Drake looking to become the latest border guard

Thu, Jun 05, 2014

His imposing presence in the heart of the defence for his club Ballaghaderreen over the past number of years has seen David Drake earmarked as one of those who could add something to the Mayo set-up. The 24-year-old former Sligo IT and UCD Sigerson Cup player has been given that chance this year and he is looking to become the latest in a long line of men whose postal address may say Co Roscommon, but will bleed green and red on the football field rather than primrose and blue.

Experienced Mayo should have too much for Roscommon

Thu, Jun 05, 2014

This time last year Mayo trounced Roscommon by 0-21 to 0-9 in McHale Park in the provincial semi-final.

It was a humiliating defeat for John Evan’s men and an improving Roscommon panel will be determined not to allow a repeat of that debacle this Sunday in Hyde Park (2pm).

The real stuff begins now

Thu, Jun 05, 2014

Mayo travel to Hyde Park on Sunday to take on Roscommon in the Connacht semi-final.  It’s remarkable that it has only been five weeks since we played New York in Gaelic Park. It feels like that game was in a different year. I mentioned in a column a few weeks back that James Horan should keep five or six midfielders in his panel, however I didn’t envisage what was going to happen after that. Tom Parsons is the latest to be struck down with a bad hamstring tear on top of Barry Moran and Jason Gibbons already suffering disheartening injuries. They say things happen in threes, so I hope no more players join them on the casualty list. No time is a good time to get injured but end of May/early June is the nightmare time for any footballer. If your injury is so bad that you are not able to participate in any level of training it may leave you on the scrap heap for the rest of the year as the stamina and fitness levels you have worked so hard to build up will dwindle away like a puff of smoke.

Battle to be the best of the rest

Thu, Jun 05, 2014

By the time this paper hits the shelves on Friday morning, either Moy Villa or Straide and Foxford United could be sitting on 10 points and level on points with second placed Ballina Town in the Elverys Sports Super League.

Bank holiday competitions brings out the good scores

Thu, Jun 05, 2014

Balla
Last weekend’s greensome competition was won by the team of Lorcan Cribbin and Eamon Donnellan with a score of 47. The pair’s back nine play held off the challenge of Aodan McSuibhnie and Pauline O’Connor in second place after they also finished on 47. Third place went to Geraldine Kilgallon and Marie Flanagan who scored 48.

Last weekend’s greensome competition was won by the team of Lorcan Cribbin and Eamon Donnellan with a score of 47. The pair’s back nine play held off the challenge of Aodan McSuibhnie and Pauline O’Connor in second place after they also finished on 47. Third place went to Geraldine Kilgallon and Marie Flanagan who scored 48.

Duffy leads the way for Ireland

Thu, Jun 05, 2014

Seventeen-year-old Mayo show jumper Michael Duffy continued his remarkable winning streak, by taking the top prize in Sunday's two-phase competition at the three star international show at Lisbon in Portugal. The Knockmore rider beat off the challenge of some 60 fellow competitors to take victory with the nine-year-old mare Eminent, which is jointly owned by Sandra Duffy and Jean Gill..

Moran makes way for Roscommon game

Wed, Jun 04, 2014

James Horan threw a curve ball with his team selection for Sunday's Connacht semi-final against Roscommon, by omitting his captain Andy Moran from the starting line up. The Ballaghaderren man's omissions from the starting 15 will be the big talking point ahead of the throw in, with Breaffy's Conor O'Shea coming into the starting line-up for his first championship start in a new look Mayo team that will see O'Shea line up alongside his two older brothers Aidan and Seamus. Conor will line out at centre half forward with Burrishoole's Jason Doherty on one side of him and Ballintubber's Diarmuid O'Connor on the other flank. The full forward line will see Alan Freeman return to the focal point of the attack with Kevin McLoughlin and Cillian O'Connor either side of him.

