Derby date for Mayo schools in semi-final showdown
Fri, Feb 22, 2013
Tomorrow afternoon the townland of Bekan will see the meeting of some of the best schools’ footballing talent in the county when St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, and St Colman’s College, Claremorris, come face to face in the Connacht Colleges Senior Football Championship A semi-final.
The Castlebar men booked their place in the last four with a comprehensive 1-17 to 1-5 win over St Muredach’s from Ballina in the same venue and picked up the Connacht League title earlier this year, seeing off tomorrow’s opponents by a few points on their way to the title. In their quarter final win James Durcan was their scorer in chief kicking five points from corner forward. Durcan’s brother Patrick who captains the side was another man who put in an impressive performance, along with the likes of Ronan Carolan who chipped in with four points and Jake Gannon. The Castlebar men will need to be on top form on Saturday if they are going to get the better of their south Mayo rivals. The Claremorris school will be hoping that their captain and one of last year’s star Mayo minor players, Adam Gallagher, is fit to play after Gallagher picked up a finger injury in their win over Roscommon CBS in the last eight. Other familiar names from last year’s minor team in their ranks include Stephen Coen and Kevin Lynch who will be key men in their drive to win their first provincial title since 2009, when they turned over tomorrows opponents in a tight battle in Ballinrobe. A big crowd will be expected in the new Connacht Centre of Excellence for this clash of the Mayo heavyweights, throw in is at 1pm.
Read more ...Moylette and Lynch go for glory in Elite finals
Fri, Feb 22, 2013
There will be plenty of Mayo interest in the action in the National Stadium in Dublin where the IABA Elite National Championships finals will be taking place tonight. St Anne’s Ray Moylette will be up in the fourth bout of the night when he takes on Ross Hickey in what is potentially the bout of the night in the light-welterweight (64kg) grade. Moylette is the defending European champion and ranked number eight in the world, while Hickey is a two time elite champion and is defending his title from last year. Moylette, who had plenty of injury problems last year which curtailed his chances of making it to the Olympics, is back in top form this year and over the past two weekends saw off Patrick Mongan 14-7 in his quarter-final victory and Sean Duffy 18-10 in his semi-final win last Friday night.
Read more ...Castlebar dream of glory in junior cup
Fri, Feb 22, 2013
It has been a season of rediscovery and rebirth for Castlebar rugby club. Last season saw the men from Cloondeash tumble out of the top division of junior rugby in the province. But they have picked themselves up and gone an impressive run in the league, winning eight of their 11 games, drawing one, and only losing two to sit eight points clear of Ballyhaunis at the top of the table with promotion in their grasp.
Read more ...Almost forty finals and semi-finals on the cards this weekend
Fri, Feb 15, 2013
Following last weekend’s action in the preliminary and quarter finals of the 2013 Mayo championships in the Peter Callaghan Centre home of St Anne’s Boxing Club in Westport, the action will move to north Mayo this weekend, over Saturday and Sunday, where two days of boxing will kick off in the Killala Community Centre at 11am Saturday. On the weekend’s card are 18 semi-finals and 19 finals. In order, the bouts are as follows in the semi-finals; James Collins (Eagle) v Eohan McGowan (Ballina) in Boy 1 39kg, Darragh Gaughan (Knockmore) v Padraig McDonagh (Geesala) Boy 1 42kg, Matthew Murphy (Ballinrobe) v Declan McDonagh (Claremorris), Boy 1 42kg, Ciaran Roddy (Eagle) v Paddy Ward Charlestown), Boy 2 39kg, Ciaran Brogan (Knockmore) v David Livingstone (Castlebar), Boy 2 39kg, Eileen McDonagh (St Anne’s) v Lauren Finn (Ballyhaunis) Girl 2 42kg, Terence Lawrence (Ballina) v William McHale (Castlebar) Boy 4 39kg, Edward Cleary (Ballyhaunis) v Gavin Roache (Castlebar) Boy 4 44kg, Aaron Daly (Castlebar) v Darren Cadden (Ardagh/Cross), Peter Butler (Ballinrobe) v James Carolan (Geesala) Boy 4 52kg, Brian O’Neill (Ballyhaunis) v Martin F Collins (St Anne’s) Youth 1 52kg, James McDonagh (Claremorris) v Jason Sweeney (Knockmore) Youth 1, 52kg, Adam Brennan (Ardagh/Cross) v Liam McStavick (St Anne’s) Youth 1, 52kg, Terri Gleeson (St Anne’s) v Claire McDonagh (Castlebar) Girl 5 57kg, Evan Heneghan (Ballinrobe) v Stephen Chambers (Castlebar) Youth 1 60kg, John J Ward (Gurteen) v Kevin Ward (Castlebar), Youth 1 60kg, Patrick McDonagh (St Anne’s) v Jonathan Mongan (Gurteen), Youth 1 70kg, Benjamin Garrett (Castlebar) v Sean Reilly (Ardagh/Cross) u18 60kg.
