Search Results for 'Ciaran McBrien'

Twenty years on from what was one of the most epic battles in Mayo club championship history, when Garrymore and Charlestown engaged in a four game classic in the county senior quarter-final that the south Mayo men finally won after 300 minutes of football, the sides will kick-start their 2015 championship campaigns against each other in Garrymore on Sunday. That series has gone down in folklore in Mayo football and there is even one man who played in that series for Charlestown still lining out today, with Aidan Higgins back for another year with the east Mayo men.

Ballintubber v Ballina

There was plenty of anticipation in the Café Bar of the Royal Theatre last Tuesday night as the winners and losers of the senior, intermediate, and junior championship group stages gathered to find out their fates for the last weekend in August. Only those sides in the senior and intermediate championship which finished in the no-man’s-land of third place in their group had no interest in the draw, with quarter final and relegation pairings to be decided by the luck of draw from the hat (or Pyrex glass bowl in this case). With the draw about to begin, the unmistakable theme tune from the 1980s classic TV show and 2010 summer blockbuster flop The A-Team pierced the ears of those in attendance, but the errant ringing phone was quickly silenced as there was important business to be taken care of.

A little bit earlier than some would have liked the Royal Theatre Senior Football Championship roars back into life for 2010 on Saturday evening. First up in the championship are the champions and the new kids on the block in the solitary five team group in Charlestown at 7pm on Saturday. West Mayo will bring the combined forces of Islandeady, Parke, Louisburgh, and Balla together under the guidance of Padraig Walsh to try to topple Ciaran McBrien’s men in the championship opener. Charlestown will go into the game as hot favourites, but they have been known to be slow starters in the championship, and this early outing could prove to be a tricky encounter if the amalgamated side manage to click on the field. Players like Ollie Feeney, Jarlath O’Malley, Peter Collins, Simon Cloherty, and Conor Walsh will be watched to show they have the class to make the step up from the junior ranks to senior football.

The National Football League has been put to bed for another year, last Sunday’s disappointing capitulation at the hands of Cork will have to be put to bed this weekend as clubs around Mayo welcome their stars back. This weekend’s round of club games could give the players and opportunity to exorcise some of the demons from Croke Park. Sunday sees action return to Division 1A and 1B at 2pm with a full round of games in both the top divisions. Shrule Glencorrib, who currently sit top of the table thanks to wins over Claremorris and Ballaghaderreen, will make their way to Ballintubber looking to make it three out of three, while James Horan’s side have won one and drawn another. Crossmolina Deel Rovers are just behind Shrule-Glenncorrib in the table on points difference, and John Maughan’s men will be looking to make it three out of three when they venture to Claremorris. The south Mayo men shook off their opening day defeat to Shrule Glencorrib, to see off Moy Davitts in the last round by five points. Last year’s league and championship winners Charlestown will be hoping to shake off a lacklustre start to their campaign for 2010 when they host Moy Davitts, Ciaran McBrien’s men have lost their first two games this season going down to both Ballina and Ballinrobe. Moy Davitts are in the same position as their east Mayo neighbours having lost to Crossmolina and Claremorris. Ballinrobe, who started off last season in a good vein of form before fading away in the championship, have had a similarly good start in 2010 with two wins out of two under their belt. This weekend Norman O’Brien’s side will make the short trip to take on last season’s intermediate champions Westport who have only played once so far this year in the league picking up a draw against Ballintubber.

The Michael Walsh league has been up and running for the past number of weeks, giving the club players plenty game time while Mayo were in national league action. This weekend the league proper as we know it gets under way with 28 games in seven divisions over Saturday and Sunday spread all over the county, in places from Shrule Glencorrib where their B team will take on The Neale B in division 1F to Belmullet, where they will host Burrishoole in division 1B.

Charlestown v Castlebar

Garrymore v Charlestown

This weekend sees the Mayo senior club championships reach the last quarter final stage with all eight sides left in the competition having realistic chances of making the last four of the competition. The action gets under way in the senior championship on Saturday evening in Castlebar, which will host two more games on Sunday, with the fourth clash of the round taking place in Ballina on Sunday afternoon.

The time to make amends for disappointments in the past is fast approaching for both Charlestown and Ballaghaderreen. This year’s TF Royal Theatre senior football championship final pits the losing finalists from the 2006 and 2007 final together in Sunday’s showdown for the Moclair Cup. Ballaghaderreen booked their place in the final two last Sunday thanks to a 3-7 to 0-10 win over Crossmolina, the side who denied them twice at the death in the 2006 final (the game went to a replay). After shaking the Deel Rovers monkey off their back with thanks to a three-goal salvo at the three-quarter mark, they have their eyes set on another border side.