Connacht look to land blow on rivals
Fri, Oct 07, 2011
Connacht coach Eric Elwood continues to sweat on the availability of some key players for the first interprovincial of this season’s RaboDirect Pro 12. Elwood is delaying naming his starting XV for Saturday’s clash with Leinster at the RDS (5pm) to allow players as much time as possible to recover. Key players include captain Gavin Duffy (calf), winger Tiernan O’Halloran (hamstring), and Eoin Griffin (hamstring). Also carrying injuries, but expected to recover are Frank Murphy (groin), Henry Fa’afili (hip), TJ Anderson (ribs) and Brian Tuohy. James Loxton, who came on as a replacement in his first Pro 12 game last weekend, is ruled out with a medial strain, joining Keith Matthews, Miah Nikora, and Andrew Browne and George Naoupu
Read more ...Golf - Winter Leagues swinging into action around the county
Fri, Oct 07, 2011
Balla
Last weekend’s competition sponsored by McHale’s Agriculture, Castlebar, was won by John O’Connor with a score of 40pts. He finished one point in front of Paraic Cuffe with Dermot McMahon taking third place. The ladies’ competition was won by Elaine O’Hora on a score of 35pts, with Mary Conlon coming second on 32pts, and Marie Flanagan third on 31pts. The men’s category prize was won by Seamus Cleary on 35pts. Balla Golf Club is offering a deal at present where for the price of 12 months membership you will get 15 months bringing you up to January 2013.
Last weekend’s competition sponsored by McHale’s Agriculture, Castlebar, was won by John O’Connor with a score of 40pts. He finished one point in front of Paraic Cuffe with Dermot McMahon taking third place. The ladies’ competition was won by Elaine O’Hora on a score of 35pts, with Mary Conlon coming second on 32pts, and Marie Flanagan third on 31pts. The men’s category prize was won by Seamus Cleary on 35pts. Balla Golf Club is offering a deal at present where for the price of 12 months membership you will get 15 months bringing you up to January 2013.
Read more ...Athletics Cross country championships in Ballina on Sunday
Fri, Oct 07, 2011
The Mayo u8, u10, u12, u14, u16, u18, senior, junior and intermediate cross country championships takes place at Ballina Athletic Club in Belleek, Ballina this Sunday, October 9. The underages races will start at 12pm and this will be followed by the senior, junior, and intermediate races. Over 400 school girls and boys converged on Ballina Athletic Club in Belleek last Thursday for the annual North Mayo cross country championships. Weather conditions were excellent which helped make the day more enjoyable for all. The Mayo National Schools Cross Country Championships took place in Belleek, Ballina yesterday, Thursday October 6 and qualifiers from that competition will go on to compete in the Connacht Championships in Dangan, Galway in on October 15 at 1pm.
Read more ...Rugby Castlebar still pointless at the bottom
Fri, Oct 07, 2011
Things just keep getting tougher for Castlebar in Division 1A of the Connacht Junior League, the Cloondesh side are still rooted to the bottom of the table after four rounds of games with out a solitary point on the board so far.
Read more ...GAA Mayo duo in preliminary International Rules squad
Fri, Oct 07, 2011
Mayo have two representatives in Anthony Tohill’s preliminary squad announced this week with Ballinrobe’s Donal Vaughan being rewarded for his impressive summer in the green and red with a selection. Joining him in the 31 man preliminary squad is Australian based Pearse Hanley who plays Australian Rules football for the Brisbane Lions. Hanley (22) played just one season for the Mayo senior football team in 2007 before he departed for the Lions. Hanley previously played for the Irish u17 International Rules team where he won the Ron Barassi medal for the best player at the grade. He has played 34 times for the Lions since making his debut in 2008.
