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Five years ago, Kevin Keane was looking forward to hopefully a long summer of minor football in the green and red of Mayo. That summer brought him all the way to Croke Park on All Ireland final day and ultimately a heartbreaking defeat to Tyrone in a final replay in Longford. Since then Keane has worked his way though the ranks of the u21s and up to a starting spot in the senior final against Donegal last September. The Westport native and Sligo IT student was in McHale Park this week to launch this year’s Electric Ireland All Ireland minor championships, and he puts what he learned playing in the minor championship five years ago as one of the major reasons he is where he is today in the game. “Back in 2008, it was a great honour to represent your county first and foremost and then to go on to where we got, was just amazing. It was a huge stepping stone looking back on it now, getting to represent Mayo as a senior footballer. It was a great level to learn your trade as a footballer, which is what it’s all about really in developing you as a footballer. I was lucky enough to win a Connacht title and get to an All Ireland final in Croke Park, which at 18 years of age is one of the most amazing things you can ever do as a footballer, especially when you’re only 18.”

The official opening of Papa John’s Pizza and Quiznos, which took place last week in Spar Ardleigh, was a great success.

The iconic GAA themed play The Pitch by Shane Connaughton will have its only Mayo showing for 2012 in the Breaffy GAA Clubhouse on Tuesday January 24 commencing at 8pm. Tickets are €10 each and a limited number will be on general sale. This promotion is part of the GAA Social Initiative, which is supported by Calor, and Moth Productions has agreed to bring this nationally acclaimed drama, which has captivated audiences throughout Ireland for the past 12 months, to The Breaffy Clubhouse.

The Maigh Cuilinn intermediate hurlers continued on their merry way last Sunday when they had a good win in the provincial final over a competitive Four Roads (Roscommon) in Athleague.

•Clarinbridge GAA Club is one of four shortlisted for Ireland’s Best Club Down Under, sponsored by Etihad Airways. The other three clubs are Cork’s Bishopstown, Glynn Barntown of Wexford, and Kilmacud Crokes. Clarenbridge, which was founded in 1889, has enjoyed many successes on the field, winning its first county intermediate title in 1983. In 2001 it won its first county senior title by overcoming the then reigning All Ireland champions Athenry, and in 2010 it won its second county senior title, going on to win the 2011 All Ireland Hurling Club title for the first time. Etihad will fly the first team from the winning club to Australia, where it will train with GAA legend Nicky English ahead of the challenge game of a lifetime.

The 2011 Bord Gais Energy Ladies Football National League kicks off on Sunday with Kilkenny hosting Westmeath in Urlingford. The sides last met in 2008 when the Cats had a one point win in the Leinster semi final but the girls from the Lake County reversed this result with a three point win a month later in the All-Ireland series. Westmeath struggled in the League last year to cope with the powerhouses of Cavan, Fermanagh and Waterford resulting in relegation to Division 4 where they will hope to be better matched with Kilkenny, Carlow, Offaly, Louth, Roscommon, Antrim and Derry.

Twenty-four students have received NUI Galway student sports scholarships at a special ceremony this week.

I have so little energy this evening. I am wrecked after a tough session in the gym. The penny hasn’t dropped with me yet that the body isn’t able for the kind of punishment I once subjected it to. Earlier this evening, I was happily plodding along in the gym doing my thing, when I was invited to join in with the spinning class taking place in an adjoining room. The instructor pushed us hard for almost an hour. It was an eye opener and I can now admit to myself that the old body is not what it once was. However I comforted myself when I realised that there is no point in peaking this time of year! That is not the situation however for any new potential inter-county footballer wanting to impress new managers around the country. The reality is many of those players wil not have kicked a ball in months, yet they are expected to make an impression at these trial games. That’s the way it is, and until there is a better solution it will continue that way. I had a text from Ian Rowland from Crossmolina earlier this week announcing that he was invited on to the Mayo football panel for the FBD league. Ian had a wonderful year with Crossmolina, impressing in lots of games in both the league and championship. He is a player who has improved enormously this year and I expect there is more to come from this young student. Ian was one of the players invited to participate in a trial match last Saturday morning in McHale Park. I heard he played well in the trial, kicking a number of monster points that clearly caught the eye. Incidentally, I have rarely witnessed a player anywhere in the country who can kick the ball as far as this man can. Understandably, he is thrilled to be presented with this opportunity and I am quite confident he will do well.

Apparently since betting was allowed on minor inter- county championship matches no county attracted as much money as Tyrone minors last Sunday. They were 4/11 favourites to beat Mayo and the money flowed on to them. They arrived in HQ with a formidable reputation (as most northern teams do these days) and the word circulating about the place before the match was we would be doing extremely well to be in contention. But this Mayo team obviously did not give two hoots for the reputation of their opponents and they tore into them from the get go. They got the perfect start with three quick points, but that good start was nullified in a flash with a brilliantly taken Tyrone goal.

Klass Kids Kamp, a summer camp for primary school boys and girls, will take place in Breaffy GAA sports hall from Monday August 9 to August 13. The camp runs from 9.30am to 2.30pm and costs €65 per child, €60 for a second family member, or €150 for a family of three.