It’s hard to shift the hangover

Fri, Jul 30, 2010

I get an odd gig doing commentary for RTE Radio One and last week I was given my choice of four games. I opted for the Down v Sligo match in Cavan as it was the nearest to home. I left in good time and had the luxury of arriving at Breffni Park with time to spare. I enjoyed the company of Joe O’Connor from Ballintubber (Cillian’s uncle) for the best part of an hour before the game. Joe is a garda based in Ballinagh and understands the nuances of Cavan football inside out. We chatted about the Cavan football scene, as like us here in Mayo, Cavan are on the look out for a new manager after the departure of Tom Carr. Tom Reilly from Belmullet is the County chairman up there and has the onerous task of selecting a new man to take charge. The word is that there aren’t too many jumping out of the woodwork looking for it.

The match itself was delayed by 10 minutes due to a logjam of traffic coming from Sligo. I watched both teams going through a warm up routine on the back pitch and I could see from a distance that the Sligo boys looked very deflated and flat after the ambush in Castlebar six days earlier. Clearly it was not physical fatigue as four of the teams in action over the weekend had played the previous weekend and most of them still looked fresh and eager. After the opening 10 minutes I could see that Sligo were showing all the symptoms of a massive hangover as a result of the defeat at the hands of Roscommon.

Minors aim to move one step closer

Fri, Jul 30, 2010

A Saturday just after midday may not have the feel of championship football, but that’s what it will be for the Mayo minors tomorrow. After overcoming Roscommon, Leitrim, and Galway to claim their third Connacht title in a row, the next stop on the train is Hyde Park and meeting with Offaly. The midlanders were surprised in the Leinster final, where Longford put in a match winning display against a team who had beaten them by 22 points earlier in the championship in Leinster (which has a backdoor, unlike the Connacht championship). Mayo manager Tony Duffy has been working hard to ensure his side do not go into the game complacent after winning the Connacht title. “We’ve had three tough championship games so far, we beat Roscommon, Leitrim, and Galway by only a handful of scores each time. We may have been the better sides in those games, but it was always close enough that the lads knew it was championship football and had to concentrate all the time. They [Offaly] are a big physical side, I think they were caught on the hop in the Leinster final by Longford after beating them by 22 points back in April. I’m sure their pride has been really hurt by that defeat and that they’ll have one big kick in them to prove themselves and we could be the side on the end of that kick on Saturday. It’s about us being able to handle it and play our own game.”

McGreal returns to the top

Fri, Jul 30, 2010

Foxford’s James McGreal returned to winning form at Harrington’s Quarry in the third round of the Mayo and District Motorsport Club loose surface autocross. It was the penultimate round of the 2009 championship, when McGreal last won. Since then he has been pipped to the post by Eamon Mimnagh twice and Mark Donnelly once but there was nothing that Mimnagh could do to reel in the Mayo man. McGreal took the event by a convincing two second margin to his nearest rival. That rival was Damian O'Hagan from Omagh in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6. O’Hagan set consistent second fastest times all day, netting him second place overall. Next up was Andrew Mackarel in his older Mitsubishi Evo 5 gaining the last place on the podium by a scant 0.6 of a second from Mimnagh.

British team announced for Marrey Bikes Ballinrobe two day cycle

Fri, Jul 30, 2010

The Liverpool century team have announced that they are sending a four-man team to Ballinrobe, the squad will more than make up the numbers as one of them is an ex- world champion, Andy Bennett won the Fireman World championships a few years ago and is a serious sprinter, the green jersey for the Kieran McMahon cup will be one of his goals.

McCann and Keegan to meet in provincial decider

Fri, Jul 30, 2010

Mayo’s senior handballers saw competitive action for the first time this year as the provincial singles and doubles semi-final were played last week. Dessie Keegan defeated club mate Vincent Moran very comfortably to reach the provincial senior final while Joe McCann accounted for Galway’s Ollie Conway in the other semi-final despite the loss of the opening game on an overall 16-21 , 21-6, 21-1 scoreline.

Mayo GAA Fixtures

Fri, Jul 30, 2010

Friday July 30
County Under 21 Hurling Championship Final (At 7pm)

Mayo Soccer Fixtures

Fri, Jul 30, 2010

Friday July 30
U13 Section A (At 6.30pm)

U13 Section A (At 6.30pm)

Women and rugby coming together for Connacht

Fri, Jul 23, 2010

Traditionally a male domain, the sport of rugby has just got more interesting following the selection of Westport woman Carol Staunton as a member of the Irish squad for 2010. The 26-year-old former Westport United player, who once before represented her country in rugby having made the Irish squad in 2008 where she got her first cap at the women’s European championship, is a passionate exponent of the virtues of rugby which she cites as the best possible all-round sport for teamplay and fitness. More specifically in terms of women’s rugby, Carol, daughter of Michael and Frankie, Slogger, is a keen advocate for greater participation by the fairer sex in the sport, believing that it is not only young people who need convincing of its worth, but also parents of young girls.

Golf results round-up

Fri, Jul 23, 2010

The following are the results of the Phelan Motors sponsored day at Claremorris Golf Club; first Fergal Corbett 43 points, Category 1. James Prendergast 41 pts, Cat 2. Shane McGagh 41 pts, Cat 3. Evan Hennelly 42 pts.

Mayo GAA €10,000 challenge

Fri, Jul 23, 2010

Mayo GAA clubs are invited to take on GAA stars Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Alan Brogan in the Suremen Challenge this August. The Suremen Challenge tests club players’ GAA football and hurling skills and accuracy using the specially created Suremen Challenge Accuracy Screen – a large screen that features holes of varying sizes for precision scoring.

Review needed to revive Mayo football

Fri, Jul 23, 2010

I spent some time with a number of my former Mayo playing colleagues from 1985 last weekend. The Connacht winning side were guests of the Connacht Council last Sunday at the Connacht final. There were some giants of men on that team. TJ Kilgallon, Willie Joe, Padraig Brogan, Sean Lowry, Sean Maher, Noel Durcan, and Big Tom Byrne to name but a few. Anthony ‘Fat Larry’ Finnerty and Frank Noone were both around so laughter was guaranteed. The reunion afforded us an opportunity to reminisce and it got me thinking about the seriousness of modern football and in particular the kind of a lifestyle required from a current inter-county footballer. Thankfully we played in a different era when football was taken seriously but it did not completely dominate your life.

There was general agreement, understandably, that we are in a pretty low place right now. But there was also agreement that it would not take a lot to pick it up again. Most agreed that the appointment of a new manager was important, but all that the overall review which is going to take place was of far greater significance. We recognise that it is just not in the GAA culture to be open and transparent when it comes to dealing with issues like these. After listening to my playing colleagues last weekend I would strongly advocate that the review committee considers conducting some sort of a question and answer session with all former players, preferably after a few pints in some watering hole. That is when the honest opinions will begin to flow; at least that was my experience last Sunday!

Mayo minors give us something to cheer about

Fri, Jul 23, 2010

Last Sunday in capturing a third Connacht Minor title in a row our minor team achieved three things. First, they cheered us all up and put a little spring in our step again; second, they did themselves and their families proud — what parent does not dream of seeing his child play in the green and red for their county and then go on to win? — and third, securing Connacht titles following on from two All Ireland final appearances certainly prove that there is a steady flow of talent in the county. How we harness that talent now is a matter for another day.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.