Mayo senior football team to play Meath in Croke Park
Fri, Aug 07, 2009
1 Kenneth O’Malley 2 Donal Vaughan 3 Ger Cafferkey 4 Keith Higgins 5 Peadar Gardiner 6 Trevor Howley 7 Andy Moran 8 David Heaney 9 Ronan McGarrity 10 Patrick Harte 11 Trevor Mortimer 12 Alan Dillon 13 Aidan Kilcoyne 14 Barry Moran 15 Aidan O’Shea 16 David Clarke 17 Chris Barrett 18 Kieran Conroy 19 Kevin McLoughlin 20 Conor Mortimer 21 James Nallen 22 Austin O’Malley 23 Liam O’Malley 24 Seamus O’Shea 25 Billy Joe Padden 26 Tom Parsons 27 Mark Ronaldson 28 Michael Sweeney 29 Robert Hennelly
Read more ...Kerry set out their stall in emphatic fashion
Fri, Aug 07, 2009
It is often said that the penultimate day in a major golf classic is moving day. Well if that is the situation, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then last weekend was definitely moving weekend as far as this year’s football championship is concerned. All the main protagonists were in action and, some more than others, issued a statement or two regarding their ambitions. You may recall around this time last year it was Tyrone who had limped through the back door before giving a warning to any other pretenders to the throne. Same scenario in 2009, only difference this time is that it was Kerry who jumped to the front of the queue with the performance of the year so far.
Read more ...Mayo can overcome Royals to face Kerry — once again
Fri, Aug 07, 2009
After Kerry hammering the lard out of Dublin last Monday it is difficult to predict any victors now with any huge degree of confidence.
Read more ...Moran gets the nod for Royal clash
Fri, Aug 07, 2009
There was only one real surprise when John O'Mahony announced his starting line up for this Sunday's clash with Meath in the All-Ireland quarter-final in Croke Park. Castlebar's Barry Moran, who was expected to miss the game with a broken bone in his hand, was named at full forward. Moran, who picked up the injury in training last week, was expected to be sidelined by the hand problem for a number of weeks. But in a similar turn of events to what happened when Ronan McGarrity suffered a facial injury in a club championship match in the lead up to the Connacht final, he seems to have healed quickly enough to be given the nod.
Read more ...Swinford AC celebrates another successful 8k
Fri, Aug 07, 2009
Swinford was in Síamsa Sráide Festive mode on Sunday when the local athletic club put on their annual 8k race. It was the fourth race in the 2009 C&C Cellular Mayo AC Road League.
Despite the unsettled weather, the 200 plus runners and walkers in the 8k and the children's race which preceded it, enjoyed good conditions although the humidity level was high. There was a great buzz of excitement in Main Street which was closed to traffic as the runners started and finished in this area.
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Mixed fortunes for Westport as Ballina stay top
Fri, Jul 31, 2009
At the time of writing last week, Ballina Town had nudged ahead of Westport United at the top of the Super League on goal difference but the Covies had a game in hand to be played that evening against Snugboro United. Westport’s shock loss at the hands of Ballyheane the previous week would have been seen by many to have been a minor blip in their season, but the Conway Park side had different ideas. Kevin Curry was the man of the day banging in a hat trick inside an hour to set his side off to a 5-1 win. Curry opened the scoring on 24 minutes but Westport were able to draw the game level thanks to a Gerry McLouglinn goal before half time, but it was all Snugboro in the second half with Curry sticking in two more goals and both Johnny Griffin and Paul Walsh sealing the win with goals of their own. Both sides saw men see the line, with Westport ending up with nine men after Dessie O’Malley and David Hoban getting the line, along with Stevie Gavin for the home side.