Horan happy with Duffy progress

Fri, May 30, 2014

In preparation for Mayo’s meeting with Roscommon next weekend in the semi-final of the Connacht Senior Football championship in Hyde Park, James Horan sat down with the media this week. On the injury front, things haven’t really changed he explained saying “Jason Gibbons isn’t healing as quickly as we’d like, Barry Moran is healing well, Michael Conroy got a knock at the weekend, Enda Varley’s groin is a little sore. But we’re not to bad outside that we’re not to bad, any of the injuries there are recovering.” As for Moran or Gibbons making it back in time for the Roscommon game he said that, “it’d be very tight (for them) to be competitive options for June 8, it’d be very doubtful.”

The local scene is back with a bang

Fri, May 30, 2014

The club championship got under way last weekend with the clash of the round in group one between reigning champions Castlebar Mitchels and local rivals Ballintubber, both pre tournament favourites for the Moclair Cup.

There was plenty of county talent on show, and with Jason Gibbons unfortunate injury the loss of Barry Moran for Castlebar did not seem all that bad. A few years back Charlestown seemed to be the bogey team for the Mitchels, after that the mantle fell to Ballintubber. No matter how bad Ballintubber played they always came out on the right side of the result when facing Castlebar, but now the tides have turned. Castlebar’s confidence after winning their first county title in 20 years last year is there for all to see, they are the team to beat again. Richie Feeney’s goal was the decisive score in Clogher. I have no doubt Ballintubber will qualify in second place in group one with games against Shrule/Glencorrib and Crossmolina to come. It is great to see Ciaran Mc back playing for Crossmolina but even he will struggle to get his team out of the group. Knockmore are in the driving seat in group two after a big win in Bangor. I fully expected Kiltane to give the senior grade a good rattle this year but you nearly always have to win your home games in the group stages. Their game with Garrymore will almost certainly decide who makes the quarter- finals along with Knockmore. My own club Charlestown have left themselves an awful lot to do after going down to Westport by a single point. Group three seems to be the most evenly balanced group with any team capable of beating the other. Ballaghadeereen’s win at home to Davitts is likely to see them prevail with any one of the others. Don’t rule out Davitts just yet. Sparks are likely to fly when Charlestown visit Ballindine. The most shocking result of the entire weekend occurred in Claremorris. One wonders what is going on in Ballina. Charlestown trounced Claremorris in the league a few weeks ago, Ballina suffered the same fate at the hands of Claremorris last weekend in the championship. Many present at the Charlestown v Claremorris league game would not have given Claremorris a prayer against the Stephenites. I know a lot of the old stalwarts have called it a day with Ballina, but surely the county’s second town should be able to produce a team capable of competing with anyone. Worrying times for the Stephenites club who will surely struggle to make the playoffs this year. Breaffy had a resounding win over Aughamore in the other game in group four. The game between Claremorris and Aughamore will be key to see who will join Breaffy in the quarter finals.

Phillips’ men are one game from Croker

Fri, May 30, 2014

“There’s nothing won yet!” said Christy Phillips this week to the Mayo Advertiser after we congratulated him on his team’s win over Wicklow in the quarter-final of the Christy Ring Cup.

Top against bottom on Saturday

Fri, May 30, 2014

The Westport United juggernaut continues to rumble through the Elvery’s Sports Super League. This weekend the league will see a third of the games completed and the Coveys are on what looks like an unstoppable roll, with five wins from five so far and 26 goals scored. On Saturday evening it looks like a dead cert that they will make it six from six when they host bottom of the table Iorras Aontaithe in the Sports Park at 7pm.

New owners for Royal Theatre

Fri, May 30, 2014

The Royal Theatre Castlebar has new owners after hotel management and property companies, Islandeady Properties and Lansdowne Frances, agreed to purchase the properties. The acquisition includes The Royal Theatre, The Ruby Room, Mayo Conference Centre, TF Hotel, Harlequin Hotel (4 star), multi storey car park, and The Royal Quarter Retail Area incorporating Boots Chemists and other various retail stores, The Mosaic and other car parks.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.