Local Notes: Kilkelly Kilmovee Book launch took place in Ireland West Airport.
Pictured at the launch of the Kilkelly Kilmovee Book which was held in Ireland West Airport were from left; Fr Joseph Gavigan PP, Kilmovee, with Philomena and Eunice Moran, Ballaghaderreen. Picture James Hunt Photography.
There was no winner of the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA lotto jackpot of €14,000 in the weekly draw held on Sunday night, November 3, and the following were the four numbers drawn; 5, 7, 11 and 36. The winners of the €50 weekly prizes were Sharon O’Donnell and Caroline Goldrick. The jackpot increased to €14,100 and the draw was held on Sunday, November 10.
Health Quarter Plus Charlestown Sports Performance Fitness and Wellness Centre are currently hosting Healthy Aging Classes every Tuesday and Thursday at 9.30am for people over 60. Resistance exercises helps reduce the effects of osteoporosis and scorpenia, improves balance, strength and cardiovascular fitness, help you move better and feel stronger with the emphasis very much on fun and engagement. For more information contact 085 8416420.
Charlestown Sarsfields made their exit from the county U21B championship at the hands of Ballinrobe with the South Mayo lads coming through on a 2-13 to 3-3 score line in the preliminary quarter-final played at Fr O’Hara Park recently.
There was a small matter of a quarter-final spot at stake for the victors so it was a winner’s take all contest with the Sarsfields keen to maintain their interest in the competition.
The South Mayo men were many people’s fancy for the competition from the outset but a preliminary quarter-final wasn’t quite where they wanted to be when an opening round defeat saw them having to travel to Charlestown who were very keen to atone for their disappointing defeat to Ballaghaderreen in round two last week.
The Sarsfields took the game to their more fancied opponents from the throw-in and carried a real goal threat in their forward line as they knifed 3-1 in the opening half with goals from Conor McArdle, Niall Fleming and Eoin Flannery leaving them in dreamland as they led by three points at the break having limited Ballinrobe to 1-4 in reply.
The second half saw a turnaround in fortunes however as Ballinrobe began to find their feet in all the key battlegrounds and slowly but surely set to work on reducing their first half deficit.
The Sarsfields remained competitive for the most part but found scores much harder to come by as the men who threatened danger in the first half struggled to find the necessary space to impact the game when the green and white most needed it. That said the scores were tied at 3-2 to 1-8 with fifteen left on the clock with a Niall Fleming free pulling the Sarsfields level and keeping them firmly in the contest as Ballinrobe were beginning to wonder would they rue some fluffed goal chances over the previous forty five minutes or so.
They needn’t have worried as the Robe lads upped their level of performance considerably in the last ten to twelve minutes and started to finally make the scoreboard tick over in their favour with four points in a row making it a two score game as the light seemed to have faded from the Sarsfields challenge.
Two second half points is all the Sarsfields could muster in response with Ballinrobe applying the coup de gras in the closing stages as they got in for their second goal to kill the game effectively as the Sarsfields challenge fell away in the final stages with players out on their feet as the Robe men managed the game well to the final whistle.
The second half was disappointing from a Sarsfields perspective as they failed to build on their strong first half showing with many of their players fading from the game once the intensity levels cranked up a couple of notches. They had, nonetheless, good performances from the likes of Jack Corley, Thomas Goldrick, Tadhg Horkan, Paddy Joe Dunleavy and Eoin Flannery with the likes of Niall Fleming and Conor McArdle showing occasional flashes of inspiration as Ballinrobe now go forward to contest the quarter-final in a competition that looks to have a deep pool of very good teams.
Well done to the management team of James Kilroy, Mike Horkan, Ciaran Honeyman, Enda McLoughlin and Brian Sheerin who made the best out of the talent available to them with the timing of the competition once again to be called into question with a much earlier starting date needed to allow players train and play on better pitches and better conditions.
