Search Results for 'Niall Prenty'

After this weekends final round of action in the group stages of the Mayo GAA Senior Football Championship we now know the eight sides who’ll be contesting the knock-out stages. Breaffy, Castlebar Mitchels, Ballintubber and Kiltane all won their groups and Knockmore, Ballina Stephenites, Aghamore and Garrymore joined them after finishing in second place in their respective groups.

These are heady days indeed in Ballyhaunis GAA circles, the east Mayo outfit already have their hurling team in the Connacht Intermediate Championship final thanks to a 2-10 to 1-10 win over Roscommon champions Four Roads last Monday. This Sunday, their intermediate footballers have the chance to join them in the Connacht final when they take on Roscommon side St Croan’s in the home of Rossie football, Dr Hyde Park.

Last Sunday’s county Junior and Intermediate finals were certainly a day for the underdog with Castlebar Mitchels B team and Ballyhaunis prevailing as county champions.

Last Sunday’s county Junior and Intermediate finals were certainly a day for the underdog with Castlebar Mitchels B team and Ballyhaunis prevailing as county champions. I predicted both games incorrectly as I expected Achill and Hollymount/Carramore to win their respective finals. The win for Castlebar in the junior final is an amazing feat considering it is their second string outfit, and with their seniors also in the final it could be an unprecedented double for the county town. In the current climate when it is hard to get 15 for a club they have exceeded expectation to remain competitive on all fronts. Before anyone uses the “look at the size of the pick they have or the size of the town” as an explanation of their recent successes, it should be noted that not too many moons ago their first team were playing intermediate football so it is quite remarkable that their second string will compete in that competition next year.

From winning just two games of football last year and losing their opening championship game this season, Ballyhaunis have torn up the script this summer and gone on to become deserving Mayo intermediate champions. This was a victory not just for the team and the club of today, but for all the teams and players that tried to get there over the years and fell just short, according to Liam Lyons in his acceptance speech after the full time whistle. The red and black me from east Mayo are back in the big time next year and they did so playing an exciting brand of football doing so.

Come Sunday evening shortly after 5pm, they’ll be building bonfires on the way into Hollymount and Carramore or Ballyhaunis to celebrate either the amalgamation from south Mayo or the east Mayo men returning home with the Mayo intermediate title in their arms and a return to senior football.

It has been a strange week in GAA circles, no more so than here in Mayo. I am lost for words about the way our new management team of Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes have being appointed. Instead of being a joyous and enormously proud day for both men it has been steeped in controversy. It is embarrassing that the story has achieved national media coverage for all the wrong reasons, more on that again in the coming weeks. But first off may I wish them the best of luck with the job in hand, it is one of the biggest in the GAA.

The final pairing of this years Eagan Jewellers Mayo intermediate football championship should be known come sundown on Saturday evening after an exciting double header of action in Elverys MacHale Park. Belmullet were the last team to book their place in the final four last weekend when they finally saw off the challenge of Mayo Gaels following a replay in Ballina last Saturday evening. The north Mayo men had three points to spare over the Gaels in a 0-12 to 0-9 win, with Jonathan O'Donoghue's seven points playing a major role in their gallop towards the last four over the closing stages of the contest.

There was no let up in the action on the club scene last weekend, even after Mayo’s elimination from the All Ireland championship.

Mayo 4-14