Wonderful day for Mayo AC at half marathon
Fri, Sep 11, 2009
“It was a wonderful day, one of the most successful we have ever had,” said a delighted club chairman, Michael McGrath as Mayo AC swept the boards at the AAI National Half Marathon Championships at Ballybofey on Sunday. The event was hosted by Finn Valley AC and attracted a field of over 200 of the top club athletes from all over the country. The 13.1 mile one lap course went out along one side of the river Finn, across the bridge at 7 miles and back to town via the main road. Conditions were excellent — misty but not wet. Mayo AC had 23 runners of whom 14 won medals. The club had five teams and all participants competed as individuals in age categories from senior to over 70. Four of the five teams won — two gold and two silver — and six individuals collected medals.
Read more ...Wonderful day for Mayo AC at half marathon
Fri, Sep 11, 2009
“It was a wonderful day, one of the most successful we have ever had,” said a delighted club chairman, Michael McGrath as Mayo AC swept the boards at the AAI National Half Marathon Championships at Ballybofey on Sunday. The event was hosted by Finn Valley AC and attracted a field of over 200 of the top club athletes from all over the country. The 13.1 mile one lap course went out along one side of the river Finn, across the bridge at 7 miles and back to town via the main road. Conditions were excellent — misty but not wet. Mayo AC had 23 runners of whom 14 won medals. The club had five teams and all participants competed as individuals in age categories from senior to over 70. Four of the five teams won — two gold and two silver — and six individuals collected medals.
Read more ...Muddy morning in Stradbally, Electric Sunday in Croke Park
Fri, Sep 11, 2009
Last Sunday’s hurling final was the greatest I have ever seen. I particularly enjoyed the senior match, but the minor game provided a wonderful array of all of the great skills of the ancient game too. If the minor encounter was a tasty starter, the senior game between Tipperary and Kilkenny was an awesome encounter. There was huge physicality and manliness about the match from the minute the ball was thrown in right to the very end. It was gripping stuff and at no stage during the match could I have predicted the outcome. I was half hoping that Tipperary would win it for a number of reasons. I normally shout for the underdog but I also have a brother- in- law from Tipp and he was really excited in the lead up to this match. I felt for him when I spoke to him after the game as he was planning a few days off to celebrate a massive homecoming in Thurles! However in the grander scale of things I think it was appropriate that the Cats prevailed to create their own bit of history and win their fourth All- Ireland in a row. Winning so many titles doesn’t happen by chance and anyone involved in management at any level will be intrigued as to how Brian Cody keeps his players focused, fresh and driven. There are so many distractions for young people these days that it is a task in itself to keep players interested in their chosen sport. That is why I took special interest in the comments of Cody in a post-match interview earlier this week when he gave an insight as to why this current Kilkenny side are arguably the greatest hurling team of all times. He suggested that there is no chance of this great Kilkenny team getting complacent or big-headed, despite their phenomenal run.
Read more ...Big Joe takes on Galway for three years
Fri, Sep 11, 2009
On Wednesday night the Galway football board ratified Joe Kernan as the county football manager for three years. He is a very high profile appointment, however it is questionable if the playing talent is in the county to reach an All-Ireland final.
Read more ...Last place up for grabs in Intermediate last eight
Fri, Sep 11, 2009
Swinford made their way into quarter finals of the Mayo intermediate championship last weekend thanks to a 1-11 to 1-6 win over Davitts in Ballyhaunis. The east Mayo men became the seventh team into the last eight, with one spot left up for grabs in the competition. On Sunday in Bonniconlon Davitts will get their second bite at the cherry when they take on Belmullet in a winner takes all clash at 2pm. The play-off was necessitated by all three sides finishing level on points in their group and one game in the group not being played, and a walk over handed to Belmullet, so points difference couldn’t be taken into consideration.
Read more ...Connacht’s need for clinical finishing a key to overcoming Edinburgh
Fri, Sep 11, 2009
Connacht have been forced to make a couple of changes for their first away match in this season’s second Magners League fixture.
When they travel to Edinburgh on Friday (KO 7.30pm), they will be without key centre Niva Ta’auso who fractured a bone in his hand against the Ospreys in their opening match last Friday. The Samoan-born centre was to receive an up-dated medical opinion yesterday with a view to an operation. As a result coach Michael Bradley has opted to bring Troy Nathan into the centre with Gavin Duffy, another option, remaining at fullback. Up front Bretty Wilkinson is also out with a broken finger, while Robbie Morris, who was replaced last week, is also on the injured list. As a result Ronan Loughney is expected to come in to partner Sean Cronin and Jamie Hagan in the front row. Mike McCarthy, who has recovered from a pre-season injury, is likely to be named among the replacements.
