Search Results for 'Michael Fitzmaurice'

Hello to all the Advertiser readers in Athlone, Mayo, and Galway.

In a famous speech in 1992 Britain’s Queen Elizabeth referred to having just endured ‘an annus horribilis’. Well at Christmas 2014 any member of the Irish Government could make the very same statement.

Galway county councillors paid warm tributes to Des Joyce after he was co-opted on to the council at this week’s local authority meeting. Mr Joyce fills the seat which was left vacant by Independent representative Michael Fitzmaurice following his elevation to the Dail. Mr Fitzmaurice was elected to the county council earlier this year to represent the Tuam municipal district but won the Dail by-election held in Roscommon/South Leitrim following the departure of Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan to Europe.

It was all about by-elections last weekend - two Dáil by-elections being watched closely with a view to gauging the mood music of the electorate; a Seanad by-election generating an inordinate amount of interest as the Government inflicted an unnecessary wound on itself; and two parliamentary by-elections in England which may yet prove to be of some interest this side of the Irish Sea.

As readers of this page are well aware, there are two elections due on May 23, the Local Elections, and the election to that most useless of institutions, the so- called European Parliament.

A delegation from the Turf Cutters Association, gave a passionate call for the retention of turbary rights in Mayo when they gave a presentation to the Environmental SPC of Mayo County Council. The association had been asked to meet the members of the committee after the National Parks and Wildlife Service had given a presentation to the committee previously on the upcoming ban on turf cutting on blanket bogs. After the presentation, Cllr Peter Flynn, chairperson of the committee told the meeting: “We need to get to the bottom of this because what we heard today tells a different story from what we were told by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.”

And then there were 12, we’re just under three weeks out from the Connacht Final and a dozen sides are left in with a shout. While Armagh, Dublin, Cork and Galway are given another week to ready themselves for the elite eight phase of the competition, tomorrow (August 2) sees Mayo back in action. All eyes were on the draw drum on Sunday evening to see who would Mayo get of the quadruplet of sides who managed to make it through the previous two rounds of action. Each of the potential adversaries had there own pitfalls, Down a side who seemed to be on the up this year with Ross Carr moulding a side, Kildare who bombed so famously against Micko’s Wicklow in the long grass of early summer, but Kieran McGeeney is a man used to getting things done and has picked them up. Monaghan the new darlings of the football world with boundless enthusiasm and with Banty McEnneany patrolling the sideline and celebrating wildly at final whistles. But it wasn’t to be any of that trio, Tyrone were pulled from the hat and they pose their own series of questions that will have to be answered.

All Ireland final day looms again and we’ll make the long trip to Dublin in hope of seeing a Mayo team climb the steps of the Hogan Stand to lift the Tom Markham Cup this time. Hopefully it’ll be Sam next year. It’s been a long road for the Mayo minors to get to where they are and the Mayo faithful are hopeful that they will bring home the victory.

I had the privilege of introducing the last man who captained a successful Mayo All Ireland winning minor team to my own young man and a few of the Castlebar under- 12s at their training session last Saturday morning at McHale Park. Michael Fitzmaurice, captain of the Mayo minors in 1985, approached my car with a bag of footballs on his back. I hadn’t a clue who he was until he removed his cap. Even then it took me a second or two to recognise the former star as, like a few more of us he is, by now, follically challenged. He sat into the car and we chatted football for a while. I was delighted to discover that he was a part time GAA coaching officer, travelling around to a number of national schools down around his home place, Lacken. Michael was a great footballer and I recall making a number of telephone calls to his home in the mid nineties trying to persuade him to get involved with the Mayo senior set up of my tenure. He couldn’t make the commitment at the time for a number of reasons and I have to say it was our loss. Still it was good to have the chat and to reminisce about times past. Michael had spent the morning working with a Mayo under-14 development squad and I am sure they will be better players because of his tutoring. So also will the national school kids in and around Lacken.