Benson and King winners of inaugural Henry Downes award

Fri, Nov 23, 2012

The service of two football men in Mayo has been recognised this year by the Mayo Football League. Both Donal Benson, Swinford, and Aiden King, Westport, have been announced recently as the inaugural winners of the Henry Downes Service to Football award for 2012.

Masters teams ready for kick-off of new season

Fri, Nov 23, 2012

The ever popular Westaro Mayo Masters League will kick-off again for the 2012-2013 season on Wednesday week, December 5 at Milebush Park on the astro-turf. This year 13 teams will take part in the competition across two different divisions. Division One is made up of Claremorris, Fahy Rovers, Iorras Aontaithe, Manulla, Straide and Foxford United, and Westport United. Division Two comprises Castlebar Celtic, Fahy Rovers B, Glenhest Rovers, Newport Town, Straide and Foxford United B, Swinford and Urlar United. The action will take place over 12 Wednesday nights between week next, December 5 and the middle of March next year, with 10 rounds in division one and 12 in division two. Also taking place will be the Oliver Kelleher Cup during the run of the competition. Games will take place at 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm each evening, with two games talking place at a time, a number of Saturday evenings have also been put aside for playing outstanding games that have had to be called off for any reason.

Social media seminar for sports clubs

Fri, Nov 23, 2012

Following the very successful club development seminar held earlier this year Mayo Sports Partnership is calling all sports clubs in the region to sign up for the 2012 social media seminar for sports clubs in the Mayo Education Centre, Old Westport Rd, Castlebar, on Wednesday December 5.

Ballagh have to put it in for the full 60 minutes on Sunday

Fri, Nov 23, 2012

On what will be a unique day for football as a club from the geographical county of Roscommon will be Connacht champions. This will be the first time that St Brigid’s from Roscommon and Ballaghaderreen from Mayo/Roscommon will contest a provincial final. This unique pairing has presented an opportunity for some people to debate the age old argument of whether the Mayo boys should in fact be playing in Roscommon. As we all know, the town is administered by Roscommon County Council and for all intents and purposes is a Roscommon town, but it has declared its football allegiance to Mayo for the past 124 years. Whatever your views are on the issue, all of Mayo will be staunchly supporting the Ballagh boys in McHale Park on Sunday. I am not so sure they have the armoury to beat the Roscommon champions who, incidentally, are managed and coached by Kevin McStay and Liam McHale. I was in the Hodson Bay hotel during the week (Brigid’s territory) and many I spoke to are confident that not alone will Brigid’s win a Connacht title, but they feel they are good enough to win an All-Ireland this year. I’m not so sure but Sunday will give us a fair indication of their true worth. Ballaghaderreen, on the other hand, have been quite patchy in their recent performances. In their semi-final victory over Curry they were fortunate to be behind by just two points at half time. Had it been Brigid’s they were playing on that occasion Ballagh would have been out of sight by then. It could have been seven or eight. They did not get motoring until after half time and in fairness they were brilliant when they eventually did, playing arguably their finest football of the year in that second half. But if they are to stand any chance of winning on Sunday they will definitely need to perform for the entire 60 minutes.

Mayo AC gearing up for twenty fifth anniversary celebrations

Fri, Nov 23, 2012

Mayo Athletic Club will celebrate 25 years of success since the club was founded, at an anniversary function to be held in the Failte Suite at The Welcome Inn Hotel, Castlebar, on Saturday December 1 at 8pm.

Decision time in Winter Leagues across Mayo

Fri, Nov 23, 2012

Ballina
In the Tom O’Connor sponsored Winter League the round four winners were the team of Martin Ryan, John T Doherty, Pascal Tuohy, and Kevin Rowland who scored 46 nett. The final of the Winter League and the Winter League Plate will take place this Sunday, November 25, and the presentation of the prizes will take place afterwards. In the ladies’ nine hole stableford competition, Pauline Gilger-Tuohy was the winner on 21pts, and Siobhan Leonard finishing in second place on 18pts, with Shanua Smith in third place. The 15 hole competition was claimed by Helen Gallagher on 18pts with Marie Forde finishing in second place.

