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Mayo needs to wake up to the reality that the controversial method of extracting natural gas from rock — known as fracking — could soon become a major issue in the county.

The draws for the Mayo GAA senior, intermediate and junior championship quarter-final and semi-final stages were made in Elverys MacHale Park this week.

As we expected Cork are our opponents for Sunday’s All-Ireland Quarter final which promises to be a great day out for Mayo Fans albeit a long day. The minors take centre stage at 12 noon followed by the seniors at 4pm. I have heard rumblings as to why the Mayo senior game couldn’t be on at 2pm, so Mayo fans wouldn’t have to spend the best part of six hours in Croke Parke. It would have been the correct course of action, imagine someone from Belmullet going to support the minors, leaving at 7am on Sunday morning and probably not getting home until the early hours. I don’t envy them, however beggars can’t be choosers and we should be delighted the minors are getting at least one game at headquarters. Last year the minor quarter final against Westmeath was played on bank holiday Monday in Tullamore, most Mayo fans won’t be present for the start of the minor game anyway as happened in Castlebar for the Connacht Final. I personally can’t wait and will watch every second of every game.

It was a glorious sunny evening with a welcome breeze for the 22nd running of the Balla races. The Balla 10k is the most keenly anticipated in the Mayo calendar and the tough course has provided challenges for all comers and all levels over the years. It was the third race in Mayo AC Move2Improve Series sponsored by C&C Cellular. Freddy Keron-Sittuk from Raheny Shamrock AC returned to retain the title he won last year and was the clear winner in a time of 33.01, though well outside his 2013 course record. Clubmate Ian Conroy was second and with Bernard Roe fourth their clubmate David Grange also finished well as Raheny Shamrocks also took the team prize.

Galway u16 girls claimed the Connacht title in Charlestown on Sunday last but were made fight all the way by a determined Roscommon side. The Rossies played with the wind in the first half but it was Galway that started the better and were two points up inside three minutes, with points from Riona Ni Fhlatharta and Leanne Coen.

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.

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.

A hectic weekend of action is in store in the Mayo GAA Senior Football championship, with four of the quarter-finalists already known, the final four spots are still up for grabs over Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

Mayo achieved the double/double in Elverys MacHale Park last Sunday with our minors and seniors winning the Connacht championship for the second year in a row. I could only imagine it was a bit surreal for Diarmuid O’Connor who only 12 months ago was on that minor team, and now finds himself togging with the seniors and winning his first senior medal while some of his old team mates collected their second in the minor grade.