Mayo County Council launch Community Diaspora Tourism Initiative fund

Fri, May 02, 2014

Mayo County Council has launched a new community tourism initiative for the Diaspora which seeks to build on the legacy of The Gathering 2013. The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, officially launched the initiative, a joint partnership by Fáilte Ireland, IPB Insurance, and the 34 local authorities, to provide an annual fund of €1m over the next three years to support up to 700 local community-based events each year around the country. Mayo County Council will provide €30,000 over the next three years for this purpose.

Westport put seven past Charlestown, while Celtic end S&F winning start

Mon, Apr 28, 2014

Even with eight regulars missing from their starting line-up, Westport United showed no mercy to Charlestown Athletic in the Sportspark on Sunday. No less than seven different Westport United players got on the score sheet in their 7-2 route of the east Mayo side. Westport struck four goals on the bounce from injury time in the first half until the 56th minute of the contest, to turn at 1-0 lead into a 5-0 lead and sap the fight out of a Charlestown Athletic team who up until that point had been doing their best to hang in with home-team.

Dave Cameron opened the scoring 12 minutes in when he swept home a free-kick from the edge of the area past Keelan Horkan in the Charlestown goal. The Athletic custodian pulled off a number of good saves during the game and the score could have been much worse, only for his interventions.

Big turn out for Kilmovee 10k

Fri, Apr 25, 2014

Kilmovee was buzzing on Saturday and there was more than just spring in the air. The crossroads on the R325 was full of orange clad marshals, dandelions lined the roadsides, tulips saluted from gardens, an array of green sun flowered Hospice t-shirts mingled with multicoloured runners and walkers, and sprinkled with a host of red and green Mayo AC vests. The yellow balloon arch at the start line did a spectacular malfunction which added to the excitement but did nothing to deflate the occasion. There was a record turnout of 545 entrants on a sunny Easter Saturday for the fifth Kilmovee 10k run and walk. This was the first event in Mayo AC's 2014 Move 2 Improve six race series, which is open to all entrants. It was excellently organised by Kilmovee Shamrocks GAA club and the local community in aid of Mayo/Roscommon Hospice. Ironman athlete Gerry Duffy was a guest and said: “It was the most friendly race I've ever been at, a fantastic event, testament to John Roddy's leadership and the involvement of the whole Kilmovee Community team.” The big field was well streamed out as they crossed over Aghadiffen Bridge into Roscommon after the 3k mark. Matt Bidwell, Roger Barrett, last year's winner Con Marshall, and Aidan Callaghan were in the lead group, with John Byrne - recovering from his PB run at last Sunday's Rotterdam marathon - and Timmie Glavey further back.

Easter weekend brings good scores

Fri, Apr 25, 2014

Balla
Last weekend’s stableford competition was sponsored by Horkans Garden Centre and McGrath Waste. Tom Jennings was the winner of the gents’ section with a score of 40pts, his back nine play saw him keep ahead of Adrian O’Connell who finished in second place, and Bert Eagleton finished in third place. The ladies’ section was won by Geraldine O’Malley who scored 40pts, Julie Loftus finished in second place, and Geraldine Kilgallon came home in third.

An ‘Empire State of Mind’

Fri, Apr 25, 2014

It’s hard to believe that this time next week we will be in New York for the start of the championship. I’m finding it hard to believe because Mayo are only finished up in the league and very well could have been playing in a league decider on Sunday. In my time I don’t remember such a quick turnaround, we obviously didn’t make the league playoffs very often but that didn’t bother us as long as we avoided relegation as it was all about the championship.

Champions drop points at home

Sun, Apr 20, 2014

In a truncated round two of the Elverys Sports Super League where the games between Ballyheane and Westport United and Castlebar Celtic and Moy Villa were postponed the big news from the weekend was Straide and Foxford United's 2-0 win away to the champions Ballina Town in Belleek on Sunday afternoon. The newly promoted side who picked up a 3-2 win away to Manulla last weekend made it two wins from two so far this season with the goals coming from Conor Sherry and Stephen Wallace. The tangerine clad side will be looking to make it three wins from three next week when they host Castlebar Celtic on the banks of the Moy. On Saturday night another of the Super League new-boys Charlestown Athletic who earned a point against Ballyheane last weekend thanks to two late goals picked up their first win of the season with a 2-1 win over Fahy Roves in Charlestown. Goals from Jacob Gawalkiewicz and Thomas Meehan put the east Mayo side into a 2-0 lead, before Fahy Rovers cut the gap back to a single goal after finding the net from the penalty spot. Next up for Charlestown Athletic is a trip to the Sportspark and a game against Westport United next Sunday afternoon.