Pottery classes take place in the Arts Centre, Barrack Street, Charlestown, on Monday mornings from 10am-1.30pm. There are limited spaces available. For more information call 086 8514682.
The AGM of the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA club will be held in the Arts Centre, Barrack Street, Charlestown, on Friday, November 29 at 8pm. Nomination papers for the various executive positions will be posted out to all club members in the coming days and weeks and you are asked to return the same to the club secretary on or before Wednesday, November 27, and your co-operation in this would be greatly appreciated. The club had another very successful year on and off the field, the highlight of which was the opening of the Colm Horkan Memorial Pitch and Walkway on Sunday, June 2, last. The club executive did a terrific job in their various roles and they will be providing comprehensive reports at the AGM and hopefully a large crowd will be in attendance to offer their support. Remember the date and time as the club look back and reflect on another extremely busy year.
Newly designed Game Ready Gear Charlestown Sarsfields GAA club merchandise is arriving soon along with some old favourites like branded/crested hoodies shorts, socks, gloves, beanie hats, etc. To avoid disappointment call into John in Casey’s Expert Hardware to place your pre-Christmas order now. Gear is also available for the underage wing of the club (Bord na nOg) Charlestown LGFA and Charlestown Cubs Basketball Club.
Following on from their recent very successful and well supported 5km series, the East Mayo Athletics Club have launched their “Countdown to Christmas Challenge”, a 5k challenge which is making a welcome return to the club roster albeit under a new guise and format. It consists of four (4) teams running or walking 3 x 5k’s between Monday and Sunday, in your own time and location and whichever team completes the most runs wins the challenge. This is a very popular challenge and the team leaders will be virtually encouraging you and your team all the way as you strive to complete the challenge and get the runs on the board so to speak. All the details regarding entry are available on the East Mayo Athletics Club Facebook where you simply click on the link to enter and access all the details.
The event starts on Monday, November 4, and finishes on Sunday, December 15, which is a nice six week lead-in to Christmas. The challenge should appeal to all ages and generations with a €20 entry fee per person any time /anywhere. Sign up now or better still form a team and pit your wits and talents against others and see how you fare out. All details are on the East Mayo Athletics Club Facebook Page.
The AGM of the Charlestown LGFA (the ladies wing) of the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA Club will take place on Tuesday, November 19, at 8.30pm in the Arts Centre, Barrack Street, Charlestown. Forms to submit motions and to nominate new officers will be shared online over the coming days.
The village of Carracastle and its hinterland performed very well in the 2024 Tidy Towns competition when the results were made known recently. The village improved by a whopping thirteen (13) points from their previous entry which is quite the performance indeed. They received lots of encouraging comments, praise and advice from the judges and judging panel who visited the village during the summer. They included in their report that they appreciate all the work and effort the volunteers put in throughout the year and were delighted to see that the village was litter-free during their visit.
Davey’s, Scoil Iosa NS and Carracastle Community Centre, St James’s Church and the Cemetery were noted as highlights of the judges visit, while the Ireland West Farm Stay and Dozio Cheese were commended for all the work they do in relation to sustainability in their areas of work.
Many congratulations to all involved in helping to keep the village looking its best and here’s to more improvements and enhancements in next year’s competition with plenty of incentive and positivity for the dedicated committee and volunteer base to build on going forward.
The AGM of Bord na nOg (the underage wing) of the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA Club will take place on Friday, November 22, at 7pm in the Arts Centre, Barrack Street, Charlestown. All members/parents are requested to attend as the club look back and reflect on another very successful year on and off the field as the club continue to compete with distinction at all grades and genders from U10 to U18 respectively. The current executive have put in a massive shift in the last number of years and have revitalised the structures at underage level and brought a high degree or professionalism and organisation to the club which is bearing fruits on the fields of play with some notable successes at various grades on both genders. As always, however, they need more support to continue to the good work with all offers of help and support, however small, most gratefully received. The club has much to be proud of as they continue to drive on and put new initiatives in place to improve our competitiveness and hopefully a large crowd will turnout and lend further support and assistance to what's been a great few years for the club at underage level in East Mayo and Mayo underage football in general.
