The underdogs have their day

Fri, Oct 10, 2014

Last Sunday’s county Junior and Intermediate finals were certainly a day for the underdog with Castlebar Mitchels B team and Ballyhaunis prevailing as county champions.

I predicted both games incorrectly as I expected Achill and Hollymount/Carramore to win their respective finals. The win for Castlebar in the junior final is an amazing feat considering it is their second string outfit, and with their seniors also in the final it could be an unprecedented double for the county town. In the current climate when it is hard to get 15 for a club they have exceeded expectation to remain competitive on all fronts. Before anyone uses the “look at the size of the pick they have or the size of the town” as an explanation of their recent successes, it should be noted that not too many moons ago their first team were playing intermediate football so it is quite remarkable that their second string will compete in that competition next year.

Prenty points Ballyhaunis home

Sun, Oct 05, 2014

From winning just two games of football last year and losing their opening championship game this season, Ballyhaunis have torn up the script this summer and gone on to become deserving Mayo intermediate champions. This was a victory not just for the team and the club of today, but for all the teams and players that tried to get there over the years and fell just short, according to Liam Lyons in his acceptance speech after the full time whistle. The red and black me from east Mayo are back in the big time next year and they did so playing an exciting brand of football doing so.

Mitchels dig it out at the death

Sun, Oct 05, 2014

If they had lost it, they would really have no-one else to blame but themselves, but come crunch time Castlebar Mitchels centre-half-forward Adam Murphy had the wherewithal to do what so many of his team-mates had failed to do before that and put the ball between the posts deep into injury time on Sunday. Mitchels were by far the better team on the day, but they left the backdoor open with their wayward shooting and Achill found themselves in with a chance of lifting the McDonnell cup against the odds at the end.

Lam issues call to supporters as Connacht host Cardiff

Fri, Oct 03, 2014

Connacht Rugby coach Pat Lam wants all fans to flock to the Sportsground this evening to help his side overcome visitors Cardiff in their fifth Guinness Pro 12 fixture. Having lost their unbeaten record to Glasgow last weekend, Connacht now face a Cardiff outfit which they have beaten just once in their last nine fixtures, and Lam says the supporters can help Connacht protect their 100 per cent record at home this season.

“One of the goals we set out this season was we really want to protect our home ground, and the biggest factor is the crowd. Against Leinster I have never experienced that sort of noise, and if we can replicate that, it will bring us over the line,” Lam says.

Brilliant personal best for Barrett in Berlin Marathon

Fri, Oct 03, 2014

The Berlin Marathon is one of the five major city marathons in the world and has a reputation for fast times. The world record has been broken there in each of the last two years. Roger Barrett of Mayo AC trained hard for this year's race and had a brilliant run finishing with a personal best in 2:30:14 - well inside his 2:32:53 finish at the 2012 Dublin Marathon. Roger narrowly missed out on his target sub 2:30, but on this form he will soon achieve that goal. Well done too to Michael Canty (Ballina AC) who also achieved a personal best finishing in 2:36. Last Saturday in the tough Clew Bay Half Marathon, Mayo AC had more success when Noel Gibbons who came home first in 1:22: 27.

Breaffy 10k coming up

Why not join Men on the Move this autumn

Fri, Oct 03, 2014

Are you aged 30 and over, male and not very physically active? Do you want to feel fitter, have fun, have more energy, and meet new people? If you do why not get involved in the Men on the Move at the nearest location to you in Mayo.

Sunday triple header as finals season arrives

Fri, Oct 03, 2014

Come Sunday evening shortly after 5pm, they’ll be building bonfires on the way into Hollymount and Carramore or Ballyhaunis to celebrate either the amalgamation from south Mayo or the east Mayo men returning home with the Mayo intermediate title in their arms and a return to senior football.

Not our proudest few weeks, but it is time to let the lads at it

Fri, Oct 03, 2014

The widely anticipated County Board meeting passed off relatively peacefully last Thursday night with a few members of the board resigning over the process in which the new Mayo managers were appointed. The story had gained national headlines for all the wrong reasons and certainly it was a little embarrassing the way matters were conducted in appointing Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly. An apology was offered as there were and still are a lot of disgruntled people in the county. I am sure Kevin McStay and Liam McHale are bitterly disappointed at what happened, and some gesture or apology to both men should be offered as both are true Mayo Gaels who gave an awful lot to the green and red and they deserved at the very least an interview before been told they did not have the job. I am sure anyone reading this has heard the vile rumours about players not wanting McHale, which I am told could not be further from the truth. It is amazing how widespread the rumours went and pretty much to the point that people started to actually believe them. Liam McHale suffered a severe character assassination over the last few weeks and did not deserve it. Good luck to Pat and Noel; it is time to let them at it. The new management team along with selector Michael Collins and strength and conditioning coach Barry Solan from Ballaghaderreen were deep in discussion and taking lots of notes during the senior semi finals last Sunday. I am a little surprised a forward coach/selector was not incorporated in the set up, I guess they will be basing their team on a strong defence. I feel someone like Kevin O’Neill would have been a great addition to offer some insight into good forward play. I am delighted Barry Solan has finally been given a chance with his own county. Apart from working with Laois and Kildare he has also done a lot of work with Katie Taylor so there is obviously good pedigree there. If Hollymount/Carramore win the intermediate title on Sunday and get a good run in the Connacht championship, Noel Connelly’s wife Valerie and their children may not be seeing a lot of him for the next few months.

Shock and awe from Ballintubber

Mitchels come out on top in red-top battle

Sun, Sep 28, 2014

It's not to often that you see a team come out for the second half of a game in different coloured jerseys from the ones the started the contest in, but that's what happened in MacHale Park on Sunday afternoon. Both Castlebar Mitchels and Garrymore were allowed to start the county semi-final in their home red jerseys, despite the only defining difference between the strips, being the yellow piping on the county towns shirts.

The Fantastic Four O'Connors lead Ballintubber home

Sun, Sep 28, 2014

What can anyone say about this game, apart from praising Ballintubber for the demolition job they did on Knockmore in MacHale Park on Sunday afternoon. Of the two semi-finals down for decision on the day, this was expected to be the closest game. Last year Knockmore put Ballintubber out at the quarter-final stage, but this was a totally different game. The Ballintubber management duo of Peter Ford and Tony Duffy had their homework done on their opponents and their charges hit the ground running and in some style.

Ballina avoid the drop, while Hollymount-Carramore book final spot

Sat, Sep 27, 2014

It's been some week for Noel Connelly, the former Mayo captain was appointed as the new joint manager of the Mayo senior football team alongside his old running mate Pat Holmes. While the whole appointment process and the wrongs and rights of it were played out in the public spotlight, Connelly also had to be preparing his Hollymount-Carramore team for Saturday afternoon's Egan Jewelers Intermediate Championship semi-final replay against Belmullet. Last weekends meeting between the sides wasn't anything to write home about as Belmullet played to their strengths and packed their defence and hit Hollymount-Carramore on the break and used the sharp-shooting of Jonathon Donoghue to keep themselves in the game.

Chairman regrets statement said interview committee met with executive

Fri, Sep 26, 2014

Thursday nights meeting of the Mayo county board saw Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes ratified as the new Mayo senior management team for a three year term. The pair were given the unanimous support of the club delegates at the meeting when the proposal was put before them.

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