Search Results for 'Michael Conroy'

I was at the two under 21 semi-finals in McHale Park last Friday evening. It was a wonderful evening for football and the football on view was good too. The first game between Aughamore and the combined forces of Hollymount and Carramore had a dramatic finish. For long periods Aughamore looked the dominant side and appeared to be cruising to a fairly comfortable victory, but the Holly/Carra boys never stopped believing in themselves and persevered right to the very end. They finished strongly, eventually winning by two points. The Aughamore boys appeared shocked that they had not managed to close out the game and they will scratch their heads for a while yet wondering how they managed to let this one slip away.

It was 30 years in the making but last Sunday evening shortly after 5pm, all the memories of those 30 years were put to bed when Michael Conroy climbed the steps of McHale Park and collected the Sweeney Cup in front of delighted team-mates, family, friends, and supporters from all over the Ballindine and Irishtown area.

Davitts 0-14

The colours may be from the opposite ends of the spectrum, but come Sunday afternoon in McHale Park the black of Davitts and the white of Burrishoole will collide for 60 minutes of all or nothing action.

I managed to take in four of the five matches at McHale Park last weekend. The weather was particularly nice for football and I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the action. I am partial to giving the GAA at administrative level the odd short-arm tackle over the way they do business when it comes to entrance fees to matches. No such complaints last weekend and I have to applaud the fact that the County Board decided an entrance fee of €10 to be an appropriate rate on both days. This represents excellent value for money, even in these economically depressed times. However when you consider that €20 gave you access to five games I was disappointed that the crowds did not flood into the venue over the weekend.

Burrishoole started off this year as favourites following last year’s disappointment of losing out to Tourmakeady in the intermediate final. But they were given one hell of a scare by Hollymount-Carramore at the quarter final stage and needed two games to get over the south Mayo men. This Sunday they will not be taking anything for granted when they take on Ballyhaunis at the semi-final stage. Ballyhaunis have been impressive all throughout the championship seeing off fellow semi-finalists Parke in the group stages, along with Achill and Moy Davitts, before they had three points to spare over Belmullet in the last eight. However this is probably where the story will end for this season for Frank Browne’s men. Burrishoole picked themselves up and got back on track in their quarter final replay and they are still smarting from last year’s final defeat. Jason Doherty, Enda McManamon, Shane McDermott, and James Moran will be players that Colm Mac’ will be relying on having a big game on Sunday, and if they do the men from the east will find it very difficult to live with the McGovern Park side.

Everyone is still recovering from the great escape in Ruislip last Sunday, when Mayo were put to the pin of their collar by London in the Connacht Senior Championship. This Friday offers a welcome distraction in the form of the Connacht Junior Championship final in Charlestown which will throw in at 7.30pm. This evening’s game will offer Mayo the chance to dethrone the current All Ireland champions from the Yeats County, who will be under the guidance once again of their senior inter-county manager Kevin Walsh. Mayo for their part have John Kelly running the line for them, with Ray Connelly, Jarlath Cunningham and Vinny Gavin also on sideline duties. In the quarter final Mayo saw off the challenge of a tough Leitrim side after Mickey Moran’s side pushed into an early lead, while in the last four of the competition Roscommon were defeated in Ballyhaunis.

Some well-known retired rugby players donned their boots once again for a special veterans match to celebrate the opening of Oughterard RFC’s new pitch on Saturday.

Two men who were threatening and abusive towards gardaí in Ballina were before the district court on Tuesday.

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