Search Results for 'Shane Curran'

A fellow attendee was telling me last Saturday afternoon, at a wedding in the Ardilaun Hotel in Galway, that Niall Carew's Sligo team were available at 7/1 in some bookies. He looked me in the eye and asked, "What do you think, Silke? Are they worth a punt?" I told him that they were astonishing odds, however, that on all known recent form, including two successive promotions, Roscommon would be expected to win. However he should check out the handicap, as I didn't think there would be that much between them.

A fellow attendee, (a man clearly) was telling me last Saturday afternoon at a wedding in the Ardilaun Hotel in Galway that Niall Carew’s Sligo team were available at 7/1 in some bookies. 

When the big questions are asked the big players stand up and that's what happened on Sunday, when Ballintubber battled their way into their first ever Connacht senior championship final. When the Roscommon champions came knocking, Alan Dillon, Cillian O'Connor, Jason Gibbons and Stephen Broderick all stood up and had the answers for the questions put to them and their team-mates and in a few weeks time, they'll be ready to answer those same questions from Corofin in the final.

A charity game featuring a number of legendary GAA figures that was due to take place in Knockmore on Saturday evening had to be called off on short notice yesterday.

I have never hidden the fact that dubious refereeing and bad decisions by referees during games are pet hates of mine and make my blood boil. Before I attract the wrath of every ref in the county I must admit it is more so at a national level than within the county itself. There have not been many games I attended this year that I left thinking the man in the middle did a really good job.

As we expected Dr Crokes of Kerry won the Munster club title to set up an All-Ireland semi final with Castlebar Mitchels to be played next February. An old team mate of mine who now plays his club football in Clare told me last week that Cratloe had a fine team and were in no uncertain terms just going to make up the numbers. He advised me to have a bet on Cratloe using the handicap, as I was told there was no chance of them shipping a hiding, he was right and I didn’t listen. Cratloe, who boast seven of the Clare senior hurling team, threw the bookmakers’ odds out the window and went agonisingly close to causing an enormous upset. Any team with a backbone like that will be tough and in physically brilliant shape. I could only imagine the tension and excitement in the Castlebar camp as Cratloe took the lead with four minutes to go. Castlebar should not and will not fear anyone, but they would have loved to see Crokes who were going for a three in a row in Munster beaten. Crokes have an unbelievable team and I am sure they are thinking this is their best chance to win that elusive Andy Merrigan cup. I am sure they took their eye off the ball last Sunday and they got the fright they needed. I was very anxious to hear about Colm Cooper’s red card, to see if he was going to be suspended for the semi final against the Mitchels, thankfully it was just a second yellow. Part of me wanted him suspended (Castlebar would have a much better chance) but the football brain came into action and the most part of me wanted him available to see how he copes against a very good Castlebar defence. If Barry Moran appeals his red card (which he should) I hope it gets overturned as I fully believe his tackle on Karl Mannion merited a yellow card at worst. It would be better for football followers all over the country to see both teams going at it with a full panel to pick from. Dr Crokes players are household names at this stage, more well known than a lot of county players from outside division one. They have three current Kerry players in the Gooch, Kieran O’Leary, and Eoin Brosnan, and two other brilliant forwards in Brian Looney and Daithi Casey. It will be fascinating to see a brilliant forward line going up against a well oiled and organised backline next February, something has to give.

While driving to Hyde Park in Roscommon last Sunday there were two things on my mind. The first, I was wondering what Santa Claus would bring me, the second, whether I would rather be at home watching the All Blacks against Ireland in the rugby where the All Blacks were bidding to make history by being the first team to go unbeaten in a calendar year. By all accounts the rugby was pulsating, but with GAA in the bloodstream I was definitely in the right place. The Connacht club final between reigning All- Ireland champions St Brigid’s and Mayo champions Castlebar Mitchels was one of the most intense and exciting games I was ever present at. It literally had everything. Brilliant goals, superb defending, disallowed scores, unreal goal keeping, dubious refereeing, and for the week that is in it a scene out of Monty Python when Shane Curran had to be man handled off the field, red cards, and last but by no means least, the last kick of the game levelling scores. I am sure everyone present will take a different memory home with them.

Castlebar Mitchell’s (aet) 3-13

Castlebar Mitchels 3-13

Finally getting over the 20-year-old itch and winning the Moclair Cup looks to have freed this Castlebar Mitchels team from the nagging doubts that many had about their ability to press on and mark themselves out as one of the truly great Mayo club sides. They have another opportunity to kick-on again this Sunday, when they go toe-to-toe with the current AIB All Ireland club champions, St Brigid's in Hyde Park. While bookmakers may have the Roscommon men as 4/7 favourites and Castlebar as 15/8 outsiders, those numbers will been have paid little heed around Páirc Josie Munnelly, as Pat Holmes along with his management team of Alan Nolan and Shane Conway put their players through their paces in preparation for Mitchels first provincial final since 1993. Last Sunday, the Mitchels wrapped up the Mayo double with a comprehensive 2-15 to 1-2 league win over the previous holders of the Moclair Cup, Ballaghaderreen. In 10 league and seven championship games they have gone into battle in this year, Mitchels have only been overturned once, on the opening day in the league, when the side they saw off in the county final (Breaffy) edged past them on a boggy and misty spring day.