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Experimental rules for a female stick-and-ball game were drawn up in 1903, and the first public game took place in July of that year, and so the game of camogie was officially launched. Men used to play with a ‘camán’, but the women would use a shorter stick described in the diminutive form ‘camóg’. So the game was called ‘camógaíocht’ and this was anglicised to camogie. The pitches used were shorter than standard, the game lasted 50 minutes and teams were 12-a-side, using an elliptical formation of 1-3-3-3-1. In 1999 camogie moved to the normal GAA field size, teams were 15-a-side and they adopted the standard GAA butterfly formation of 3-3-2-3-3.

Kristen Sheeran from Castlebar was one of four Irish teenagers who returned from Munich on Sunday after attending the Allianz Junior Football Camp hosted by FC Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena from August 17 to 21. Over the five day football experience Kristen gained a unique insight into the world of elite level sport and the behind the scenes running of a world class stadium as well as honing her football skills under some of Europe’s finest football coaches.

I hung around for a while outside Croke Park last Sunday evening chatting about the game. I got the impression that Mayo people were not too disappointed with the result as the general consensus was that we were beaten by a better team. We have come away from HQ on other occasions with our heads bowed, but this time, I like many others, was proud of the fact that we gave it our best shot but just were not good enough on the day. And yet, had we taken a few of the goal chances that were created things might have been so different. I got a text from a friend 20 minutes into the first half suggesting that Kerry were very beatable and were there for the taking. I did not disagree as we were leading by a couple of points at the time and Kerry appeared to be quite ragged. Jack O’Connor had an agitated look on his face and his team were leaking heavily in a few positions. Long ball into Donaghy was being mopped up by Ger Cafferkey and the Gooch had barely touched the ball.

Mayo manager James Horan will wait until this evening to announce his starting team for Sunday’s All Ireland semi-final against Kerry. It had been expected that the Ballintubber club man would announce his side on Wednesday night, but he has decided to wait until this evening to unveil his starting selection. Horan is waiting on the fitness reports of both Trevor Mortimer and Peadar Gardiner who picked up injuries in training for the county side and in club action respectively over the past few weeks. A third name was added to that list of worries on Tuesday night when Swinford’s Aidan Campbell picked up a knock at training in preparation for the clash.

A two day charity cycle is destined for Westmeath next month.

Galway Rose Ciara Keane is on the lookout for big-hearted people as she prepares to shake up the Galway Marathon Festival in aid of the Irish Heart Foundation this August 28. Together with Galway county footballer Fiachra Breathnach, Keane limbered up for the special Galway City Mini Marathon taking place as one of three races in the marathon festival next month. Kitted out in electric red Irish Heart Foundation headbands, legwarmers, and matching t-shirts, the pair encouraged runners and walkers of all levels to join in the fun and raise money to keep more hearts beating.

With a sell out crowd of 30,000 expected to head to Hyde Park on Sunday, there will be nowhere to hide for Mayo as they aim to dethrone Fergal O’Donnell’s defending Connacht champions on their home patch. Ten years ago O’Donnell was the man who lifted the Nestor Cup in the same venue on a sweltering Sunday evening when a late, late Gerry Lohan goal had primrose and blue ribbons hanging from the old trophy for the year at the end of one of the games of the ages.

After a break of almost two months the Westmeath football championship springs back into action this weekend with a full set of third round games down for decision. In recent years we have seen a number of teams struggle to maintain form after the extended break while others come back with all guns blazing. With the big guns on both sides of the draw set to go head to head, it is at the bottom of the table where the most intriguing clashes will take place.

Newstalk 106-108fm will host a live broadcast and family fun day at Breaffy GAA club ahead of the clash between Mayo and Galway in the Connacht Football Championship semi-final today (Friday), June 24.

I recall watching the Irish rugby team playing a Triple Crown match in 1985 against England. The match was very much in the balance with minutes left on the clock. It was at a critical juncture in the game that team captain Ciaran Fitzgerald demanded his team step up to the plate with his by now (in) famous line “where’s your f***ing pride?” The team responded and delivered a magnificent final few minutes to beat England on that day. I have no doubt that Fitzgerald’s leadership was crucial to that victory. Mayo football is, to some extent, at a similar juncture right now. We need leadership both on and off the field and, more than anything else, we need to display a bit of f***ing pride and heart. After last year’s championship defeats to Sligo and Longford we need to resurrect our reputation before we slip into a downward spiral of mediocrity that could prove difficult to shake off were it to continue. Mayo looked very sluggish and tired last year and some critics even suggested that they did not appear to be playing for one another. This season, however, we retained our division one status with some credible gutsy performances but appeared to hit a dip again a few weeks before the London match.