FAI Kick Start courses

Fri, Oct 04, 2013

The Football Association of Ireland will hold Kick Start courses in Castlebar and Knock in the coming weeks.

Blacksod Point Challenge triathlon attracts three hundred competitors to Erris

Fri, Oct 04, 2013

The fog cleared just in time for 300 competitors from all over Ireland to descend on Blacksod for the highly successful Blacksod Point Challenge triathlon, which was won by Kevin Thornton of Base2Race who left the field behind him and broke the course record.

Reality bites

Fri, Oct 04, 2013

A week seems a long time in sport, when I sat down to watch the All-Ireland hurling final replay on Saturday evening last I could not believe it was only six short days after Mayo’s agonising one point defeat to Dublin in the football final, it now seems like the game was on about three months ago. The evenings are getting shorter and for the players unfortunately reality bites. It is a horrible feeling, most of them would have taken the week off work to either celebrate or simply drown their sorrows, and to wake up last Monday morning and return to their daily lives is really the hard part for them especially as they left without the holy grail. It is very depressing. I have to commend the two O’Sheas and Robbie Hennelly who were very giving of their time to supporters after the Breaffy and Charlestown league match last Sunday, signing every autograph and taking part for every picture request.

Local pride comes to the fore this weekend

Fri, Oct 04, 2013

Two weeks on from the pain of Croke Park, it's back to playing for the pride of the parish this weekend as the quarter-finals and relegation semi-finals of the Treanlaur Catering Senior Football Championships take place. MacHale Park in Castlebar will host two double headers of last eight action on Saturday and Sunday, with the entertainment getting under way with the meetings of Castlebar Mitchels and Ballina Stepehenites at 3.30pm and Charlestown and Garrymore at 5pm tomorrow. The first game is, on paper, probably the game of the weekend, with the two most successful sides in the history of the competition going toe-to-toe. Pat Holmes' Castlebar men go into the game as favourites after blitzing their way through the group stages, which included a comprehensive win over fellow last eight side Breaffy. Holmes' team have been knocking at the door of winning the Moclair Cup for the first time since the early 90s and this year could be their time. With Barry Moran, Tom Cunniffee (if he is fit after having gone off at half-time in the All Ireland final) and Richie Feeney back in situ, alongside the likes of Danny Kirby, Aidan Walsh, Neil Douglas, Alan Feeney, and Ciaran Naughton, Mitchels have the player power to over-run any team in the grade. Not that Ballina will be any pushovers. John Healy's side will have to do without inspirational goalkeeper David Clarke, who had not recovered enough to take any part in Mayo's All Ireland series campaign. Healy will be able to call on experienced players of the calibre of Ronan McGarrity, Pat Harte, Ger Cafferkey, and Eanna Casey; while Evan Regan could have a major impact up front if he gets going. This time last year Ballina were staring down the barrel of the relegation gun after a horrible season, but they have pulled themselves together this year and will not give up without a fight. But when all is said and done, Castlebar should just have too much for them.

The agony and the ecstasy

Fri, Sep 27, 2013

As the week has ticked on and we have got back to normal life after the event, the disappointment has started to slide as we look forward to next year and what it may bring. For those who had slogged since the start of the year in the green and red and the men and women who guided them from the sideline, the pain will take much longer to subside. But to each and everyone of them we owe a great debt of gratitude. They gave us a summer to remember and made us dare to dream again. They do not owe the people of Mayo anything, they gave their all and then some, that they came second best is something we have to take and move on from and something the Mayo senior team and their backroom team will surely rise from again too. They are the young men who have put their lives on hold, put their bodies through torture, and kept coming back looking for more, long, long after the rest of us would have said ‘no more’.

Back to the big time for either Kiltane or Kilmaine this Sunday

Fri, Sep 27, 2013

It is a battle of north and south on Sunday afternoon in MacHale Park when Kiltane and Kilmaine go into battle for the Egan Jewellers Mayo GAA intermediate football championship at 3.30pm.

The south Mayo men are looking for their first intermediate title since 1985, while Kiltane have not been in this grade since the 1970s. But after relegation from senior ranks last year, they have battened down the hatches and gone hell for leather to win their way back to senior status at the first attempt.

Two Mayo boxers in World youth and junior semi-finals today

Fri, Sep 27, 2013

The hard work being done by the boxers and coaches in Mayo continues to garner success on the biggest stage this week, with at least two Mayo girls guaranteed at least bronze medals in the World Female Youth and Junior Boxing Championships which are taking place in Bulgaria.

Hoban in Irish junior squad

Fri, Sep 27, 2013

Westport United’s Dave Hoban has been selected as part of Ireland manager Gerry Smith’s panel for the Quadrangular Umbro trophy in Limerick next week. The four team trophy will be contested by the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Northen Ireland, and the Isle of Man from October 3 to October 5. Hoban is one of only two Connacht players to make the 20 man squad for the competition. The Republic of Ireland will kick off the competition on Thursday October 3 against Scotland at 3pm at Pike Rovers, before taking on the Isle of Man on Friday in Janesboro at 1pm and wrapping it up against Northen Ireland on the Saturday at 3pm at the Fairgreen ground in Limerick.

Mayo bring Markham home for the first time since 85'

Fri, Sep 27, 2013

The future's bright, the future's Mayo. Despite what happened in the senior final afterwards, the achievements of this current crop of Mayo minors should warm the hearts of the county over the winter months. Enda Gilvarry's team, have been a joy to watch this summer, playing with free-flowing abandon and ruthless streak. In the six minutes either side of half time, they kicked 2-4 to set up Mayo's first win the All Ireland minor championship since 1985. There were young heroes all over the field, with David Kenny, Eddie Doran, Michael Hall and Stephen Coen all leading from the back. While you couldn't ask for much more from the full-forward line, who contributed 2-8 between them, with Tommy Conroy and Darragh Doherty grabbing 1-2 each, with Liam Irwin kicking four points from frees.

Mayo were the better team from the word go and while the Tyrone doggedly stuck with them in the early stages it had much to do with Mayo moves breaking down as they tried to work out how to get around Tyrone's defensive set up. Ronan Nugent opened the scoring with a fine point after he barrelled down through the heart of the Mayo defence after a minute of play. The game was levelled up by Liam Irwin who pointed a free after Darragh Doherty was hauled to the ground out near the Cusack Stand. Lee Brennan put the red hand men back into the lead a couple of minutes later as both sides tried to get to grips with each other.

Mayo fall short at the final hurdle again

Fri, Sep 27, 2013

It has to end sometime. But not just yet, as Mayo's wait to stand on top of the mountain goes on for another year at least. There were no excuses from James Horan afterwards as he explained: "We had enough ball to win the game today. We just made too many mistakes, too many turnovers. I think it's that straightforward."

‘We just made too many mistakes’ — Horan

Fri, Sep 27, 2013

“We had enough ball to win the game.” That was James Horan’s immediate reaction as he attempted to deal with the fall-out of another Croke Park nightmare for Mayo.

He conceded that this final defeat was down to their own failings rather than anything else.

“It is the closest feeling to losing a loved one”

Fri, Sep 27, 2013

To win just once would be enough seems to be the overwhelming feeling in Mayo this week. To say I’m sick to the pit of my stomach is somewhat of an understatement. I fully know what the players, management and their families are feeling, there is no word to describe it, it is the closest feeling to losing a loved one. In time it will heal but now the game is being dissected by everyone, even people who know nothing about football, that is the nature of the beast. I have no doubt the players are dwelling on decisions they made during the game, the management are wondering whether they made the right calls even Joe McQuillan will be feeling a little dire and maybe he should.

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