Search Results for 'James Horan'

The first thing to strike me when I entered Croke Park two weeks ago was that Mayo fans had very obviously and deliberately populated Hill 16 in big numbers. The Blue army’s sense of ownership of the historic terrace, as reinforced during the 2006 ‘Mill at the Hill’, had again been challenged. While mutual respect remains, the Mayo fans’ sense of inferiority and their Dublin counterparts' sense of entitlement have both been eroded to a point where near equilibrium has been reached. The Mayo team too, learned some years back that nothing and no one is sacred in top flight GAA. That understanding did not come in some midnight revelation, but through years of proving it so on the pitch.

All-Ireland final hype is about to enter fever pitch. Nothing beats preparing for a final, whether your a player, supporter, county board or club official. It gives everyone a pep in their step. The players and officials have the trivial matters out of the way and will have their match day suits ready for the off and press commitments done and dusted. For them now it's all about focused minds and mentally preparing themselves for the biggest day of their footballing lives.

At the end of the day the long and winding road has led back to the destination that most had hoped for, Mayo in the first All Ireland semifinal on Sunday August 21. Rather than coming through to this stage as provincial champions with just a quarter-final to play, Mayo have made their way through the scenic route and disposed of Leinster opposition twice and then the Ulster champions to get here. Next up for them is a challenge from a group of men from Munster, but once again it is not one of the ones we would have expected. Tipperary, a division three side that finished their league campaign just two points above relegation to division four for next year, have wandered their way through this championship summer to become the story of the summer.

Knock Shrine and Ireland West Airport were delighted today (Friday, July 15), to welcome the arrival of the first Diocesan pilgrimage from the Archdiocese of Boston with Aer Lingus. This represented a historic development for the airport and the region, as this is the first transatlantic service operated by Aer Lingus, from Boston, to Ireland West Airport and the first official chartered pilgrimage from Boston to Ireland’s National Marian Shrine.

A special ceremony of re-dedication will take place at Knock Basilica on Saturday July 16 at 3pm to mark 40 years of the original dedication of Knock Basilica on July 18, 1976. The basilica has been completely modernised and transformed into a warm and welcoming sacred space with top of the range technology incorporated to facilitate pilgrims with live-streamed Masses and ceremonies as well a broader mix of concerts and events, such as the hugely successful ‘Concert for Peace’ which took place in May.

There was a genuinely eerie feeling at McHale Park last Saturday evening around 8.30pm. Galway had just beaten the home side by 1-12 to 0-12 and large numbers of Mayo supporters just sat in the stand numbed and perplexed by what had happened.

A special ceremony of re-dedication will take place at Knock Basilica on Saturday July 16 at 3pm to mark 40 years of the original dedication of Knock Basilica on July 18 1976. The Basilica has been completely modernised and transformed into a warm and welcoming sacred space with top of the range technology incorporated to facilitate pilgrims with live-streamed Masses and ceremonies as well as a broader mix of concerts and events, such as the hugely successful ‘Concert for Peace’ which took place in May.

The Mayo senior team travel to London tomorrow from Ireland West Airport for the start of their 2016 championship and kickstart their bid for an unprecedented six Nestor cups in a row. The 100/1 on Connacht champions will have little or no trouble in disposing of the exiles no matter what way we try to butter it up.

It all started so brilliantly for Tom Parsons in the green and red of Mayo, he made his senior championship debut for Mayo in 2008 while still an U21 against Sligo and ended up that season heading to Australia as part of the Irish international rules side, the only Mayo player to be selected for that tour, but three years later when James Horan finished up his first league campaign as manager he was deemed surplus to requirements.