Charlestown Sarsfields qualified for the Division 8 U13 grading league final by virtue of their 0-13 to 2-3 victory over Kilmovee Shamrocks in the semi-final played at Fr O’Hara Park, Charlestown recently. The Sarsfields, while never looking like losing the game at any stage, didn’t have matters all their own way with Kilmovee posing plenty of challenges throughout an eventful enough sixty minutes plus.
The Sarsfields had the better point kickers as evidenced from the rather lopsided looking scoreline but Kilmovee possessed a goal threat which kept the Sarsfields on their toes as they could never fully relax until the final whistle was blown. The seeds for the Sarsfields victory were sown in their ability to kick points with a fairly even spread of scores coming in both halves.
They were never led at any stage in the game and always managed to keep their lead to two scores but that said they could never quite shake off a dogged and determined Kilmovee side who kept battling away despite playing second fiddle to their opponents in almost every line of the pitch.
The Sarsfields had enough in their locker to see the game out to the final whistle with victory ensuring their qualification for the final and a clash against another East Mayo side with Aghamore lying in wait for what promises to be an interesting final clash.
The Sarsfields had some fine performances all over the field with honourable mention to Rian O’Connor and Daithi Gethins who were very impressive throughout. Best of luck to Neil O’Connor and his team in the final with a full report on the outcome in next week’s column.
A new book has hit the shelves in recent days entitled ‘Our Finest Hour’ penned by well known sports journalist, columnist and now book publisher Edwin McGreal where he takes people on a journey through every club in Mayo asking them, to nominate and talk about their ‘Finest Hour’ on the fields of play so to speak. It is a fascinating and brilliant read as characters, past players, officers and stalwart club members from every club in the county talk about and discuss what they consider was the club’s finest hour and pinnacle of their success to date.
The Sarsfields are well represented as Edwin interviews and chats with some of the personalities who were involved in the club’s historic county and Connacht title successes of 2001 which still burn brightly in the hearts and minds of all associated with that memorable period in stellar history where the club and community came together in unison to celebrate never to be forgotten times. The likes of David Tiernan, who captained the team to its greatest triumphs, Aidan Higgins, John Casey, Podsie Horkan and yours truly discuss with Edwin the background to the success, how it evolved and emanated and the impact it had on the town as people came from all corners of the globe to participate and join in the celebrations as the success reached deep into all aspects of the community and moved people like never before.
The lads discuss all aspects of the success with Edwin with lots of humour and fun had along the way which they were keen to get across as it was a journey which contained so many highlights and brought people together like never before. Friendships and bonds were forged which remain as tight today as they did all of twenty three years ago and Edwin brilliantly relays the lads thoughts and opinions in print and describes with great clarity the impact the success had on the lives of the people in the club and town and how it brought nothing but good times and positivity to the area.
Edwin hit on a great concept and produced a terrific publication that goes deep into what drives people involved in GAA at grassroots level and how any modicum of success is treasured and savoured. The book is available in all local book shops in the county and is also available online at www.mayobooks.ie and I would heartily recommend you purchase as it would be a wonderful addition to your book shelf!
The Christmas Craft Fair will be held at Carracastle Community Centre on Sunday, December 1, from 10am-2pm. If you would like to have a table on the day contact 085 7704647 to confirm your place and for more information.