Read more ...You would be hard pressed to find better value for money
Fri, Oct 07, 2011
I managed to take in four of the five matches at McHale Park last weekend. The weather was particularly nice for football and I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the action. I am partial to giving the GAA at administrative level the odd short-arm tackle over the way they do business when it comes to entrance fees to matches. No such complaints last weekend and I have to applaud the fact that the County Board decided an entrance fee of €10 to be an appropriate rate on both days. This represents excellent value for money, even in these economically depressed times. However when you consider that €20 gave you access to five games I was disappointed that the crowds did not flood into the venue over the weekend.
The Ballyhaunis v Burrishoole match on Saturday afternoon started off in ding-dong fashion with both sides trading some excellent scores. At half time it was difficult to know who would prevail, but Burrishoole seemed that little bit more at ease. Despite the fact that I fancied Burrishoole at the outset I did not anticipate the way they dismantled a well prepared Ballyhaunis side. I say ‘well prepared’ as I had heard they travelled down to Crossmolina a number of weeks ago to familiarise themselves with the venue before they played Belmullet in the Championship. That attention to detail caught my eye and I had a suspicion they might actually be in with a shot of winning this year’s intermediate title. But Burrishoole, with senior league experience behind them this season, were by far the more accomplished side. Jason Doherty again enhanced his reputation as being one of the very best when presented with his one- on- one goal opportunities.
Read more ...GAA: Mayo JFC Both Islandeady and Ardnaree look to make up for past defeats
Fri, Oct 07, 2011
It is a case of trying to put things right this Sunday for the two sides who were defeated in the two most recent instalments of the Mayo Junior Football Championship final. Last year’s beaten finalists Islandeady will do battle with the beaten finalists from 2009, Ardnaree, in McHale Park on Sunday afternoon. While both sides will be flying high right now ahead of the game, it will be a testing 60 minutes as they will be playing their third consecutive hard fought championship match on the trot over three weekends. Last weekend Islandeady had only two points to spare over The Neale in McHale Park where they had to do it the hard way after going behind to a goal from the south Mayo men with a few minutes to go. But they dug out the win thanks to points from Vinny Feeney, Martin Feeney, and Cormac Gordon in the closing stages, to keep the side, who have been the nearly men of this grade for the past couple of years, on course to finally reclaim the Pete McDonnell Cup. Last year Islandeady were beaten by Parke in the final of this grade and they will be hoping that this year they can put that right.
Read more ...Berkeley star of the show in Ballyhaunis
Fri, Sep 30, 2011
Ballyhaunis was blessed with welcome September sun on Saturday afternoon for the fourth annual 8k and final race in 2011 Mayo AC C&C Cellular Road League. Race organiser Martin Fitzmaurice and team put on an excellent, well-marshalled event.
Read more ...Two further All-Ireland titles for Mayo’s handballers
Fri, Sep 30, 2011
The 60x30 season concluded with the final series of finals at eight venues around the country over the weekend and Mayo handballers secured a further two title from their five contested finals.
Read more ...Golfer of the year title decided in Westport
Fri, Sep 30, 2011
Balla
Last weekend’s competition in Balla was sponsored by The Sheebeen Golf Society. In a tight finish Junior Prendergast was the winner with a score of 36pts. His play on the back nine saw him hold off Aodan MacSuibhne in second and John Walsh in third. Both men also finished on 36pts with MacSuibhnie’s back six play separating him from John Walsh. The ladies’ competition was also won after a tight finish on 36 points. Breege Jennings was the winner thanks to her scoring on the back nine, with Aine McDonald second and Geraldine Kilgallon back in third on 35pts. Breege Jennings’ win on the day saw her also become the overall winner of the Balla cup.
Padraig Marrey wins adventure race title
Fri, Sep 30, 2011
A win in the Conquest Connemara adventure race was the only result that would guarantee Mayo’s Padraig Marrey the overall adventure racing league winner’s title. With 10 rounds held all over the country and the who’s who of adventure racing the start line such as Peter O’Farrell, Noel Kavanagh and Adrian Hennessy on the start line, and added to the mix World Champion mountain biker Niall Davies and Irish international mountain runner James McFadden, Marrey’s chances looked very tough.
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