Ballina AC retains senior team title at Hollymount 10k

Thu, Nov 24, 2011

The senior male athletes of Ballina AC retained the senior team title at the recent Hollymount 10K road race held on a three lap circuit of the south Mayo village. This is a famous race which has been held for the past 46 years under the stewardship of Seán Reilly.

Schools soccer

Thu, Nov 24, 2011

On Wednesday November 9, Davitt College, Castlebar, played against St Mary’s Secondary School at Celtic Park, in Castlebar. St Mary’s put up a great fight to begin with, but when Erina Flannery put a ball in the back net after 10 minutes Davitt College attacked forcefully. Flannery’s goal was followed by a goal from Melissa Patterson, who put up a fantastic fight up front. The third goal was scored by Anna Tully and was well deserved, as she put up a blinding performance at left wing. The fourth goal was scored again by Melissa Patterson. However Patterson did not obtain a hat-trick as the fifth goal was scored by Kirstin Sheerin. Sheerin, who put up a fantastic performance in goal last year, played centre field and demonstrated remarkable skill and endurance. Davitt will go on to play Ursuline College, Sligo, to qualify for the Connacht quarter finals.

Mayo Athletic Club launches winter Fit4Life programme

Thu, Nov 24, 2011

Mayo Athletic Club has just announced details of its winter Fit4Life programme. Fit4Life caters for people over 18 with no upper age limit, and provides them with an opportunity to improve their fitness at a low cost. Fit4Life operates in four towns; Ballyhaunis, Ballinrobe, Castlebar, and Claremorris. It is suitable for people of any fitness level. All centres have trained team leaders in attendance catering for people who wish to walk, jog, or run.

Awards presentation night for Mayo League

Thu, Nov 24, 2011

An awards presentation celebration was enjoyed by the Mayo League in The Welcome Inn Hotel, Castlebar, last weekend, acknowledging much of the fine talent among players and management.

Connacht are ready for home start in Heineken Cup

Fri, Nov 18, 2011

European rugby giants Toulouse arrive in Galway today in preparation for Connacht’s biggest competitive fixture at the Galway Sportsground - their pool six Heineken Cup second round clash on Saturday (6pm).

Celtic women host Rovers on Sunday

Fri, Nov 18, 2011

Castlebar Celtic women’s side took their first footsteps at the top level of women’s soccer in the country last weekend when they kicked off their Bus Éireann Women’s National League Campaign away to Wexford Youths. The long trip to Ferrycarrig Park was worth the journey as Celtic came home with a point in the bag after a 2-2 draw. Celtic twice took the lead through star striker Emma Mullin who was played up top as a long striker for the hoops, but Wexford were able to pull a goal back each time to ensure it finished in a stalemate.

It could have been worse for Celtic who had goalkeeper Ashling Concannon save a penalty for them during the game.

Murray wins Sea2Summit

Fri, Nov 18, 2011

Over 1,000 athletes took up the challenge of the Westport Sea2Summit last Saturday. The Westport based competition has become on of the top adventure racing events in the country and Westport’s Anthony Murray was the first person home over the finishing line. Anthony finished in a time of 3:00.39 over the tough 56.5km course, which took in road running, cycling, a run up Croagh Patrick, sea dash and an obstacle course before finishing with a tough run to the finish line at The Mall in the town. Murray, who won the sprint competition last year, can now add the title of supreme champion for 2011.

From despair to survival in a couple of days

Fri, Nov 18, 2011

Crossmolina played Westport in a relegation play-off match last Sunday at McHale Park. It was a glorious day for football and we arrived at the venue in a fairly confident mood. This match was a relegation play-off to ultimately decide who would join Burrishoole in the drop to division 1B of the senior league. A defeat, however, wasn’t the end of the road as the losers (Crossmolina) had a second opportunity of survival with a match against Ballinrobe this Sunday (or so we thought). Both teams were aware that a county Board meeting was scheduled for last Monday night that would ratify a proposal to relegate just one team to Division 1B, thus ensuring all three teams would remain in the upper division next year. However, we came to McHale Park to win the match and we failed miserably, producing, arguably, one of the worst performances I have witnessed from Crossmolina in years.

This is all alien territory for a club like Crossmolina who have been to the forefront in the county in both championship and league performances over the last 15 years. Our boys could do nothing right and the wide open spaces of McHale Park offered few hiding places. Many looked as if they had little interest in the outcome. As manager of the team, I ultimately have to take responsibility for the under-performance and, to be honest, in the immediate aftermath of the game I wasn’t quite sure how I should address the situation. You see, this is not about playing league football in a particular division next year. This is about the future of this proud club. The post-match mood in the Crossmolina dressing room was one of utter despair, demoralisation and sheer frustration. A cursory look around at the sad faces told its own story. Here were some of the club’s greatest ever players looking forlorn and weary and perhaps reflecting on former glory days. My heart went out to them. There was a sliver of light, however, when I heard last Monday night that the county board delegates had ratified a proposal to keep 12 teams in division 1A next year. And so, the final match against Ballinrobe scheduled for this Sunday has been shelved. So had the county board meeting taken place a few days earlier, there would have been no need to witness Sunday’s sad faces. And equally importantly, my good friend Tomas Tierney, manager of the Westport side wouldn’t have the bragging rights over me for the remainder of the year.

Three Mayo clubs make Volvo top 100 Irish course

Fri, Nov 18, 2011

There will be cause for celebration on three golf courses in Mayo this week as they have been included in the Golf Digest Volvo Top 100 ranked Irish golf courses for 2012. Carne Golf Links in Belmullet has climbed four places from last year’s list to number 21 in the rankings, with the two other Mayo clubs making the list being Westport at number 56, down 11 spots from 2011, and Ballinrobe moving up one to number 90.

Counting the cost of McHale Park development

Fri, Nov 18, 2011

“Frightening and scary” is how one well known Mayo GAA personality described the figures presented by the Mayo County Board executive to the delegates at Monday night’s county board meeting. It had been a high pressure day for some of the principal officers, who were summoned to a meeting with Croke Park officials in the Connacht Council offices in Ballyhaunis earlier that day to discuss the financial situation of the development. County board chairman Paddy McNicholas told the meeting that they had to have a plan in place in a fortnight’s time for Croke Park and the banks.

New league structures given the go ahead

Fri, Nov 18, 2011

At the end of last weekend’s league relegation play-off, Westport would have been relieved to have overcome Crossmolina and ensured their survival in division 1A for another year, while the defeated side knew that they had one last chance this weekend to stay up against Ballinrobe. However both last weekend’s game and the one which was fixed for this weekend were rendered null and void of any consequences following Monday night’s county board meeting. At the meeting the delegates passed a new league structure for 2012, meaning that all three sides who were involved in those play-offs were safe in the top flight for another season.

Connacht’s hour comes tonight

Fri, Nov 11, 2011

It is the biggest day in Connacht’s history. After 15 seasons of Amlin Cup rugby, during which time the ultimate goal has always been to play Heineken Cup rugby, the day has finally arrived.

E-paper

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