Bank holiday competitions brings out the good scores

Thu, Jun 05, 2014

Balla
Last weekend’s greensome competition was won by the team of Lorcan Cribbin and Eamon Donnellan with a score of 47. The pair’s back nine play held off the challenge of Aodan McSuibhnie and Pauline O’Connor in second place after they also finished on 47. Third place went to Geraldine Kilgallon and Marie Flanagan who scored 48.

Last weekend’s greensome competition was won by the team of Lorcan Cribbin and Eamon Donnellan with a score of 47. The pair’s back nine play held off the challenge of Aodan McSuibhnie and Pauline O’Connor in second place after they also finished on 47. Third place went to Geraldine Kilgallon and Marie Flanagan who scored 48.

Duffy leads the way for Ireland

Thu, Jun 05, 2014

Seventeen-year-old Mayo show jumper Michael Duffy continued his remarkable winning streak, by taking the top prize in Sunday's two-phase competition at the three star international show at Lisbon in Portugal. The Knockmore rider beat off the challenge of some 60 fellow competitors to take victory with the nine-year-old mare Eminent, which is jointly owned by Sandra Duffy and Jean Gill..

Moran makes way for Roscommon game

Wed, Jun 04, 2014

James Horan threw a curve ball with his team selection for Sunday's Connacht semi-final against Roscommon, by omitting his captain Andy Moran from the starting line up. The Ballaghaderren man's omissions from the starting 15 will be the big talking point ahead of the throw in, with Breaffy's Conor O'Shea coming into the starting line-up for his first championship start in a new look Mayo team that will see O'Shea line up alongside his two older brothers Aidan and Seamus. Conor will line out at centre half forward with Burrishoole's Jason Doherty on one side of him and Ballintubber's Diarmuid O'Connor on the other flank. The full forward line will see Alan Freeman return to the focal point of the attack with Kevin McLoughlin and Cillian O'Connor either side of him.

Horan happy with Duffy progress

Fri, May 30, 2014

In preparation for Mayo’s meeting with Roscommon next weekend in the semi-final of the Connacht Senior Football championship in Hyde Park, James Horan sat down with the media this week. On the injury front, things haven’t really changed he explained saying “Jason Gibbons isn’t healing as quickly as we’d like, Barry Moran is healing well, Michael Conroy got a knock at the weekend, Enda Varley’s groin is a little sore. But we’re not to bad outside that we’re not to bad, any of the injuries there are recovering.” As for Moran or Gibbons making it back in time for the Roscommon game he said that, “it’d be very tight (for them) to be competitive options for June 8, it’d be very doubtful.”

The local scene is back with a bang

Fri, May 30, 2014

The club championship got under way last weekend with the clash of the round in group one between reigning champions Castlebar Mitchels and local rivals Ballintubber, both pre tournament favourites for the Moclair Cup.

There was plenty of county talent on show, and with Jason Gibbons unfortunate injury the loss of Barry Moran for Castlebar did not seem all that bad. A few years back Charlestown seemed to be the bogey team for the Mitchels, after that the mantle fell to Ballintubber. No matter how bad Ballintubber played they always came out on the right side of the result when facing Castlebar, but now the tides have turned. Castlebar’s confidence after winning their first county title in 20 years last year is there for all to see, they are the team to beat again. Richie Feeney’s goal was the decisive score in Clogher. I have no doubt Ballintubber will qualify in second place in group one with games against Shrule/Glencorrib and Crossmolina to come. It is great to see Ciaran Mc back playing for Crossmolina but even he will struggle to get his team out of the group. Knockmore are in the driving seat in group two after a big win in Bangor. I fully expected Kiltane to give the senior grade a good rattle this year but you nearly always have to win your home games in the group stages. Their game with Garrymore will almost certainly decide who makes the quarter- finals along with Knockmore. My own club Charlestown have left themselves an awful lot to do after going down to Westport by a single point. Group three seems to be the most evenly balanced group with any team capable of beating the other. Ballaghadeereen’s win at home to Davitts is likely to see them prevail with any one of the others. Don’t rule out Davitts just yet. Sparks are likely to fly when Charlestown visit Ballindine. The most shocking result of the entire weekend occurred in Claremorris. One wonders what is going on in Ballina. Charlestown trounced Claremorris in the league a few weeks ago, Ballina suffered the same fate at the hands of Claremorris last weekend in the championship. Many present at the Charlestown v Claremorris league game would not have given Claremorris a prayer against the Stephenites. I know a lot of the old stalwarts have called it a day with Ballina, but surely the county’s second town should be able to produce a team capable of competing with anyone. Worrying times for the Stephenites club who will surely struggle to make the playoffs this year. Breaffy had a resounding win over Aughamore in the other game in group four. The game between Claremorris and Aughamore will be key to see who will join Breaffy in the quarter finals.

