Search Results for 'Michael D McNamara'

There’s been plenty of novel match ups in the history of the GAA, but this Sunday’s meeting of Achill and Oileain Arainn (Aran Islands) in the Connacht Club Junior Football Championship Final is probably one that will not be topped for a long while to come. Having two islands meet on the mainland for the title of being the best junior club in Connacht is going to be one of those games that will be talked about for many years to come. Of course if they wanted to be finicky the Galway outfit could probably claim to being the only true island team, with part of the parish of Achill stretching on to the main land and the Michael Davitt bridge joining it to the rest of the country. But enough of that geography talk, it is the football that really matters on Sunday.

Anytime you win a county senior title is a good time but there are certain times when it can be more favourable than others.

On Sunday in Elverys MacHale Park in the Connacht Junior Football Championship the Mayo team will be making a longer trek to the home of Mayo football than their opponents from Roscommon. According to the AA’s route planner, it is 46 miles from Achill Head on the far side of the island to MacHale Park, while their opponents on Sunday, Michael Glaveys from Ballinlough area of Roscommon, face a 34 mile journey to the game.

Last Sunday’s county Junior and Intermediate finals were certainly a day for the underdog with Castlebar Mitchels B team and Ballyhaunis prevailing as county champions.

Last Sunday’s county Junior and Intermediate finals were certainly a day for the underdog with Castlebar Mitchels B team and Ballyhaunis prevailing as county champions. I predicted both games incorrectly as I expected Achill and Hollymount/Carramore to win their respective finals. The win for Castlebar in the junior final is an amazing feat considering it is their second string outfit, and with their seniors also in the final it could be an unprecedented double for the county town. In the current climate when it is hard to get 15 for a club they have exceeded expectation to remain competitive on all fronts. Before anyone uses the “look at the size of the pick they have or the size of the town” as an explanation of their recent successes, it should be noted that not too many moons ago their first team were playing intermediate football so it is quite remarkable that their second string will compete in that competition next year.

If they had lost it, they would really have no-one else to blame but themselves, but come crunch time Castlebar Mitchels centre-half-forward Adam Murphy had the wherewithal to do what so many of his team-mates had failed to do before that and put the ball between the posts deep into injury time on Sunday. Mitchels were by far the better team on the day, but they left the backdoor open with their wayward shooting and Achill found themselves in with a chance of lifting the McDonnell cup against the odds at the end.

Next Friday night (December 6) in the Welcome Inn Hotel the Mayo League will honour the best performers of the year at its annual awards night. The league has selected teams of the year across all five divisions of the Mayo League, from the Super League to League Two, and team of the year for the Masters competitions it runs. It will also announce on the night the player of the year in each division.