First Newport Wild2Wild duathlon is a runaway success

Fri, Oct 07, 2016

Saturday September 24 saw the first duathlon race take place in Newport, and what a race it was.

It’s deja vu and dejection all over again

Sat, Oct 01, 2016

And so another All-Ireland against Dublin ended with a crucial kick from the man whose sublime finish had us back here in the first place.

Mayo give their all, but just don't have enough

Sat, Oct 01, 2016

It’s the fine margins that win games at the top level and big calls have to be made, for Mayo the fine margins are once again something they fell just short of in Croke Park on Saturday night. The big call made by the management also didn’t work out for them in the end, but there wasn’t an ounce of effort not put into trying to bridge that small gap. Just like 20 years ago, there was point just in it at the end and a penalty for the opposition helped them along the way.

Mayo to make second chance count

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

And we are off again. It has been a long and winding road this year for Mayo on the field and when we thought we had reached the final destination two weeks ago, the car was pointed for home, neither full of joy nor regret, but full of more questions and possible answers. The steering wheel will be turned out on to the road and thousands of cars pointed east to the capital once more, thousands of Mayo fans will make the trek from Blacksod to the bridge in Shrule, full of hope, expectation, and delight tomorrow morning. For this Mayo team have another shot at glory, not redemption. It may be 65 long years since Sam Maguire came here festooned in green and red ribbons, but over the years in between hundreds of Mayo men have donned the green and red and given us some glorious days. Days that other counties could only dream of being involved in, we have been there, we have stood among the greats of the game and we have never done anything but seen our warriors give their all for their families, clubs, towns, schools, communities, themselves, and for us, those cheering them on from the sidelines.

There have been thousands of words in print, online, spoken on radio and television dedicated to where the winning and losing of this game will be over the past number of weeks. But come 5pm, those words will mean little or nothing as it all comes down to two squads of players and their management teams, pitting their wits against each other in another battle for the ages. This group of Mayo players have left no stone unturned in looking to achieve their ultimate goal, they have taken hard decisions, unpopular ones with some at times, but they have put in the hard yards, looked after their bodies right, given up things you and I take for granted, like a night out, a few pints, or even just staying up late at night, as they give themsleves the best opportunity to be the best in their chosen field of combat. We have all suffered through the heartache over the years, but it is the men who have put their lives on hold in their twenties and early thirties who have suffered most and they are the ones who will either head home victorious or in defeat, with no shame and hopefully no regrets as they have done all they can to reach the summit of this particular mountain they are trying to climb.

Little things will edge this one way or the other

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

It is the smallest things that matter at this level of the game, the marginal gains we are told will swing things one way or the other. Everything will not go right for you on the day, just look at Mayo putting the ball into their own net twice the last day, but it is making sure as much goes right for you as possible. That is the key to getting over the line tomorrow evening.

Time for Mayo to smash and grab

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

One of the best lines I have read all week about the massively anticipated All-Ireland football final replay this Saturday was by one of my favourite wordsmiths, Keith Duggan, from The Irish Times stable.

Defending from the front foot

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

Twenty years ago he was in the Nally Stand with a bus load of team-mates from Ballyhaunis when Colm Coyle's shot hopped over the bar and Meath pulled level at the death. Last Sunday week, he was on the field watching Diarmuid Connolly's effort from a sideline sail wide and drop over his head deep in injury time giving Mayo one last chance at drawing level. And thanks to Cillian O'Connor's effort seconds later, he will be back in Croke Park tomorrow evening again with it all to gain.

Controlling the controllable is what matters for Mayo

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

It was a dark, damp, and typical Mayo winter's night last December when the newly appointed Mayo manager Stephen Rochford sat down to speak with the press for the first time since he was appointed, after the Mayo players had signalled their intent by looking for a change of direction, just one year into the management term of the previous incumbents' of the role. When asked what would constitute a good year for Mayo, his response was simple and practical, saying: "I think we need to get back to a situation where we're ultra competitive in all games," before adding, "we'll be looking for a performance every day that we go out, and we can be honest in ourselves and we do ourselves and the county proud, and that we're going in the right direction towards what our goals will be." Rochford's comments were very similar to those echoed by James Horan when he took a side, that was on the floor after 2010, to four Connacht titles and two All Ireland finals over the next four years. Tomorrow Rochford has a chance to go one better when Mayo and Dublin renew a rivalry that has lit up the football world for the past half decade.

Sheridan believes that Mayo will have their day

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

He was the man Mayo could count on to keep the scoreboard ticking over back in the mid nineties and into the early part of the noughties, he won three Connacht senior titles with Mayo, picked up a league winners medal with the county in 2001 and finally got to lift an All Ireland title with Salthill Knocknacarra in 2005 in the club final on St Patrick's Day. Maurice Sheridan was the man Mayo could rely on for the big day, showing cool nerves to slot over free after free in their run to the All Ireland final 20 years ago. In that campaign, Sheridan registered 1-33 over the six games, kicking an average of 5.5 points per outing, no bad return for one player in any side. His fingertips, or more exactly kicking tips, have had a role in this Mayo side's march over the past number of years, with the former Balla man acting as free taking coach with the Mayo minor side back in 2009 that contained a certain Cillian O'Connor.

Beat the ground at the Breaffy 10k

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

The sixth annual Breaffy 10k race takes place on Sunday October 9 at 2.30pm. The race is part of 2016 Mayo AC Vodafone C&C Cellular Club League. The walk/jog/run event is organized by Breaffy Community/Breaffy GAA. This community inspired event is aimed at runners and walkers of all abilities and levels of fitness.

The one lap predominantly flat route starts behind the national school in the village and goes through picturesque country roads to finish at the front of the school. There are toilet facilities at the start/finish line and plenty of parking in the village, at the church, GAA grounds, or in Breaffy House Resort, all within easy walking distance of the national school. There will be water stations at the 3k and 7k marks. When the event is over everyone can relax over tea and refreshments in the school hall. Presentation of prizes will take place at 4pm. All runners and walkers, men and women, are welcome. The course has been officially measured and certified to AAI standards. A permit has been issued for the race by The Athletics Association of Ireland.

Pressure mounts on Connacht to show their champions class

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

A winning performance is "not far off" promises coach Pat Lam as Connacht come under increasing pressure to get their first points in this season's PRO 12 when Edinburgh visit the Sportsground this evening at 7.35pm.

After an improved performance, but ultimately a disappointing defeat to the Scarlets at Parc Y Scarlets at the weekend, Lam says his faith in the team, despite three defeats on the trot, is unshakeable.

Lots to work on say Higgins and Keegan

Fri, Sep 23, 2016

There is plenty of room for improvement for Mayo ahead of Saturday week's All Ireland senior final replay, is the word from the camp this week. Speaking on Tuesday evening Mayo's Keith Higgins said: "Maybe, you'd be looking sometimes at it a bit more critical, ourselves more than anything. But I still don't think we played well on Sunday to be honest with you. We kind of played alright in some patches [but] the performance wasn't as good as we expected it to be. It hasn't hit the heights we think it can hit, and so again it's probably even the Tipp game we played well for 20 minutes. It's about improving on the areas we let ourselves down on Sunday. There are a lot of areas to improve there, so that's the big focus to step up again for the next level of performance for me."

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