Higgins, Boyle and O’Connor get All Star awards

Fri, Oct 24, 2014

For their efforts this summer three Mayo players will pick up All Star awards at tonight’s banquet. The ever reliable Keith Higgins picked up his third All Star in a row for his displays this summer after being selected in the corner back position.

Colm Boyle won his second award in a row after another impressive summer from the Davitts man, he got the nod in the number seven jersey. The final Mayo player to pick up an All Star this year is Cillian O’Connor. The Ballintubber attacker was the championship’s top scorer and arguably should won an All Star last year to go with the two young footballer of the year awards he already has.

Westport pick up fourth win on the bounce

Fri, Oct 24, 2014

After a shaky start that saw them go down to league leaders Connemara and Ballinasloe in the opening two rounds, Westport picked up their fourth win in a row in the division 1A of the Connacht Junior League last weekend, with a 24-17 win over Galwegians in Carrowholly.

Ballintubber were brilliantly ruthless when needed

Fri, Oct 24, 2014

Congratulations to Ballintubber who clinched their third Moclair Cup in five years against last year’s county and Connacht champions, and their fiercest rivals Castlebar Mitchels. It is a marvellous achievement for a team that was playing intermediate football in 2007.

Ballyhaunis look for final berth

Fri, Oct 24, 2014

There is not much time to rest in the east Mayo town of Ballyhaunis these days, fresh off the back of county title success for the intermediate footballers and senior hurlers the small matter of Connacht success is up for grabs for both teams over the next few weeks.

Carnacon back looking for more glory

Fri, Oct 24, 2014

Just as Halloween is about to roll around again for another year, one of the other seemingly annual events is also coming up this weekend, Carnacon are in a Connacht senior club final and the favourites for victory.

Ballintubber crowned champions for third time in five years

Sun, Oct 19, 2014

Goals win games and there was no recovering from the two goals they shipped inside the opening ten minutes for Castlebar Mitchels on Sunday in MacHale Park.

Brilliant Byrne leads Moy Davitts to glory

Sun, Oct 19, 2014

A brilliant performance from Moy Davitts saw them take home the Mayo minor A championship for the first time in the clubs history on Sunday afternoon in MacHale Park.

Westport rearguard action sees them grab minor ‘B’ title

Sun, Oct 19, 2014

Westport held their nerve when it was put up to them in MacHale Park on Sunday lunchtime to claim the Mayo minor B title by six points.

Bidwell takes Breaffy 10k in style

Fri, Oct 17, 2014

The extended summer sunshine lit up a glorious October Sunday for the fourth annual Breaffy 10k on Sunday last. It was also the final race in this year's Mayo AC Move2Improve Series. The event was brilliantly organised by Maggie Heneghan and team, comprising the local Breaffy community and GAA club. They were also assisted by Castlebar Fit4Life and Mayo AC. One hundred and forty finishers made it to the finish line outside race HQ at the national school. The warm sun and a few uphill sections between the 5k and 8k marks made for a challenging event, and there were the usual scenes of joy, pain, exhaustion, and sheer exhilaration at the finish line.

Connacht in a good place as European challenge begins

Fri, Oct 17, 2014

After a successful start to their season, Connacht take a break from Pro 12 action to open their European campaign in the Sportsground on Saturday (5pm). Pat Lam’s team takes on first-time French visitors La Rochelle in pool two of the competition. After their exploits in the top level of European competition in the past few years, Connacht must have loftier ambitions than just competing.

Ballina hope to finish the season on a high

Fri, Oct 17, 2014

One can only imagine what odds you would have got at the start of the year that Glenhest Rovers would pitch up against Ballina Town on Sunday, in the Connacht Gold Shield Final. Last year’s Super League winners will feel that they should be taking part in the showpiece event a couple of hours later but it has been that sort of season for Ballina. After losing a string of top quality stars it was always going to be tough to repeat the kind of form that parachuted them to glory last season.

Gibbons is ready to guide his team home

Fri, Oct 17, 2014

It looked like it was going to be a big year for Jason Gibbons on the inter-county scene in the early months of the year. The Ballintubber midfielder had taken his chance in the middle of the park for Mayo and looked to have nailed down a starting spot for the team for the rest of the year. Then disaster struck when he injured his ankle in training in May ruling him out for a long period of time. It was hard to come back from, he admitted to the Mayo Advertiser. “I suppose it was disappointing, when it happened I heard the snap and I knew I was in serious bother. Look it the medical team did all they could, but it took me longer than I thought. I was hoping to get back for Roscommon but I didn’t. I suppose I never really got going again with the county as I’d have liked.” He continued: “When your sitting on the sideline and you’ve had what was a good league and it’s all been taken away from you and you know the competition is very fierce on the panel; it’s very hard to get back in again. I didn’t get to start a game until the All Ireland semi-final. I had no doubts that I was training well and it didn’t just go for me in Croke Park against Kerry. You’d lose a bit of confidence when you get that badly injured, it takes a lot to get back, but happily I feel myself that I’m back going well again and looking forward to the county final.”

The county final on Sunday is going to be a huge occasion for both clubs, but especially Gibbons who’ll skipper Ballintubber in the final, something he’s delighted to have been given the chance to do. “It’s massive honour for me, looking back through the years when I started off playing football. I never imagined be captain of Ballintubber, a lot of great lads went before me, so I’ve big shoes to fill even the recent ones like Tom Early and John Feeney. I’m delighted to have it and I’d hope to be lifting the Moclair on Sunday.”

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