Mayo fail Galway test for a second year in a row

Sun, Jun 11, 2017

Mayo left Salthill with even more questions to answer than when they were turned over by Galway at the same stage of the competition last year. Last years win by the Tribesmen in MacHale Park - was seen as a smash and grab raid by the visitors, one that Mayo would learn from. This result was something else entirely, the decision by Stephen Rochford to drop Colm Boyle from the starting line-up was something that had everyone talking in the build up to throw in.

No big surprises last weekend as championship moves on

Fri, Jun 02, 2017

There were no surprises across the GAA world as all the expected teams made it through to the next round of their provincial championships in both hurling and football. There was almost a shock of epic proportions in Fraher Field in Waterford as the home side were on the brink of an historic win against Cork in the Munster football championship only for two late points to see the Leesiders through by the slimmest of margins.

Familiar faces from Mayo looked to, to down the Tribesmen

Fri, Jun 02, 2017

Over the past six seasons Mayo have faced Galway five times in the Connacht championship, next Sunday's meeting in Pearse Stadium will be the sixth meeting in seven years. The most basic statistic from the previous five meetings is that Mayo have won four of those five meetings with Galway's solitary win coming in last year's meeting in Castlebar. In those five games Mayo have outscored Galway on a cumulative score of 9-69 to 4-53, unsurprisingly in those five games Cillian O'Connor has accounted for 30 of Mayo's 69 points.

Cup action takes centre stage this weekend

Fri, Jun 02, 2017

The Connacht Gold Super and Premier cups get moving this weekend, with 16 games in both competitions down for decision over Saturday and Sunday. In the Super Cup there are just two all division ties with the meeting of Super League sides Manulla and Ballyglass in Carramore, and Claremorris and Westport United two of the stand-out ties of the round.

5K series gets off to searing start

Fri, Jun 02, 2017

The first two races in the Mayo AC Vodafone C&C Cellular 5km Summer Series took place over the past few days with races in Foxford and Ballyhaunis. In the first race in the series in Foxford there were 160 competitors taking part.

Lam's regret is an IRFU issue

Fri, Jun 02, 2017

Irish rugby will continue to lose coaches to more lucrative clubs overseas, says former Connacht coach Pat Lam, unless it changes its stance on contracts. Lam, who wraps up his four year stint in Connacht this weekend at the wedding of captain John Muldoon before heading to Bristol, says his one regret leaving Ireland next week is the IRFU's stubborness over the six-months release clause.

Big scores around the clubs last weekend

Fri, Jun 02, 2017

The good summer weather brought large numbers out to the golf clubs around the county last weekend.

From the peloton....Day Seven

Sun, May 28, 2017

No stage is predictable in the Rás, and stage 7 was no different. The stage started in Donegal town in what was dismal conditions. Pouring rain, grey clouds, wind and a 167 kilometre trek to Ardee faced the field ahead of the long awaited finish in Skerries on Sunday. A day that was soaked with disappointment for me, the bunch split in half early on in the stage and I was foolish enough to be on the wrong side of the split. You must definitely cannot turn off in this sport, a split second can change your race. I started towards the back thinking I would make my way up throughout the 167 kilometre stage, but the race exploded in the first 10 kilometres. A mistake I will take on the chin. My legs are in bits, to be honest. The fatigue has set in, 7 days of flat out racing has got to them, like everyone else in the field. Nobody here is fresh, these stages are real hard and we’re created to produce the best rider in the race, which of right now, is James Gullen of the Birtish pro team, JLT Condor. A real strong team, but I suspect a charge for yellow from the Australian team. We take to Skerries for stage 8, the final race of this year’s Rás. The last stage is by no means easy. We have a number of climbs to tackle before we get welcomed into Skerries to a presumed massive crowd in the north Dublin city town. The fearsome ‘Black Hills’ will need to be tackled 3 times on the circuit before the finish line in the centre of the scenic Skerries. A course I think might suit me, but we will see. One last stage, I’ll give it everything left I have in my tank.

From the peloton....Day Six

Thu, May 25, 2017

The hilliest of all the stages of the race, with a whopping 7 categorised climbs on the course, and plenty of heated wind to hurt every man in the field. The stage started as every Rás stage does, incredibly fast. Every stage I’ve been in so far there has been a crash, and I saw a real nasty one today, two riders hit against each other, one headed for the ditch, the other into the air and landed on his back side and slid for about 10 meters, it must have felt like an eternity for him. I saw the crash on the edge of my eye, about 2 meters away from me, we were going about 60 kmph. Anyway, back to the stage. I felt good during the stage, and when we hit the main climb of the day, the fearsome Glengesh, I felt good and pressed on. I got into a rhythm, and found myself in a strong group of riders.

The Australian team tore the race to pieces on the climb, and Cameron Meyer (winner of grand tour stages and former world champion) was clearly in good form, dancing away on the peddles. We descended off Glengesh, and I was with some top riders, but on one of the sharp bends, I overcooked it and on the heated, slippery tarmac I lost about 10 meters within seconds. I was marginally behind the leaders but never got back to them. The professional teams were on the front driving the race. I was never going to get them back, as I myself would need to go faster than 2 or 3 pro teams, which was mission impossible.

From the peloton....Day Three

Wed, May 24, 2017

Fast. That’s the only word that can describe Tuesday's 149km trek from Newport to Bundoran. The stage started with speeds exceeding 60 kmph, and at time hitting well over 70kmph. Narrow roads from Newport to Glenhest and onto Ballina meant that it was difficult to move up in the peloton.

From the peloton....Day Two

Tue, May 23, 2017

Country roads took us home to Mayo in yesterday's second stage of the An Post Rás, an important stage for the Mayo men and for all rider’s in the race. The early stages in this year’s race isn’t going to be where you win the race, but it can definitely be where you lose it. Over 190 riders on a main road fighting to be near to the front of the peloton can often lead to crashes.