Search Results for 'James Horan'

While the post-mortem on Mayo’s inglorious exit from the Connacht championship went on over the week and will go into the future, it’s back to basics this weekend for the inter county football panel when they rejoin their club mates for the first round proper of action in the Royal Theatre senior and intermediate championships.

John Maughan's Crossmolina Deel Rovers stayed top of Division 1A of the Mayo Senior Football league this weekend thanks to a one point win over Charlestown on Saturday night. Crossmolina picked up their fifth win from five games on a score of 2-8 to 0-13. Shrule Glencorrib stayed on their heals in second place after a two point win away to Ballina Stephenites on a score of 0-12 to 0-10. Ballintubber suffered their first loss in the league on Saturday night when Knockmore came to Clogher and went away with a 2-9 to 0-7 win over James Horan's side. Ballintubber stay in third place in the league, last year they went through the year only loosing once in both league and championship to the same opposition at the semi-final stage. Ballaghdadereen's have had a so-so start to the season and they picked up their second win of the league in their alternate home venue of Charlestown on Saturday evening with a 0-17 to 1-9 win over Claremorris. Westport sit in fourth place in the table after picking up their second win from four games at the weekend, they saw of a struggling Bohola Moy Davits side by six points winning on a score of 0-17 to 0-11, the east Mayo men now lie at the bottom of the table without a win from five games.

The National Football League has been put to bed for another year, last Sunday’s disappointing capitulation at the hands of Cork will have to be put to bed this weekend as clubs around Mayo welcome their stars back. This weekend’s round of club games could give the players and opportunity to exorcise some of the demons from Croke Park. Sunday sees action return to Division 1A and 1B at 2pm with a full round of games in both the top divisions. Shrule Glencorrib, who currently sit top of the table thanks to wins over Claremorris and Ballaghaderreen, will make their way to Ballintubber looking to make it three out of three, while James Horan’s side have won one and drawn another. Crossmolina Deel Rovers are just behind Shrule-Glenncorrib in the table on points difference, and John Maughan’s men will be looking to make it three out of three when they venture to Claremorris. The south Mayo men shook off their opening day defeat to Shrule Glencorrib, to see off Moy Davitts in the last round by five points. Last year’s league and championship winners Charlestown will be hoping to shake off a lacklustre start to their campaign for 2010 when they host Moy Davitts, Ciaran McBrien’s men have lost their first two games this season going down to both Ballina and Ballinrobe. Moy Davitts are in the same position as their east Mayo neighbours having lost to Crossmolina and Claremorris. Ballinrobe, who started off last season in a good vein of form before fading away in the championship, have had a similarly good start in 2010 with two wins out of two under their belt. This weekend Norman O’Brien’s side will make the short trip to take on last season’s intermediate champions Westport who have only played once so far this year in the league picking up a draw against Ballintubber.

The story of how a west of Ireland priest convinced the Irish government to build an airport in the middle of a disadvantaged, depopulated region in east Mayo when the country was in dire financial straits is to be retold later this year when On A Wing and a Prayer - The Musical takes to the stage for its premiere at the Royal Theatre, Castlebar.

John O’Mahony will be hoping that all his players manage to come through this weekend’s full round of club senior league fixtures fit and ready for action in next week’s National League final against Cork in Croke Park. Mayo booked their place in the final, last Sunday in the sunshine on Leeside in Páirc Ui Chaoimh, thanks to a 0-16 to 0-11 win over the Rebels, but the league final will be a completely different animal of a game.

A prestigious helicopter flying school will open at Ireland West Airport, Knock in the coming weeks. Ireland West Aviation is to be the platform from which a range of aviation services are to be offered, starting with a helicopter flying school to Private Pilot Licence standard.

More words have been written and spoken on Ireland West Airport Knock than any other Irish airport. Everyone has a tale to tell, a memory to recall, an opinion to offer — and all with the same gusto that characterised the man behind the ‘people’s airport’, Monsignor James Horan.

I got word earlier in the week that the wagons were circling ahead of Mayo’s GAA County Board convention on Tuesday night last at the McWilliam Park Hotel in Claremorris. It appears that Noelle Horan, the outgoing PRO, had a major difference of opinion with a number of county board officers regarding restrictions on her access to the county team’s dressing-room earlier this year. “Access all areas” apparently wasn’t a problem under the previous management and it would seem there wasn’t too much of a problem regarding her access to the dressing room earlier this year under the current management. Obviously something went awry at some juncture that sullied what appeared up to then to be the perfect harmonious relationship. There had been a number of verbal clashes at earlier meetings and it was generally felt that things might get a little ugly at the convention on Tuesday night. There was no pairing system in place for this meeting with all county board officers expected to attend to display a collective unity against the maverick! My informant tells me that Ms Horan distributed a pre-prepared script which she later read from. She had a right swipe at the county board executive, outlining instances when she was “constructively prevented” from performing her duties and other occasions when she was “repeatedly undermined” by members of the board. Her own club member, Mr Sean Feeney, the county secretary, came in for scathing criticism from her, suggesting that he had no right to criticise players for doing certain media work. The suggestion was that Mr Feeney wasn’t shy of using the airways himself when it suited him. It is difficult to comprehend what caused such a breakdown in “the family”, but I would offer that it will be quite some time, if ever, before we see Ms Horan seek a nomination to become an officer of the Mayo County Board.

It is suggested that trying to retain a title is one of the most difficult things to do in sport. Tyrone kick- started their campaign last Sunday and provided their thousands of supporters with sufficient evidence to suggest that they just might have to plan for a long summer following the Red Hand up and down the country after their very creditable dismantling of the current Ulster champions Armagh. The GAA hierarchy have been keeping their fingers crossed for some quality football after the debacle between Monaghan and Derry, and they got it. This was a great game of football, played by two quality teams and both teams deserve credit for contributing to a wonderful afternoon’s entertainment that made for compelling viewing.

With the senior inter-county season put to bed for another year, things will return to normal on the club scene. And this weekend sees no time being wasted in Mayo with the final rounds of club games in the senior and intermediate football championships down for decision. In the premier competition only two teams have already booked their place in the last eight, both Shrule-Glencorrib and Ballaghaderreen have emerged from section three of the competition, with both sides picking up wins over luckless Breaffy and Burrishoole in their opening two games. The sides will meet again this weekend to sort out who takes top spot in the group and with that the perceived easier draw in the chase for a last eight spot. Shrule-Glencorrib have made up for the disappointment of missing out on the last eight in the last two years to book their place early, but this evening’s game could see them ship a defeat to the current county champions. With Andy Moran and Barry Regan in spectacular form for their side, the east Mayo men’s perceived greater fire power should be enough to see them over the south Mayo men. That said, any side that counts Conor and Trevor Mortimer, Mark Ronaldson, and Kieran Conroy in their starting 15 are not going to be a pushover. In the other game in this group Breaffy will host Burrishoole on Sunday afternoon for the chance to end their championship season on Martin Murphy’s full time whistle. Both sides have lost their first two games in the championship, with the losers on Sunday facing a relegation play-off to ensure their senior status. Things have gone to pieces for Breaffy this year, but they should have enough fight in them to hold off the challenge from the McGovern Park side and ensure their status and regroup for next year.