Mayo Monday Lunchtime Talking Points

Mon, Jan 09, 2017

Marking Time
The mark has come into being in gaelic football for the foreseeable future this year. What was a mark and what wasn't a mark was the topic of some discussion in the press box on Sunday. With two minutes gone referee Barry Judge giving what looked to have been a mark in error or a very soft free to Danny Kirby, but nobody was sure at the back of the stand in MacHale Park. After the game Mayo manager Stephen Rochford said that time will have to be given to it but he said “I did think at times and this isn't a refereeing issue, but just the blowing of the whistle sometimes stopped lads in midplay and they were wondering was there a free or whatever, but that is probably a sense of getting used to it and the rules are there and we just have to play by them. It's probably a case of just getting used to them.”

Mayo new boys learn some lessons

Sun, Jan 08, 2017

It’s unlikely that you’ll ever see this combination of Mayo players ever line out together again for a competitive fixture, but it gave a number of players a taste of what it’s like in the big leagues they’ll not forget and some others who have serious designs on being around there for a long time plenty to work on.

Back to basics for Mayo

Fri, Jan 06, 2017

The last time that the Mayo senior footballers were in action was the heartbreaking All Ireland senior final replay defeat to Dublin and since then they have been the talk of the country following an interview by their former managers. Almost all of that squad are currently on a team holiday in South Africa so for this Sunday's FBD League opener, it is going to be a very different looking Mayo side for supporters to get their voices behind for the first time this year, and concentrate on things on the field rather than off the field.

Oak Leaf challenge first up for Solan's u21s

Fri, Jan 06, 2017

It is going to be hard for Michael Solan and his management team to top their debut season in charge of the Mayo U21s having brought last year's crop of new stars right to the top of the game and claiming the All Ireland U21 title in Ennis against Cork at the end of the spring.

Murray slayed the giants in Claremorris Duathlon

Fri, Jan 06, 2017

Claremorris hosted one of the biggest held duathlons in the west, with nearly 400 taking part, it was also round one of the Bridge Signs Ireland West Duathlon series. 

Lam sees light at end of injury tunnel

Fri, Jan 06, 2017

Connacht's hopes of retaining their Guinness Pro 12 title took a nosedive after poor festive results, and it does not look any rosier with a deepening injury crisis ahead of Saturday's visit to the Ospreys in Wales.

A year of success, just not the big one

Fri, Dec 30, 2016

Croke Park on the first Saturday in October will be the defining memory for a lot of Mayo GAA supporters that they take with them into 2017, but while there's still great disappointment that the Mayo senior footballers fell short at the final fence following a fantastic effort, there is still much to celebrate coming out of 2017.

Connacht continue to be hit by injury crisis for New Year interpro with Munster

Fri, Dec 30, 2016

Connacht, in need of some much-needed New Year cheer when they host Munster at the Galway Sportsground on Saturday, have a record number of players sidelined through injury.

From Rio to Rovers there’s been plenty highlights

Fri, Dec 30, 2016

In August all of Mayo were rooting behind one man, when Castlebar's Nicholas Quinn became the first Mayoman since 2008 to take part in the Olympic Games. The 23-year-old student won his heat in the 200m butterfly in a time of 2:11.67 but just missed out a place in the next round of the competition. He also took part in the 100m butterfly finishing fourth in his heat. The young Castlebar man returned to the county town to a hero's welcome after his efforts in Rio.

Club v county, I have seen it from both sides

Fri, Dec 02, 2016

The age-old debate of club versus county seems to raise its ugly head year after year. For a county like ours with such a prominent senior football team that has been in so many All Ireland finals of late it seems we still cannot get the balance right between club and county. The same problem occurred again this year with a fixture pile up as our county champions and genuine All Ireland contenders Castlebar Mitchels had to play six games, six weeks in a row, eventually losing to now Connacht champions Corofin in extra time having run out of gas during that period of extra time. Some may be wondering what about Westport? They had the same conundrum. They even had to replay a county semifinal against Shrule/Glencorrib mid-week such was the backlog of games. However, Westport were not on the go for a continuous 18 months as the Mitchels were, and Westport had plenty in the tank at the final whistle of all their games.

Mayo's big two scrum down this weekend

Fri, Dec 02, 2016

The two heavyweights of rugby in the county will pack down against each other this Sunday at 2.30pm in Heffernan Park. Hosts Ballina, have backed up their historic junior cup win last season with a brilliant start to this season and currently sit on top of the Junior 1A table with seven wins from their opening eight games, their only loss coming thanks to a narrow three point defeat by Connemara at home a month ago.

Mayo look to get it done at second time of asking

Fri, Dec 02, 2016

Tomorrow afternoon in Ballinagh, in Cavan, the masters of the game from Mayo and Cavan will do it again with the All Ireland Masters Championship up for grabs after their first final meeting ended in a stalemate after extra time. The masters from Mayo will be hoping to fare better than their senior counterparts who also went to a replay in the All Ireland final only to come undone at the end of the game by the narrowest of margins.

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