Search Results for 'Joe Dowling'

The third annual John Gaffney Memorial Tournament hosted by the Williamstown club on Sunday last attracted a record entry of 50 boys and girls from clubs around the province. In the spirit of the late John Gaffney the event was confined to beginners and improvers of 14 years or younger. Following the opening two rounds the four semi-finalists were Daniel Lydon (Moycullen) and Patrick Murphy (Belcarra), Michael McAndrew (Moycullen) and Conor Dohohue (Belcarra), Martin Mulhern (Charlestown) and Brendan Foody (Castleconnor), and Conor O’Toole (Charlestown) and Jason Earlis (Castleconnor). Lydon and Murphy beat McAndrew and Donohue in the first semi-final while O’Toole and Earlis won the second. The final was a slightly one-sided affair with victory on the day going to O’Toole and Earlis on a 15-3, 15-6 scoreline. In a thrilling plate final played at Ballymoe, Martin Byrne (Kiltimagh) and Conor May (Charlestown) defeated Stephen Madden (Ballaghaderreen) and Tony Fox (Collooney) 13 aces to 11.

Lane Productions will bring their forthcoming production of John B Keane’s award-winning play The Field to the Royal Theatre, Castlebar in February next year. It will be directed by Joe Dowling. Brian Dennehy will perform the iconic role of ‘The Bull’ McCabe. The play comes to The Royal Theatre Castlebar in its debut on Thursday February 24 with performances until Saturday February 26 2011.

Handball

Mayo’s Dessie Keegan remains Connacht’s only senior softball singles quarter-finalist after the third round matches were decided over the weekend. Keegan had the expected victory over Limerick’s Seamus O’Carroll in two games at Roscommon on Sunday. Always quick out of the blocks, the Ballaghaderreen club man won the first game impressively 21 aces to 3 and added the second 21-13 to advance to a quarter-final meeting with Wexford’s Gavin Buggy this weekend. However it was a different story for Keegan’s club mates, Joe McCann and Vinnie Moran, as they lost out heavily to Barry Goff (Wexford) and Eoin Kennedy (Dublin) respectively at the weekend. Pauline Gallagher recorded a hard-earned win over Cork’s Aisling O’Keeffe in her senior singles match at Ballina on Saturday last. The Swinford star showed a lot of determination to win out on a 8-21, 21-6, 21-19 scoreline.

Senior club specialists Ballaghaderreen took a major set in the defence of their senior softball club title when they narrowly defeated top Leinster side, Kells, in the semi-final on Monday night last at Mullingar. Kells were the only side to beat the Mayo club side in the past three years and they included Carl Browne in top class line out while Ballaghaderreen stuck with their tried and tested foursome.

Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann’s hopes of back to back all-Ireland senior 40x20 doubles titles came unstuck in the feature event at a packed St Coman’s on Saturday evening last as the duo were comprehensively defeated by the superior Cavan pairing of Paul Brady and Michael Finnegan.

Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann’s dream of a successful defence of their All-Ireland senior doubles crown last year remains a reality, but only just. The champions emerged from Moycullen with the required semi-final victory over young pretenders Seamus O’Carroll and C J Fitzpatrick of Limerick, but the win had more to do with the Munster men’s failure to finish off the match in the second game. The Limerick duo were in devastating form in the opening game as Keegan and McCann never found any kind of form and they ran out easy winners on a 21 aces to 13 scoreline. For much of the second things were even better for the Limerick pair, who built up a commanding 13 aces to three scoreline, thanks in no small part to the outstanding performance of Seamus O’Carroll on the left side. Just when it looked that the Limerick pair were going to finish off the contest, Keegan and McCann finally got a few breaks and made a real match of it. Keegan in particular really started to impose himself on the contest while McCann was always alive to any danger down the right. The Mayo duo forged ahead and took the second on a 21 aces to 16 scoreline. The loss of the second game effectively signalled the end of the courageous Limerick challenge and to their credit Keegan and McCann made the most of the chances they got and they dominated the deciding third, winning it easily in the end.

Mayo featured in a number of all-Ireland 40x20 semi-finals against Leinster opposition last weekend, and while there was the odd success, it was the Leinster champions who were the better for the exchanges.

Dessie Keegan and Joe McCann’s dream of retaining their all-Ireland senior 40x20 doubles title is still very much alive following a comprehensive victory over Wexford duo Gavin Buggy and Paul Lambert at Roscommon last weekend. The Ballaghaderreen duo were in top form and rarely troubled by the surprise quarter-final qualifiers, the pair wrapped on the tie in just over 40 minutes on a 21-9, 21-5 score line. They now meet Limerick intermediate duo, Seamus O’Carroll and CJ Fitzpatrick, in the semi-final in three weeks’ time. It was also a busy weekend for adults and juveniles with a host of all-Ireland semi-final ties down for decision at various venues.

The main highlights of the weekend were the two provincial senior finals at Ballaghaderreen on Saturday. Much had been made of the all-Ballaghaderreen clash between Joe McCann and Dessie Keegan in the men’s final and a good attendance was expecting a close match. However it was clear from the off that while Keegan was on fire there was something seriously amiss with Joe McCann’s game. Keegan blitzed into a commanding 10 aces to nil lead, thanks to some powerful serving and what can be best described as a nightmare start for McCann. Although the game opened up somewhat toward the end of the first, Keegan maintained a hefty lead and won it comfortably 21 aces to six. Any hopes of a recovery by McCann in the second game were short lived as once again the impressive Keegan piled on the aces and the agony for McCann. While Joe McCann did cut the deficit to six aces at 13-7 and it looked for a brief moment that Keegan had lost his momentum this was quickly regained, as Keegan ran out a comfortable winner on a 21 aces to 9 scoreline.