Search Results for 'Mayo GAA'

Last Sunday in capturing a third Connacht Minor title in a row our minor team achieved three things. First, they cheered us all up and put a little spring in our step again; second, they did themselves and their families proud — what parent does not dream of seeing his child play in the green and red for their county and then go on to win? — and third, securing Connacht titles following on from two All Ireland final appearances certainly prove that there is a steady flow of talent in the county. How we harness that talent now is a matter for another day.

I spent some time with a number of my former Mayo playing colleagues from 1985 last weekend. The Connacht winning side were guests of the Connacht Council last Sunday at the Connacht final. There were some giants of men on that team. TJ Kilgallon, Willie Joe, Padraig Brogan, Sean Lowry, Sean Maher, Noel Durcan, and Big Tom Byrne to name but a few. Anthony ‘Fat Larry’ Finnerty and Frank Noone were both around so laughter was guaranteed. The reunion afforded us an opportunity to reminisce and it got me thinking about the seriousness of modern football and in particular the kind of a lifestyle required from a current inter-county footballer. Thankfully we played in a different era when football was taken seriously but it did not completely dominate your life.

Saturday July 17

Saturday July 10

It is a case of kingdom come for the Mayo ladies, after they were reinstated in this year’s All Ireland senior football championship. An appeal against the decision to withdraw Mayo from the championship was lodged with the central council of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association by a number of clubs in the county despite the delegates from a majority of clubs in the county voting to withdraw the side from the championship at a county board meeting earlier this year.

The second time around is never as good as the first, while John O'Mahony's first tenure in charge of Mayo ended in 1992 contentious conclusions, his second term ended at the lowest possible ebb for a side who were considered by most to within the top ten sides in the country. Longford came into the game on the back of a defeat at the hands of Louth in the championship, and two wins in the national league against the minnows of London and Kilkenny. Cannon fodder they should have been for a team which reached the division one league final, while the defeat is hard to take, there is only one way from here for Mayo and that is up.

The second time around is never as good as the first, while John O'Mahony's first tenure in charge of Mayo ended in 1992 contentious conclusions, his second term ended at the lowest possible ebb for a side who were considered by most to within the top ten sides in the country. Longford came into the game on the back of a defeat at the hands of Louth in the championship, and two wins in the national league against the minnows of London and Kilkenny. Cannon fodder they should have been for a team which reached the division one league final, while the defeat is hard to take, there is only one way from here for Mayo and that is up.

Rumour has it that there will be a raft of changes for our match v Longford tomorrow in Pearse Park. I expect that management have examined every available option for this encounter. I would say it has been a tough couple of weeks for everyone involved since the championship defeat. Management will be fully aware of Mayo’s poor ‘back door ’record in years past. Both Westmeath and Fermanagh have shortened our summer on two occasions. In fact we have only managed to secure back to back victories when going through the back door on a single occasion, in 2002, when we saw off three teams in a row, beating Roscommon, Limerick, and Tipperary on that occasion.

The National Feile na nGael hurling championships celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, as the nation’s biggest underage hurling competition comes to County Clare. More than 100 teams of hurling, camogie and handballers will descend on the Banner County next weekend, as sides from every county in Ireland and beyond prepare for one of Ireland’s most prestigious tournaments. This year Mayo are represented by the Moytura hurling club based in Ballinrobe in south Mayo. The club, which was founded in 2006, was the surprise winner in this year’s Mayo competition, fending off the challenge of Castlebar, Westport, and fellow newcomers Caiseal Gaels to take the Mayo Feile 'A' title for the first time. Moytura will be hosted by the Cratloe Club from south Clare in Division three of the competition, while also grouped with Broadford (Clare) and Castletowngeoghegan (Westmeath). Win, lose, or draw, it has been a massive achievement for the novice club to get to this stage of the competition, and hopes are high in south Mayo that Moytura will cause a shock or two to the more traditional clubs in their group along the way.

County Senior Football Championship Section 1