Search Results for 'Connacht Senior Football Championship'

It’s often said that a week is a long time in politics. Can I suggest then that three weeks is an absolute eternity in football? Just a few short weeks ago, all the talk around these parts was that Galway would be a shoe in to retain their Connacht championship. The fact that they would be playing the Connacht final (assuming it is Mayo) in Pearse Stadium added to that theory because the general perception is that the seaside venue is definitely worth a few scores to the Galway men. But the pendulum has very definitely shifted in the last two matches of the national league. Galway were the form team of the league for the first five rounds, getting standing ovations from their ecstatic home supporters on a number of occasions such was the quality of their play. But after a rather slow start by Mayo in their opening rounds, they have very definitely come thundering into the equation again as serious provincial contenders after their impressive one-point victory over the up to then unbeaten Galwegians in Tuam a couple of weeks ago. Mayo followed up on that victory with a very creditable performance against the All Ireland champions in McHale Park last Sunday, where both sides took a share of the spoils.

Galway Ladies Football u-14 team have been crowned Connacht champions.

Mayo more than likely will be missing the services of experienced Ballina goalkeeper David Clarke for next weekend’s Connacht senior football championship semi-final against Roscommon. The shot-stopper pulled up injured during the first half of last Friday night’s challenge game with Louth in Garrymore and had to be replaced by Kenneth O'Malley. Clarke's groin injury will see the Ballinrobe 21-year-old in line for a recall to the senior side after picking up a potentially career ending kidney injury 18 months ago in a Higher Education League game.

Sometimes there can be no hiding from hard facts. And here are two:

It’s funny the things that you let yourself get annoyed over.

It was third time lucky for Ciaran McBrien’s men last Sunday as they claimed the Moclair Cup thanks to a three point win over Knockmore in the county senior final. The east Mayo men were deserving winners over an injury hit side from north Mayo who lacked the killer punch up front denied to them by the absence of Aidan Kilcoyne and Damien Munnelly, but that is of little worry to Charlestown who went out and did what they had to do. David ‘Ginger’ Tiernan rolled back the years with a tireless display in the middle of the field which saw him rightfully rewarded with a man of the match trophy after the game but good performances from the likes of Richard Haran which saw him score four points, John Casey in goal who pulled off a few good saves one late on when Knockmore were battling for a goal to save the tie and substitute Brian O’Connell who offered them something different in attack when they needed it, during the final scuffles saw them over the line. And after the celebrations died down this week, attention will turn to the Connacht Club championship, a competition the east Mayo men won the last time they were county champions back in 2001.

It’s a meeting of an old familiar face with his former comrades on Sunday when Charlestown meet St Kevin’s, Castlerea, in the Connacht semi final. Denis Kearney was in the middle of the field for Charlestown in the 1993 Mayo intermediate final, a side that included current Charlestown goalkeeper John Casey, current Charlestown manager Ciaran McBrien, and the county final’s man of the match David ‘Ginger’ Tiernan who was on the bench 16 years ago. So if any man will have the inside track on the Charlestown and what they are about it is the Carracastle native, who currently resides in Swinford another Mayo side he togged out for in his playing days.