Search Results for 'Padraig Joyce'

Over the past few weekends there has been much made of the huge decline in spectator interest in the Railway Cup.

Over the past few weekends there has been much made of the huge decline in spectator interest in the Railway Cup.

The gushing garden fountain, giant ‘triffid’-like plants, towers, and parapets are all dead giveaways. This is no ordinary entrance; this is no formulaic hotel.

Galway produced an epic, lyrical performance in the first half against Dublin last Sunday afternoon. The standing ovation they received as they trouped off at half time for their Jaffa cakes and tea summed up the mood of the paying customers in the stand as they found themselves whipped up into a real "feel-good" moment by the superb free-flowing football of the forwards.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master. A team can get into a losing streak very easily and each and every loss chips away at a team’s confidence. Every subsequent game then heaps enormous pressure on all involved to put a stop to the losing streak.

Last Sunday morning was a case in point. I was haring down the motorway to Mullingar from the fireworks in Croke Park on Saturday night when I phoned a friend to see if he was going to the Galway v Westmeath game.

I was in Aughamore with Crossmolina for a challenge match against the local club last Friday night. It was an opportunity for both sides to have a workout as they try to shake off their winter coats before the commencement of the league in a few weeks time. Aughamore have really impressive facilities and their flood lit pitch, in particular, is a credit to everyone involved up there. We were delighted with the opportunity to stretch the legs, after a number of weeks of circuit training, against a young talented team that have caught the eye in recent times. The underage structure in Aughamore is very obviously paying dividends at senior level and having seen them up close I now appreciate that they will have no problem whatsoever in mixing it with some of the big boys in the senior championship later this summer. Incidentally they were deserving winners on the night.

I didn’t get to Kerry on Sunday due to my own club commitments, but reports from the south would appear to be encouraging. My spies tell me Mayo could have won, or at least drawn, the match, which is more than anticipated. Rightly, John O’Mahony was critical afterwards of the demands being made on certain players. Take a footballer like Kevin McLoughlin, who didn’t play on Sunday due to an injury – he has come through a Sigerson Cup campaign, his senior debut, and the start of the u21 championship, all in the space of a few weeks.

“London calling to the faraway towns,

Mayo Teachers’ Golf Alliance