Ballaghaderreen look to stop Brigid’s hat-trick

Fri, Nov 23, 2012

The last time a Mayo side claimed the Connacht Club Senior Football Championship it was Ballina Stephenites on a wet and wild day in James Stephens Park in 2007 and St Brigid’s were the opposition. In the past four years the Roscommon men have gone on to claim the last two titles and are looking to make it three in a row and their fourth over all, this Sunday in McHale Park, and in the process, draw Roscommon level on 13 titles each with Mayo in the overall roll of honour. However standing in their way are a Ballaghaderreen side who are looking to claim their first provincial title and Mayo’s 14th drawing them level with Galway on the number of titles won on the roll of honour.

Connacht must grab chance against Dragons to maintain league momentum

Fri, Nov 23, 2012

Connacht have a great opportunity to continue their momentum in the RaboDirect Pro 12 when they take on Newport Gwent Dragons in Wales this evening (7pm). Having moved up the table following their merited 18-3 victory over Treviso before the autumn international break, Connacht coach Eric Elwood will be keen to ensure they keep ahead of their opponents. Traditionally fixtures between the two clubs have been tight affairs with the home side edging the result, but last season’s 27 - 19 victory in Rodney Parade ensured Connacht achieved a season double over the Dragons.

On that occasion Connacht displayed real attacking prowess in the opening half and a well organised and committed second-half defensive display, and Elwood will expect the same again. However the Dragons, in 11th place, enter this fixture having lost seven on the trot, and they will view Connacht as a chance to get their league campaign back on track.

Curry outmuscled by experience and physicality

Fri, Nov 16, 2012

There was terrific entertainment at the Connacht club championship semi-final last Sunday. The opening 30 minutes was as good as I have seen at club level this year. The first half was a real quality contest, very exciting with fast flowing end to end action, some wonderful scores, and generally two teams having a right go at advancing to a Connacht final. It went a good way towards warming the blood on a chilly day in McHale Park.

Good showings from Mayo athletes in Irish green

Fri, Nov 16, 2012

Three of Mayo AC's top masters women athletes competed on the Irish team in the 25th Annual British and Irish Masters International Cross Country at Queen's University Playing Fields, Belfast on Saturday last. Three club members in Irish vests is a great achievement.

Individual performances honoured with Advertiser-Mayo League teams of the year

Fri, Nov 16, 2012

It is a case of six of the best for Westport United in the Mayo Advertiser sponsored Mayo League Super League team of the year. The run-away Super League champions have half a dozen players picked in the 4-3-3 formation team of the season. Gary Cunningham gets the nod in goal with Martin Geraghty and Shaun Tagg the centre back pairing. In the middle of the park David Cameron is one of three midfielders with both JP O’Gorman and David Hoban making up two thirds of the strike force. Both Claremorris and Ballina Town have received two nods, with full back pairing of James Stretton and Andrew Shally claiming the awards for the south Mayo men. Michael Duffy earned a spot in the midfield three with Brendan Lavelle picking up his award in the front line. The last spot on the team went to Castlebar Celtic’s Ger O’Boyle whose good form saw him called up to the Irish junior side, before cruelly picking up an injury just before the game.

County board still waiting for referee’s report

Fri, Nov 16, 2012

The Mayo GAA County Board are still waiting the report of referee Liam Devenney from the controversial Crossmolina Deel Rovers and Ballintubber game last weekend. The game, which was moved from Crossmolina to Ballina on Sunday morning when the pitch was deemed to be unplayable, saw Ballintubber fail to show up at the changed venue. Speaking to the Mayo Advertiser yesterday morning, Mayo GAA secretary Kevin O’Toole said that until the referee’s report is received no firm decision will be made. O’Toole told the Mayo Advertiser that, “We are awaiting the referees report on the game, we are expecting to have received it by Thursday (yesterday) or Friday. What will happen is that the CCC will review it and a decision made on it then. It will be open to an appeal then by either side. There have been some communications received from Ballintubber on the issue. Even though the result went up on the website, it’s not official until we receive the referee’s report, especially in circumstances like this.”

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