Connacht look to stay off the bottom

Fri, Feb 21, 2014

Rugby
Connacht are not taking Sunday’s opponents Zebre lightly when the two clash in the RaboDirect Pro 12 in Parma. Despite a 100 per cent return from their seven matches with the Italians to date, Sunday’s fixture has all the hallmarks of a cup final. Last weekend’s Connacht’s hard-earned win over Edinburgh ensured they leapfrogged Zebre in the league. And now Pat Lam’s side need to carve out their eighth victory if they do not want to make a swift return to the bottom of the table.

Busy weekend of action for Mayo athletes

Fri, Feb 21, 2014

MA_2102_E1_0Athletics
Mayo AC were in action in a number of events over the week-end. In the fifth annual Cloonacool GAA 5km, Anthony Flannery (Clonliffe Harriers) was the winner in 17:03. He caught up with Anto Devaney (Mayo AC) at the 4k mark, and there were just four seconds between them at the finish. David Kearins (Sligo AC) was third in 17:49. Sean Murphy came home in sixth in 18:59, and like Anto he was sharpening up ahead of the cross-country championships in Dunboyne on Sunday where he will be part of Mayo AC's Masters team.

Just one hour between Mitchels and glory

Fri, Feb 21, 2014

Castlebar Mitchels are 60 minutes away from the holy grail of club football. To join the elite clubs like Nemo Rangers, Crossmaglen Rangers, and indeed our own Crossmolina Deel Rovers and Ballina Stephenites would be nothing short of a miracle. It took them 20 years to win the elusive Moclair Cup, now their eyes are firmly set on the Andy Merrigan. Castlebar have beaten the three hot favourites for the competition along the way to the final in Corofin, St Brigid's, and the dead certs until last Sunday, Dr Crokes of Kerry. There will not be a dry eye in Mick Byrne’s if they succeed.

Very often games of this magnitude are swung on certain things, like they were last Saturday, and I have no doubt this game’s biggest moment happened in the 20th minute, when the best footballer of our generation had to leave the field with a suspect cruciate knee ligament injury and what later was discovered to be also a fractured knee. I love watching Colm ‘the Gooch’ Cooper but when I realised his game was run, it gave me renewed optimism that Castlebar would win through. I have no doubt there was no intent by any Castlebar player to injure Colm Cooper. Rewind to last year’s All-Ireland semi final and the clatter Tom Cunniffe landed on Peter Harte of Tyrone when the Red Hand were cruising against Mayo, another game changing moment. Harte had to leave the field and Tyrone crumbled. Last Saturday the same happened to Dr Crokes when their talisman Cooper departed.

Mitchels move closer to immortality

Fri, Feb 21, 2014

GAA
March 17 may already come with St Patrick’s Day marked on the diary, but for Castlebar Mitchels players and supporters there is only one thing that matters about that date and that is the All Ireland Senior Club Championship Football Final. The Mitchels booked their place in the club showpiece occasion with a top class display against Dr Crokes in Portlaoise last Saturday and they are not going to rest on their laurels until they seal the deal in three weeks time.

Hurlers look to knock Royals off their throne

Fri, Feb 21, 2014

GAA: National Hurling League
The Mayo senior hurling team head off to Trim on Sunday for their second game in division 2b of the National Hurling League. Christy Phillips’ team got off to a winning start in the competition last weekend when they snatched a late win against Fingal in the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence in Bekan.

Mitchels make their mark in style

Sat, Feb 15, 2014

Castlebar Mitchels 3-13
Dr Crokes 1-11

Galway International whets appetite for Mayo stages

Fri, Feb 14, 2014

The Irish rally season, and more specifically the Irish Tarmac Championships, roared into action over the weekend with the Colm Quinn BMW Galway International Rally. The event reverted to a two-day format with the stages based in the south Galway area.

Prendergast takes newcomer award

Fri, Feb 14, 2014

Last year was an outstanding one on the road running circuit for Claremorris native and Mayo AC athlete Paula Prendergast. Paula, from Ballybrehony South, lives and works in Dublin. She was named most Improved female runner in Mayo, an annual award sponsored by Ballyhaunis native Frank Greally, editor of Irish Runner magazine in recognition of performances in both the 2013 Mayo AC League and other events.

Spring League’s swing into life

Fri, Feb 14, 2014

Castlebar
In the Spring League Mick Kilcourse’s team were the winners with a score of 81, Padraig Rice’s side finished in second place with the team led by Frank Starken and Charlie Muldoon taking third and fourth spot last weekend. The gents singles competition was won by John Kelly with a score of 36. The ladies competition was claimed by Patsy Connor with a score of 32pts, while Carmel Connaughton took second spot, thanks to her back nine play, ahead of Ann Gallagher in third place. Fourth place was taken by Bernie Burke.

Subs, blood subs and black card replacements

Fri, Feb 14, 2014

Firstly to admit an error broadcast by yours truly live on radio last Sunday during the Mayo v Tyrone game. With the entire furore over black cards, yellow cards and red cards, I was blissfully unaware that teams were now in fact allowed to make six substitutions.

k solid Naughton is ready for the Crokes examination

Fri, Feb 14, 2014

He’s been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in Mayo for the past number of years and if you’ve ever been to a Castlebar Mitchels game any time in the past decade you’re sure to have heard him roaring instructions at his defence.

Fingal come calling on Sunday

Fri, Feb 14, 2014

The Mayo senior hurlers have their first league outing of the season with a home game to Fingal on Sunday at 2pm in Elverys MacHale Park against Fingal. This is the second season in charge for Limerick native Christy Phillips who is hoping to start the League campaign will continue on the success his team have had recently in the Kehoe Shield. Phillips and his backroom team of Leo Connor (Limerick) Austin Kenny (Tooreen) and Karen Lacey (Westport) have been fine-tuning their preparations for the League since the first week in January. The hurlers received a major boost over the past few days with the return of Tooreen’s Cathal Freeman to the panel. Mayo will be looking for strong performances from seasoned campaigners Donal O’Brien, Padraig O’Flynn, Derek McDonnell, Kenny Feeney and Brian Hunt. Relative newcomers to the panel David Kenny, Kieran Kiely and Fergal Boland will also be hoping to impress.

Fingal, under Manager Mick Kennedy, should provide a very stern test for the home side. They are divisional team, made up of 16 mostly junior clubs within north Dublin and have been promoted to Division 2B in 2014 after winning Division 3A in both previous years. Mayo and Fingal are playing in a very competitive Division 2B of the Allianz National Hurling League this year featuring Wicklow, Meath, Armagh and Down. Both teams will be hoping to retain their positions within the division and use it as a springboard to the Christy Ring Cup which commence on Saturday May 3.

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