A few classics in championships past

Fri, Aug 01, 2008

And then there were 12, we’re just under three weeks out from the Connacht Final and a dozen sides are left in with a shout. While Armagh, Dublin, Cork and Galway are given another week to ready themselves for the elite eight phase of the competition, tomorrow (August 2) sees Mayo back in action. All eyes were on the draw drum on Sunday evening to see who would Mayo get of the quadruplet of sides who managed to make it through the previous two rounds of action. Each of the potential adversaries had there own pitfalls, Down a side who seemed to be on the up this year with Ross Carr moulding a side, Kildare who bombed so famously against Micko’s Wicklow in the long grass of early summer, but Kieran McGeeney is a man used to getting things done and has picked them up. Monaghan the new darlings of the football world with boundless enthusiasm and with Banty McEnneany patrolling the sideline and celebrating wildly at final whistles. But it wasn’t to be any of that trio, Tyrone were pulled from the hat and they pose their own series of questions that will have to be answered.

Pressure on O’Mahony and Mayo to deliver

Fri, Aug 01, 2008

Inter-county management is a tough station. The facts speak for themselves this season.

John Maughan and Roscommon parted company after falling out of love in the spring and already this summer vacancy signs have been posted in the football HR departments of Cavan, Longford, Leitrim, Offaly and Meath. Lest we forget, the hurlers of Waterford weren’t long giving Justin McCarthy the heave-ho when things did not go according to plan in the Munster championship.

Flying the colours from a height

Fri, Aug 01, 2008

The wearing of county jerseys has become extremely fashionable in recent times. It affords the wearer an opportunity to advertise his or her identity in a subtle way that often leads to a conversation about the chances of their team in an upcoming championship encounter. I was descending Croagh Patrick last Thursday morning when I noticed a family bedecked in their county colours. This Fermanagh family was heading for the summit to plant their county colours ahead of the Ulster final replay between Fermanagh and Armagh. Having stopped briefly to engage with them and to offer my best wishes I recognised a striking resemblance of the father of this particular family to that of Marty McGrath, the towering Fermanagh midfielder. He excitedly told me that he was indeed Marty’s brother and, as he would normally travel to climb on Reek Sunday, the clash of fixtures left him with no option but to travel west a few days in advance.

My few prayers and those of thousands of others for Fermanagh could do nothing to stop the juggernaut that is Armagh when they are in mean mode. They have the capacity to smother opposition with their physicality and industrious style of play. Of course they were assisted in this victory by a miss-firing Fermanagh forward line, particularly in the first half when easy scores went a-begging. The beauty of sport is the uncertainty of outcome and that is the reason we have such terrific summer Sundays every year. Fermanagh supporters arrived at Clones last weekend full of hope and expectation that this present crop of players were finally going to land an Ulster title that their efforts over the last four years so richly deserved. Unfortunately for them there was not going to be a fairy tale ending to this romantic journey. However, they have contributed wonderfully so far to this year’s championship campaign and I am sure their loyal supporters will not abandon them next weekend in Croke Park where I expect they can overcome Kildare.

Open week a huge success in Castlebar, Ballyhaunis gears up for captains prize

Fri, Aug 01, 2008

Castlebar Ladies Golf Club
Open Week was held last week and was a mighty success. The first competition was Hynes Shoes 18-hole Stableford and was won by Mary Glynn. Leah Kerr finished second with Sheila Baynes taking the gross prize and Derval Molloy was third. Monday was Irwin’s Menswear 18-hole Stableford which was won by Kay Mulroy, second place went to Mary Glynn, the gross was won by Connie White and Daryl Conroy took third place.

Mayo look to open the back door

Fri, Aug 01, 2008

With the front door closed by Galway after the Connacht final, Mayo go in search of squeezing themselves through the back door starting with Tyrone tomorrow afternoon. The two-time All Ireland champions, who were kicked to touch at the quarter-final stage of the Ulster championship by Down and have come through the first two rounds of the qualifiers, seeing off Louth and a 13-man Westmeath side last weekend, to arrive in Croke Park with a bit of steam built up.

Braves gear up for new basketball season

Fri, Aug 01, 2008

The recently reconstituted Ballina Braves Basketball Club is already gearing up for the new basketball season which gets under way in early October. Season tickets for the 2008/09 season will be on sale in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the club’s Division 1 team will play a tough pre-season challenge game against Scranton University, USA, in Ballina Sport and Leisure Centre on Saturday 9 August at 8pm. This should be an entertaining game and all basketball followers are asked to come along and support the home team which will feature a number of the club’s younger players. Pre-season training is now taking place each Wednesday at 8pm and each Friday at 7pm in the Sport and Leisure Centre and new players are always welcome.

