Winter is over and it’s great to have football back

Fri, Jan 29, 2016

With the greatest respect to the pre-season provincial leagues, they are really what they are, challenge matches with large attendances. They are a means to an end, to prepare you for the competitions that matter, the National league and the championship. They are to build up fitness, improve your football skills, and try to unearth a player or two that might make a difference in bigger more important games. Unlike some folk out there, Mayo’s defeat by Roscommon in the final group game in the FBD league does not bother me in the slightest. After all Mayo, like most, were experimenting and playing with a very under strength team. There are two matters that do concern me however; firstly the delay in appointing Stephen Rochford means Mayo are a full month behind the other counties in terms of work done, and secondly the number of players Mayo have out injured for the start of the league.

Advertiser.ie Mayo GAA Podcast 2016 #1

Fri, Jan 29, 2016

Get closer to the action this year with www.advertiser.ie GAA Podcasts. In the first edition of the new series, Mayo Advertiser Sports Editor, Colm Gannon sits down with former Mayo footballer and Mayo Advertiser columnist John Casey to chew the fat over Mayo's upcoming National Football League season and what we can expect to see from Stephen Rochford's Mayo

Ardnaree take one more step towards the promised land

Sun, Jan 24, 2016

“It’s a long way from the hill in Ardnaree to the hill in Croke Park” said Ardnaree chairman Johnny O’Malley on the field in Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday afternoon as the faithful from the hamlet near Ballina soaked in the celebrations. They had just witnessed their side grind out a historic victory over Rockcorry from Monaghan in the All Ireland semi-final and book their place in Croke Park on Saturday fortnight where they will face Templenoe from Kerry in the final.

Ardnaree are fully focused on the next step

Sun, Jan 24, 2016

Amidst the hugs and backslaps from friends, family and well wishers on the muddied field of battle in Carrick-on-Shannon, the Ardnaree players were enjoying the spoils of their greatest victory to date, but they were firmly looking forward to what lies in wait in two weeks time and one last push on the field, that all things going well will see them go from local hero’s to local legends on the most famous field of them all.

Honours even at the end of fractious affair

Sun, Jan 24, 2016

Mayo had to come back from two points down at the start of the second half of extra time in the Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence on a wet and miserable hour of football on Saturday to earn a draw in the first ever North West Cup final.

Coen plays the captains part as Hollymount-Carramore head for Croker

Sun, Jan 24, 2016

Darren Coen played the captain’s part on Sunday in Breffni Park in Cavan scoring eight points as Hollymount-Carramore booked their place in the All Ireland intermediate club final in Croke Park.

Henshaw expected to return for Connacht in ‘do or die’ Euro match

Fri, Jan 22, 2016

Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw is set for a return to action in Connacht's final European pool fixture at the Galway Sportsground on Saturday (3pm).

Junior cup kicks off for lower level sides this weekend

Fri, Jan 22, 2016

The premier cup competition for junior rugby sides in Connacht kicks off this evening, with Claremorris the first Mayo side into the competition taking on Tuam in north Galway at 8pm. The south Mayo team who are operating in Junior 1C this year will face a tough test against the north Galway side who are sitting in third place in the table in the division above them in the league with eight wins from their 10 games.

On Sunday Ballinrobe, who warmed up with a 30-10 win over the aforementioned Claremorris in the league last weekend, will take to the road and head to Dumore for a place in the next round, where all the big boys enter the competition. Theses two sides have been battling it out at the top of Division 1C all year and when they met in the league their most recent contest ended in a 13-13 draw in Ballinrobe, while Ballinrobe had 19-7 win in their last meeting in Dunmore. If Ballinrobe get over Dumore the prize for them is an away trip to last year's cup winners Westport in Carrowholly the following weekend.

Bidwell comes second in first early season test

Fri, Jan 22, 2016

Conditions were tough for the 12th Annual Tuam 8k last Sunday. For many this race is one of the best of the West's early season tests. Persistent rain swept across Connacht but lightened off for the race. However, a chilly headwind on the early kilometres along open sections of the course made it difficult for the 387 finishers.

GCH swept the board taking five of the six top men/women podium prizes. Winner Gary Thornton was 12 seconds faster than last year in 24:22. He's aiming for a good time in the 36th Rotterdam Marathon (it's on the same day as the National 10k - April 10) and edge into the top four Irish men for Rio Olympics.

Solan’s u21s look for revenge in final rematch

Fri, Jan 22, 2016

Michael Solan's Mayo u21s will face Donegal for the second week in a row, when they take on the Ulster men in the final of the North West Cup tomorrow in the Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence in Scardan. Both sides met last weekend in the third round of the competition in Letterkenny with the hosts scraping home by a single point on a scoreline of 1-9 to 1-8 in O'Donnell Park.

Westport held in ten goal thriller

Fri, Jan 22, 2016

Manulla closed the gap at the top of the division one table in the Masters league last Wednesday with a big win over Swinford, taking advantage of Westport United’s slip up against Ballyvary Blue Bombers earlier in the night. Kiltimagh Knock United also took advantage to close the gap with a win over Ballina Town, while Straide and Foxford eased their own relegation worries with a win over Snugboro.

Hollymount-Carramore look to take down Loughinisland

Fri, Jan 22, 2016

Just 60 minutes stand between Hollymount-Carramore and a dream date in Croke Park and a place in the All Ireland Club Intermediate Football Championship final. On Sunday, the south Mayo amalgamations supporters will be making the 190 mile round trip to Breffni Park in Cavan for their side's meeting with Down outfit Loughlinisland.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.