Read more ...Spring leagues in full swing around the clubs of Mayo
Fri, Feb 15, 2013
Balla
Vinnie Gibbons was the winner of the men’s competition last weekend in Balla after scoring back 34pts. His back nine play on the last few holes kept him just out in front of John O’Connor in second and Bernie O’Connor in third place. The ladies’ competition was won by Geraldine Kilgallon who also scored 34pts, second place went to Breege Moran, and Aine McSuibhnie finished in third place. The Winter League after nine rounds sees Jimmy Sheridan and Breege Moran in the lead on 431pts, Chris Mannion and Tim Evans are chasing them down on 418pts in second place, and John O’Connor and Nora Gibbons are third on 413pts.
Medal haul for Mayo AC at indoor masters
Fri, Feb 15, 2013
Following their cross-country success last week in Derry, Mayo AC's versatile masters women, plus a couple of men, competed at the new track in Athlone AIT in the Woodie’s DIY Indoor Masters track and field championships on Saturday last. For two of the women, it was their debut in this annual indoors event. Newport based Pauline Moran has been winning all over the place since joining the club and it was another gold medal display – after her Derrygold last week. She ran in three races, winning silver in the 800 metres and gold in both the 1500 and 3,000. Another debutante was Swinford based Margaret Glavey, who also ran three races in the W60 category and won all three – golds in 800, 1500, and 3,000. Glavey has also been in fine form and medallist at a number of distances on the road in recent years. Ann Murray has been a regular medal winner at these championships and she won gold in the 400 and silver in the 800 metres in the w45 category. Jim Gaughan returned to training in the New Year and competed in the M60 1500 metres where he won silver behind Martin McEvilly (GCH). Also taking place last weekend were the Kilbride 10k in Roscommon and the Enniscorthy 10k in Wexford. In Roscommon, Gerry Galvin was the first Mayo AC runner home finishing in ninth place in a time of 39.27, with Patrick Walsh taking first place in the M40 section in a time of 39.51. Ann Lennon came home in second place overall in the women’s race in a time of 41.04. In Enniscorthy, TJ McHugh in a time of 34.32 was the first Mayo AC runner over the line and finished in 19th place while Catherine Conway finished the women’s race in third place in a time of 36.14.
Read more ...Mayo head into break with plenty think about
Fri, Feb 15, 2013
It will be another 15 days before Mayo get back out on the field in competitive action when they take on Dublin in Croke Park on Saturday, March 2. In the coming 15 days and in the five days since they lost at the death a game they really had no right to hold the upper hand in at all, Mayo will have had plenty of time to ponder last Sunday’s events against Tyrone.
Read more ...Mayo sides hit the road this weekend in the Connacht Cup
Fri, Feb 15, 2013
The only Mayo side to have been afforded the luxury of a draw in this weekend’s fourth round of the Connacht Cup is Iorras Aontaithe who will entertain Galway League side St Brendan’s on Sunday in the Barony of Erris. The other half- a-dozen Mayo sides left in the competition will all be packing up and heading all over the province as they look for a place in the fifth round of the competition. Castlebar Celtic will be hoping they will have a happy trip north when they take on Sligo League outfit Aclare Celtic. Last year’s Connacht Shield winners and Mayo League Premier A champions Ballyheane have been riding a wave of success this past 12 months and they hope it will continue on Sunday when they face West United from the Galway Premier League. While Ballyheane face the men from West United, the defending champions Westport United will also face Galway opposition in the shape of East United. Manulla will also be heading to Galway city to take on Mervue United in what looks to be a very tricky away tie for the men from Carramore. Also on the road on Sunday are Charlestown Athletic who will be looking to keep up their surprise run to this stage when they take on Loughrea in the fifth round. The action in the cup for Mayo sides actually gets under way on Saturday night when Fahy Rovers take on Shiven Rovers from the Roscommon and District League at 7.30pm.
Read more ...Mayo championships weigh in this Sunday
Fri, Feb 08, 2013
The weigh in for the 2013 Mayo Boxing Championships will be held in the Peter Callaghan Centre (St Anne’s Club) Westport this Sunday from 9am to 10am. Boxing will commence at 12 noon and the semi/finals will be held in the Killala Community Centre the following weekend, Saturday February 16 and Sunday 17.
Read more ...Gerald’s make the grade in quarter final
Fri, Feb 08, 2013
St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, qualified for the Connacht Colleges SFC semi-final following an impressive win over their Ballina rivals, St Muredach’s, at the Connacht Centre of Excellence, Bekan on Wednesday.
St Muredach’s were always under pressure and although they found the St Gerald’s net in the first half with a well taken goal by Matthew Cullen, this game was dominated by the Castlebar school who had the edge in class in most areas.
Read more ...St Brendan’s bring home the glory
Fri, Feb 08, 2013
St Brendan’s College Belmullet, prevailed over a determined Ramsgrange Community School in a mouth watering battle in Athlone IT on Wednesday afternoon to be crowned UMBRO FAI Schools Senior B Girls All Ireland Champions. The mighty Mayo girls were in fine fashion as an early strike from distance courtesy of Kayleigh Winters deceived Katherine Whelan between the posts to give the Erris girls the lead. Their second was added mid way through the first half as Michelle Doherty nipped in at the near post to convert. The New Ross girls were determined to bring the game to the Belmullet ladies and that they did when Shannon Doyle pulled one back four minutes later. The second half was end to end action as Ramsgrange pressed hard for an equaliser. Mentor Neill Reilly had the Belmullet girls well versed and a sterling performance from their back four kept Ramsgrange at bay
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