O’Mahony happy with extension
Fri, Oct 31, 2008
John O’Mahony expressed his delight with the faith shown in himself and his management team by the county board following the extension of their term to 2011, to the Mayo Advertiser this week. After two unsuccessful years since he took on the job, O’Mahony is looking forward to the third year of his rein and pushing the county on to bigger and better things on the field. “It’s a great honour for me to be asked to stay on for three more years by the county board, it was something that was put forward by one of the delegates at a previous board meeting and when the executive of the county board asked me I was only too happy to do my bit for the county. It shows that the people in the county have faith and belief in what we are trying to do and that we are going about it the right way to build for the future.”
Read more ...Moylette battles for silver at world championship
Fri, Oct 31, 2008
St Anne’s Boxing Club in Westport will be hoping that they will be toasting at least silver medalist in the World Youth Boxing Championships in Mexico later on today. Club man Ray Moylette has already secured himself a bronze medal in the championship thanks to a 10-2 win over Cuban Juan Garcia in the quarter final to book a semi-final spot. In the semi-final he will face off against Belarussian Aliaski Haletsich for a place in Sunday’s final. This will be Moylette’s fourth fight in the championship after coming through the previous three rounds unscathed.
Peter Mullen from St Anne’s Boxing Club is unsurprisingly thrilled with Moylette’s progress so far. “Since he came to the club for the first time in 1995 as a six year old he’s been a fantastically dedicated lad, he deserves all he success he’s having. He’s been at the top of the tree all the way along, he’s won five national titles already and has now 17 international fights behind him. He put’s in an awful amount of work and now he’s getting the recognition. He’s a part of the high performance youth group based in the national stadium and has been in a training camp for the last five weeks, three of them out in Mexico, so he’s well geared up for this competition and lets hope he brings home the silver at least.”
Read more ...Mayo sides go down again in Junior League
Fri, Oct 24, 2008
With the Connacht Junior League taking a break this weekend after the first couple of rounds of games got the paddocks across the province muddied up for the rest of the season, it will give the Mayo sides involved a chance to regroup and get their game plans down for the remainder of the year. With five rounds of the league gone so far Westport are the best placed Mayo side and sit in sixth position in the league tables on 12 points with two wins from five. They sit a point ahead of Castlebar thanks to the four bonus points they have picked up. Castlebar, despite having won the same number of games and picking up a draw, trail their near neighbours because they have only managed to pick up a solitary bonus point in their five outings.
Read more ...Connacht must maintain momentum and grab home win
Fri, Oct 24, 2008
Connacht are back in the Galway Sportsground tomorrow evening (6.30pm) in a return to Magners League action and a crucial home tie with visitors Edinburgh.
Read more ...Mayo athletes gear up for Dublin City Marathon
Fri, Oct 24, 2008
The running boom continues to flourish as record numbers have entered this year’s Lifestyle Sports adidas Dublin Marathon which takes place Bank Holiday Monday next. Registration closed at 5pm on Monday October 6 with a total of over 11,700 entries, making it the largest field ever in the 29 years of the event.
Read more ...Loftus Recycling take points in Longford
Fri, Oct 24, 2008
Team Loftus Recycling picked up two valuable National League (Division 1) points with a hard-earned victory against PV Falcons, Longford in the Mall Complex, Longford, on Saturday night. This was an important game for both sides with the home side very anxious to record their first victory in the current league campaign and Ballina keen to get back on a winning track following a shock defeat to league débutantes, Lisburn 94s, the previous weekend in Ballina.
Read more ...Budget cut-backs sound the death knell for sport in schools
Fri, Oct 24, 2008
It is a beautiful crisp spring morning in February 2009. The game has been fixed for over two weeks at this stage. The school team are to play their deadly rivals in a key championship encounter and all the arrangements are in place. The bus is booked and enroute, everyone is in good spirits and the students are excited and looking forward to the fray with great anticipation. The hard work has been done after school on the training field and now they want to display their talents and array of skills in the school colours. It means a lot to them. And to you. One final check over the essentials - Pitch and ref organised. Jerseys. Medical kit. A few euro off the secretary for the referee. An intelligent lad or lassie who is not afraid of blood as an unqualified medic.
Read more ...Teapots and local pride
Fri, Oct 24, 2008
“Ara shut up ya auld teapot” the young voice shouted down at the older man sitting next to me last Sunday. The older man and his wife were at McHale Park supporting Killala and had earlier remonstrated with the crowd of Neale supporters behind them. The Neale boys were beginning to realise that the game was slipping away from them and I can understand why they were getting a little frustrated. In such a scenario every refereeing decision can be criticised and this time was no different. Every time a Killala player went to ground the ref was derided and goaded by the boys, very often in not too flowery tones! The craic was good and, in a selfish way, I was kind of enjoying the exchange of words. For a start I had never heard anyone referred to as a “teapot” before! Despite The Neale throwing the kitchen sink at Killala in the final quarter Killala held out for the victory that had the man beside me delirious with excitement. He let a roar out of him at the final whistle that, mostly, was an expression of great satisfaction at seeing his team win, but, also a sign of the none-too-little pleasure he took in giving the figurative two-finger salute to the young cubs behind him! He was having the last laugh today. His wife was also beaming from ear to ear after the final whistle and it was a joy to witness both taking flight onto the McHale Park pitch to embrace neighbours’ children who had guaranteed a night or two of fun for all in the town of Killala. I am sure there was no place under heaven as good as Killala last Sunday night or indeed Monday as I hear the celebrations continued for a day or two!
Read more ...Eastern promise in hurling decider
Fri, Oct 24, 2008
According to the AA route finder only 4.9 miles separate Tooreen and Ballyhaunis from each other. On Saturday afternoon Tooreen will make that short trip to face their neighbours in the county senior hurling final at 4pm. Tooreen were the standard bearers of Mayo hurling for a long time before the past decade which has seen Ballyhaunis steal their mantle as hurling kings of Mayo. The Ballyhaunis men will be appearing in their seventh final in succession and will be looking for their fifth title in six years, their four in a row bid was stopped last year by James Stephen’s Ballina, who themselves were dispatched from the competition by Tooreen last weekend in a semi-final replay.
Read more ...Connacht’s form will be tested by in-form London Irish
Fri, Oct 17, 2008
Billed as the glamour home match of their European season, Connacht host pool favourites London Irish in a crunch Challenge Cup fixture tomorrow evening (7pm).London Irish, last year’s Heineken Cup semi-finalists and currently sitting in sixth place in the English premiership, are favourites to top Pool 1, but Michael Bradley is banking on Connacht’s recent fine form and a strong home support to upset the odds and make it two out of two.The task will be immense. This is a side that hammered Sale Sharks (Munster’s opposition this weekend) 28 - 6 in their last premiership outing. Last weekend they ran in 12 tries against Rovigo - London Irish's highest points score in any competition in the professional era.
Read more ...Bad weekend for Mayo sides
Fri, Oct 17, 2008
Castlebar lose unbeaten record
Castlebar wound up on the end of a defeat for the first time this season on the road last weekend. Rory Casey’s side made the trip to the Sportsground looking to make it three wins out of three against Our Ladies’ Boys Club, but the Galway side were in no mood to go down this time.
Castlebar wound up on the end of a defeat for the first time this season on the road last weekend. Rory Casey’s side made the trip to the Sportsground looking to make it three wins out of three against Our Ladies’ Boys Club, but the Galway side were in no mood to go down this time.
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