It’s Westport’s to lose — Kilkelly

Fri, Jul 25, 2008

After this weekend’s round of games in the Mayo league the corner flags and nets can be put away for a couple off weeks around the county as the Mayo League takes its mid-season break. In the Super League most sides will have played at least 15 games, leaving three to play after the break and Castlebar Celtic manager Declan Kilkelly reckons that the league is Westport’s to lose, but he can’t see them doing that. “I knew it was always going to be hard coming in mid-season, but I’m delighted to be back with the club and in the game. It’s been tough though because it’s been all go since then. We’ve had a good few weeks where we’ve been playing Thursday and Saturday or Sunday, that’s not leaving you much time to do anything on the training field. We’re still fighting for the league, but realistically you have to say it’s Westport to lose, they’re top by a point and have two of the bottom three at home in their last three games.”

FAI AGM- Festival of football takes in the sights of Mayo

Fri, Jul 25, 2008

Since Sunday evening the FAI have been criss crossing the county as the festival of football, which culminates with Saturday’s FAI AGM in Mayo, got into gear. On Wednesday evening, they stopped off at Pat Quigley Park in Ballyheane to open the new astro-turf facility and the Mayo Advertiser, caught up with FAI Cheif executive John Delaney and former Irish international Ray Houghton to get their views on their week in Mayo.

John Delaney has been suitably impressed by the welcome the people of Mayo have given the FAI and the enthussiam for the game they have seen in the county over the week. “It’s been a great week so far, it feels like we’ve been all over the county. From Ballyhaunis with the intercultural event, Ballyglass, Claremorris and Swinford. The warmth of the recepetion we gothas been fantastic and the standard of the facilites here in Mayo are superb. All you have to look at is the ambitions of the clubs here to make sure that they have top-class facilities not just for their main teams but for the kids starting out because that’s what is really important. From the smallest areas and the smallest clubs, who are filled with great people who do great work. If you look at Partry they put up those dressing rooms in eight weeks, it’s amazing to see. It goes from local to national on Friday, when we turn our attention to the AGM, but the people of Mayo have all come out to suppport us all week. We’ve literally met thousands of people all week, all of them have been great. This year is our second year of bringing the AGM out on the road-last year was great in Kerry but this has surpassed it, I’d say.”

Mayo one-two at Cork Week Regatta

Fri, Jul 25, 2008

For a small sailing club to win an event at the prestigious ACC Bank Cork Week Regatta is quite an achievement. For boats from a single club to finish first and second is an outstanding result. That is exactly what happened for Mayo Sailing Club in Cork this year. X-Rated and Roxanne finished first and second respectively in the X332 Class. It’s no wonder the champagne corks popped.

To set the context, Cork Week is the biggest club regatta in Europe. It is the single most important sailing event in the country with 4,000 boats competing for prizes. The event is held every second year. In 2006 X-Rated, owned by John and Gair Gordon, Knockmore, Ballina, was the first boat from Mayo Sailing Club to win her class. This year four X332s from Mayo Sailing Club competed in the class. The racing was tough and challenging, the series was the best of eight races, with one ‘discard’ (the poorest race result is discounted).

Good scores at clubs around Mayo

Fri, Jul 25, 2008

Castlebar Ladies Golf
The Wednesday July 16, 18 hole stableford sponsored by Castlebar Florists. First place was taken by Geraldine O'Malley 37 pts; second was Mary McKeon with 36pts; and third was Leah Kerr with 35pts (back nine). Anna Fadden's 18 hole stableford was won by Suzanna Kenny .Please arrange to complete Lavelle Cup matches and Rocky's Plate matches as soon as possible

New proposals for Connacht Hurling Club championship

Fri, Jul 25, 2008

A novel idea has been mooted by the Connacht GAA Council in a bid to promote hurling in the province, and it could come into being next season. The council have proposed that the Galway senior hurling champions no longer take part in a Connacht senior club championship that also features the Roscommon and Mayo champions. “Our plan is that the Roscommon and Mayo champions take part in the Connacht intermediate club championship, along with the Galway intermediate champions,” said council secretary John Prenty.

“This would give the Mayo and Roscommon senior champions a chance to progress in the intermediate championship, because they are currently out of their depth in the senior championship. We have selected Mayo and Roscommon for this because they are both Christy Ring Cup counties. Leitrim and Sligo play in the Nicky Rackard Cup and, as such, we propose that their senior champions take part in the Connacht junior club championship along with the Galway junior champions.” The proposal – which must now be approved by the province’s Games Committee – would see the Galway senior champions declared Connacht senior club champions. “It would mean we would have no Connacht senior club championship, but the benefits would be felt down the line by the champions of all the other four counties,” added Prenty. “The senior championship has always been dominated by the Galway champions, anyway, and, more often than not, the Roscommon and Mayo champions have struggled to be competitive.” A decision on the proposal is expected inside the next month.

What a wonderful weekend of sport it was

Fri, Jul 25, 2008

The TV licence was worth paying for, if only to have had the benefit of sitting back last weekend to watch some of the greatest sporting moments of the summer. I have to be honest here, I felt rather guilty last Sunday evening having spent the majority of the previous two days watching hurling, football, golf and boxing. I am a farmer’s son and the guilt kicks in automatically if I spend any bit of time indoors on a fine day!

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