O’Shea ready to rule Croker again

Mon, Jul 28, 2014

When the kids file on to the field at the full-time whistle after any Mayo game, he’s the one that most of them flock towards and he’s invariably the last one to make his way to the dressing room after signing jerseys and posing for photographs, fresh after the battle. Being marked out for stardom in the GAA since he was a minor sensation is something that Aidan O’Shea has had to live with for the past number of years and at the age of 24, he’s in his sixth season as a main stay in the Mayo team and he admits that in his break-out year of 2009 it came a little to easy for him.

Tight battle expected in Sunday showdown

Fri, Jul 25, 2014

After 13 games in the Welcome Inn Hotel Premier A Division, they cannot be separated on points, but come Sunday either Conn Rangers or Swinford FC will be heading home with a piece of silverware for the winter when they meet in the Westaro Cup final. Both sides are competing in one of the tightest league races seen in recent years as they battle for the title promotion to the Elverys Sports Super League with Westport United B (who even if they win the league cannot get promoted) and Ballyglass. The current league table has Westport out in front with 29 points, the three other sides locked together on 28 points with five games to go in the league.

But on Sunday, it is just about one game of football between Conn Rangers and Swinford on the lush pastures of Milebush Park. Both sides locked horns as recently as three weeks ago in the league, with Conn Rangers running out 2-0 winners, with the goals coming from a Swinford own-goal and Gerry Gaughan who finished off a move involving Shane Burke and Bryan Mannion. When the teams met in round two of the league back in April, it was the Swinford men who ran out 2-0 winners in James McEvaddy Park.

Gallagher breaks personal best in Belfast

Fri, Jul 25, 2014

Claremorris native Aine Gallagher (Mayo AC) took part in the fifth Energia Belfast 24-hour event last weekend. The event incorporated a 12-hour women's race. Aine was first to finish and completed a distance of 105k in the 12 hours - a personal best along with being a track record and a Irish record. Aine is no stranger to the ultra zone, as she has competed previously at Energia events and completed the Connemara Ultra marathon.

Mayo physiotherapist part of Ireland backroom team for European championships

Fri, Jul 25, 2014

Paula O’Neill, chartered physiotherapist and owner of both the Ballinrobe Physiotherapy Clinic and Ballindine Physiotherapy Clinic, will be providing intensive physiotherapy for the Irish men’s basketball team for pre-existing and possible injuries as they embark in an intensive challenge to play a minimum of four teams in the European Basketball Championships, which take place at the end of the month in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Claremorris players shine at the Connacht Junior Open

Fri, Jul 25, 2014

Once again Claremorris Tennis Club Junior players have performed extremely well on the national tennis circuit. The Connacht Junior Tennis Open was held last week in the Galway Tennis Club. This was a grade one tournament with some of the best players from around the country in attendance. Harry Allsopp, Emily Connelly, Emma Harley, Natasja Merry, Dearbhaile Roe, Domhnall Roe, Heather Slattery, Jamie Teirney and Jordan Waldron all competed. Emma Harley reached the girls doubles u12 final, Shauna Heffernan won the girls singles u14, Emily Connelly won the girls singles u14 plate, Emily and Shauna also reached the girls doubles u14 final. Dearbhaile Roe won both the girls u16 singles and the girls u18 singles, she also won the girls u18 doubles, with Lisa Lyons.

Sun, sea, and the odd football game

Fri, Jul 25, 2014

The four provincial winners have eventually been decided with Dublin and Donegal winning their respective finals in Leinster, and Ulster joining Kerry and of course Mayo. I was in a very precarious position last Sunday at 1.30pm, sitting in 30 degrees of heat by a gorgeous pool in the Algarve, do I stay or do I go to watch potential opponents for Mayo. There was only one winner, I left the swimming pool as I would have been uneasy sitting, wondering what was going on. I happened to meet former Breaffy player Robert Fahy and two of his kids who were there for the same reason as myself, we wanted to see if the Dubs were beatable as most people felt Meath were the team to do it.

Big names for MMA showdown spectacle in Castlebar

Fri, Jul 25, 2014

It is fast becoming one of the most popular sports in the world and now MMA is coming west. A major MMA event is taking place in the Welcome Inn Hotel, Castlebar, on Sunday August 3, with some of the top competitors in the county coming to town to do battle for the inaugural West Cage Fighting Championships. This is an opportunity for fans of the sport to witness firsthand the spectacle of an all-out, full-scale MMA event. There will be 10 fights over the course of the night, with each contest being decided over three, three-minute, rounds.

‘It’s not the perfect marriage, but we’re relatively happy’ — Horan

Fri, Jul 25, 2014

Last weekend saw the final group games in both the senior and intermediate club championships in Mayo. Speaking this week to the press, Mayo manager James Horan said that while everyone came though the club championships without major injury it does cause a hindrance for his preparation for next Sunday’s All Ireland quarter final. “You do lose significant time, unlike the Dublin or Donegal, they’re gaining a week, which is a double whammy, which we might lose here and they have a double gain. If it was standard across the board, it suits me down to the ground,” said Horan.

Westport finally drop points

Fri, Jul 25, 2014

Wining the title would have been the most important thing for Westport United when the Elverys Sports Super League kicked off, but as the weeks went by and the wins kept piling up, the potential of their going all the way through the league with a 100 per cent record looked to be a real possibility. And in their 13th of 18 games in the league last weekend, right until deep injury time in the Sports Park they looked to be on course to make it 13 from 13. But Michael Guilfoyle had other ideas, the Straide and Foxford United striker nodded into the back of the net from close range four minutes into injury time to stop Westport United’s chase for perfection.

Last eight in senior and intermediate championships decided

Sun, Jul 20, 2014

The final round of group games in the Mayo GAA senior and intermediate championships took centre stage over the weekend, with action across the county on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. The eight sides to make the senior quarter-finals are Castlebar Mitchels, Ballintubber, Garrymore, Knockmore, Ballaghaderreen, Breaffy and Aghamore. The four sides who finished bottom of their groups and go into the relegation play-offs are Crossmolina Deel Rovers, Kiltane, Westport and Ballina Stephenites.

Battle of the ‘Towns’ in Tuohy Cup final

Fri, Jul 18, 2014

It’s a battle of the Towns in Milebush Park on Sunday, when Newport Town face off against Ballyhaunis Town in the Tuohy Cup final at 3pm. The men from Ballyhaunis Town will go into the game as favourites, as they sit 14 points clear of Newport Town in the Welcome Inn Premier B table. Ballyhaunis Town are right in the title hunt only three points off first placed Kiltimagh/Knock United, and two points behind Glenhest Rovers in second place. Newport Town are currently sitting third from the bottom in the league table with only three wins from their 11 league games so far this season, but they are still six points clear of the relegation zone. When these sides met in the league a few weeks ago, Ballyhaunis Town ran out 5-2 winners in Ballyhaunis and also saw off Newport Town 1-0 in the second round of league games.

Shooting stars around the Mayo’s courses

Fri, Jul 18, 2014

Balla
Last weekend’s ladies’ team competition was won by the team of Carmel Heverin and Helen Byrne with a score of 47. Their back nine play held off the challenge of Carmel Henry and Marie Flanagan in second place, with Delia O’Hara and Pat Dillon finishing in third place.

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