celtic senior ladies side created a bit of history by making it into their first ever senior national final thanks to a 3-1 win over Raheny United in the Women’s National League Cup semi-final. Celtic went in trailing at half-time but came out fighting in the second half and goals from Shaunagh Jackson (2) and Katie Walsh sealed Celtic’s spot in the final against Peamount United.

It was a good end to a weekend where Celtic’s u18 boys team came up short at the very end when they lost 4-0 to Castleview of Cork in Turners Cross in the final of the FAI Youth Cup. The concession of two goals in four minutes in the second half saw the game get out of the reach of the hoops, who brought a large support to Cork with them last Saturday. There’s not much time to dwell on what might have been for the Celtic team, who are out in action in the Connacht U18 final tomorrow against Mervue United at 2pm.

Action turns to divisional cups this weekend

Fri, May 10, 2013

With two rounds of the league under their belts, the action across the all divisions of the Mayo League this weekend turns towards the divisional cups. Last weekend’s only game in the Super League was the round one catch-up game between Westport United and Ballyheane in Westport. The visitors were the ones who went home happiest, having secured a 2-2 draw after coming from one down to go into a 2-1 lead thanks to goals from Alan Tuffy and Arek Tobiasz in the 71st and 78th minute of the contest. But Westport levelled it up near the end thanks to a Darren Browne strike. Ballyheane, who have always been a notoriously tough opponent for the Coveys have two points on the board from their opening two games after last weekend’s draw and their draw in round one against Iorras Aontaithe. It’s the sort of good start to the season that the Quigley Park outfit will have been dreaming about. For Westport it’s a dent to their defence of the title, but with the Connacht Junior Cup final coming up the scare given to them by Ballyheane will have been a timely reminder that nothing comes too easy in this game. Last weekend’s game leaves Ballina Town on top of the table with six points, on goal difference from Manulla who also have two wins under their belt, while Westport United sit in third place on four points.

Duffy survives last minute scare to win on Argentine debut

Fri, May 10, 2013

Killian Duffy and Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari were fastest on eight of the 10 stages and took a commanding lead of over 10 minutes into Saturday’s final leg of the WRC 2 category of Rally Argentina. With such an advantage over the rest of the field, the biggest challenge facing the pair was avoiding the hazards that had caught out so many of their WRC 2 rivals.

Mayo footballers go head to head at Polkadot cycle challenge tomorrow

Fri, May 10, 2013

Four well-known local footballers are on their bikes training for Western Lakes CC promotion of the Polkadot cycle Challenge. Pat Kelly and Brian Maloney from Kilmaine, Ciaran Kelly from Sligo Rovers and Padraic Costello from Ballinrobe will challenge each other on the cycle. The hill to the top of the Partry mountains known as Maam Trasna mountain will be the battle ground and the aim is to see which of these gifted footballers/soccer players has retained enough fitness to conquer the stiff climb.

Mayo Centra sponsors Western Lakes CC for Rás bid

Fri, May 10, 2013

For the second year running Mayo Centra will enter a team in the An Post 8 day Rás; this year the riders are all members from the Western Lakes Cycling Club. The five-man squad consists of a mixture of highly experienced cyclists and late vocations to the sport, which epitomises the focus on rider development at the Ballinrobe-based club. The racing group at the club is going from strength to strength with a record number of racers registered in 2013, making for fierce competition on training spins as well as hard-fought club league races.

The Magnificent 14 bring home national titles to Mayo

Fri, May 10, 2013

The national female championships for 11-year-old to 16-year-old boxers were held in the National Stadium last Friday and Saturday with a fantastic total 24 Mayo boxers weighing in for the championships. On Friday evening it was the girl one and girl two boxers that stepped into the ring and Mayo girls won seven out of the ten contests they were involved in.

Megan Sweeny (St Anne’s) got things going in the girl one 27kg event, seeing off her opponent 13/8 over the three rounds. In the process picking up the eighth title of the year for her club.

It’s not how fast you get there, but how much fun you have on the way!

Fri, May 10, 2013

Westport Triathlon Club is hosting the Westport Triathlon on Saturday, June 15. This spectacular route has become one of the most popular triathlon courses for newcomers and experienced triathletes alike. The sport of triathlon is growing rapidly in Ireland and is no longer deemed to be for just the elite or super fit athletes. Race director Anthony Chappat says: “This distance is a perfect introduction to triathlon and Westport is the perfect location for such a race. We think we have found an ideal course and expect our race will grow significantly in future years to come.”

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