Read more ...Mayo riders perform well in Mullingar
Fri, Sep 04, 2009
Two of Mayo's up and coming young riders were in action in Mullingar last week at the National Championship and riders from the west of Ireland performed superbly in tough conditions.
Claremorris duo Shane Goggins and Eric Glynn helped Connacht to an incredible clean sweep of the major young rider titles at the show with victories in the 1.10 and 1.20 metre classes, while Galway's Michael Duffy took the 1.30 metre title with Goggins crowning a superb weekend with second in that category as well.
Read more ...Big turn out for Claremorris road race
Fri, Sep 04, 2009
It had been quite a while since Mayo AC did not have a finisher in the top three of a Road Race League. This happened last Saturday in the fifth race in Mayo AC's 2009 Road Race League, sponsored by C & C Cellular, which took place in sunny conditions over a recognised testing course at Claremorris. The eighth DeCare International sponsored road race and walk started and finished in Main Street.
Read more ...Billy wins Balla Captain’s Prize
Fri, Sep 04, 2009
Balla
Billy Gallagher won the Captain’s Prize (Oliver Moran) at Balla Golf Club last Sunday with a score of 108. Enda Holian came home in second place with a score of 109, with Liam Timmins taking third place with a final score of 112. Jim Rodgers finished the competition in fourth place also on a score of 112, with Luke Timmiss taking fifth place in the competition with a score of 114. The gross prize was won by Dermot MacMahon, with Stephen Minogue the top scorer on the first 18 and Fentan Barrett taking the prize for the second 18. The Past Captain’s Prize was won by Patsy Burke, with Martin O’Boyle and Aodan MacSuibhne sharing the beginner’s prize. The visitors’ prize was also shared by Michael Murray and Ger Moran.
Billy Gallagher won the Captain’s Prize (Oliver Moran) at Balla Golf Club last Sunday with a score of 108. Enda Holian came home in second place with a score of 109, with Liam Timmins taking third place with a final score of 112. Jim Rodgers finished the competition in fourth place also on a score of 112, with Luke Timmiss taking fifth place in the competition with a score of 114. The gross prize was won by Dermot MacMahon, with Stephen Minogue the top scorer on the first 18 and Fentan Barrett taking the prize for the second 18. The Past Captain’s Prize was won by Patsy Burke, with Martin O’Boyle and Aodan MacSuibhne sharing the beginner’s prize. The visitors’ prize was also shared by Michael Murray and Ger Moran.
Read more ...Decision time in the championship as the draws are made
Fri, Sep 04, 2009
The draw was made last Monday night for the quarter finals of the championship. Our boys, Crossmolina, have been drawn to play Ballaghaderreen. It is a match that will definitely focus the minds of both outfits and I would anticipate a close exciting match on September 27. It has been a frustrating time for club teams throughout the summer months as a result of the start-stop nature of the championship. It seems like an eternity since we played the opening round of the championship against Knockmore and it is really difficult to try to keep a team fresh and focused throughout the summer. Two of our players from Crossmolina, Ian Rowland and Sean Kelly, went out to Boston to work and play football for the summer. There was no work here at home and they received a call with the offer of paid work along with the opportunity to play in the local championship. They did well on the football scene and both were very much to the fore in winning the Boston final last Sunday for a small club called St Christopher’s. They arrived back in Ireland on Tuesday morning and I was looking forward to having them both back at training this week and available for our league match against Ballina this Saturday evening in Crossmolina (6.30). At the time of writing I have just received a telephone call from the boys en route to Shannon for a Friday afternoon flight back out to Boston for the All-American finals this weekend! Sure it’s hard to blame them as they are both young and carefree and they don’t go back to college for another week. I assume when they saw the floods of water around these parts upon arrival here on Tuesday it wouldn’t have taken too much convincing to get them to travel back out!
Read more ...New-look Connacht set to open against Ospreys
Fri, Sep 04, 2009
Connacht’s hardened approach to gaining Heineken Cup qualification gets its first big test tomorrow night when the Magners League season opens.
Connacht, still with the smallest squad, the smallest stadium, the least number of international players, open their account at the Galway Sportsground against a star-studded Ospreys from Wales – a team that boasts some 27 international players – including the former All Black Jerry Collins who is expected to make his first competitive start in Europe in the Galway Sportsground.
Read more ...Paths to the final laid out for quarter-finalists
Fri, Sep 04, 2009
Once all the drama of the last day of the group stages of the Mayo club championships had been put to bed, only the third placed teams in the groups could rest on their laurels for the rest of the season, as the qualifiers into the last eight in of the various competitions and the bottom placed teams all waited to discover their fates.
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