Derry hid their hand last week

Fri, Apr 11, 2014

Derry travelled to Castlebar last Sunday to take on the home side in what was a crucial game for Mayo to see if they would qualify for the playoffs of the National league. I should have smelled a rat earlier in the week when the bookmakers had Mayo at an outrageous 1/16 to beat the Oak Leaf county. This game could have been a cracker but it turned out to be a damp squib. Derry fielded only one of their starting 15 which made us realise from the outset that they did not care about the result, we will only know for sure if Brian McIver got anything out of this game when we see the Derry line up on Sunday.

Mayo AC athletes put in big showing at National 10k

Fri, Apr 11, 2014

After a brief run for shelter from an April shower, the sun came out at noon in the Phoenix Park on Sunday for the National 10k. Mayo AC had 24 on the start line, one of the biggest contingents among the 600 club athletes taking part in the National 10k championships. There were 13 women and 11 men making up the Mayo AC team, with the women going to the gun at 1.10pm and the men 20 minutes later.

Mayo drivers perform well in a number of events

Fri, Apr 11, 2014

It was a busy weekend for Mayo and District members, competing the length and breadth of the county and beyond. Westport’s David Carney had his Citroën DS3 at Kerry Motor Club's Circuit of Kerry Rally in Tralee on Sunday, but unfortunately he was unable to finish the event due to fuel pump gremlins, but he did gain valuable stage mileage in his rapid French chariot. Putting in a flawless display in Kerry was Aidan Gannon, who was navigating London-based Sligo man Anthony O’Brien in his Mitsubishi Lancer. Not only did the pair win class nine, they also received the Dunlop Drive of the day award finishing in 19th place overall.

Competition season gets into full swing around the county

Fri, Apr 11, 2014

Balla
Adrian O’Connell was the winner of last weekend’s stableford competition sponsored by Lawnmower and Tool Hire, Castlebar. O’Connell’s scoring on the back six holes kept him in front of Bob Leggett and Fenton Barrett when the scores were totted up. Each of the three men finished on 37pts. In the ladies’ competition, Catherine McNulty was the clear winner with a score of 39pts, she finished five points in front of Patricia Conwell in second, and Aine McSuibhnie in third place.

Tougher test expected this time against Derry

Fri, Apr 11, 2014

Cillian O’Connor remains the one injury doubt for Mayo from those who were available for selection last weekend for Sunday’s Allianz National Football League semi-final in Croke Park. The Ballintubber attacker, who had to leave the action after just 10 minutes in Elverys MacHale Park last Sunday, may not make it back into the starting line-up for this weekend’s game. The team is due to be announced at some stage today (Friday, April 11).

A summer of drama and excitement starts here

Fri, Apr 11, 2014

This weekend 42 of the 43 teams taking part in the Mayo Football league will kick off their campaign for the new season. The odd team out being Ballyvary Blue Bombers who are part of the seven team League One this season. The big change this year in the league format is the return to 10 team divisions in the top three levels this season after a couple of years with eight team divisions.

The expansion of the top divisions has seen four teams move up from the Premier A to the Super League this year to fill out the league. Straide and Foxford United, Fahy Rovers, Moy Villa and Charlestown Athletic have joined the big boys this term. The defending champions Ballina Town will open their season with a short trip to Moy Villa on Saturday night. This year the Mayo League has spread the games out over both Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Also getting to grips with each other tomorrow night are the newly crowned Connacht Junior Shield champions, Straide and Foxford United (they beat other Super League newcomers Charlestown Athletic 3-0 last Sunday in the final in Milebush), and Manulla in Foxford. Fahy Rovers will be the first team to make the long trek to Carnenash on Saturday night when they face Iorras Aontaithe, all three games are down for 6pm kick-offs.

Croke Park date set for semi-final

Mon, Apr 07, 2014

For the seventh time since they won the National Football League back in 2001, Mayo will head into the final four of the competition this coming Sunday. James Horan's men booked their place in the semi-final with a comprehensive win over Derry in Elverys MacHale Park on Sunday and will take on the same opponents in GAA Headquarters at 2pm on Sunday.