Celtic book league cup final spot

Sun, Apr 20, 2014

Castlebar Celtic booked their place in the Bus Éireann Women’s National League Cup final for the second year in a row thanks to a 3-1 win over Peamount United in Celtic Park on Sunday afternoon. The Hoops are becoming quite the cup side, having made the final of this competition last year along with the final of the FAI Women's Senior Cup earlier this year in the Aviva Stadium. They go on to meet Wexford Youths in the final of the league cup on May 18.

Move to improve getting ready to go to the tape

Fri, Apr 18, 2014

The first race in Mayo AC's new 2014 Move 2 Improve series is the Kilmovee 10k tomorrow April 19 at 1pm. The club are delighted that the new series will be sponsored by C and C Cellular, continuing its involvement with the club over the past nine years. The Move 2 Improve series consists of six races - four 10km, and two 8km, all independently organised events with accurately measured courses, permits from Athletics Ireland and their own prize structures. John Roddy and his team have worked hard to make Kilmovee 10k one of the best organised events in the country, and its popularity has grown immensely in a short time - this will be its fifth year. You will enjoy a big welcome, a traffic free course, chip timing, and wholesome refreshments afterwards before the prizegiving at the Community Centre. Details of the event are available at www.kilmovee10k.com. As the name suggests, the Move 2 Improve series is focused mainly on those who have taken up the sport in recent years, who are looking to achieve new levels of performance. Many will have taken up the sport through Fit4Life and other local initiatives. Others will have an opportunity to experience races in the company of their peers, make new friends and generally have fun. The series is open to all. Mayo AC hopes this new format will offer opportunities and incentives for all participants to measure, improve, and achieve their goals through personal best times, and move to a new Level. Full details of the Move 2 Improve series are at www.mayoac.com

Foxford’s formula for racing

Fri, Apr 18, 2014

Foxford’s Sean Hynes kicked off his 2014 Formula Sheane (pronounced ‘Shane’) season last weekend at a double header in Mondello, The opening two rounds of the MicksGarage.com backed championships, which has twenty one drivers at present registered for the series, provided some thrilling racing.

Westport duo in action in Portugal

Fri, Apr 18, 2014

It was a solid international opener for the rising stars of triathlon over the weekend in the Quartrira ETU European Cup in Portugal following the senior event on the Saturday, Sunday saw the junior elite athletes take centre stage with Ireland having two representatives in the Junior Men’s race in the shape of Westport’s Con Doherty and Aichlinn O’Reilly. With 75 men on the start line the 750m opening swim was always going to be congested and hard fought. The super swimmers to the front were out in under 9:30 with Christopher Perham of Great Britain in the lead. The Westport duo of Con Doherty and Aichlinn O’Reilly found themselves towards the back of the pack exiting beside each other in 10:16 and with plenty of work to do. Doherty shot through transition and went about closing down the leaders over the testing 20km bike leg. The pack up front were working well together and would stay away and go into the run with a nice advantage. Doherty went on to clock the fastest run in 16:08 but was left with too much to do following the swim. His blistering run was by far the quickest from the chase pack and brought him up to 13th overall. O’Reilly came off the bike in a chase pack behind and clocked 18:05 for the 5km run to finish 49th in just his second junior elite level race.

Adrian Freeman Memorial Cup

Fri, Apr 18, 2014

The Adrian Freeman Memorial Cup Day for the Mayo GAA u14A Feile na nGael title takes place tomorrow April 19 in the Tooreen.

Mayo fail to make extra man count again

Fri, Apr 18, 2014

Mayo limped out of the national league in spectacular fashion last Sunday in Croke Park against a much livelier and hungrier Derry team. What has everyone worried is Mayo’s failure and inability to make a numerical advantage count for the second time in three weeks.

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