Have ye no homes to go to

Fri, Jun 05, 2015

Home and away fixtures in a sporting context is an international concept,  based on fairness and equity. It should not be something even up for discussion. If a team plays away one weekend, and has to play the same team six days later, they should surely, based on any loose interpretation of natural justice, be granted  a home fixture.

However the Galway hurlers, who have not won a senior All-Ireland title since 1988 (27 years and counting), and have only won one Leinster championship title ever, have not been allowed that arrangement  since they joined the Leinster championship in 2009. In the seven years they have played in that provincial championship, all their games have been played in Leinster venues.

O'Connor returns to action as Ballintubber kick start title defence

Sun, May 24, 2015

The first weekend of the Mayo GAA senior championship had a little bit of everything including one side lining up their entire 15 players in their own half for the start of the second half of their game, a heroic struggle between Mayo men Aidan O’Shea and Colm Boyle against each other for the pride of the parish, the return of Cillian O’Connor to action for Ballintubber and late, late fight back from Kiltane to break the hearts of Shrule-Glencorrib who made the long trip to Bangor.

Mayo battle to avoid the drop

Fri, May 22, 2015

The Mayo senior hurlers will be hoping to avoid moving one step closer to falling through the trapdoor into the Nicky Rackard Cup for next season when they take on Wicklow in Mullingar tomorrow. JP Coen's side lost out to Kildare in a seesaw encounter in James Stephens Park in Ballina last Saturday, and now have 70 minutes to ensure their Ring Cup status for next season and avoid the relegation/promotion final which will see the losers of this game take on the winners of the Rackard Cup on Saturday June 13 for the right to compete in the Christy Ring Cup next season.

Nervous times for managers

Fri, May 22, 2015

The Mayo club championship finally gets under way at the weekend and I have no doubt the two most nervous spectators will be Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly especially as the games are on a week later than planned as it will give their county players a week less to get over any niggles or strains picked up to be fit in time to face Galway.

Local pride and local passions to the fore this weekend

Fri, May 22, 2015

It's the first round of action in the Mayo senior football championship, with eight games taking place across four groups over the weekend we preview the action in the big games. 

Sledging a repulsive aspect of our games that must be stopped

Fri, May 22, 2015

If you or I went into our workplace this morning, and started giving serious verbal abuse to a work colleague, making snide, mean, degrading and personal comments, we would be in front of our HR manager or line manager or principal by this afternoon, and rightly so. Bullying is totally outlawed in most reasonable places of work. It's a mean spirited act carried out by people often to try to intimidate their victims, to gain some type of psychological advantage over the individuals they are bullying, or to hide their own limitations and inadequacies.

Two decades on from epic series Garrymore and Charlestown rekindle championship rivalry

Fri, May 22, 2015

Twenty years on from what was one of the most epic battles in Mayo club championship history, when Garrymore and Charlestown engaged in a four game classic in the county senior quarter-final that the south Mayo men finally won after 300 minutes of football, the sides will kick-start their 2015 championship campaigns against each other in Garrymore on Sunday. That series has gone down in folklore in Mayo football and there is even one man who played in that series for Charlestown still lining out today, with Aidan Higgins back for another year with the east Mayo men.

Big two meet again as Super League moves through the rounds

Fri, May 22, 2015

Charlestown Athletic v Ballyheane
Saturday, May 23 at 7pm

Saturday, May 23 at 7pm

Ten things to look out for in the club championship this weekend

Fri, May 22, 2015

1. Almost everyone in matching kit
The first round of the club championship, will see plenty of teams breaking out the new kit for the summer, with everyone wearing matching shorts and socks. Well, almost everyone, there’s always a corner-coward who’ll either be wearing different socks or have forgotten the new shorts he was given on Thursday night after training.

The first round of the club championship, will see plenty of teams breaking out the new kit for the summer, with everyone wearing matching shorts and socks. Well, almost everyone, there’s always a corner-coward who’ll either be wearing different socks or have forgotten the new shorts he was given on Thursday night after training.

Celtic edge Westport in netbusting weekend of action

Mon, May 18, 2015

There was no shortage of action in the Westaro Cup this weekend as the first round of games saw 23 goals hit the back of the net over the five games played. The big game of the weekend saw Castlebar Celtic grab the bragging rights over Westport United with a 4-3 win over their old rivals in Celtic Park. It was a thrilling encounter that saw both sides swap the lead on a few occasions and Westport United finish with ten men.

Mayo fall short against defending champions

Sun, May 17, 2015

Mayo’s interest in this years Christy Ring Cup came to an end in James Stephens Park on Saturday afternoon, when a storming Kildare second half performance saw the Lilywhites turn around a nine point deficit into a comfortable five point win.

Freewheeling Mayo claim junior crown

Sun, May 17, 2015

The Mayo juniors picked up what the county will hope is the first of a few Connacht titles this year in style in Sunday in Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada against Galway. Sean McLoughlin’s side edged out Galway in a free flowing contest that saw both sides play open and attractive attacking football. Killala’s Andrew Farrell struck the all important goal 18 minutes into the first half when he finished from close range after Belmullet’s Eoin O’Donoghue went on a ranging run through the heart of the Galway defence. The wing backs strike for goal came back off the underside of the crossbar into the waiting arms of Farrell who made no mistake when the chance presented itself. Mayo had to deal with the loss of their captain Cathal Freeman who wasn’t able to make the game after picking up an injury in a club game last weekend, but that loss didn’t phase them.

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