GMIT next up for senior hurlers

Thu, Jan 15, 2015

The Mayo senior hurlers made it two wins from two last Saturday, when they blitzed through the challenge of an under-strength Sligo in Elverys MacHale Park. JP Coen’s side ran out 3-22 to 0-3 winners to follow up their win against Leitrim the previous weekend. On Saturday Mayo will take on a GMIT side who also have two wins from two from their opening two games, they saw off the challenge of Sligo in round one on a scoreline of 2-25 to 1-6 and last weekend they put 3-26 past Leitrim in Ballinamore, as they ramp up their preparations for the opening round of group games in the Fitzgibbon Cup against UCC on Thursday January 29.

JP Coen welcomed back a number of experienced faces to the side from the one that started against Leitrim the previous week, with Brian Hunt marking his return with nine points, seven of them from frees.  Mayo had the game wrapped up before the half-time break at which time they were leading 2-12 to 0-2, with Kenny Feeney and Fergal Boland grabbing the goals. Mayo added on 1-10 in the closing 30 minutes with Cory Scahill keeping up his good early season form grabbing a good goal.

Westport man appointed clerk of course for Circuit of Ireland Rally

Thu, Jan 15, 2015

Circuit of Ireland Rally organisers have announced that Westport man and well known rally official Tom Walsh, will take over the role of clerk of course for the 2015 event. Andy Gilmore, who managed the 2014 rally has had to give up the role due to his work commitments.

Celtic duo called up for international duty

Tue, Jan 13, 2015

Two of Castlebar Celtic's young stars have been called up for international duty with Republic of Ireland underage squads this month. Celtic's Rachel Baynes is part of Sharon Boyle’s Republic of Ireland Women’s u16 side will play a friendly game against their Northern Ireland counter-parts at Dundalk’s Oriel Park this evening (Tuesday, January13) at 6.15pm.

Mayo pass second student test

Sun, Jan 11, 2015

So far so good for the new Mayo senior management team of Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes as their side picked up their second win of the year with a comprehensive nine point win over the visitors IT Sligo in James Stephens Park, Ballina on Sunday.

Connelly looking forward to Roscommon challenge

Sun, Jan 11, 2015

New Mayo captain Keith Higgins and Aidan O'Shea may not be back in action for Mayo until at earliest their league opener against Kerry in three weeks time. Speaking after Mayo's win over IT Sligo in James Stephens Park, Ballina on Sunday joint Mayo manager Noel Connelly when asked about some of the more experienced players yet to return to action for Mayo this year and were there any injury concerns over them said:“A few niggly ones, Keith Higgins is coming back from a hamstring injury, Michael Conroy picked up a strain on the hamstring last Sunday. A few of the others, (like) Aidan O'Shea is just getting back in training, so maybe one or two of those guys would be only there or there abouts for Kerry, but certainly would be ready for the home game against Tyrone you'd be hoping to pull from all of those seasoned players.”

Paperwork the reason for Duffy not starting

Sun, Jan 11, 2015

Despite being named in the program to start the game at midfield Ballina native Gavin Duffy was a late withdrawal from the starting line up before throw-in on Sunday in the second round of the FBD League against IT Sligo in Ballina.

Westport United come from behind to win

Sun, Jan 11, 2015

A come from behind 5-2 win sent Westport United into the last 32 of the FAI Junior Cup on Sunday afternoon in a blustery Sportspark.

The home team squared off against Wexford outfit New Ross Celtic in a rearranged last 64 game at home. Two minutes before the half-time break New Ross Celtic defender broke the deadlock. It took the hosts 21 minutes to level the game up a ball into the danger area from David Cameron found the back of the net. The visitors went back into the lead 17 minutes before time when O'Connor bagged his second goal of the game, but it was only the start of a goalfest in the final 15 minutes. Westport United leveled the game up through Danny Scahill after Philip Keegan was fouled on 75 minutes, eight minutes later Westport United went into the lead for the first time when David Hoban applied a finish to a Phil Keegan cross. Martin Geraghty bundled the ball over the line from close range not long after and Danny Scahill completed the comeback win with a headed finish from a David Cameron cross just before the final whistle. Westport United will take on Kilkenny side Freebooters in the last 32 at home in a few weeks time.

Goal blitz puts Mayo on winning path

Sat, Jan 10, 2015

Mayo picked up their second win in the 2015 Hastings Cup in a windswept Ballina on Saturday afternoon. Niall Heffernan made six changes to the side that started against Westmeath the previous week in Tubberclair, with Kevin Lynch, Stephen Coen, Matthew Ruane, Adam Gallagher, James Quinn and Aidan O'Sullivan all given their chance to impress. Both Coen and Gallagher came back into the u21 side after lining out for the Mayo senior team last weekend against NUIG.

Second student exam next up for Mayo

Fri, Jan 09, 2015

“Work hard, that was it, simple as that. We wanted fellas to work hard.” That was the mantra to his players before the game from Mayo joint manager Pat Holmes last Sunday after his and Noel Connelly’s side had seen off the efforts of NUIG in the opening round of the FBD League.

Farney challenge for u21 stars

Fri, Jan 09, 2015

Mayo u21 manager Niall Heffernan got his sophomore year in charge of the inter-county team at this grade of football off to a winning start last Saturday. Mayo opened up their Hastings Cup campaign with a 3-7 to 0-5 win over the Lake County men in Tubberclair. Heffernan and his backroom team will be looking this year to reverse what has been a poor half-a-decade for Mayo at this level, not since the last of a four-in-a-row of Connacht titles put together by the current senior management team of Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes in 2009 have Mayo managed to win or even compete in a Connacht final.

This year’s crop of u21s features a large number of the minor team that won the All Ireland in 2013, with half-a-dozen of them starting last Saturday. Claremorris’ Marc Mulligan started in goal with Aghamore’s David Kenny and Breaffy’s Michael Hall in the full-back line, while Balla’s Val Roughneen and Ballintubber’s Diarmuid O’Connor made up the midfield, with Breaffy’s Liam Irwin starting in the full forward line, all graduates from the 2013 All Ireland winning minor class. James and Patrick Durcan from Castlebar Mitchels have in the past shown their class at the top level of the club game and both started on Saturday, with James scoring 1-2 from the centre-half forward position.

Just one change for Connacht ahead of Edinburgh test

Fri, Jan 09, 2015

Connacht coach Pat Lam has made just one change to the starting 15 for this evening’s Guinness Pro12 clash with Edinburgh from the side that beat Munster in the Sportsground on New Year’s Day.

Final push kicks off this weekend

Fri, Jan 09, 2015

It has been four weeks since the Mayo sides were in action in the Connacht Junior Leagues, this weekend sees the final leg of the league season kick off as the season hits crunch time and enters its final rounds.

The last round of action in Division 1A before the Christmas break saw Westport do the double over Ballina in the Mayo derbies this year thanks to a 16-3 win in Carrowholly. That win had put Westport into fourth place in the table, just one spot off a place in next year’s All Ireland junior cup. However after a catch up game last weekend Corinthians managed to pull a point ahead of Westport in the table thanks to a 20-18 win over Galwegians. On Sunday Westport will welcome OLBC to Carrowholly in what on paper looks like a banker for the Bulls and a game that could see them pick up a bonus point along with the win against the basement boys who have not managed to win a game all season long. When the sides met in October last year in Galway Westport were 12-6 winners. Westport coach JP Walsh will be hoping to see his side cross the line a few more times on Sunday to get their quest for an All Ireland Cup place back in full tilt.

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