Cáirde Mhaigh Eo semi-final tickets and fundraisers

Mon, Apr 07, 2014

Cáirde Mhaigh Eo members are entitled to a free ticket to the Allianz Football League semi-final between Mayo and Derry on Sunday in Croke Park. Tickets will be distributed to Cáirde Mhaigh Eo members through Mayo G.A.A. County Board Office at the following times. Thursday, April 10 from 10am to 7pm and on Friday, April 11 from 10am to 7pm.

Tickets will also be distrbuited on Wednesday night,  April 9 in Crossmolina GAA Clubhouse from 8pm to 10pm for North Mayo members. Tickets to members who reside outside the county will be posted on Wednesday.

Mayo book semi-final spot

Sun, Apr 06, 2014

In seven day's time it's sure to be a very different game, with a place in the league final at stake. Derry came to Elverys MacHale Park with their spot in the last four already in the bag and made 14 changes from their game the previous week against Kildare with only Emmet McGuckin holding on to a place in the first 15. James Horan made five changes from the team that faced Dublin with Kevin Keane, Shane McHale, Tom Parsons, Seamus O'Shea and Mikie Sweeney all getting starting spots against the Oak Leaf county.

A game that had it all bar the right result

Fri, Apr 04, 2014

For those of you who decided to go to Croke Park last Saturday night, it was a good decision. It was a game that had pretty much everything, full of twists and turns, it certainly was not for the faint hearted and nothing beats being there to watch the action unfold and embrace the atmosphere. I was asked by someone tuned in to the radio if my wife has my life insurance policy updated as I apparently nearly had a heart attack live on air. I have no doubt Mayo will feel like they lost this game, being in such a commanding position in the second half and with a numerical advantage for 45 or so minutes, it looked like it was a case of by how much would they win, but their inability to kill of a team that was not playing well and had only 14 men will certainly worry James Horan.

Mayo easily could have lost only for Jack McCaffrey’s wayward attempt with the last kick of the game; he had acres of space and should have carried the ball closer to Rob Hennelly’s goal before pulling the trigger. It was a real let off for Mayo. Dublin seems to have a real psychological edge over Mayo and they will relish the chance of coming up against them later in the year if it should occur. The main talking point of the first half was most definitely Stephen Cluxton's red card. I wondered if Mayo were going to let him dictate the game with his pin point kick outs. In the first 10 minutes he had picked out Cian O’Sullivan, Diarmuid Connolly, and Paul Flynn with radar like accuracy and it seemed it was going to be déjà vu all over again. Mayo got their act together and instead of man marking, the Mayo players marked zones which made it harder for Cluxton to pick out his runners, and several times Mayo intercepted to telling effect, the most notable moment was when Cillian O’Connor clattered Paul Flynn from a Cluxton kick out which resulted in the three- in-a-row All-Star having to leave the field. It was frustrating for the Dublin keeper and when Kevin McLoughlin ran across his path to slow him down he lashed out with a kick and rightfully got red carded. There were a few former Dublin players none to happy in the press area, not because of the decision but because of Cluxton’s stupidity, prompting one to remind me of the controversial side of the Dublin captain’s game. I would have done the very same as Kevin McLoughlin, and while in goal for Charlestown many a forward did the same to me as I was partial to the odd fast kick out, and to my knowledge I did not lash out at any of them, I am sure I had a few choice words however.

Mayo do well in the midlands

Fri, Apr 04, 2014

A tight finish to last weekend’s 2014 Midland Moto Stages Rally saw Paddy McVeigh from Tyrone come out on top over Pirelli star Daniel McKenna. The pair battled for the top spot throughout and only four hundredths of a second separated them at the final service. On the final loop McVeigh’s advantage of four wheel drive in his Subaru Impreza WRC told over Mckenna’s Ford Escort MK2. Longford man Tommy Doyle banged and popped his way to third in his high revving Renault Clio. A tight loop of mixed fast flowing and technical driving stages awaited the crews on Sunday last and the event as always, attracted a number of Mayo & District entries.

Refereeing decisions continue to frustrate Lam

Fri, Apr 04, 2014

Connacht coach Pat Lam is calling on a new system to regulate referees in the RaboDirect Pro 12.  In the wake of Connacht’s 32-30 loss to the Scarlets last weekend in Parc Y Scarlets, Lam says all the referees from the four countries should be controlled by a single entity, similar to SANZAR in the Southern Hemisphere.

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