Search Results for 'Michael McCormack'

BUCCANEERS 12

In the latest of our articles focusing on the War of Independence and Civil War in and around Athlone, we follow the declining fortunes of the Athlone Brigade’s flying column between October 1920 and February 1921.

AMONG IRISH musicians, Interference are regarded as one of the best bands this country has ever produced, their admirers including Glen Hansard, Graham Hopkins, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, and Gerry Fish.

Pupils at Drumraney National School presented '1916: A Local Perspective', a talk focussing on the involvement of local man, Michael McCormack, in the Irish rebellion.

It has been a long journey for Ardnaree over the past 12 months, from the banks of the Moy to the banks of the Royal Canal, which will end tomorrow afternoon. The north Mayo men will go looking to create a little bit of history and become the first Mayo side to claim the All Ireland junior club title.

On Sunday in Carrick on Shannon Ardnaree will face into their eighth championship game this season, and when the full time whistle goes, Declan O'Dea's men will have left everything they have on the pitch to make sure there's a ninth one coming up next month in Croke Park.

Ardnaree have had four weeks to drink in the fact that they had finally got back to the promised land of the intermediate championship for next year following their victory over Killala in the Mayo Junior Championship final on October 18. The withdrawal of the Leitrim representatives from the provincial competition gave Ardanree a free pass into Sunday's Connacht final. The form that Ardnaree have shown this year, you would have to assume that they would have booked that passage themselves with ease if they had to play a semi-final, but that is irrevelent and all that matters is the here and now and on Sunday, the Galway junior champions Clifden come calling to MacHale Park.

When a game ends with such a comprehensive a gap between the sides, all there is to do is to sit back and marvel at the performance of the victors. For Ardnaree, it’s been a long 44 year wait since they last claimed the Mayo junior title. There have been plenty of close misses over the years since then, no more than in the past decade where they have had to head back to their enclave on the north side of the Moy after tasting defeat in the 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013 finals.

The All Ireland minor championship sponsors have been using the tagline "this is major" as part of their promotion of that grade in recent years and it could quite easily be applied to what is going to happen on Sunday when Ardnaree and Killala meet at 3pm in the Mayo junior final. This all north Mayo battle promises to be an encounter that will be one for the ages. Ardanree have been knocking at the door in the junior championship so hard over the past number of years there is no paint left on it at this stage, but they have just failed to make grade each time, losing finals in 2009, 2011, and 2012. You also have to go back as far as 1971 to find the last time they claimed the title.