Connacht prepare for all-firing Glasgow at fortress Sportsground

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

All the odds are stacked against the home side when Connacht face league leaders Glasgow Warriors tomorrow lunchtime in the Galway Sportsground. Continuing injuries have robbed Pat Lam of 13 members of his 40-strong squad - the smallest in the Pro 12 League - and when up against a Scottish team that boasts 37 players with international experience, the challenge facing Connacht is as daunting as ever.

Strong scoring in the sunshine

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

Balla
Jimmy Sheridan was the winner of the Gift Supreme sponsored gents’ competition with a score of 38pts. His back nine place held off the challenge of Steven Walsh who also finished with a score of 38pts, with Fenton Barrett coming home in third place. The ladies’ competition was won by Mary Conlon who scored 39pts, Patricia Conwell finished in second place with Nora Gibbons coming home in third spot. Gibbons also scored a hole-in-one on the fourth hole.

Jimmy Sheridan was the winner of the Gift Supreme sponsored gents’ competition with a score of 38pts. His back nine place held off the challenge of Steven Walsh who also finished with a score of 38pts, with Fenton Barrett coming home in third place. The ladies’ competition was won by Mary Conlon who scored 39pts, Patricia Conwell finished in second place with Nora Gibbons coming home in third spot. Gibbons also scored a hole-in-one on the fourth hole.

Maher claims national title for Castlebar Boxing Club

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

There was much celebration in Castlebar Boxing Club recently as Dillon Maher brought home a national title to the club. Dillon won the Boy 1, 54kg division crown in style with a 3-0 win in the final, having stopped his opponent in the second round of his semi-final with a technical knock-out. It was the culmination of a long round through both the Mayo and Connacht championships for Dillon.

Straight from the ring, young Dillon raced to his mother Joanne to take her phone and call his dad, Declan Maher, who is currently serving in the Lebanon with the Irish Defence Forces. Declan is himself a coach with both Castlebar Boxing Club and the Defence Forces team. He was sitting impatiently by the phone waiting for the call surrounded by his regiment. Declan is due home in a few weeks when his tour ends.

Mayo AC women’s o35 team take national 10k gold

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

Mayo AC had 16 runners in the recent National 10k Championships and came away with medals in team and individual sections. Results published by Athletics Ireland show that in the women's o35 Mayo AC won team gold - led home by Colette Tuohy, Mary Gleeson, and Chris Gallagher - a wonderful performance to be first of 29 club teams in this category and retain the title they won in 2014.

Celtic and Westport get back to winning ways

Mon, Apr 20, 2015

Castlebar Celtic are on the look out for a new manager after Stevie Gavin stepped down from his position after their 7-2 win over Straide and Foxford on Sunday afternoon in Green Road. The news of Gavin’s departure will come as a shock so early in the season, which is only two games old.

Bulls look to double up on cup glory

Fri, Apr 17, 2015

A fortnight after claiming a historic win in the Connacht Junior Cup, Westport will go looking to claim their second piece of silverware this season when they take on Ballinasloe in the final of the Cawley Cup this evening, Friday, April 17 in Galwegians home ground, Crowley Park at 6.30pm.

Last Sunday, Westport booked their spot in the final with a win over Monivea in Carrowholly. While the Cawley Cup doesn’t have the prestige of the big cup Westport won the week before, the Bulls still went about their business with professionalism last Sunday. They ran out 19-5 winners, with Dylan Carpenter touching down twice, and Chris Ryan crossing the whitewash for a third five pointer, in their 14 point win over the side they had beaten in the Junior Cup final the previous weekend.

Spring Leagues and open competitions bring out the crowds

Fri, Apr 17, 2015

By Colm Gannon
Balla

Mayo AC members compete in National 10k Championships

Fri, Apr 17, 2015

There were 16 Mayo AC finishers in last weekend’s National 10k Championships which took place in the Phoenix Park over a notoriously tough course, made even harder by a strong blustery wind along with a number of hail showers.

Moran pulls a corker in Cork

Fri, Apr 17, 2015

The third round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, the Moonraker Forest Rally run by the Munster Car Club took place in Ballyvourney, Co Cork, on Sunday. Four members of Mayo and District Motorsport Club made the trip south as part of a quality entry list competing on 64 kilometres of forestry rallying.

The event was won by local Cork man Owen Murphy in an Evo 9, who found himself promoted from third to first place after the penultimate stage when leader Keith Cronin and second place Josh Moffett both retired. Daragh O’Riordan in a Fiesta and round one winner Mick O’Brien in his Focus WRC made up the top three. In the two wheel drive race it was the MK2 Escort of Mickey Conlon who repeated his round one and two results of first in the category.

Managing from the middle

Fri, Apr 17, 2015

The first round of the new Super League season is only over and there are plenty more rounds to go, but with a point on the board already Straide and Foxford United are up and running. This Sunday they will host Castlebar Celtic in Green Road in round two and will be welcoming back a couple of old faces when former player Paul Fitzpatrick and Paul Moran return with the Hoops.

Mayo playing the waiting game this year

Fri, Apr 17, 2015

The Mayo senior football panel and management were in Portugal this week taking part in a five-day training camp in Browns Sports and Leisure Club as they begin their preparation for their championship opener in June. The players jetted out on Monday after completing the first round of action in the club league season last weekend.

Looking back to look forward

Fri, Apr 17, 2015

With Mayo’s involvement in the National League over I had a brief look back at their games to do somewhat of a summary of their performances throughout the competition. There is no question it was a roller coaster campaign with lots of highs and lows involved.

The high point was the very impressive win in Killarney against Kerry, the low most definitely the hiding shipped from Dublin in Castlebar. If I could be positive about Mayo’s two worst displays this year (Tyrone and Dublin) it is the fact that it was just the league and at least we know what to expect if we meet either team in the latter stages of the championship.

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