Mayo should complete historic five in a row on Sunday

Fri, Jul 17, 2015

An acquaintance of mine from Galway and his wife took a few nights away in lovely Westport last February to celebrate Valentine's Day. When he had a few jars taken one evening he went talking football with an older man in his sixties in a local tavern and proceeded to start slagging him about Mayo's defeats in All-Ireland finals since 1989.

To his complete mortification, the lifelong red and green supporter got quite upset. And possibly with a few pots on board too - shed a few tears of sorrow - and explained how he had been at all those harrowing defeats, and included for good measure, the two games against Kerry last season in the All-Ireland semi-final. It has been at All-Ireland level for Mayo, as Keith Duggan of The Irish Times titled his book A House of Pain.

Ladies come up just short after massive effort

Sun, Jul 12, 2015

The finest of margins separated these two sides in MacHale Park on Sunday afternoon, after looking like they were on the verge of a trimming 12 minutes in when they trailed by 0-7 to 0-1, Mayo came within inches of knocking Galway of their throne as the Queens of Connacht with a heroic display that came up just short in the final few minutes, where Galway’s greater composure in front of the posts saw them edge this battle.

Mayo fit and ready to go ahead of Yeats challenge

Fri, Jul 10, 2015

Diarmuid O'Connor is the only potential doubt for Mayo ahead of their Connacht Senior Football Championship final against Sligo next weekend, but joint Mayo manager Noel Connelly expects the Ballintubber man to get over his fractured wrist in time for the game. Connelly said this week: "Diarmuid O'Connor has a slight hairline fracture on his wrist, he's a x-ray during the week, but all the indications are that he's fine and will be fit to play. But he hasn't been playing contact football with us since the Connacht semi-final, and he hasn't played for Ballintubber in either of the club championship games, but we're hoping to have him this weekend. If not, if the doctors say to be better not to chance him for the [training] game on Sunday we won't, but we're still hoping to have him for selection the next weekend."

Ladies Football: Connacht Senior Football final

Fri, Jul 10, 2015

On Sunday at 4pm the Mayo Ladies senior footballers will go looking to reclaim the Connacht Senior Championship from their southern neighbours after a few years of dominance in the province by Galway. Frank Browne is back in charge of Mayo this year after being the man who guided Mayo to the All Ireland final back in 2007 only for his tenure to end in controversial circumstances, before he could build on that success the next year.

Result was more than a minor surprise

Fri, Jul 10, 2015

I thought I was hearing things when I tuned into Midwest radio last Saturday evening to see how our minors were getting on against our bitter rivals Galway. I did not make it to the game because of the lure of what was on TV as I wanted to see how Roscommon would respond after their embarrassing defeat at the hands of Sligo. Mayo’s defeat to Galway by a whopping 17 points has to go down as one of the darkest days in Mayo football at minor level. I do not recall any Mayo minor team taking a pasting of that magnitude.

It is slightly ironic that it is the same margin of victory as our seniors had in Salthill in 2013 when Galway football was well and truly embarrassed. What is probably even more bizarre is that prior to throw in this was viewed as a 50/50 game. Mayo have never lost a minor championship game by more than eight points before. Mayo were dealt a severe blow losing two key players before the start  and their team captain midway through the first half but losing by 17 points is really inexplicable for a county with a proud football tradition which was going for three Connacht championships in a row. I have no doubt there will be an inquiry as to how such a poor performance occurred.

Minor hurlers begin All Ireland title defence

Fri, Jul 10, 2015

The Mayo Minor Hurlers start the defence of their All Ireland Minor C title against Sligo at the Connacht Centre of Excellence in Bekan tomorrow Saturday, July 11, at 3.30pm. Mayo are in contention for three in a row at this grade having defeated Ulster champions Monaghan in 2013 and 2014 to win the title.

All tight at the top with some big clashes this weekend

Fri, Jul 10, 2015

Ballyglass v Ballyheane
Saturday, July 11 at 7pm

Where did the seats go?

Thu, Jul 09, 2015

Speaking on Mid West Radio this morning, Connacht GAA Council Secretary John Prenty outlined where most of the stand tickets for the big game went to. Prenty said that the capacity of the stand in Dr Hyde Park is 3,612. The competing counties were allocated 1,800 stand tickets, 1,000 tickets for player and sponsors of the three competing teams on the day including the minor final, 300 seats went on sale in Super Valu shops which is part of the agreement with the shops, 100 tickets for the Galway three in a row team that are being honoured on the day and there will be 48 invited guests of the Connacht Council.

Galway end minors summer in style

Sat, Jul 04, 2015

There was 17 points between these sides at the end and it could have been 27 if Galway had kept up the pace they showed in the first half in the second period. They went in leading by 11 points at the break and had their place in the Connacht final already secured before the final 30 minutes of the contest.

No room for minor errors tomorrow evening

Fri, Jul 03, 2015

Last Sunday in Croke Park, Kildare booked their place in the final of the Leinster minor championship with a swashbuckling win over Dublin. This was despite the fact the Lillywhites had already been beaten in the championship by Louth back in April. However in Connacht there are no second chances for teams, until the final where both sides are guaranteed a place in the All Ireland quarter-final.

Elite eight now known in senior and intermediate grades

Fri, Jul 03, 2015

The contenders and pretenders have been sorted out in both the Mayo senior and intermediate championship after last weekend's third round of action in the group stages of both competition.

Kiltane edge through in day of drama

Sun, Jun 28, 2015

After this weekends final round of action in the group stages of the Mayo GAA Senior Football Championship we now know the eight sides who’ll be contesting the knock-out stages. Breaffy, Castlebar Mitchels, Ballintubber and Kiltane all won their groups and Knockmore, Ballina Stephenites, Aghamore and Garrymore joined them after finishing in second place in their respective groups.

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