Phillips’ men are one game from Croker

Fri, May 30, 2014

“There’s nothing won yet!” said Christy Phillips this week to the Mayo Advertiser after we congratulated him on his team’s win over Wicklow in the quarter-final of the Christy Ring Cup.

Top against bottom on Saturday

Fri, May 30, 2014

The Westport United juggernaut continues to rumble through the Elvery’s Sports Super League. This weekend the league will see a third of the games completed and the Coveys are on what looks like an unstoppable roll, with five wins from five so far and 26 goals scored. On Saturday evening it looks like a dead cert that they will make it six from six when they host bottom of the table Iorras Aontaithe in the Sports Park at 7pm.

New owners for Royal Theatre

Fri, May 30, 2014

The Royal Theatre Castlebar has new owners after hotel management and property companies, Islandeady Properties and Lansdowne Frances, agreed to purchase the properties. The acquisition includes The Royal Theatre, The Ruby Room, Mayo Conference Centre, TF Hotel, Harlequin Hotel (4 star), multi storey car park, and The Royal Quarter Retail Area incorporating Boots Chemists and other various retail stores, The Mosaic and other car parks.

‘We’re just a puck of a ball away from doing it’ — Phillips

Fri, May 23, 2014

Tomorrow afternoon the Mayo senior hurling team put their season on the line when they make the trip to Arklow to take on Wicklow in the quarter-final of the Christy Ring Cup at 2.30pm. Mayo manager Christy Phillips told the Mayo Advertiser this week that he believes that his team have what they need to make the breakthrough on Saturday and reach the semi-final of the competition for the first time in a number of years.

‘You have my number James’

Fri, May 23, 2014

The inclusion of Gavin Duffy in the Mayo senior squad certainly got tongues wagging in the county and several people asked about my opinion on the matter. Gavin Duffy played midfield for the Mayo minors in an All-Ireland final in 1999, which is 15 long years ago. My senior inter county career finished the same year, I wonder would James Horan be interested in a fifth choice goalkeeper; you have my number, James. There is certainly no guarantee a good minor will become an integral part of a senior set up and I have watched many brilliant minors fall by the way side and some weren’t even playing club football by the time they were 22, but in Duffy’s case I’m sure he would have made the grade. The fact that he went on to have a very successful professional rugby career with Connacht and Harlequins reassures me that whatever he put his hand to he would have been a success. There are loads of positives to take from his inclusion in the panel. He has been a professional sportsman for the guts of 15 years so the physique, stamina and temperament are already in place. He is a leader and captained Connacht for many years and his inclusion will lift the tempo at Mayo training and push the existing players that bit further.

A note in point, with the way current county players train and mind themselves you will find that Gavin Duffy will not be alone in his physical condition within the Mayo set up. Most county players look like rugby players now and already the thought of a collision between himself and Colm Boyle at training makes my eyes water. My only concern is how his skill levels will be with a round ball after 15 years playing with a rugby ball. I have no doubt his training regime will involve two hours of ball skills pretty much every day to get him up to speed as fast as possible. The next big question is where to play him? He played midfield as a minor, played full back in rugby so you’d imagine he would have to be considered for a central position. Now is the time to experiment, I would try him everywhere from full back to full forward to see where he is most comfortable. There is also no guarantee we will see Gavin Duffy playing for Mayo this summer although I could think of a few guys I’d like to see him rugby tackle before the summer is out. I wonder if he would escape a black card on the grounds of his previous career.

The race for Moclair begins

Fri, May 23, 2014

With just two league games under their belts for the 16 senior clubs in the county, the race for the Moclair Cup gets under way this weekend with eight games across the four groups in the Treanlaur Catering Mayo GAA senior football championship getting going to the whistle over Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

Cup action dominates this weekend

Fri, May 23, 2014

A few hours after this week’s edition of the Mayo Advertiser went to print last night, a trio of catch-up games in the Super League will have taken place. Westport United will have the chance to stretch their lead at the top out to five points when they take on Ballyheane, Castlebar Celtic will host Moy Villa, while the two teams at the bottom of the table meet with Iorras Aontaithe hosting Fahy Rovers.

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