Coen looking to steer Mayo back to where they belong

Fri, Jun 03, 2016

"Once the dust settled on last year, we felt we let the county down and we said we had to dig in and see where we can bring this" Mayo hurling manager JP Coen told the Mayo Advertiser when we sat down to speak ahead of Saturday's Nicky Rackard Cup final. The dust he was speaking about was Mayo's relegation from the Christy Ring Cup last year.

When asked if he ever had any doubts about coming back for a second year in charge, Coen was honest in his appraisal of what happened last year, saying, "Probably, if we didn't get relegated you might have said this isn't for me because we'd done so poorly in the league and championship. Maybe not as bad in the championship where we put up a good account of ourselves the first few days, when we were unlucky against some top teams. Derry we should have won, and against Kildare in Ballina and they went on to get to the semi-final, but after that we didn't do so well."

The outsider’s influence on the run to the final

Fri, Jun 03, 2016

After getting relegated from the Christy Ring Cup for the first time, getting Mayo back up to that competition as soon as possible was the number one objective for the management team. In looking to achieve that goal, JP Coen and his management team looked south of the border and asked former Galway hurling captain Liam Donoghue to get on board as a coach and the Clarinbridge man duly accepted their invitation.

Hunt wants to lead Mayo over the gain line

Fri, Jun 03, 2016

There were only two choices left for the members of the Mayo senior hurling panel last year after they were sent back down to the Nicky Rackard Cup, and they chose the one that has seen them reach tomorrow's All Ireland final in Croke Park, team captain Brian Hunt told the Mayo Advertiser. "When we came back at the start of the year we had two choices, we were either going to sink further or we were going to swim. In fairness to JP [Coen] and the lads they set the targets high at the start of the year that we want to win the Nicky Rackard and go straight back up, because if you're down here for two or three years, this group might not get out of it and no one wants that.

Can Mayo footballers learn from Connacht’s marvellous season?

Fri, Jun 03, 2016

Last Tuesday night most of the teachers who are involved in Extra-Curricular activities during the school year at The Jes on Sea Road in Galway city where we teach, went out for a bite to eat and a few beverages in An Pucán just off Eyre Square.

It is a lovely idea and a good way to round of the school year.

Feeney looks to fire Mayo home

Fri, Jun 03, 2016

Just as were finishing up chatting with Mayo's free-taker Kenny Feeney about the Nicky Rackard Cup final, we ask him one last question. With time almost up tomorrow and Mayo a point down, and they get a penalty, would he go for a goal to win it or tap it over to get the draw? Feeney responds "I'll have to ask 'Deno' [Brian Hunt, the Mayo captain]. The Tooreen man then roars the question across the roam at his captain, to be told he will be putting it over the bar. "That's the answer so, but I might go for goal still, ah I'm joking," he tells us.

Professional job done in London

Fri, Jun 03, 2016

Mayo got in and got out of London as expected winning by 2-16 to 0-9 without setting the world on fire. I was fully sure they would cover the 15 point handicap, but when you have an injury list as long as your arm you have to be satisfied they got the job done. I, like most of you, had to be content with listening to the game on the radio which was an unusual experience for me, you could almost sense the carnival atmosphere at the Irish TV grounds in Ruislip.

It was unfortunate my club mate Tom Parsons had to cry off injured before the throw in because of a persistent injury picked up in a club game, a scenario that happened to yours truly in 1996 when I suffered the same fate. Maybe we Charlestown folk aren’t meant to play football in the English capital. It took Mayo a while to get going and I’m sure the players, like us listening, were shocked at the black card issued to Mayo captain Cillian O’Connor. I couldn’t believe it. O’Connor who was the bookmakers’ favourite to be the country’s top scorer in the championship and was well backed by many has surely left himself an impossible task of achieving that feat now. I expected him to fill his boots in London and have at least 10 points to his name after round one. The Mayo attack pressed high up the field in Ruislip which resulted in a London kick out malfunction. Their keeper Gavin McEvoy had the proverbial nightmare putting his team under enormous pressure time and time again. One of those mistakes directly resulted in Mayo’s opening goal which U21 star Conor Loftus palmed to the net. I found it pretty astonishing that McEvoy had been best man at a friend’s wedding in Ireland the day before the game and had only returned to London the morning of the match, your head could not be right with preparations like that. It would not happen with the bigger teams. Another London mistake, this time a misplaced pass by Ciaran Dunne to Aidan O’Shea allowed Jason Doherty slide home another goal for his county. Mayo outscored London by 0-8 to 0-4 in the second half with Evan Regan continuing his fine form from the latter stages of the national league, scoring seven points, his card is most definitely marked now. The Mayo medical team will be busy trying to get players ready for the semi final against Galway on June 18, The week’s training camp in London is likely to help them along nicely. Unfortunately Pat Spillane has given us the kiss of death by declaring we are the only team capable of beating Dublin. Take it easy Pat, it was only London. Congrats to Andy Moran who has entered the Mayo record books by surpassing James Nallen as Mayo’s most capped player, which is a remarkable achievement at a time when longevity is not the norm in GAA so full credit to him for never throwing in the towel. One hundred and thirty three appearances not out for Andy.

Mayo do what was needed in London

Mon, May 30, 2016

They packed the ground from early in the day and there was a carnival atmosphere around Ruislip well before throw in. While the the football on display wasn't of the highest quality getting out of London without any slip ups was the main priority for Mayo and that's exactly what they did.

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.

Any time you met Joe McDonagh you could feel the energy that he had. And the time that he had for people. Joe had a great understanding of people and he had empathy for them, and a genuine desire that people would do well in their lives.

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.

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