Read more ...Scores keep coming down around the county
Fri, Jul 31, 2009
Balla
The Balla town parks and golf club open day was won by Marie Flanagan and Carmel Henry with a score of 49, Niall Broderick and Diarmuid Gavin finished in second place with a 51 while Seamus and Audrey Hoban took third place. The pair of PJ Brett and Kevin Reilly took fourth, with fifth going to Dermot McMahon and Fiona Moylette. The good scores continued down the leader board with sixth place going to Enda Holian and Brian Fallon with a 52, the same score put Julie Loftus and Mary Lavin in seventh. The rest of the top of the table was finished with Breege and Oliver Moran in eighth, and Pat Dillon and Catherine McNulty finishing off in ninth place. Balla Golf Club Open Classic continues until Monday August 3. Get well wishes to Dick Heraty following his recent stay in hospital — all in Balla are looking forward to seeing you back in action on the golf course soon.
Big turn out in Balla
Fri, Jul 31, 2009
It may be just coincidence that the Balla 10k is on the same weekend as climbing the 'Reek'. It just gives the penitents another choice, while some extreme sinners opt for both. The 17th Annual Balla 10k, which is race three in the Vodafone C&C Mayo AC Road League, took place on Saturday evening. Conditions were very good with a slight breeze freshening faces as the field turned for home after 5k. Brendan Conwell and his team of 35 once again put on a well organised event, with an extensive prize list; no mean achievement in these lean times. As usual the Balla course provided a real challenge. Some 250 runners and walkers participated. This year the better conditions produced generally faster times and as usual many tortured and triumphant souls had tales to share. 2008 winner Robbie Matthews (Dunshaughlin AC) made it a double finishing first again in 32.05, 50 seconds faster than last year. He was 13 seconds ahead of Robert Malseed (Mayo AC) who improved his 2008 time by a minute. John Byrne third (33.21), and TJ McHugh fourth (33.47), showed that they are in very good shape as did the whole Mayo AC team in the lead up to the National half marathon in just under six weeks time.
Catherine Conway (Mayo AC) underlined her current superiority in Connacht winning the women's race in 37.09, two minutes faster than her Balla 2008 time. However she was pushed very hard by a great run from clubmate Mary Gleeson — second in 37.22 — over a minute faster than last year. Ann Lennon ran strongly in third place (39.36), she is consistently sub 40 minutes this season in her 10k races.
Read more ...How good are Mayo really?
Fri, Jul 31, 2009
I am finding it fairly difficult to establish just how good this current Mayo team really are, so I have conducted my own little independent survey among knowledgeable footballing friends from outside the county. Every single person I have spoken to since Mayo’s Connacht final victory over Galway has suggested that the Mayo team is in with a serious shout of winning this year’s All-Ireland title. They love the fact that this present group of players is big and strong with lots of ball winners particularly in the central positions. They also argue that it is a team that appears capable of scoring goals.
Read more ...Battle for final four begins this weekend
Fri, Jul 31, 2009
This weekend sees the All-Ireland football championship reach the quarter-final stage for six teams with Mayo waiting patiently in the wings to see who they will face from the Meath and Limerick round four clash. That game is on in Portlaoise tomorrow at 7pm and is a difficult one to call. Limerick put it right up to Cork in the Munster final and only went down by a single point in a game they should have won.
Mickey Ned O’Sullivan will have his team well primed and they will fancy their chances against Meath who are 8/15 in the bookies, with Limerick representing good value at 2/1.
Read more ...Mayo up to the premier challenge
Fri, Jul 31, 2009
Tradition is something that will count for nothing on Monday when Mayo meet Tipperary in the All Ireland minor quarter final in Tullamore. It would be easy to say that a Mayo football side should beat a Tipperary football team out of sight in the All Ireland championship. But the premier county has been on a crest of a wave in underage football over the last number of years and this year their minor side who Mayo will face ran the powerhouse of Kerry very close in the Munster final and their u21 side put eventual All Ireland champions Cork to the pin of their collar in the Munster championship back in the spring. And Ray Dempsey knows this fact only too well as he gets his side into shape for the bank holiday weekend shoot out down in Offaly. “Look these guy’s can play football and are a very good side, they beat a very good Cork minor side already and they brought Kerry right to the wire in the Munster final. There is nothing easy about any side who makes it to the last eight of and All Ireland, you only also have to look at their u21 side this year Cork needed a last minute goal to beat them and that team went on to win the All Ireland final.”
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