Tommy Joe is right on time in Ballindine

Fri, May 24, 2013

The soggy weather did not deter organiser in chief, Dave Huane, from clocking up his fifth Annual Ballindine "Guess your own time" four mile road race last Saturday evening. A good field assembled at the top of the hill start at Ard Lugalisheen and all were checked over for watches and other timepieces, having 'guessed their own finishing time' when they entered.

This event was held in support of Western Alzheimer's. A day-long downpour made conditions tough as the runners picked their way through pot-holes and puddles up and down through Woodstock and Garryduff and back on to the N17 hard shoulder at Pollnasillagh. The 'guessers' are getting better every year and the top 10 closest to their 'guess' time were all within seconds of that target. The winner was popular Tuam AC athlete Tommy Joe Whyte, he had predicted 24.30 and finished in exactly that time. Next came Liam McDonell who cycled to the start from Swinford, he was just a second out. Adrian Fitzmaurice (Athenry AC) was just two seconds off in third, and former top guesser Brendan Monaghan (Tuam AC) fourth - four seconds slower - is he losing his touch?

The summer starts now for club stars

Fri, May 24, 2013

The hard yards put in on the muddy fields from Belmullet to Shrule over the wild winter and soaking spring will be put to the test this weekend when the first ball is thrown-in in this year’s Mayo club championships. From Saturday evening to Sunday afternoon, across 16 games in the senior and intermediate championships the shape the summer will take for 32 clubs will start to form.

Mayo stroll home in Salthill shoot-out

Sun, May 19, 2013

Mayo 4-16
Galway 0-11

Galway 0-11

Westport United on the verge of historic cup defence

Fri, May 17, 2013

Sunday morning will see a mass exodus of football supporters from Westport, but rather than heading south to Galway they’ll be pointing their wagons east, in the direction of the small Roscommon village of Lecarrow about 17km west of Athlone to the home of the Roscommon and District Football League. It’s there that Westport United will be looking to put together a historic back-to-back pair of Connacht Junior Cup victories. Last years rain-sodden penalty shootout victory over Athenry in Terryland Park will go down in history as one of the great days in the famous junior club’s history, but if they manage on Sunday to bring the trophy home for the second time in as many years, they’ll be telling tales of this side for many, many years to come around the town.

Celtic ladies look to make national breakthrough

Fri, May 17, 2013

Sunday is going to be an emotional day for the Castlebar Celtic women’s senior side when they face off against Peamount United in the final of the Bus Éireann Women’s National League Cup in Milebush Park. Along with dealing with the nerves of the biggest day that a lot of these players will have played in, they will also be keeping the memory of their late coach Jeremy Dee very firmly in their minds. At 2pm on Sunday a tree laying ceremony will be held at Milebush Park in memory of the late Jeremy Dee, who worked at Milebush for a number of years, along with coaching the Celtic side who have reached this Sunday’s final.

Galway the underdogs as they welcome Mayo to Salthill

Fri, May 17, 2013

If past performances are a good indicator of future performance – and they are – Mayo will beat Galway on Sunday at Pearse Stadium (4pm).

Moyles’ Mayo looks to retain title

Fri, May 17, 2013

It’s probably forgotten by a lot of people, but along with reaching the All Ireland senior final last year, Mayo also reached the junior equivalent of the competition also, where they came unstuck against a classy Kerry side in Cusack Park in Ennis.

The junior competition itself is a strange competition, with different rules for different counties and plenty not even taking part in it. Ulster don’t hold a competition at all, while Mayo can only field players who haven’t played senior club championship or with the senior inter-county team the previous year. And Sunday’s Connacht final opponents are hamstrung by not being able to field players who have played with the senior inter-county side in last year’s championship, so it’s effectively a B team for them.

“I’m sure they’re planning an ambush in Salthill”- Horan

Fri, May 17, 2013

All eyes on Sunday will be on a new look Mayo front six as the Connacht Championship throws in for another exciting instalment. Injuries have forced the hand of James Horan into lining out without what most people would say are four of his chosen starting forwards. While it’s good news that Alan Dillon and Andy Moran have made sufficient progress to take their places on the bench for Sunday, how match fit they are and what kind of impact they will be able to have after prolonged lay-offs is yet to be seen. The loss of Jason Doherty in recent times has added even more to Mayo’s problems up front along with loss of Michael Conroy a few weeks ago for a good portion of the early summer at least. Stepping into fill the gaps on Sunday are two championship debutants, Cathal Carolan and Darren Coen. While Carolan has got some inter-county miles under his belt in this year’s league campaign from the first Dublin game on, the only game time that Coen has seen in the senior side in the league this term has been a brief blood sub appearance on Leeside. Joining Cillian O’Connor and Kevin McLoughlin and the pair of debutants in attack is the experienced duo of Alan Freeman and Enda Varley.

Ladies face old rivals as they get back to the big time

Fri, May 10, 2013

Once upon a time, not so long ago, Mayo were the dominant force in ladies’ football, winning all before and behind them. While Mayo slipped down the pecking order over the past decade, Cork stepped up and grabbed the top spot in the pecking order and have remained there more or less ever since.

Mayo enter the last chance saloon in the Garden County

Fri, May 10, 2013

Following on from their 11-point defeat at the hands of Kildare in Newbridge last weekend in round one of the Christy Ring Cup, the Mayo senior hurling team are on the road east again this weekend looking to keep their season alive. Christy Phillips side will make the journey to Arklow for tomorrow afternoon’s game knowing that unless they pick up a win their season will come to an end in the second weekend of May.

Celtic ladies reach national final

Fri, May 10, 2013

Last Monday afternoon, Castlebar Celtic senior ladies side created a bit of history by making it into their first ever senior national final thanks to a 3-1 win over Raheny United in the Women’s National League Cup semi-final. Celtic went in trailing at half-time but came out fighting in the second half and goals from Shaunagh Jackson (2) and Katie Walsh sealed Celtic’s spot in the final against Peamount United.

Action turns to divisional cups this weekend

Fri, May 10, 2013

With two rounds of the league under their belts, the action across the all divisions of the Mayo League this weekend turns towards the divisional cups. Last weekend’s only game in the Super League was the round one catch-up game between Westport United and Ballyheane in Westport. The visitors were the ones who went home happiest, having secured a 2-2 draw after coming from one down to go into a 2-1 lead thanks to goals from Alan Tuffy and Arek Tobiasz in the 71st and 78th minute of the contest. But Westport levelled it up near the end thanks to a Darren Browne strike. Ballyheane, who have always been a notoriously tough opponent for the Coveys have two points on the board from their opening two games after last weekend’s draw and their draw in round one against Iorras Aontaithe. It’s the sort of good start to the season that the Quigley Park outfit will have been dreaming about. For Westport it’s a dent to their defence of the title, but with the Connacht Junior Cup final coming up the scare given to them by Ballyheane will have been a timely reminder that nothing comes too easy in this game. Last weekend’s game leaves Ballina Town on top of the table with six points, on goal difference from Manulla who also have two wins under their belt, while Westport United sit in third place on four points.

E-paper

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