Search Results for 'Aidan O'Shea'

Anytime over the past few years that I have met, or spoken to Cillian O'Connor, I have found him to be in the vernacular of my home place, Belclare, which is a half-parish of Corofin, 100 per cent "spot-on". Or alternatively he might be described as “sound as a bell” or "sound as a pound" by a few of the older generation.

And breathe. There is no word in the English dictionary to describe what went on last Sunday. Mayo produced their gutsiest performance ever to snatch a draw against raging hot favourites and current champions Dublin in Croke Park in the All-Ireland final. The tone was set long before throw-in as the teams entered the field. I happened to be on the sideline doing a piece with Radio 1 as I watched Stephen Cluxton lead his team out to a deafening roar. I was left stunned to see Cillian O'Connor burst out the tunnel through the Dublin players, followed closely by Aidan O'Shea and the rest of his team mates. Misinformed initially, I was told Mayo lay in wait for Dublin to ruffle their feathers. The reason for this coming together was the fact that Dublin were meant to enter the field at 2.56 and Mayo at 2.58. This clash occurred at 3.02.

Connacht Championship quarter-final

There has been a lot of talk about the scheduling of championship matches in Mayo for this weekend. I have experienced both ends of the stick with club and county and it's not very nice for club players to be left in limbo as regards preparing for big games only for them to be called off at the 11th hour, but for me nothing should get in the way of Mayo's pursuit of the holy grail.

Now that was more like it. We asked for a performance,we wanted passion,we got them both in abundance. Mayo produced their best display in 12 months to send Ulster champions and hot favourites Tyrone packing out of this year's championship. The game was not the best advertisement for Gaelic football but it was intriguing, intense, and tactical and had everybody on the edge of their seats right until the final whistle.

The reputation of Connacht football rests firmly on Mayo's shoulders after Galway's no show at HQ last weekend against a rampant Tipperary. The scoreline was flattering for Galway but it should have been a lot worse had Tipperary taken all their chances, they ripped Galway asunder. In a year that promised so much for Connacht football it all boils down to Mayo's performance against Tyrone on Saturday evening.

Ger Egan is hoping Westmeath can deliver a significant performance against Mayo in Saturday's All Ireland SFC Round 4B qualifier at Croke Park. Keen to take a "scalp", Egan feels that the Midlanders are primed to test a star-studded Mayo outfit. Having suffered a Leinster final defeat against Dublin, Egan wants Westmeath to be more clinical.

Ger Egan is hoping Westmeath can deliver a significant performance against Mayo in Saturday's All Ireland SFC Round 4B qualifier at Croke Park.

Mayo are through tot he last 12 of the All Ireland series after a big win over Kildare on Saturday night, but there is still plenty areas for them to improve on over the next few weeks said Stephen Rochford after the game. “The challenge for us over the next two weeks coming up against a provincial looser it’s to turn our performance into a 70 minute consistant performance, we’re probably at 40 or 45 minutes and the level of opposition that we’re playing against isn’t going to be good enough” he said,

Mayo are back within one game of the All Ireland quarter-final after a comprehensive win over Kildare in Elverys MacHale Park on Saturday night. Stephen Rochford’s men ran out nine point winners of the Lillywhites thanks in the most part to a late first half burst which saw them kick 2-2 in the closing seven minutes of the half.