A true great of Crossmolina and the game
Fri, Oct 09, 2009
If friendship was to be measured by the number of times I called to John Naughton’s house to say hello, I was not John’s friend at all, for I never called to his home, nor he to mine and this despite the fact that he only lived over the road from me here in Castlebar. But I have known John all of my adult life because he played in goal for the Crossmolina senior football team for years. Unfortunately John lost his brave battle with cancer and passed away last week. John was a very clever, gifted, man who knew things that others didn’t. He was interested in predictable things like Gaelic football, his farm and livestock, and loved his work with the HSE in Castlebar Hospital. He always struck me as being a wise man. He remained passionate about the Crossmolina football team even after he stopped playing. When I made my way on to the senior team in Crossmolina John was already the well established custodian, having played in goals for years prior to my arrival. He took his game seriously and was never shy in making a suggestion as to how the opposition would be beaten, or offering his point of view on what was going awry in a game. John had notions of grandeur for the club. He wasn’t content with the junior medal won in 1975 or the intermediate title won in 1980. He wanted the team to be the best it could be, to be up there with the top teams competing for the county senior title annually. He was one of the real leaders in the dressing room during my indoctrination. At that time I was a young naive defender on the team and John often pulled me aside before, during, and after games to offer encouragement and advice, for which I was most grateful for. What I loved about those words was the fact that they were delivered in the language of the plain man. In other words, there was no doubt in my mind about the content of the message delivered! John’s manner was genial, his humour easy, and his mind acute. He was enormously proud of the achievements of his native Crossmolina, particularly the All Ireland club victory in 2001. On big match days, whether it was Mayo or Crossmolina that was involved, John would have the field in front of the house bedecked in the Mayo and Crossmolina colours. The display of a variety of paraphernalia, bunting, and flags signalled the fact that a serious follower of the GAA lived in the house behind the field. An enormous crowd of old GAA friends and colleagues, from as far away as Co. Tyrone, turned out for his funeral last weekend to bid farewell to a good man who loved his sport. John would have been immensely proud of his son Kieran who bravely took to the field last Sunday to assist his club, Castlebar Mitchell’s, get through their quarter-final replay vs Shrule/Glencorrib successfully. It can’t have been easy.
Read more ...€20 is too much for a county final
Fri, Oct 09, 2009
The Galway county final was on last Sunday in Tuam Stadium and it ended in a disappointing draw, Corofin 0-9 and Mountbellew/Moylough 0-9. The replay is on Sunday week. The standard of fare on offer was very poor and despite splendid weather conditions for football, none of the Mountbellew forwards could manage a single score from play in the entire 60 minutes and the Corofin forwards weren’t much better, hitting nine wides in the first half alone and only scoring 0-3 (1f) in the second.
Read more ...Mayo sides ready for provincial action
Fri, Oct 09, 2009
Three Mayo sides will go into action in the Connacht championship this weekend looking to book their places in the Connacht final. Carnacon, who are old hands at this level, will be defending their Connacht and All Ireland titles on the line on Saturday in Leitrim when they take on the Leitrim champions Aughawillan in the senior semi-final at 4pm in Leitrim Gaels Community pitch. The vastly experienced Carnacon side will go into the game as hot favourites with either Geevagh from Sligo or Corofin from Galway waiting for the winners in the final.
The other two Mayo sides in action on the weekend sees Westport, who were crowned Mayo junior champions following a 3-7 to 0-7 win over Lahardane at the tail end of September, take on another Leitrim side, this time Dromahair in Swinford, at 5pm on Saturday. The Covie girls will be in for a tough fight to make it to the final.
Read more ...Tyrell Cup first of the major crowns to be given out
Fri, Oct 09, 2009
The first of the major adult county titles will be given out on Saturday when Tooreen host Ballyhaunis in the Mayo Senior Hurling Championship final, with the TJ Tyrell Cup at stake. The men in red and black have been the premier force in Mayo hurling for the last decade, picking up their fifth title in seven years last year with a 0-15 to 2-7 win over their opponents. The last time Tooreen won the county title was back in 2003 and since then they have been on the coat tails of their neighbours.