Well known local Sinn Fein Councillor Gerry Murray received the nomination at a recent party convention to contest the forthcoming general election as Sinn Fein look to secure two seats in the five-seat Mayo constituency. Gerry is sure to command a big vote as he is a well-known and prominent voice in local politics having first been elected to Mayo County Council in 1999. He has been a prolific vote catcher for Sinn Fein in all subsequent council selections in the interim and this will be his second time to contest a general election having previously run in 2007. His entry into the race is sure to cause lots of speculation and debate as Gerry and Sinn Fein look to add another seat to the one already held by Rose Conway Walsh. Gerry has been very active in the council chamber in the last twenty five years and has brought a number of big projects across the line in the Charlestown area with the Arts Centre, playground and walkway - three of the biggest additions to mention but a few to the town’s social and recreational infrastructure which Gerry campaigned long and hard for. He is a visible presence on the ground at all times and has a terrific intellect and is a renowned public speaker, all qualities which are sure to curry favour with the electorate as Gerry makes a bid to get elected to the Dail chamber. He`s sure to be ramping up his canvassing in the coming days and weeks with the election called for November 29, and Gerry has a large and loyal support base in and around the hinterland of Charlestown so he will be giving it everything as he and Sinn Fein look to add another seat in what is expected to be an intense and keenly contested election race. The Mayo constituency has thrown up plenty of surprises and talking points over any number of elections and Gerry is wished all the very best in his campaigning as he strives to get elected to high office.
Well done to the East Mayo Athletics Club and fifteen of their young athletes who covered themselves in glory at the recent Connacht Athletics Uneven Cross Country Races held in Roscommon. Each and every one who took part acquitted themselves brilliantly and flew the East Mayo Athletics Club flag with great pride and distinction. The club were well represented in the U11 boys and girls 1500m races respectively with Lucy, Holly, Aoife, Maeve, Matt, Ollie, Jayden, and Conor all running superbly and leaving everything on the course so to speak. Congratulations to Matt who won an individual medal and now goes forward to compete at the national finals which is a marvellous achievement indeed. He is also a member of the county team who took home a silver medal to complete a great day for him personally. Holly also ran a terrific race as she powered up the home straight which saw her qualify for the national finals as part of the county team as she continues to flourish and thrive in the white heat of competition.
The U13 boys displayed full gamut of their talents and abilities in 2500m race as Tom, Daithi, Senan, Luke, Kalem, Alex and Ted all played their part in securing a bronze team medal which was no mean achievement considering very high standard of competition the lads were up against. Senan and Daithi are also members of the Mayo team which won gold so both lads will be representing club and county at the national finals to be held in the coming weeks.
There was a good turnout at the weekly darts competition held in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown, on Sunday night, November 3, as Podsie and the Pillock squared off in another thrilling instalment of the weekly classic. Governor Gus had to be at his best to keep law and order and tempers threatened to boil over on occasions but some stern refereeing did the trick with disqualification and expulsion very much at play on more than one occasion. Podsie was imperious in the first two sets as he nailed every double and treble with terrific accuracy and left his opponent trailing in his wake such was the skill he exhibited when in among the doubles.
The Pillock tried to unsettle the top seed with some thrash talking but Podsie never rose to the bait with the Governor having to reprimand the Pillock for some unsporting like conduct as the number four seed attempted to disrupt the momentum of his opponent by engaging in a war of words. Gus had to step in a second time when the Pillock jostled the top seed as he made his way back from the ochie having posted a 180 in the second leg of the third set. Podsie kept his cool admirably however and just stared down his opponent who did manage to win the next leg albeit it was only a temporary stay of execution. Podsie stepped in to claim the third leg convincingly to leave him one away from victory.
The Pillock rallied in leg four with both men reaching the double simultaneously. The Pillock had first shot at the double but squandered two gilt edged chances to extend the match with his final two darts grazing the wire of double sixteen. Podsie, sensing his time had come, stepped forward with 66 left on his scorecard. He went the tried and trusted route, hitting treble ten with his first dart to leave two darts at double eighteen one he’s particularly fond of. He needed only one as his first dart sailed into the corner of the bed to ignite wild celebrations in his huge support base as they chanted his name to high heavens. The Pillock bore a grim look when the Podsie turned to commiserate with him but to his credit he got over his disappointment fairly quickly as both men warmly embraced as Podsie reflected on a job well done as he claimed his thirteenth title of what’s been a star studded season to date.
