Kiltane are on the march

Fri, Jan 31, 2014

Oh to have a crystal ball to see what fortunes lie ahead for Mayo football in 2014. One thing for sure, one Mayo club — Kiltane have a superb chance to claim one of the early pieces of silverware when they take on Truagh of Monaghan in the All-Ireland intermediate final in Croke Park on February 9, a feat my own club Charlestown should have accomplished last season but for some calamitous decisions when they were coasting against eventual winners Cookstown of Tyrone in the All- Ireland semi final. Kiltane were simply brilliant last Sunday. If you were to tell me before the game that star attacker Mikey Sweeney and Tommy “Goals” Conroy were not going to score against Clyda Rovers, I would have re-mortgaged the house on Clyda.

The Bangor Erris men were/are so well prepared by manager Martin Barrett it will take something special to beat them. He is coolness personified on the sideline; he never panics, tells it as it is and is very giving of his time to the local media. No doubt a job of some sort at inter county level awaits if he so wishes. They decided to play with the gale force breeze in Ballinasloe, It did not look like a good decision 20 minutes in, as they were struggling to maintain a three-point lead against a very tight Clyda defence of which Cork county players Ray Carey and Paudie Kissane are the mainstays. There is no question the game was won in those final 10 minutes of the first half when they scored a very impressive 2-4. The first an opportunistic strike by Ultan Corrigan, the second some brilliant individual skill by Shane Lindsay when it looked like it would be easier to take a point, he never panicked he took the ball through the heart of the Clyda defence and finished brilliantly to the net. I must apologise as the customary Casey roar was not heard on Midwest radio for the goals as my view of the Clyda goal-mouth was obscured by a large metal beam which in fact was holding up the stand. It took me until the second half to realise I had to open the press box door to see around the badly placed beam.

Mayo throw-in against the Lillywhites

Fri, Jan 31, 2014

If all 2,500 of Mayo’s season ticket holders make the trip to St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge, they will take over almost half the capacity of the Lillywhites home ground on Sunday. While it is not expected Mayo supporters in that number will make the trek east on Sunday a very healthy number of supporters will be on hand to see the latest update of James Horan’s Mayo make their proper competitive debut of the year, after the shadow boxing of the FBD League. Horan has given two players their Allainz Football League debuts with Aghamore’s Brendan Harrison getting the nod to start in the half-back line alongside Shane McHale and Lee Keegan. While Mayo Gaels’ Adam Gallagher will come into the team in the number 12 shirt in a half-forward line anchored by Keith Higgins and with Cathal Carolan on the other wing,

Moyles signs on with ladies’ team

Fri, Jan 31, 2014

IT Sligo manager and former Mayo junior team manager, Michael Moyles has joined up as part of the Mayo ladies management team for this year. The Crossmolina native will be coming on board with Peter Clarke’s current management team who are going into their second year in charge of Mayo.

Mayo get their league campaign under way on Sunday when they travel to Mallow to take on Cork in a repeat of last year’s league final. They will be on the road again the following Sunday when they face Tyrone (the Mayo men’s team are also away to Tyrone on the same day). They will the have two home games in a row against Dublin and Laois on February 16 and March 2, before hitting the road again on March 9 to Donegal and Kerry on March 30, before rounding off their league campaign at home to Monaghan on April 6.

Draw throws up plenty of interesting contests

Tue, Jan 28, 2014

While the first round of the action in this year’s Trenalaur Catering Mayo GAA Senior Football Championship may be a good few months away, there was lots of interest in the draws held in Elvery's MacHale Park last night for the group stages. Following the draw for each group, a separate draw was made between the four sides to determine their order in the group to ensure there was a random factor in deciding which teams got two home games in the group stages.

Croke Park beware, Kiltane are on the way!

Sun, Jan 26, 2014

Kiltane 2-9
Clyda Rovers 0-9

Three more competitions this weekend for Mayo boxe

Fri, Jan 24, 2014

Following last weekend’s three events held by Ardagh/Crossmolina BC, Geesala BC, and Charlestown BC, the action moves to Swinford tonight, Friday January 24, in the Conway Fitness Centre at 8pm. Then to the Wyatt Hotel Westport for the Eagle BC tournament tomorrow at 8pm and the weekend’s action will wrap up with the sixth annual Vincy James Memorial tournament in Foxford Sports and Leisure Centre this Sunday, January 26 at 3pm.

Mayo athletes to be honoured at the C and C Cellular/Vodafone Mayo Athletic Awards

Fri, Jan 24, 2014

Mayo A/C is this year hosting the 2013 C and C Cellular/Vodafone Mayo Athletic Awards which will be held at a gala function in Breaffy House Hotel, Castlebar, this Sunday January 26. Athletes from all over Mayo will be honoured for their contribution to athletics during the past year. Certificates or awards will be presented to all athletes who won national and international medals in 2013. On the night some 100 awards will be presented.

Bowling leagues at Mayo Leisure Point

Fri, Jan 24, 2014

It is that time of year again when Mayo Leisure Point runs the inter-business bowling league. This league has been running for the past 20 years and has proven very successful with businesses all over Mayo competing. Its success is thanks to the businesses and teams which support it every year and to Sean Mulroy and Joe Togher who have sponsored the league since 1994.

Club competitions getting back in the swing

Fri, Jan 24, 2014

Balla
Last weekend’s stableford competition was played over 17 holes and Jim Rodgers with a score of 38pts was the winner. Noel Healy came home in second place on 35pts, thanks to his back nine play, which held off Stephen Minogue in third place. The ladies’ competition was won by Julie Loftus who scored 37pts to win by four from Geraldine Kilgallon in third place, with Rose O’Connor a point further back in third spot.

All roads lead to Ballinasloe for Kiltane

Fri, Jan 24, 2014

If there is a man, woman, or child to be found the villages and towns that send their sons out to do battle in the blue and yellow of Kiltane on Sunday, it would be a safe assumption that they are tourists, trying to figure out why exactly there is no-one to be found in this secnic part of the country. They take a lot of things seriously in that enclave of the county, but not many things more seriously than the game of Gaelic football and on Sunday afternoon with a chance of an appearance in an All Ireland final in Croke Park, it’s the only thing that matters to the men who have been training all guns blazing since the end of 2012 to get to where they are on Sunday.

Connacht Cup takes centre stage on Sunday

Fri, Jan 24, 2014

Ballina Town will be looking to pick themselves up from last weekend’s defeat at the hands of Dublin side East Wall Bessborough in the sixth round of the FAI Junior Cup when they get straight back into action this Sunday in the Connacht Cup. The Super League champions came close to matching the metropolitans last weekend, but fell short thanks to a 57th minute Daniel Ennis header. This weekend’s opponents will have a more local feel as Ballina Town have a short trip to south Mayo to take on Partry Athletic in the fourth round of the provincial cup competition.

Of the eight Mayo sides left in the competition, only Ballyheane and Partry Athletic have home advantage on Sunday the other six all on the road. Ballyheane will welcome Mervue United B to Quigley Park and last season’s Super League runners up will be confident of booking their place in the next round at the expense of the second tier opponents from Galway.

Connolly looking to keep up Mayo tradition by the Corrib

Fri, Jan 17, 2014

Building on the strong tradition of Mayomen impressing in maroon is one of Galway FC's aims and the early capture of Ballyglass native Ryan Connolly ensures there will be local interest in how the Tribesmen fare.

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