Read more ...Mayo clubs look to put bad weekend behind them
Fri, Oct 02, 2009
The four Mayo clubs in the Connacht Junior League 1A all had a bad weekend last time out with Castlebar, Westport, Ballina, and Ballinrobe all going down in round two of the league. Bottom of the table Ballinrobe shipped a 39 point defeat at the hands of table toppers Sligo to leave them rooted to the floor of the table, with Oísin Gill the only man to get a score for Ballinrobe in a 42-3 loss. It was always going to be tough for Ballinrobe this year to make the step up to the top flight. They did manage to get a bonus point in their first game away to OLBC, but last weekend’s hammering at the hands of Sligo could put a serious dent in their title credentials. They do have a shot at redemption this weekend when they make the short trip to Carrowholly where they face the Bulls of Westport. But it will be another tough ask and a losing bonus point is all that they really could hope for.
Read more ...Golf News
Fri, Oct 02, 2009
Ballyhaunis
The 18 hole stroke competition last weekend saw Marina Coyne win the ladies’ section with a score of 67. She was followed home in second place by Joan McGuire who hit a 70. She was one ahead of Kay Fanning in third with a 71. The men’s competition was won by Edward Webb who scored 61. Second place went to Brian Philips with a 66 score, and David Burke finished in third with a 66 also.
Mayo League pays tribute to Liam McEntee
Fri, Oct 02, 2009
It is with deep sadness and profound loss that we mourn the passing of our dear friend and colleague in the football world, Liam McEntee, at such a young age. Our deepest sympathies are extended to his wife Samantha, daughter Jennifer and sons Conor and Ciaran. Our sympathies are also offered to Liam’s father, brothers, sisters, and extended family members and friends.
Read more ...No rest in the club championships this weekend
Fri, Oct 02, 2009
It’s like waiting for a bus, you wait for ages with none coming and then two come at once in the Mayo club championships. After last weekend’s fixture load of quarter finals at different grades, this weekend sees a patchwork affair of games across the levels. From a senior semi-final right down through senior and intermediate relegation play offs to action in the junior championship. There are 10 games of serious note this weekend to keep everyone entertained.
Read more ...No rest in the club championships this weekend
Fri, Oct 02, 2009
It’s like waiting for a bus, you wait for ages with none coming and then two come at once in the Mayo club championships. After last weekend’s fixture load of quarter finals at different grades, this weekend sees a patchwork affair of games across the levels. From a senior semi-final right down through senior and intermediate relegation play offs to action in the junior championship. There are 10 games of serious note this weekend to keep everyone entertained.
The big one of course will throw in at 2pm in McHale Park on Sunday when Crossmolina square up with Knockmore in the senior championship semi-final. Both sides head into the game just seven days after tough quarter final wins, John Maughan’s Crossmolina will go in as favourites thanks to their recent history and due to their seeing off last years champions Ballaghaderreen by three points. Even though they did have to thank the crossbar and then the foot of James Nallen on the line, from stopping Andy Moran’s last gasp effort from a free sending their quarter final to a replay. But on the balance of play Crossmolina were good value for their win with Joe Keane the star man for them, he covered acres of ground for his side despite spending a lot of the time playing full forward. Crossmolina went out with a game plan in mind as how to shut down Ballaghaderreen and they stuck to it for the 60 minutes, James Nallen, the other Joe Keane, Michael Gallagher, and Ciaran McDonald all put in good shifts to seal the deal for the Deel Rovers men.
Read more ...No rest in the club championships this weekend
Fri, Oct 02, 2009
It’s like waiting for a bus, you wait for ages with none coming and then two come at once in the Mayo club championships. After last weekend’s fixture load of quarter finals at different grades, this weekend sees a patchwork affair of games across the levels. From a senior semi-final right down through senior and intermediate relegation play offs to action in the junior championship. There are 10 games of serious note this weekend to keep everyone entertained.
Read more ...The sideline can be a tiring place even when you win
Fri, Oct 02, 2009
I arrived home last Sunday evening from McHale Park exhausted after our championship match against Ballaghaderreen. Anyone involved in team management might understand what I am talking about here. Championship football really does sap the energy and those on the sideline, more often than not, end up suffering greater fatigue than those who actually play the game. It’s hard to explain, but the adrenaline starts to pump, in my case, as early as the Saturday morning, the day before the game. Our pre- match routine involved us meeting up as a group in Crossmolina at 11am for a kick about and a team meeting. It is at this time, when we began to discuss and analyse the strengths and perceived weaknesses of the opposition that the butterflies started to flutter.
Read more ...Some things don’t change much
Fri, Oct 02, 2009
Mountbellew-Moylough will enter next Sunday’s Galway county senior football final as rank outsiders with many pundits when they face Corofin in Tuam stadium at 4pm, with deferred showing on TG4 at 5pm.
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