Search Results for 'Donal Vaughan'

Only time will tell if Storm Emma, or the Beast from the East, were a blessing in disguise or a burden in the plight of the Mayo footballers' quest to stay in division one of the league.

Mayo left Salthill last Sunday, frustrated and annoyed and without any points to show for their efforts.

The Galway and Mayo footballers enjoyed plenty of national exposure in the media as a result of two melees and three red cards that came at the end of what had been an entertaining National League fixture at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

The shadow boxing and experimenting has come to a close, with the end of the FBD League last Sunday for Mayo. This weekend Mayo will make the trip to Clones in the reverse fixture of last year's National Football League opener which was won by the Farney county men in MacHale Park. The top division in the National Football League is a high intensity environment — Mayo want to hit the ground running and they will be targeting a win in this game.

With respect to the FBD league Mayo's season kicks off in earnest this Sunday when they travel to Clones to take on Monaghan in the first round of the National Football League. The FBD was somewhat of a calamitous affair this year with the weather playing puck with fixtures resulting in postponements and last minute cancellations. The decision to call off the Mayo v Galway game at the 11th hour the most frustrating postponement, as almost 3,000 spectators had gathered in Baltic conditions in Elverys MacHale Park. Most wondered why the decision was not made earlier. That re-fixture meant Mayo of course had to play three games in five days, two of which were lost while the other was a draw. Amazingly last weekend Mayo's game went ahead against Sligo albeit after a venue change. It was the only inter county game that took place last Sunday.

Keith Higgins will be another familiar face missing from Mayo’s opening league encounter against Monaghan next weekend, with the Ballyhaunis clubman yet to join up with the panel for the new season.

Mayo manager Stephen Rochford confirmed that he expects to be without two more of his front line players for the majority if not all of the upcoming national league campaign.

THE MAD Craic Comedy Show, The Stock Exchange Bar's comedy club, runs every Saturday, and this weekend will have stand-up from Donal Vaughan, with support from Conor Murray, John Kelly, and Ross McCarthy.

It's back to the cut and thrust of action in the Mayo GAA senior club championship for the first time in over three months this weekend. While the junior championship has been moving along in the background and the semi-final stages down for decision this weekend, it has been long summer without championship action for the 16 senior clubs.

This football lark does not get any easier does it. The feeling of sick in the pit of my stomach the morning after an All-Ireland final is an all too familiar feeling now after Mayo suffered another agonising one point defeat to Dublin in another All-Ireland final. The margin of loss makes it even more difficult to take. The level of Mayo's performance makes it hard to comprehend they did not win the game. Every mistake and refereeing decision will be scrutinised and placed under the microscope for years to come.