Near neighbours ready for final showdown

Fri, Oct 17, 2008

The time to make amends for disappointments in the past is fast approaching for both Charlestown and Ballaghaderreen. This year’s TF Royal Theatre senior football championship final pits the losing finalists from the 2006 and 2007 final together in Sunday’s showdown for the Moclair Cup. Ballaghaderreen booked their place in the final two last Sunday thanks to a 3-7 to 0-10 win over Crossmolina, the side who denied them twice at the death in the 2006 final (the game went to a replay). After shaking the Deel Rovers monkey off their back with thanks to a three-goal salvo at the three-quarter mark, they have their eyes set on another border side.

Managers continue to fall

Fri, Oct 17, 2008

I received a call from RTE 1 radio last Sunday, while watching the matches at McHale Park,

requesting a comment on the large number of managers who have either got the heave or voluntarily stepped down from their posts in the past few months. They wanted to know what I thought was the reason for the high casualty rate. There is no doubt that managing an inter-county side brings a tremendous amount of pressure into your life. Not many involved or interested in our modern games accept failure of any kind and the pressure to deliver silverware is enormous. It is now a very tricky business and you must remember that it is often likely to only end in tears! The job just isn’t much fun any more and it completely dominates your life. Now I don’t want to turn any aspiring, young, able-bodied managers out there away from getting involved. How would you ever know what it is like unless you go and experience it yourself? Ger Loughnane experienced the ugly side of the modern GAA world on Monday night when the Galway club delegates decided he would no longer be tasked with the responsibility of managing the Galway hurlers.

McCarthy suspended for three weeks

Fri, Oct 10, 2008

Connacht departed Galway yesterday for their first European foray of the season with a spring in their step.

Castlebar win Mayo derby while Westport go down

Fri, Oct 10, 2008

Westport slipped to a five-point defeat in Carrowholly last weekend to the current champions Monivea who were in no mood to loose to Mayo opposition for the second week in a row. They were far from the Monivea of old in the early exchanges but a good second half display showed they still had the class of old within themselves.

Autumn season keeps moving around the clubs

Fri, Oct 10, 2008

Castlebar ladies
Wednesday competitions are now back to 13-hole stableford competitions and last week’s competition sponsored by Lyon's Late ‘N’ Early was won by Breta Fitzmaurice with 26pts. All our competitions are now complete for our Golfer of the Year and congratulations goes to Daryl Conroy on being this year’s deserving winner.

Mayo athletes busy across the country

Fri, Oct 10, 2008

I only got to see one game last weekend and that was the much anticipated replay between Ballaghadereen and Ballintubber on Sunday. The previous encounter was a right rip-roaring clash with Ballintubber denied a famous victory when Andy Moran scored a goal for Ballaghadereen almost at the death, to put his team in front with time almost up. Ballintubber did manage an equaliser deep into injury time and set up the opportunity to witness these two do battle again. The weather was perfect for football and I was really looking forward to a good game. I parked myself with a few of the Crossmolina boys, who were there keeping an eye on proceedings, as they play the winners this Sunday. No note taking required by these boys as Liam Moffett, the Crossmolina manager, was videoing the game from behind us, obviously for closer scrutiny later in the week in his effort to try and orchestrate another county title for the Deel Rovers. Sadly the game never really caught fire and once Ballaghadereen started getting ball into their forwards there was never going to be anything other than a decisive victory for the boys from the east. Andy Moran, who was having a really quiet championship campaign up until last weekend, played like an inter-county footballer and proved to be a right handful for the three defenders who tried to curtail his scoring threat. Andy has perfected the knack of shoving off his marker with his hand and demonstrated this tactic several times throughout Sunday’s encounter.

Kilmaine look to upset the odds again

Fri, Oct 10, 2008

At the start of the season predicting that Aghamore would make the final of the intermediate championship wouldn’t have raised too many eyebrows. And the east Mayo men duly delivered on that last weekend when they saw off Belmullet by seven points in Castlebar. Their opponents this Sunday though are the surprise package. Kilmaine were drawn in the five team group of death at the start of the year, pitting them against Tourmakeady, Davitts, Hollymount and Kiltimagh. A group that was really any two from five, with Kilmaine being the last of that five in early expectations. But Kilmaine didn’t care what other people thought and Norman O’Brien and David O’Loughlin went about their work. They were the last team in action in the group and managed to see off Hollymount by three points away from home, they followed that up with a draw at home to Tourmakeady. With two rounds of games to go it was make or break time and Kilmaine made a 2-7 to 0-7 win over Kiltimagh in July set up a final day showdown with Davitts for a spot in the last eight. Davitts just didn’t have enough and Kilmaine battled through for a two-point win on a score of 0-8 to 0-6. Kilcommon were dispatched with ease in the quarter final by 3-5 to 0-8 setting up last weekend’s clash with Westport.

Connacht’s chance to restore some pride against Leinster

Fri, Oct 03, 2008

Connacht have a chance to redeem themselves after last week’s mauling at the hands of Cardiff when they host the current Magners League champions Leinster on Sunday at the Galway Sportsground (6pm).

Castlebar start to shine

Fri, Oct 03, 2008

What a difference a few days make. In these pages last week this writer said that Castlebar needed to see some improvement against Monivea last weekend or it could be a long hard winter in Cloondeash. And that’s exactly what happened as Rory Casey’s side saw off Monivea by four points to hopefully give them a springboard for the winter.

New Hockey Club for Mayo

Fri, Oct 03, 2008

Irish hockey is delighted to announce a new hockey club for County Mayo which will be called Gortnor Abbey HC. The club, based in Crossmolina, will officially be unveiled tomorrow at 11.15am and is the result of hard work by IHA Qualified Coach Ann Carroll, and the IHA Western Development Officer Phil Oakley. Ann, who has been working with Gortnor Abbey School for some time now as well as with two additional primary schools who had not played hockey before, has generated sufficient interest within these schools to warrant the creation of this new club. The club will cater for 8 – 14 year-old girls with training taking place each Saturday at GortnorAbbey School. The club will also enter teams to compete in the Connacht Junior Competitions.

Mayo AC open road race league hits round seven

Fri, Oct 03, 2008

The C& C Cellular Mayo AC Open Road League continues on Sunday October 12 with race seven of the nine race series. This four-miler takes place at Ballina and is a one lap course starting near the track at Beleek Park, going out via 'Dunnes' to join the 10k route on the Killala road, turning right and across to rejoin Beleek Park, finishing close to the track. The 'Terry Fox' run takes place annually at venues all over the world in support of the Terry Fox Foundation which raises funds for Cancer Research in memory of a brave young Canadian. Terry Fox was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 18, and had to have his right leg amputated above the knee in 1977. While in hospital , Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. The legacy of this heroic Canadian is that, to date, more than $400 million has been raised worldwide in his name.

League time once again at

Fri, Oct 03, 2008

It’s that time of the year again when the bowling leagues commence at Mayo Roller Bowl. The men’s handicap singles commences on Monday October 13. It takes place on Monday and Wednesday nights at 8pm. You choose which night suits you best. The league is open to both beginners and experienced bowlers as it is on a handicap basis.

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