Duffy leads the way for Ireland

Thu, Jun 05, 2014

Seventeen-year-old Mayo show jumper Michael Duffy continued his remarkable winning streak, by taking the top prize in Sunday's two-phase competition at the three star international show at Lisbon in Portugal. The Knockmore rider beat off the challenge of some 60 fellow competitors to take victory with the nine-year-old mare Eminent, which is jointly owned by Sandra Duffy and Jean Gill..

Moran makes way for Roscommon game

Wed, Jun 04, 2014

James Horan threw a curve ball with his team selection for Sunday's Connacht semi-final against Roscommon, by omitting his captain Andy Moran from the starting line up. The Ballaghaderren man's omissions from the starting 15 will be the big talking point ahead of the throw in, with Breaffy's Conor O'Shea coming into the starting line-up for his first championship start in a new look Mayo team that will see O'Shea line up alongside his two older brothers Aidan and Seamus. Conor will line out at centre half forward with Burrishoole's Jason Doherty on one side of him and Ballintubber's Diarmuid O'Connor on the other flank. The full forward line will see Alan Freeman return to the focal point of the attack with Kevin McLoughlin and Cillian O'Connor either side of him.

Robbie Hennelly remains in goal, with Ger Cafferekey coming back into the number three shirt after picking up an injury in the league semi-final against Derry, with Keith Higgins back to his traditional corner back slot with Tom Cunniffe in the other corner, while the trusted trio of Colm Boyle, Lee Keegan (who will captain the side) and Donal Vaughan make up the half-back line.

Horan happy with Duffy progress

Fri, May 30, 2014

In preparation for Mayo’s meeting with Roscommon next weekend in the semi-final of the Connacht Senior Football championship in Hyde Park, James Horan sat down with the media this week. On the injury front, things haven’t really changed he explained saying “Jason Gibbons isn’t healing as quickly as we’d like, Barry Moran is healing well, Michael Conroy got a knock at the weekend, Enda Varley’s groin is a little sore. But we’re not to bad outside that we’re not to bad, any of the injuries there are recovering.” As for Moran or Gibbons making it back in time for the Roscommon game he said that, “it’d be very tight (for them) to be competitive options for June 8, it’d be very doubtful.”

The local scene is back with a bang

Fri, May 30, 2014

The club championship got under way last weekend with the clash of the round in group one between reigning champions Castlebar Mitchels and local rivals Ballintubber, both pre tournament favourites for the Moclair Cup.

Phillips’ men are one game from Croker

Fri, May 30, 2014

“There’s nothing won yet!” said Christy Phillips this week to the Mayo Advertiser after we congratulated him on his team’s win over Wicklow in the quarter-final of the Christy Ring Cup.

Top against bottom on Saturday

Fri, May 30, 2014

The Westport United juggernaut continues to rumble through the Elvery’s Sports Super League. This weekend the league will see a third of the games completed and the Coveys are on what looks like an unstoppable roll, with five wins from five so far and 26 goals scored. On Saturday evening it looks like a dead cert that they will make it six from six when they host bottom of the table Iorras Aontaithe in the Sports Park at 7pm.

Last weekend saw Westport United play two games in three days and score 16 more goals, putting four past a previously unbeaten Ballyheane in the league and an amazing 12 in the back of Straide and Foxford United B’s goal in the cup.

New owners for Royal Theatre

Fri, May 30, 2014

The Royal Theatre Castlebar has new owners after hotel management and property companies, Islandeady Properties and Lansdowne Frances, agreed to purchase the properties. The acquisition includes The Royal Theatre, The Ruby Room, Mayo Conference Centre, TF Hotel, Harlequin Hotel (4 star), multi storey car park, and The Royal Quarter Retail Area incorporating Boots Chemists and other various retail stores, The Mosaic and other car parks.

A definitive agreement to purchase the assets between the companies from Andrew O’Leary and Kieran Wallace of KPMG was signed this week. The new management team bring decades of experience in the theatre, hotel, and retail sector, and include Seamus Sutcliffe of Lansdowne Francs, Patrick Jennings and Louise Jennings. The assets include the Royal Theatre which has a capacity for 2,200 seated and 4,000 standing

‘We’re just a puck of a ball away from doing it’ — Phillips

Fri, May 23, 2014

Tomorrow afternoon the Mayo senior hurling team put their season on the line when they make the trip to Arklow to take on Wicklow in the quarter-final of the Christy Ring Cup at 2.30pm. Mayo manager Christy Phillips told the Mayo Advertiser this week that he believes that his team have what they need to make the breakthrough on Saturday and reach the semi-final of the competition for the first time in a number of years.

‘You have my number James’

Fri, May 23, 2014

The inclusion of Gavin Duffy in the Mayo senior squad certainly got tongues wagging in the county and several people asked about my opinion on the matter. Gavin Duffy played midfield for the Mayo minors in an All-Ireland final in 1999, which is 15 long years ago. My senior inter county career finished the same year, I wonder would James Horan be interested in a fifth choice goalkeeper; you have my number, James. There is certainly no guarantee a good minor will become an integral part of a senior set up and I have watched many brilliant minors fall by the way side and some weren’t even playing club football by the time they were 22, but in Duffy’s case I’m sure he would have made the grade. The fact that he went on to have a very successful professional rugby career with Connacht and Harlequins reassures me that whatever he put his hand to he would have been a success. There are loads of positives to take from his inclusion in the panel. He has been a professional sportsman for the guts of 15 years so the physique, stamina and temperament are already in place. He is a leader and captained Connacht for many years and his inclusion will lift the tempo at Mayo training and push the existing players that bit further.

The race for Moclair begins

Fri, May 23, 2014

With just two league games under their belts for the 16 senior clubs in the county, the race for the Moclair Cup gets under way this weekend with eight games across the four groups in the Treanlaur Catering Mayo GAA senior football championship getting going to the whistle over Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

Cup action dominates this weekend

Fri, May 23, 2014

A few hours after this week’s edition of the Mayo Advertiser went to print last night, a trio of catch-up games in the Super League will have taken place. Westport United will have the chance to stretch their lead at the top out to five points when they take on Ballyheane, Castlebar Celtic will host Moy Villa, while the two teams at the bottom of the table meet with Iorras Aontaithe hosting Fahy Rovers.

When the weekend comes around the attention will turn to the first round of the cup where there are 19 games down for decision over two days and two more the following Thursday. In those 19 cup ties, there are two all Super League clashes with Ballyheane hosting Fahy Rovers on Saturday evening at 6.30pm. Both teams will have only a two day turnaround from their catch-up league games last night before this meeting. Ballyheane picked up their first league win last weekend with a 5-2 win away to Iorras, thanks to goals from Andrew Shally, Damien Walsh, John Kelly and Jack Tuffy along with a David Reilly own goal. Fahy were beaten 3-0 at home by Castlebar Celtic last Saturday night to condemn them to their fourth league defeat of the season and depending on how their game last night went, it could either boost their form ahead of the game or pile on more pressure on Rovers.

Westport United stretch their legs at the top

Mon, May 19, 2014

Going into Sunday’s game in Green Road against Straide and Foxford United the news that the previous evening, Ballina Town had been held by Manulla gave Westport United the chance to stretch their legs at the top of the Elverys Super League table. And that’s exactly what they did and in some style thanks to a 4-0 win. That’s 22 goals the Coveys have now scored in their four games so far in the league, an amazing 5.5 goals per game so far in the league.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.