This is the moment for Connacht Rugby

Fri, May 27, 2016

Connacht Rugby face their "ultimate" test on Saturday when they take on Irish aristocrats Leinster in Scotland in a bid to claim this year's Guinness Pro 12 League crown.

Murrayfield - the home of Scottish rugby in Edinburgh - is the venue where the newcomers are up against the four-times champions, the culmination of an incredible season's journey for Connacht Rugby and one to cherish. Everyone knows the history, but to have come this far after facing the axe in 2003 is testament to the province's perseverance and continuing aspirations to be the best. Most neutrals in Ireland and in the Pro 12 will be willing Connacht to complete their most successful season with the ultimate prize.

The future’s bright, the future could be London

Fri, May 27, 2016

There are plenty people who think the world has gone a bit mad, but here's one for you that might seem mad altogether. It was cheaper for London captain, Dave McGreevy, to fly to Knock for the launch of the Connacht senior championship than to get a train to the airport in London to take that flight. He opened up his conversation with the Mayo Advertiser telling us: "I was up at 7am for the flight in this morning and back out tonight from Knock, the trains cost me more than the flights. I only booked it on Sunday night, not bad at all at €60, but it cost more on trains to get there!"

Joe McDonagh was an iconic GAA personality

Fri, May 27, 2016

We were reading the papers last Friday night when a few texts hit the phone to say that Joe McDonagh had died. Even with the knowledge that Joe had been seriously ill over the past while, it was still difficult to comprehend that such a gregarious, energetic and vibrant man had passed away at such a young age.

Playing every game as it could be your last

Fri, May 27, 2016

It all started so brilliantly for Tom Parsons in the green and red of Mayo, he made his senior championship debut for Mayo in 2008 while still an U21 against Sligo and ended up that season heading to Australia as part of the Irish international rules side, the only Mayo player to be selected for that tour, but three years later when James Horan finished up his first league campaign as manager he was deemed surplus to requirements.

Mayo League hand out first awards of new season

Fri, May 27, 2016

The first batch of Mayo League awards for the new season was announced this week with Crossmolina winning the award for Team of the Month for the March/April period. The Manager of the Month Award has gone to Brian Smith of Straide and Foxford United, who guided the Green Road outfit to five wins in their opening seven games in the Premier League.

London calls and Mayo will answer

Fri, May 27, 2016

The Mayo senior team travel to London tomorrow from Ireland West Airport for the start of their 2016 championship and kickstart their bid for an unprecedented six Nestor cups in a row. The 100/1 on Connacht champions will have little or no trouble in disposing of the exiles no matter what way we try to butter it up.

Rochford names his London warriors

Thu, May 26, 2016

Stephen Rochford has named his first championship starting team for Mayo this lunch time, Rochford has handed Ballina Stephenites attacker Evan Regan his championship debut in this game and has named nine of the side who started Mayo's All Ireland semi-final replay defeat to Dublin in the starting 15. The players coming into the side who didn't start that day are Brendan Harrision, Kevin Keane, Patrick Durcan, Jason Gibbons, Evan Regan and Conor O'Shea. Dropping to the bench from that clash are Seamus O'Shea, while Ger Cafferkey, Donal Vaughan, Chris Barrett, Barry Moran and Diarmuid O'Connor aren't part of the match-day 26. There had been doubts of the fittness of O'Connor, Barrett, Moran and Ger Cafferkey ahead of the game.

Coen points Mayo to victory

Sun, May 22, 2016

A moment of quality in this contest saw Mayo claim their second Connacht junior title in as many years in Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday afternoon. After a slow paced first half where Mayo went in leading by 0-5 to 0-4 thanks to the accuracy from Darren Coen’s placed balls, the second half had more excitement for the crowds who made their way to the Leitrim capital.

Mayo book Croke Park date with Armagh

Sat, May 21, 2016

The Mayo senior hurlers are going back to Croke Park for the first time since 2004, when they lost an All Ireland senior B championship final to Kildare in GAA HQ. This time they will be taking on Armagh in the Nicky Rackard Cup final after a hard fought victory over Donegal in Letterkenny on Saturday afternoon.

Mayo on the road to redemption

Fri, May 20, 2016

Getting relegated out of the second tier of the senior inter-county hurling championship would never have been part of the plan for Mayo, but that was what happened last year when a disappointing season ended with them dropping down into the third tier competition for the first time since the new championship gradings were introduced back in 2005. Up until this demotion Mayo had operated in the Christy Ring Cup and held their own for the most part with the sides in that competition.

McLoughlin's Mayo look to double up

Fri, May 20, 2016

In an often forgotten grade, Mayo are looking to pick up their second Connacht title in a row on Sunday in Pairc Seán Mac Diarmada, the ground named after the Leitrim native and Irish revolutionary who was executed 100 years and eight days ago for his part in the Easter Rising.

Mitchels lay down a marker

Fri, May 20, 2016

The Mayo football championship kicked into life in sweltering Mediterranean like conditions last weekend. Defending champions Castlebar Mitchels showed no ill effects from their All-Ireland final nightmare two months ago when they easily accounted for Crossmolina Deel Rovers despite fielding just over half of the team that started in that All Ireland final.

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