Mayo Community Games successfully hosted the HSE Connacht Community Games last weekend in Castlebar and the surrounding areas of Breaffy and Ballyvary. With ideal weather conditions to help all teams it was a day when many matches came down to the wire . Mayo Community Games secured seven titles with double gold for Breaffy rounders while Burrishoole also enjoyed double success when their girls u13 futsal team and u15 girls soccer were crowned champions. Turlough Towers girls u12 Gaelic footballers realised their dream when they won easily to lift a Connacht title. Kiltimagh girls u13 basketballers made their intentions known when they won out against tough opposition. It was a historic day for Castlebar boys u12 soccer team as they won the title for the eighth successive time.
It turned out to be another great day for Burrishoole Community Games when their u13 girls futsal team won their final against Ballaghaderreen the game ended 1-1 at full time and not even extra time could separate them . The dreaded penalties decided the contest on a score line of 4-2 . In the girls u15 soccer Burrishoole won their semi-final game against Ballaghaderreen 3-0. They met Calry from Sligo in a well contested final but Burrishoole had the greater team work and this allowed Sarah Baynes to hit the net twice while Jennifer Chambers added a third to complete the scoring and lift the Connaught trophy.
Turlough Towers made a major impact in this competition by winning the girls u12 Gaelic football competition. They beat Ballinamore 4-8 to 0-3 in their semi-final clash before meeting the Roscommon champions Kilgefen in a contest that Turlough Towers were always in control. The score line finished 5-10 to 2-06 in favour of the Round Tower girls who celebrated a great Connaught victory.
Breaffy boys rounders teams also displayed their skills to outclass the Sligo challenge on a day when their boys u13 side won easily against Riverstown. In the u15 contest Breaffy tasted success against a battling St Feichin’s team from Sligo. Kiltimagh remain a force in the girls basketball after they successfully won the girls u13 Connacht title. Their power and pace against Kilbride the Roscommon champions in the semi-final was delightful to watch. In the final against tough opposition they took the game to Oranmore/Maree from Galway but Kiltimagh were far superior when it came to taking the baskets and came away deserving winners.
Castlebar boys u12 soccer team continued their proud record in Community Games by winning yet another Connaught title. They beat Tubbercurry 8-0 in a one-sided semi-final game but had to battle hard to over come a good Carrick-on-Shannon team in the final. It was left to Ben Ebenzer to score the all important goal with two minutes left on the clock.
Mayo Community Games also lost a number of tight games on a day when sport was a real winner and every game was played in a sporting fashion that embraced the community spirit.
Burrishoole boys u13 futsal team won an entertaining semi-final encounter against Calry but came up short against a well structured Drum/Clonown team form Roscommon.
In the girls u12 soccer Breaffy went down to a strong Knockcrockery team in a very exciting final. Ballinrobe u14 tag rugby team put in a brave but battling performance against a powerful Ballymote team before settling for the silver medals on this occasion.
